The Chevrolet Camaro is a model that most muscle car enthusiasts will be familiar with. Since its first-ever generation in 1964, the Chevy Camaro has had many successful older siblings. So much so that the Camaro is a model that is still in production today from Chevrolet. However, we are throwing it back with a limited edition model that did not satisfy the needs of the typical Camaro customer.
The 1982 Chevrolet Camaro Iron Duke was the first installation in the Camaro’s third-generation lineup. It was a lighter model, so fans had the assumption that its performance and power would see an improvement. However, those expectations were not met, and the Iron Duke was quite a letdown.
Nonetheless, there are still some clean examples floating around on the marketplace today for anyone that does want to snatch one up. Hence, let’s take a closer look at the 1982 Chevrolet Camaro Iron Duke and what it costs today.
What Does The 1982 Chevrolet Camaro Iron Duke Have To Offer?
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The Chevrolet brand made sure to stick to its roots during tough times. While other manufacturers were taking off with new ideas when the oil crisis hit in the 1970s, Chevrolet did not budge and made sure to stay true to what it knows, to maintain customer’s satisfaction.
The ‘Iron Duke’ Camaro was the first-ever Camaro with modern fuel injection and a Turbo-Hydramatic 700R4 four-speed automatic transmission. Five-speed manual transmissions were also available, as well as a choice of wheels and a 2.5-liter Iron Duke 4-cylinder engine. The hatchback body and new equipment might look great on paper, but the performance did not quite fulfill those expectations. The maximum power output of the 1982 Iron Duke was 90 horsepower, which simply isn’t enough to fulfill the “needs” of muscle car enthusiasts.
Chevrolet even went about promoting the Iron Duke model as a new sports package for the Camaro lineup. However, there is nothing sporty about this model’s powertrain. Though it looked the part, it however needed to play the part to satisfy the Camaro faithfuls. The Camaro is a typical muscle car, and the Iron Duke just was not thrilling enough. Hence, the team soon took to changing the engine specification for later models in the third generation.
How Much Does The 1982 Chevrolet Camaro Iron Duke Cost Today?
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Although the 1982 Chevrolet Camaro Iron Duke wasn’t hugely popular nor satisfying, many units of the car were made and sold. Reports state that 64,882 units were produced for the 1982 model year. Hence, there are still a few flying around the market today.
The current price of a 1982 Iron Duke is around $10,000. Although it isn’t the most expensive second-hand Camaro, it certainly isn’t reasonable for the kit that it comes with. Should The Iron Duke be able to offer more power, then the five-figure price tag might be more easily justifiable.
The 1982 Chevrolet Camaro Iron Duke: Why It Flopped
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The 1982 model was going to be a huge positive for the Chevrolet brand. They took to reducing the Camaro’s weight by 450 pounds, which typically means that aerodynamics and performance should get better. However, this wasn’t quite the case.
There are various reasons as to why the 1982 Chevrolet Camaro Iron Duke was a flop. First, it is obvious that its engine simply wasn’t up to the standards expected of a Camaro. The manufacturers even knew it themselves when they took to changing the engine for the 1985 model, which was the IROC-Z. This new engine was a 2.8-liter V6. From 1987, the third generation Camaro’s were a host to a 5.7-liter V8. These larger engines soon became the regular option for the third-generation Camaro’s.
Moreover, another big hindrance of the Iron Duke was its sales potential. Although many models were in production, the manufacturers couldn’t sell them. The Iron Duke was an option for the third generation, yet only 15{09e594db938380acbda72fd0ffbcd1ef1c99380160786adb3aba3c50c4545157} of sales saw customers choose the Iron Duke engine option. Hence, it did not look great for the team and therefore, it made the Iron Duke take a huge hit.
It is quite obvious as to why customers wouldn’t choose the Iron Duke engine, seeing as it is half the size of the later engine options. The larger engine option could produce a much larger 170 horsepower, which is more like it for a Chevrolet Camaro.
Overall, it is a shame that the 1982 Chevrolet Camaro Iron Duke wasn’t a big hit for the manufacturer. However, the poor performance of the Iron Duke engine was a pointer as to what to improve upon in subsequent models, so much so that the Camaro is still a success today. The 1982 Iron Duke model doesn’t come cheap, not even with it being second-hand, but it certainly makes for a unique car to add to one’s collection of classics.
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