RS replaces the Sport Coupe, and 1LE orders reach three figures.
The RS name replaced the Sport Coupe as the base model for 1989, and IROC-Z remained the only performance model. The Z28 badge stayed on the shelf until 1991.
Retrospectives report 111 cars with 1LE equipment for 1989 and describe ordering through a combination of options. Engines were the 2.8 V6, the 5.0 in throttle-body and Tuned Port Injection forms, and the 5.7 TPI for IROC-Z. Production recovered to 110,739, every car built at Van Nuys, California.
One production figure is listed for 1989: Total production, 110,739.
| Record | Count |
|---|---|
| Total production | 110,739 |
The 1989 table lists seven engines: the 173 cu in V6, multi-port fuel injection (RPO LB8), the 305 cu in V8, throttle-body fuel injection (RPO LO3), three versions of the 305 cu in V8, tuned-port fuel injection (RPO LB9) and two versions of the 350 cu in V8, tuned-port fuel injection (RPO L98). The highest power rating shown is 240 hp, for the 350 cu in V8, tuned-port fuel injection (RPO L98).
| Code | Engine | Power | Torque | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S | 173 cu in V6, multi-port fuel injection (RPO LB8) | 135 hp at 4,900 rpm | 160 lb-ft at 3,900 rpm | Standard except IROC-Z |
| E | 305 cu in V8, throttle-body fuel injection (RPO LO3) | 170 hp at 4,400 rpm | 255 lb-ft at 2,400 rpm | Standard IROC-Z; optional other models |
| F | 305 cu in V8, tuned-port fuel injection (RPO LB9) | 220 hp at 4,400 rpm | 290 lb-ft at 3,200 rpm | M39 five-speed manual, single exhaust |
| F | 305 cu in V8, tuned-port fuel injection (RPO LB9) | 195 hp at 4,000 rpm | 295 lb-ft at 2,800 rpm | MD8 four-speed automatic, single exhaust |
| F | 305 cu in V8, tuned-port fuel injection (RPO LB9) | 230 hp at 4,600 rpm | 300 lb-ft at 3,200 rpm | MK6 five-speed manual, dual exhaust, 3.45 axle |
| 8 | 350 cu in V8, tuned-port fuel injection (RPO L98) | 230 hp at 4,400 rpm | 330 lb-ft at 3,200 rpm | MD8 four-speed automatic, single exhaust, 2.77 axle |
| 8 | 350 cu in V8, tuned-port fuel injection (RPO L98) | 240 hp at 4,400 rpm | 345 lb-ft at 3,200 rpm | MD8 four-speed automatic, dual exhaust, 3.27 axle |
The 1989 list has 11 options, packages and special editions. Of these, 8 show a price and 1 shows how many were built.
| Code | Description | Price | Built | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1FP87 | RS Coupe, 6-cylinder | $11,495.00 | — | List price, from June 30, 1989 |
| 1FP67 | RS convertible, 8-cylinder | $16,995.00 | — | List price |
| 1FP87 Z28 | IROC-Z Coupe | $14,145.00 | — | List price |
| 1FP67 Z28 | IROC-Z convertible | $18,945.00 | — | List price |
| — | RS Coupe Preferred Equipment Group 1 — heavy-duty battery, tinted glass, auxiliary lighting, body side moldings | $255.00 | — | |
| — | RS Coupe Preferred Equipment Group 2 — Group 1 plus air conditioning, power locks, mats, stereo cassette, speed control, Comfortilt, intermittent wipers | $1,727.00 | — | |
| UM6 / UX1 / UU8 / U1C | Radio upgrades — AM/FM stereo cassette / with equalizer / Delco-Bose / compact disc | $122 / $272 / $885 / $396 | — | |
| UL5 | Radio delete | −$165.00 | — | |
| 1LE | Performance package | — | 111 | |
| DX3 | IROC-Z stripe and decal delete | — | — | |
| N96 | 16-inch aluminum wheels | — | — | IROC-Z; gray wheel color |
This table has seven exterior colors for 1989, each with its paint code. They include Black, Bright Blue Metallic and Light Blue Metallic.
| Code | Color | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 41 | Black | Listed in all four January 30, 1989 body/model paint charts; specific interior, stripe, decal and wheel-color combinations remain restricted. |
| 98 | Bright Blue Metallic | Listed in all four January 30, 1989 body/model paint charts; specific interior, stripe, decal and wheel-color combinations remain restricted. |
| 23 | Light Blue Metallic | Listed for RS coupe and RS convertible in the January 30, 1989 guide; not listed in its IROC-Z coupe/convertible paint charts. |
| 87 | Medium Gray Metallic | Listed for RS coupe and RS convertible in the January 30, 1989 guide; not listed in its IROC-Z coupe/convertible paint charts. |
| 81 | Bright Red | Listed in all four January 30, 1989 body/model paint charts; specific interior, stripe, decal and wheel-color combinations remain restricted. |
| 74 | Dark Red Metallic | Listed in all four January 30, 1989 body/model paint charts; specific interior, stripe, decal and wheel-color combinations remain restricted. |
| 40 | White | Listed in all four January 30, 1989 body/model paint charts; specific interior, stripe, decal and wheel-color combinations remain restricted. |
This table has 11 interior trims for 1989, each with its trim code.
These eleven material/color codes follow Chevrolet's order guide revised January 30, 1989, printed pp. 2/6/8/10. All four named body/model charts list four cloth, four custom cloth and three custom leather choices. Red custom cloth and Red custom leather are explicit 1989 entries; they are not carried into the 1988 table. Black has cloth/custom cloth entries, with no Black leather cell in these charts. The two convertible charts specify a Black top separately from upholstery. Bright Blue Metallic (98) appears in all four paint charts; Light Blue Metallic (23) and Medium Gray Metallic (87) appear in the RS charts but not the IROC-Z charts. The seat list does not reproduce the complete paint, stripe, decal and wheel-color matrix. These dated ordering entries do not establish physical-tag or VIN crosswalks, an individual car's original equipment, or later ordering changes.
| Code | Trim | Note |
|---|---|---|
| CBB2 | Black cloth bucket | Listed in the January 30, 1989 IROC-Z coupe/convertible and RS coupe/convertible seat charts; paint, interior and stripe combinations remain separately restricted. |
| CEE2 | Light Brown cloth bucket | Listed in the January 30, 1989 IROC-Z coupe/convertible and RS coupe/convertible seat charts; paint, interior and stripe combinations remain separately restricted. |
| CQQ2 | Gray cloth bucket | Listed in the January 30, 1989 IROC-Z coupe/convertible and RS coupe/convertible seat charts; paint, interior and stripe combinations remain separately restricted. |
| CRR2 | Red cloth bucket | Listed in the January 30, 1989 IROC-Z coupe/convertible and RS coupe/convertible seat charts; paint, interior and stripe combinations remain separately restricted. |
| FBB2 | Black custom cloth bucket | Listed in the January 30, 1989 IROC-Z coupe/convertible and RS coupe/convertible seat charts; paint, interior and stripe combinations remain separately restricted. |
| FEE2 | Light Brown custom cloth bucket | Listed in the January 30, 1989 IROC-Z coupe/convertible and RS coupe/convertible seat charts; paint, interior and stripe combinations remain separately restricted. |
| FQQ2 | Gray custom cloth bucket | Listed in the January 30, 1989 IROC-Z coupe/convertible and RS coupe/convertible seat charts; paint, interior and stripe combinations remain separately restricted. |
| FRR2 | Red custom cloth bucket | Listed in the January 30, 1989 IROC-Z coupe/convertible and RS coupe/convertible seat charts; paint, interior and stripe combinations remain separately restricted. |
| AEE2 | Light Brown custom leather bucket | Listed in the January 30, 1989 IROC-Z coupe/convertible and RS coupe/convertible seat charts; paint, interior and stripe combinations remain separately restricted. |
| AQQ2 | Gray custom leather bucket | Listed in the January 30, 1989 IROC-Z coupe/convertible and RS coupe/convertible seat charts; paint, interior and stripe combinations remain separately restricted. |
| ARR2 | Red custom leather bucket | Listed in the January 30, 1989 IROC-Z coupe/convertible and RS coupe/convertible seat charts; paint, interior and stripe combinations remain separately restricted. |
This table gives three specifications for 1989, among them wheelbase (101.0 in) and overall length (192.0 in).
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Wheelbase | 101.0 in |
| Overall length | 192.0 in |
| Overall width | 72.8 in |
What to check on a 1989 Camaro: VIN and RS vs IROC-Z.
| Item | What to look for | Note |
|---|---|---|
| VIN | 1G1 … position 8 engine code, position 10 = K, position 11 plant | Plants: N Norwood (to 1987), L Van Nuys |
| RS vs IROC-Z | Different fascias, ground effects, wheels and drivetrains | Decals alone do not authenticate |
Decode a specific car with the VIN decoder and the engine and drivetrain stamp decoder.
The hidden 1LE went from about four cars to 111, and the RS name became the everyday Camaro.
The California RS of 1987 and 1988 sold well enough that for 1989 the RS name replaced the Sport Coupe everywhere. The lineup was now four cars. Chevrolet built 83,487 RS Coupes at $11,495, 3,245 RS Convertibles at $16,995, 20,067 IROC-Z Coupes at $14,145 and 3,940 IROC-Z Convertibles at $18,945.
The RS borrowed the IROC-Z's look for less money. It had body-color lower aero panels, five-spoke 15-inch aluminum wheels on P215/65R15 touring tires, a rear spoiler and RS identification. Underneath it had a sport suspension, quick-ratio power steering and a gauge package with tachometer. The 135-hp 2.8-liter V6 was standard on the RS Coupe. The 170-hp throttle-body-injected 305 was optional on that car and standard on the RS Convertible and both IROC-Zs.
The biggest change most owners would notice was the key. PASS-Key, GM's Personal Automotive Security System, put a coded resistor pellet in the ignition key, and the car would not start without the right one. A similar system had been standard on the Corvette since 1986. Rear outboard passengers got three-point lap and shoulder belts. Every Camaro now had 15-inch steel-belted radials on five-spoke aluminum wheels, a retuned suspension and better corrosion protection. A Delco compact disc player joined the radio options.
The IROC-Z added fog lamps, "CAMARO" lettering on a black plate in the grille, black simulated hood louvers, IROC-Z door decals and lower striping that could be deleted for credit, Eagle GT tires and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. Its optional engines had ratings that changed with the drivetrain. The Tuned Port 305 made 195 hp with the automatic and 220 hp with the five-speed, which also brought a higher-lift camshaft. With a new low-back-pressure dual exhaust, ordered with a 3.45 axle, it made 230 hp.
The top engine was the 5.7-liter Tuned Port 350, sold only in the IROC-Z Coupe with an automatic. It shared its displacement with the Corvette's L98 but used cast-iron heads. It was rated at 230 hp, or 240 hp with the dual exhaust, and cost $1,045. There were 12,370 buyers. Optional 16-inch wheels came with Z-rated tires after an early run of 1,263 V-rated sets.
Retrospectives describe G92-equipped IROC-Z Coupes with an engine oil cooler, four-wheel discs, dual-converter exhaust and P245/50ZR16 tires, paired with the automatic 350 or manual Tuned Port 305 and a 145-mph speedometer. In that ordering account, deleting air conditioning brought the race-oriented aluminum driveshaft, larger Corvette-derived front brakes, baffled fuel tank, specific shocks and jounce bumpers, with fog lamps deleted. The account distinguishes that combination from an air-conditioned street configuration.
The factory guide revised January 30, 1989 gives a narrower dated snapshot. Its G92 line explicitly requires C60 air conditioning, G80, J65 brakes, KC4 oil cooler and either LB9 with MM5 or the B2L engine. It excludes removable roof panels with G92. This sheet therefore does not document the retrospective no-A/C recipe as an all-year 1989 ordering rule. The exact later revision or build cutoff is unresolved here; the August 1989 dispatch for the 1990 model year is separate evidence. The full package story is with the rare and significant cars.
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