Camaro IROC-Z Left in a Garage for 30 Years Is Restored and Valued at $22,000

A Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z that spent nearly three decades hidden in a cluttered garage has been brought back to life by a detailing team with only three days to work. The car, covered in dirt and debris, had not run in years, and getting it out required dead tires, wheel dollies, a pile of mystery keys, and eventually a locksmith.

Once the team from WD Detailing freed the car, they found just 18,692 miles on the odometer, which they believed to be original. The driver's seat and pedals showed minimal wear. The Camaro had belonged to the current owner's late brother and had been sitting for almost 30 years.

With no will, the car was going through probate and would go to the owner's mother, who lived in a nursing home.

The restoration was a fight. The rear-window louvers were removed carefully, and the team vacuumed leaves from under the hood and hatch. They replaced failed struts and wiper blades, then deep-cleaned the wheels. The paint was pressure washed, foamed, treated with iron remover, clay-barred, and polished.

Inside, they removed T-tops and seats, then steamed and brushed the cabin. They found odd items like ancient tools and coins glued in the console, but the lower rear-seat cushion was missing.

Getting the engine running was harder. The fuel pump was dead and buried above the tank, so the mechanic lowered the rear axle and removed suspension and exhaust to free it. After reinstalling, a loose plug forced them to repeat the process. Once fixed, only three of eight fuel injectors worked.

New injectors arrived the next day, and after replacing all eight, the IROC-Z fired up, ran smoothly, and moved under its own power.

The finished car was returned to owner Chris, who remembered his brother driving it. A certified appraiser valued the car at $4,000 to $6,000 before the work, but after cleaning and running, it was estimated at $20,000 to $22,000. The team multiplied the car's value more than five times in three days, saving a deeply personal piece of family history.