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1985 Camaro

The IROC-Z arrives

Chevrolet licenses the IROC name and puts Tuned Port Injection in the showroom.

Edited by Bill Pierce. Reviewed October 2026.

White 1987 Camaro IROC-Z
1987 Camaro IROC-Z Photo: Nick Ares, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; plate and faces blurred

The IROC-Z arrived, and it is the car most people picture when they hear "1980s Camaro." Chevrolet licensed the name from the International Race of Champions series and offered IROC-Z as a package on the Z28, with its own suspension, wheels and rocker-panel graphics.

It also brought Tuned Port Injection, the multi-port system shared with the Corvette, to the 5.0-liter LB9 V8. Carbureted and throttle-body 305s continued alongside it, with the 2.8 V6 and 2.5 four below.

Orange 1985 Camaro Z28 coupe with T-tops
Orange 1985 Camaro Z28 coupe with T-tops, front left three-quarter view, at an outdoor car show in a park Photo: Sicnag, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; licence plates and faces blurred Original photograph License

Sport Coupe (97,966 built), Berlinetta (13,649) and Z28 (68,403) made up the range; 21,177 Z28s carried the $659 IROC package. Chevrolet's option tallies survive for the year and appear in the options table below.

Did you know

  • Chevrolet's 1985 brochure headline was 'More Thunder for America's Favorite 2+2 Line.' It called the Tuned Port 5.0 'a new star' for Z models, with a large cast-aluminum plenum, runners curved to each port and special twin air cleaners behind the front fascia.
  • On a 1985 VIN the last six digits count up separately at each plant, and Van Nuys started its 1985 serial numbers at 500001 rather than 100001. So a 1985 Camaro with an L plant code should carry a serial number of 500001 or higher.
  • Red led the 1985 paint chart with 31,473 cars, then Black (28,438) and White (18,822). Copper sold 11,406 that year and Light Brown 3,093; by 1986 Copper had collapsed to two cars and Light Brown to four.
  • Chevrolet sold a California-only 1985 IROC-Z without the decals, hood louvers or rear spoiler: about 500 cars, all with the 215-hp Tuned Port 305. Sources agree on the total but not the color split.
  • The 1985 IROC season, run in identical Camaros, ended in a points tie: Harry Gant and Darrell Waltrip each had 45, and Gant took the title and $158,200 on a better finish in the last race. The Talladega round was rained out.
  • Car and Driver's 1985 10Best list included the Camaro IROC-Z; the Mustang GT 5.0 had made the very first list in 1983, but no Camaro had.

Production

The table lists four production figures for 1985. It opens with Total production, 180,018, followed by Sport Coupe (97,966), Berlinetta (13,649) and Z28 (68,403).

1985 production by model or body Selected model/body counts from the production table. Totals, engine splits and overlapping packages are not added to these bars. Counts come from the Camaro White Book reprint. Z28 includes IROC-Z; that package is not a separate model bar. The table preserves an alternative total.
1985 production by model or body Sport Coupe: 97,966; Berlinetta: 13,649; Z28: 68,403. Bars start at zero; units: cars. Sport Coupe 97,966 Berlinetta 13,649 Z28 68,403
Original CamaroFacts figure. Sources: 1985 reference table
Record Count Note
Total production 180,018 Camaro White Book reprint in GM kit PDF p. 15: 3,318 four-cylinder, 78,315 V6, 98,385 V8; other production tables give 180,822
Sport Coupe 97,966 Camaro White Book reprint
Berlinetta 13,649 Camaro White Book reprint
Z28 68,403 Includes 21,177 with the IROC-Z package; Camaro White Book reprint
Red 1985 Camaro coupe with T-tops seen from above
Red 1985 Camaro coupe with T-tops seen from above, rear left three-quarter view, on a brick street Photo: Niels de Wit, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; licence plates blurred Original photograph License

Engines

The 1985 table lists five engines, from the 151 cu in inline-4 (LQ9) to the 305 cu in V8 (LB9) Tuned Port Injection. The highest power rating shown is 215 hp, for the 305 cu in V8 (LB9) Tuned Port Injection.

1985 engine ratings Published horsepower for the engine choices shown. Separately recorded ratings keep their qualifiers. Missing or unrecognized ratings are omitted, rather than plotted as zero. See the engine tables for transmission and equipment restrictions. SAE J1349 net ratings from the MVMA power-team table revised September 1984.
1985 engine ratings 1985 151 cu in inline-4 (LQ9) (Standard Sport Coupe): 88 hp at 4,400 rpm; 1985 173 cu in V6 (LB8) (Multi-port fuel injection; standard Berlinetta): 135 hp at 5,100 rpm; 1985 305 cu in V8 (LG4) (Standard Z28): 155 hp at 4,200 rpm; 1985 305 cu in V8 (L69) (IROC-Z with manual only; discontinued during the year): 190 hp at 4,800 rpm; 1985 305 cu in V8 (LB9) Tuned Port Injection (Z28 and IROC-Z, automatic only): 215 hp at 4,400 rpm. Bars start at zero; units: hp. 1985 151 cu in inline-4 (LQ9) (Standard Sport Coupe) 88 hp at 4,400 rpm 1985 173 cu in V6 (LB8) (Multi-port fuel injection; standard Berlinetta) 135 hp at 5,100 rpm 1985 305 cu in V8 (LG4) (Standard Z28) 155 hp at 4,200 rpm 1985 305 cu in V8 (L69) (IROC-Z with manual only; discontinued during the year) 190 hp at 4,800 rpm 1985 305 cu in V8 (LB9) Tuned Port Injection (Z28 and IROC-Z, automatic only) 215 hp at 4,400 rpm
Original CamaroFacts figure. Sources: 1985 reference table
Code Engine Power Torque Note
2 151 cu in inline-4 (LQ9) 88 hp at 4,400 rpm 132 lb-ft at 2,800 rpm Standard Sport Coupe
1 173 cu in V6 (LB8) 135 hp at 5,100 rpm 165 lb-ft at 3,600 rpm Multi-port fuel injection; standard Berlinetta
H 305 cu in V8 (LG4) 155 hp at 4,200 rpm 245 lb-ft at 2,000 rpm Standard Z28
G 305 cu in V8 (L69) 190 hp at 4,800 rpm 240 lb-ft at 3,200 rpm IROC-Z with manual only; discontinued during the year
F 305 cu in V8 (LB9) Tuned Port Injection 215 hp at 4,400 rpm 275 lb-ft at 3,200 rpm Z28 and IROC-Z, automatic only

Options, packages and special editions

The 1985 list has 64 options, packages and special editions. Every entry shows a price, and 63 show how many were built.

Prices and quantities below follow the Camaro White Book reprint in the GM kit. It describes introductory retail prices, including delivery and handling but excluding transportation and state/local taxes. Some prices changed during the model year; these are not a single schedule valid throughout 1985.

Code Description Price Built Note
1FP87 Camaro Sport Coupe, 4-cylinder $8,363.00 97,966 Base price
1FS87 Camaro Berlinetta Coupe, 6-cylinder $11,060.00 13,649 Base price
1FP87 Z28 Camaro Z28 Sport Coupe, 8-cylinder $11,060.00 68,403 Base price
B4Z IROC Sport Equipment Package $659.00 21,177 Z28 only; first year
AG9 Power seat, driver side $215.00 32,080
AM9 Seat back, split folding rear $50.00 21,295
AU3 Power door locks $125.00 70,658
A01 Tinted glass, all windows $110.00 166,996
A31 Power windows $185.00 88,381
A90 Power hatch release $40.00 93,467
BS1 Quiet Sound Group $82.00 4,954 Included with Custom Interior; standard Berlinetta
BX5 Moldings, black roof drip $29.00 — Became standard early in the year
B34 Floor mats, carpet insert, front $20.00 114,989
B35 Floor mats, carpet insert, rear $15.00 110,085
B48 Luggage compartment trim $164.00 18,418 No cost with Berlinetta; $84.00 with Z28
B84 Moldings, body side $55.00 119,465
B91 Moldings, door edge (black) $15.00 26,852
CC1 Roof panels, removable glass $821.00 63,543
CD4 Windshield wipers, intermittent $50.00 79,051 Standard Berlinetta
C25 Rear window wiper, with washer $120.00 7,367
C49 Defogger, rear window $140.00 119,137
C60 Air conditioning $730.00 146,381 Not available with Berlinetta
C67 Air conditioning, electronic $730.00 13,135 Berlinetta only
DG7 Mirrors, electric twin remote $139.00 21,626 $91.00 with Berlinetta or Z28
DK6 Console, roof $50.00 23,836 Included with Berlinetta
D27 Cover, locking rear storage $80.00 9,680 Standard Berlinetta
D35 Mirrors, sport, right and left remote $53.00 93,225 Included with Berlinetta or Z28
D42 Cover, rear compartment cargo area $69.00 56,615
D80 Spoiler, rear $69.00 62,128 Included with Z28
F41 Suspension, sport $49.00 19,231 Not available with Z28
G80 Rear axle, limited slip $95.00 15,327
J65 Brakes, power front disc and rear disc $179.00 19,871 Requires G80; White Book specifies a 305/165 hp engine on Sport Coupe or Berlinetta, conflicting with the factory MVMA LG4 rating of 155 hp
K05 Heater, engine block $20.00 6,384
K34 Speed control, with resume $175.00 84,884 $185.00 with Berlinetta
LB8 Engine, 173 cu in, 135 hp V6 $335.00 78,315 Standard Berlinetta
LB9 Engine, 305 cu in, 215 hp V8, Tuned Port Injection $680.00 32,836 Z28 only
LG4 Engine, 305 cu in, 155 hp V8 $635.00 63,052 Standard Z28; $300.00 with Berlinetta
L69 Engine, 305 cu in, 190 hp V8 $680.00 2,497 IROC Z28 only, manual transmission; discontinued during the year
MX0 Transmission, automatic with overdrive $395.00 152,600
N33 Tilt steering column $110.00 133,457
N90 Wheels, aluminum $225.00 7,960 Standard Z28
QAC Tires, P235/60R15 blackwall $85.00 16,884 Z28 only
QHW Tires, P205/70R14 white letter $146.00 34,224 Sport Coupe only
QHX Tires, P205/70R14 blackwall $58.00 8,224 No cost with Berlinetta
QHY Tires, P205/70R14 white stripe $124.00 13,866 $66.00 with Berlinetta
QMX Tires, P195/75R14 white stripe $62.00 42,055 Sport Coupe only
TR9 Lighting, auxiliary $72.00 74,080 $37.00 with Berlinetta, $48.00 with Sport Coupe with roof console
TT4 Headlamps, halogen (4) $22.00 56,761
UA1 Battery, heavy-duty $26.00 52,480
UL5 Radio, delete −$56.00 11,143 $256 credit with Berlinetta
UT4 Radio, stereo, tape, clock, seek/scan, equalizer $242.00 12,400 Berlinetta only
U05 Horns, dual $12.00 22,233 Standard Berlinetta
U21 Gage Package $149.00 20,675 Included with Z28; not available with Berlinetta
U35 Clock, quartz $35.00 809 Included with Z28
U64 Speakers, two rear $30.00 4,270
U69 Radio, AM-FM $82.00 11,384
U75 Antenna, power $60.00 25,997
V08 Cooling, heavy-duty $70.00 11,332 $40.00 with air conditioning
YE1 Radio, AM-FM stereo $212.00 10,109 $177.00 with Z28
YE2 Radio, stereo, cassette, clock, seek/scan, equalizer $504.00 34,675 $469.00 with Z28
YE3 Radio, stereo, cassette, clock, seek/scan $354.00 49,955 $319.00 with Z28
YF1 Radio, AM-FM stereo $173.00 7,833 No cost with Berlinetta
YF5 Emission equipment, California $99.00 19,805
ZJ7 Rally wheels $112.00 90,925

Exterior colors

This table has 12 exterior colors for 1985, each with its paint code. They include White, Silver and Medium Gray.

Code Color Note
11 White 18,822 built
12 Silver 11,684 built
15 Medium Gray 17,545 built
19 Black 28,438 built
26 Dark Blue 14,986 built
30 Bright Blue 17,635 built; Sport Coupe and Z28
50 Yellow 4,599 built
54 Light Yellow 5,437 built
60 Light Brown 3,093 built
69 Copper 11,406 built
75 Red 31,473 built
78 Maroon 14,903 built
Red 1985 Camaro IROC-Z coupe with T-tops seen from above
Red 1985 Camaro IROC-Z coupe with T-tops seen from above, front three-quarter view, on a brick street beside a parked saloon Photo: Niels de Wit, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; licence plates and faces blurred Original photograph License

Interior trim

This table has five interior trims for 1985, each with its trim code.

The five grouped numeric/suffix interior-code rows retain the secondary reference-book list for 1985, reprinted in the GM archive; the book is not treated as factory-authored. Its Black Conteur note that 19D/19E use Gray cloth seats remains explicit. No correspondence to another ordering-code system is inferred. Chevrolet product information, printed p. 2 (PDF p. 10), lists standard reclining vinyl front buckets with fold-down rear seats for Sport Coupe and Z28, with ordinary cloth at extra cost; those ordinary rows are not available on Berlinetta. Custom Interior is standard on Berlinetta and extra cost on Sport Coupe/Z28, with the custom-cloth row tied to that package. The Conteur driver-side seat with adjustable lumbar, thigh, lateral supports and head restraint is extra cost for Z28 and marked unavailable for Sport Coupe/Berlinetta in this summary. This is a driver-seat statement, not a claim that both front seats have those adjustments. The factory summary directs readers to the dealer order guide for latest availability. Its exact publication date and later ordering changes are not established here. The retained color/material references do not prove every paint/package combination, an individual car's original equipment, a VIN rule or a neighboring-year application.

Code Trim Note
19B / 19C / 19D / 19E / 19N / 19R Black — standard cloth / custom cloth / conteur custom cloth / conteur standard cloth / custom vinyl / standard vinyl 19D and 19E use gray cloth seats Numeric/suffix code and material references are retained from the 1985 secondary book list, not established as factory ordering codes or a physical-stamping crosswalk by the equipment summary.
62B / 62C / 62D / 62E / 62N / 62R Saddle — standard cloth / custom cloth / conteur custom cloth / conteur standard cloth / custom vinyl / standard vinyl Numeric/suffix code and material references are retained from the 1985 secondary book list, not established as factory ordering codes or a physical-stamping crosswalk by the equipment summary.
68B / 68C / 68N Copper — standard cloth / custom cloth / custom vinyl Numeric/suffix code and material references are retained from the 1985 secondary book list, not established as factory ordering codes or a physical-stamping crosswalk by the equipment summary.
72B / 72C / 72D / 72E / 72N / 72R Red — standard cloth / custom cloth / conteur custom cloth / conteur standard cloth / custom vinyl / standard vinyl Numeric/suffix code and material references are retained from the 1985 secondary book list, not established as factory ordering codes or a physical-stamping crosswalk by the equipment summary.
82B / 82C / 82N / 82R Gray — standard cloth / custom cloth / custom vinyl / standard vinyl Numeric/suffix code and material references are retained from the 1985 secondary book list, not established as factory ordering codes or a physical-stamping crosswalk by the equipment summary.

Specifications

This table gives five specifications for 1985, among them wheelbase (101.0 in) and overall length (187.8 in).

Body length and axle spacing The selected model year on one scale. Wheelbase measures axle spacing; overall length includes the body beyond them. Variant-specific lengths keep their model labels.
Body length and axle spacing 1985 overall length: 187.8 in; 1985 wheelbase: 101.0 in. Bars start at zero; units: inches. 1985 overall length 187.8 in 1985 wheelbase 101.0 in
Original CamaroFacts figure. Sources: 1985 reference table
Item Value
Wheelbase 101.0 in
Overall length 187.8 in
Overall width 72.0 in
Overall height 49.8 in
IROC-Z tires Goodyear Eagle P245/50VR16 on 16 x 8 aluminum wheels

Identification

What to check on a 1985 Camaro: VIN and IROC-Z.

The engine assembly record
The engine assembly record f: Engine source; mm: Assembly month; dd: Assembly day; aaa: Application suffix. The source and date describe engine assembly; the suffix identifies its application. Check the suffix against the model year. This shows the format, not an actual engine stamping. f Engine source mm Assembly month dd Assembly day aaa Application suffix
The source and date describe engine assembly; the suffix identifies its application. Check the suffix against the model year. This shows the format, not an actual engine stamping. Original CamaroFacts diagram. Chevrolet engine identification, August 1985.
The vehicle identity on the engine
The vehicle identity on the engine 1: Chevrolet division; F: 1985 model year; p: Assembly plant; ssssss: Vehicle sequence. F denotes the 1985 model year in this context. The partial VIN is separate from the engine assembly date and suffix. This shows the format; numbers alone do not establish authenticity. 1 Chevrolet division F 1985 model year p Assembly plant ssssss Vehicle sequence
F denotes the 1985 model year in this context. The partial VIN is separate from the engine assembly date and suffix. This shows the format; numbers alone do not establish authenticity. Original CamaroFacts diagram. Chevrolet engine identification, August 1985.
Item What to look for Note
VIN 1G1 … position 8 engine code, position 10 = F, position 11 plant Plants: N Norwood (to 1987), L Van Nuys
IROC-Z Rocker-panel graphics and specific wheels Package on the Z28

Decode a specific car with the VIN decoder, the cowl tag decoder and the engine and drivetrain stamp decoder.

Why it matters

The IROC-Z became the third generation's defining performance car, and the IROC name stayed on the top Camaro through 1990.

Cashing In the IROC Name

Camaros had been IROC's spec race car since 1975 (see the racing history and the second generation). For 1985 Chevrolet paid to put the "IROC-Z" name on a new top-tier Z28 option, a rare case of a production car borrowing its name from the race series it had defined. The license ran from 1985 to 1990. GM didn't renew it after 1990, when the series moved to the Dodge Daytona, and the plain Z28 name returned for 1991.

Red 1985 Camaro coupe
Red 1985 Camaro coupe, front right three-quarter view, parked on a brick driveway in front of a garage Photo: Niels de Wit, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; licence plates blurred Original photograph License

Tuned Port Injection

The IROC-Z was the billboard for Tuned Port Injection: first on the 5.0-liter LB9, later on the 5.7-liter L98, which came directly from the Corvette's injection system. It is one of the clearest cases of the Camaro and Corvette sharing engine technology.

Where 1985 fits

By 1985 the third generation had found its stride. The 1982 launch is remembered for the Iron Duke (the 1982 model year), but the IROC-Z gave the platform a real performance identity, and with the secret 1LE package (the third generation) that identity carried it to SCCA success.

Red 1985 Camaro Z28 coupe with T-tops and a black front bra
Red 1985 Camaro Z28 coupe with T-tops and a black front bra, front three-quarter view, at an outdoor car show Photo: Xnatedawgx, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; licence plates and faces blurred Original photograph License

What the IROC-Z package changed

The IROC Sport Equipment Package (RPO B4Z) was not a separate model but an option on the Z28. It lowered the car's ride height and center of gravity. It brought special front struts, springs and jounce bumpers, Delco-Bilstein rear shocks, special rear springs and stabilizer bar, higher-effort steering, more caster and a reinforced front frame rail. It rode on Goodyear Eagle P245/50VR16 tires on 16 x 8 aluminum wheels, with fog lamps and its own graphics. The White Book records that in showroom trim it pulled 0.92 g on the skidpad and ran 0–60 mph in about seven seconds.

Three 305s were offered at introduction. The four-barrel LG4 made 155 hp and was standard in the Z28. The 190-hp L69 came only with the IROC package and a manual transmission, and was dropped during the year. The new 215-hp Tuned Port LB9 was available on the Z28 and IROC-Z, but only with the automatic.

Red 1985 Camaro Z28 coupe with T-tops and a black front bra
Red 1985 Camaro Z28 coupe with T-tops and a black front bra, side profile from the front right, in a car-show parking lot Photo: Xnatedawgx, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; faces blurred Original photograph License

Changes across the range

Every Camaro got a new grille, parking lamps, front fascia, taillamps and air dam. Ten of the twelve paint colors were new, and the interior trim was revised. The Z28 gained a louvered hood insert. The V6 moved to multi-port fuel injection, lifting it from 107 to 135 hp. The Sport Coupe and Z28 got a conventional speedometer in place of the dual-pointer miles-and-kilometers unit, while the Berlinetta kept its electronic instrument panel unchanged. A split folding rear seat became available on the Berlinetta and on other models with the Custom Interior. In January 1985 the four-cylinder Sport Coupe listed at $8,530.

Sources