1987 Camaro

How the convertible was built

The 1987 convertible was a factory-authorized conversion rather than a car built from scratch. A buyer ordered a Camaro with T-tops, which were mandatory, and Chevrolet built it and shipped it straight to ASC. ASC cut off the roof and reinforced the rocker panels, cowl, quarter panels and floor pan. It then installed a Cambria cloth top under a power-latched metal boot and fitted a short deck lid and multi-piece rear spoiler before sending the car on to the ordering dealer. In late 1986 ASC was reportedly turning out about five dozen convertibles a week toward a goal of 5,000 a year. The first model year ended well short of that.

The conversion was not cheap. A V6 convertible listed at $14,394 and a Z28 convertible at $17,218, each $4,399 more than the matching coupe. Convertibles were offered as Sport Coupe, LT, Z28 and IROC-Z versions.

LT takes over from Berlinetta

The Berlinetta's place went to a new LT option package for the Sport Coupe. Chevrolet's brochure pitched it as the choice for "classic road car elegance." The LT came with sport mirrors, the custom interior, deluxe luggage compartment trim, a locking rear storage cover, auxiliary lighting, a soft-ride suspension and full wheel covers, but without the Berlinetta's digital dash. Leather seats were offered on a Camaro for the first time, and the Delco-Bose sound system joined the options list.

The four is gone, the 350 is back

The 2.8-liter multi-port-injected V6, rated at 135 hp, became the base engine, and the four-cylinder was dropped. The four-barrel 305 made 165 hp, or 170 hp in the Z28. The Tuned Port Injection 305 could now be ordered with the five-speed, and in that form it was rated at 215 hp against 190 hp with the automatic. At the top, the IROC-Z could have the 5.7-liter Tuned Port 350 (RPO B2L), automatic only, with a 3.27 axle. The carbureted 5.0-liter H.O. was discontinued. Every V8 now had roller hydraulic lifters.

Smaller changes included a headlamp-on warning tone and, on cars with a spoiler, a high-mounted stop lamp built into the spoiler.

A California-only RS

The Rally Sport name came back in a form only Californians could buy. The California RS was a V6 Sport Coupe with its own appearance package, an RS nameplate, 15 x 7 aluminum wheels colored to match the body and a wheel lock kit. It was offered in black, bright red or white. Every one came with an option package that included air conditioning, tinted glass, a cassette stereo, a tachometer gauge package, a cargo cover and a rear spoiler. Two years later the RS replaced the Sport Coupe nationwide.