“… just about everything a road car should be.”
In its second year, changes to the third-generation Chevrolet Camaro Z28 centered on the powertrain. The Z28 gained a new standard Borg-Warner five-speed manual transmission and a new optional four-speed automatic. Both carryover V8 engines gained horsepower, and a new top-of-the-line H.O. engine became available mid-year. Detail changes included new patterns for the optional L/S Conteur bucket seats that repeated the Camaro name in the design. Chevrolet refined the instrument panel graphics, and electronically tuned stereo radios were newly available.
All Z28 engines for 1982 were variations of the Chevrolet’s 5.0 liter/305 ci V8. The Z28‘s standard engine was the LG4 with a four-barrel carburetor, uprated five bhp to 150 bhp. An optional $450 LU5 Cross-Fire with throttle-body fuel injection gained 10 bhp to 175 bhp and required the $295 automatic. In April 1983, the L69 H.O. with 190 bhp became available for $505 and required the five-speed.
Motor Trend recorded a 0-60 time of 7.4 seconds with the top-of-the-line H.O. motor and the five-speed—about 1.5 seconds faster than the best from 1982. Fuel economy ratings for the H.O. were 16 city/26 highway by the day’s standards—the highway rating two mpg better than 1982’s base engine. With a 16.1-gallon gas tank, a Z28 owner with the H.O. could expect a range of 250 to 270 miles with a 10% fuel reserve.
The 1983 Z28‘s base price was $10,336—about $34,200 in 2025 dollars. Standard exterior and mechanical equipment on all 1983 Z28s included a front air dam, “ground effects” rocker molding design, body-color dual Sport mirrors, a rear deck spoiler, power steering, a power front disc/rear drum brake system, and P215/65R-15 steel-belted radial ply white letter tires (a size still readily available) on 15 x 7 inch 5-spoke aluminum wheels. Inside, every 1982 Z28 came with vinyl reclining front bucket seats, a fold-down rear seat, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, special instrumentation, and a quartz analog electric clock.
Options & Production Numbers
Exterior and mechanical options available for the Camaro Z28 include tinted glass ($105), electric twin remote Sport mirrors ($89), removable glass roof panels ($825!), a rear window wiper/washer ($120), a power antenna ($60), a limited slip differential ($95), and four-wheel power disk brakes ($179). Interior options included power windows ($180), a power door lock system ($120), an electric rear window defogger ($135), automatic speed control with resume speed ($170), air conditioning ($725), a Comfortilt steering wheel ($105), and Deluxe luggage compartment trim ($164).
The Custom interior included the Berlinetta-style seats, seat trim, and door trim, and then added some Z28-specific touches. Pricing for a Custom interior depended on which seats were paired with it, and topped out with the cloth L/S Conteur bucket seats ($650). Five different radios were available, with the fanciest being an electronically tuned AM/FM stereo radio with seek/scan and clock ($520). A loaded Z28 could easily hit $15,000—real money in 1983 and almost $50,000 in today’s dollars.
Chevrolet sold 62,100 Z28s in the 1983 model year. However, the most popular Camaro remained the base Sport Coupe, which moved 63,806 units. The somewhat more luxurious Berlinetta sold another 27,925 copies.
The View From 2025
Third-generation Camaros attract plenty of collector interest, and there is substantial club support. According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, a 1983 Camaro Z28 hatchback coupe with the H.O. motor and t-tops in #1/Concours condition is $46,400, while a far more typical #3/Good condition version goes for $14,600. 1983 Camaro Z28s are often available in the Hemmings Motor News classifieds, on eBay Motors, and at online (Bring a Trailer) and in-person auctions. As I write this blog entry in October 2025, a Silver Metallic Z28 with the Cross-Fire, an automatic, and 4,200 miles is for sale on Hemmings, asking $28,000.
Make mine Red, please.
Other Camaros I have written about include the 1980 Rally Sport coupe, the 1980 Z28 coupe, the 1982 Z28 Indy 500 Commemorative Edition hatchback coupe, the 1984 Sport Coupe hatchback coupe, the 1985 IROC-Z hatchback coupe, and the 1986 Berlinetta hatchback coupe.
Eighties Cars 