Ever wish you could go back in time and buy all your favorite classic cars when they were brand new? Yeah, we do too. But for a few lucky individuals, it's still possible to obtain perfectly-preserved "survivor" examples that have stood the test of time. Comedian Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias recently met with Jay Leno to show off his all-original 1989 Camaro IROC-Z, which has only 400 miles on the odometer. Iglesias says he's going to enjoy driving it, and is not planning to keep the mileage extremely low or hide it away under a car cover — "I'm not the guy who's just going to let it sit. I drive my cars!"
Going Back in Time to 1989
Iglesias said the IROC-Z was always on his list of must-have cars, along with its rivals the Mustang GT 5.0 and Buick Grand National. So, when a friend spotted this '89 Chevy on the auction site Bring a Trailer, he sent Iglesias a link. The car was purchased from its first owner, a collector who had acquired it from a dealership in Ohio, where it had remained on the showroom floor for decades with a window sticker showing the $18,779 MSRP.
Iglesias reportedly paid $56,000 for it, which may seem like a lot until you remember that this might be the world's cleanest IROC-Z that still exists outside a museum. At the time of purchase, it had just 344 miles on the odometer — that's less than 10 miles per year!
When Iglesias received the car, he was astonished by the condition. It had lived its entire life in climate-controlled indoor areas, so even the original tires were still in good shape with no visible signs of cracking. Regardless, he replaced them for safety reasons and put in a new Optima battery before driving it.
This IROC-Z features 74U Dark Red Metallic paint with the optional Decal and Stripe Delete, as well as a Custom Cloth Bucket interior package, Deluxe Luggage Compartment Trim, and Delco Bose stereo.
The 5.7L TPI V8 engine is paired with an automatic transmission, limited slip rear end, and power front and rear disc brakes. This car still wears the original aluminum wheels with gold accents.
Leno is known for his incredible collection of restored cars, and even he seemed impressed by this IROC survivor. "You can't find anything wrong. It's perfect," he remarked.
Check out the full episode of Jay Leno's Garage below to learn more about this pristine IROC-Z:
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