1982 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 review from North America

The A/C was dead before I bought the car.

The brake lines deteriorated at 115,000 miles.

The fuel line eroded at 120,000 miles.

The water pump failed at 138,000 miles.

My 1982 Z28 was relatively light, with the factory plastic hood, solid roof (no T-tops), manual windows, and very few options.

It was equipped with a Corvette BW 4-speed manual transmission.

It did have a torquey engine. Don't let the horsepower numbers fool you... when you look at the real-world power per weight of the car, it could be quick if driven skillfuly. Could easily 'chirp' second... didn't try for third, since I wanted to baby the car. Top speed was about 145 (verified by a chase car, driven by a friend). Even at that speed, the Camaro remained very stable. It seemed stock, but a previous owner may have made a few sleeper modifications to my Z!

Handled like an exotic car

Never left me stranded

The seats were comfortable, even for long distances.

Dramatic looking interior, but used liberal amounts of cheap-feeling plastic.

I restored the body to factory specs (including the stripes etc.), and did *not* hot-rod the car. It got many looks and compliments wherever I drove it.

These cars can be *extremely* nice when well-maintained, but become crappy and fall apart if they're not.