ZR-1....Lost in the past?

[cuisinartvette]

Taken the 90 to a few local cruises, nobody even notices this thing, or even knows what it is, even one guy who parked next to me in a C5 blew it off as a TPI :(
No wonder people got p'd for paying 65k and getting no props...Occasionally get the 60'ish guy in a late Beemer who will pace it on the fwy and pull up giving the nod though..That is all

[Bill]

A couple of weeks ago I had 2 kids pull up next to me at a light. They were checking the Z out. The driver asked “Is that a real ZR-1?” When I answered “yes”, I got a pair of


thumbs up plus the grins on their faces was worth the price of admission. :mrgreen: If people don’t realize what a ZR1 is, it should remind you how rare your car is. Remember there were fewer ZR1s made total, than Z06s made each year! http://home.comcast.net/~bsoomann/4speed.gif

[Z Factor]

Taken the 90 to a few local cruises, nobody even notices this thing, or even knows what it is, even one guy who parked next to me in a C5 blew it off as a TPI :(
No wonder people got p'd for paying 65k and getting no props...Occasionally get the 60'ish guy in a late Beemer who will pace it on the fwy and pull up giving the nod though..That is all

My experience is just the opposite. I don't really go to shows with my ZR-1, but one night I went to a meeting of a Z Club (for Datsun/Nissans) in Broward county and it was at a car show. My 300ZX was under the weather, so I went up in my real Z :mrgreen: .

Anyway, everyone was drooling over it in our section. Eventually so many members showed up I had to move the ZR-1 over to the Corvette section. I left it there and walked back to finish a beer with a few of the guys. When I came back over to the Corvette section at least 8 people were peering into the cabin and walking around it. I was listening to them asking each other who's it was, and were the tires really that wide from the factory. One guy said wait until the owner shows up and opens up the hood, then you will know what makes the ZR-1 special. So I had lurked and observed enough, and walked up and unlocked her. The questions and compliments kept coming for a good 15 minutes. Keep in mind there were some other very nice vettes there like a '63 split window, a '66 big block tuxedo black with red guts, a few 40th anniversary's, and a ton of C5's with some Z06's as well.

So have no fear, there are plenty of people out there that will marvel at your car given the opportunity.

[Aurora40]

Just yesterday I stopped by the local Friday car scene after work. There was a 2000 FRC guy who came over to check out under the hood, and I noticed several other people looking at the engine bay for a bit. It was cold and dark and only about 5-10 cars showed up, so there wasn't much looking going on, but people had to look at that LT5.

On the way home, a guy in an SSR made a special point to pull along side me at a light, and he was just gushing about what a great car I had.

People remember it. :)

[Patton]

Thats really wierd, My problem is half my gas stops end in me being late to wherever I was going, I get somebody coming up asking me what year it was and if it has the DOHC engine, quite a few have asked if its "the twin turbo" for some reason.
Walking out of Fry's electronics one day a guy was doing the giving the Z the ole walkaround and told me he had been dreaming of a ZR-1 ever since '89 and he new ALOT about the LT-5 and its developement history. Even new the change in output in 93 and the fact that they were only made from 90-95, an obvious car guy. He pulled along side me at the light while leaving the parking lot, he was driving a yellow 360 Modena!! We rolled down windows and I said wholy **** we should have been checking his car out the whole time! He said "no way, the modena is a dime a dozen compared to mine.". We went in different directions from there, would have been nice to run em for a few lights,... He didnt look like the type anyway though. It really suprised me how much respect the guy had for the Z ESPECIALLY being a goddamn Ferrari owner!

[Z Factor]

Funny I thought of this thread today when I was gassing up my ZR-1 ($2.54 for premium):thumbsup:

A guy in a Beemer pulled up who was in his 30's and asked about it. He did not know much about ZR-1's, but heard that "they were bad". He had a M3 and said he had 333HP under the hood, but would not dream of taking on a ZR-1.

The legend lives.

:cheers:

[Patton]

WHOA,... that is just too freakin WIERD. Today, SAME EXACT THING.
Makin a petrol stop, guy in his mid 30's in an M3 pulled up and actually said "Holy shyt a ZR-1!" hopped out and enthusiatically checked her out. He actually knew alot about the Z though, said his brother had a '90. What are the odds?

[tomtom72]

This thread is full of things that I've experienced! Some people have no idea what a ZR-1 is and some people can give you chapter and verse. I found that more young kids, teens, know the car??? A lot of guys my age, 53, forgot about it but remember when prompted. Real car people, no matter what they drive, know it when they see it & know about it.

I went on a run with Kerbeck Chevrolet in aid of the Toys For Tots charity. We had 150 corvettes show up for the cruise. If you don't count Mr. Kerbecks yellow 90 there were only two other ZR-1's in the crowd. My 90 and Garth's 95. Just two out of a gathering of 150 corvettes, heck even the 06/ZO6's out numbered the ZR-1's on this run!!!

ZFactor is right, we have a rare corvette! We had almost every generation at the run. There was even a 63 coupe w/FI, C2/427's, 4 06/ZO6's, no C3 LT-1's and I didn't see any C1's and just two ZR-1's that drove to this run.

:cheers:
Tom

[LeoLily]

Living in Boulder, CO there are alot of really hot cars. I have seen Ferraris, Lotuses, Vipers, 'vettes, etc. but in the 2 months we have driven our '90 Z (mostly weekends) we have noticed heads turning right and left when we go out for a cruise. Even folks who don't know recognize a ZR1 still stop and look. So, keep the faith! As long we love to drive 'em, heads will turn!

[Jim Jones]

I agree completely. I have seen more Lotus Elises in the past year in my city of about 55,000 than I have ZR-1's. I haven't really talked to anyone around here that knows what it is. They think it's just another Corvette. (Like there is such a thing) :)

Jim

[cuisinartvette]

Funny you dug this thread up...While waiting in the staging lanes the other night I had someone come up and ask if it was a real Z. Said "sure".
THen he asked what was I doing racing such a nice car?
Answered him, "Because I can".

Old timer got a big 'ol smile on his face.:thumbsup:

[Z Factor]

WHOA,... that is just too freakin WIERD. Today, SAME EXACT THING.
Makin a petrol stop, guy in his mid 30's in an M3 pulled up and actually said "Holy shyt a ZR-1!" hopped out and enthusiatically checked her out. He actually knew alot about the Z though, said his brother had a '90. What are the odds?

I missed this reply originally. That is very unusual to have it happen the exact same day, under the same circumstances. Makes you wonder how many other ZR-1 owners around the world also had admiring M3 owners that day.

:cheers:

[John Boothby]

To comprehend the rarity or our ZR1's, the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction in January has only 2 out of 112 corvettes listed. A 1990 red/red and a 1994 black/black w/24k miles.

There are a bunch of 427's and others but only the 2 ZR1's!

John B.
1990 ZR1 red/saddle #148

[RICKYRJ1]

I'll take the rarity anyday. The ZR1 is a legend with the people in the know. Went to large car show over the summer with a lot of C5's in it, all had the same mods done only difference were their colors. Next year I will be the only Z there unless Ray steps up.

[tomtom72]

:hello: May I come also?? This way we can have a squadron of ZR-1's.

[91King]

Like most here I have had impromptu show and tell sessions at filling stations. It never fails that those who inquire are often excited about what they are looking at even if it is yesterday's high tech hot rod.

Of all the interesting encounter's I have had, last year my 11 yr old son and I were taking a Sunday cruise. While still in town heading for some faster blacktop we were stopped at a light and I noticed a city police car a couple of cars back in the adjacent lane. Well the light turned green and I eased the car upto the legal speed limit. About an 1/8th mile down the road the patrol car was behind me with his light bar in full display.

I'm scratching my head because I know darn well I didn't do anything illegal, but I pull over and stop. As the officer approached my window he was eyeballing the car and when he reached me he said "I noticed you were leaking water from the front of your car and wanted to tell you. By the way I am corrvette enthusiast and a huge ZR1 fan." Well as you know those are the magic words so I said "gee officer would you like to look at the LT5?" The look on his face was priceless. Just like a kid in a candy store. :mrgreen:

I popped the hood and gave him the guided tour for a good 15 minutes, the whole time his car is sitting behind me with the light bar still going. I can't even imagine what folks driving by must have thought.

When we finished I looked under my car and found a puddle of coolant about the size of a silver dollar that had dripped from the overflow tank. Some leak :wink:

[ZR-1 Mack]

I've met a few people that know what the ZR-1 / LT5 is all about.

But once you pop that hood open most people quickly understand just how special the ZR-1 is . :cheers:

[Nick]

Taken the 90 to a few local cruises, nobody even notices this thing, or even knows what it is, even one guy who parked next to me in a C5 blew it off as a TPI :(
No wonder people got p'd for paying 65k and getting no props...Occasionally get the 60'ish guy in a late Beemer who will pace it on the fwy and pull up giving the nod though..That is all

Last time I had the Z out and ran it to redline in the first three gears, I can't recall giving a rat's azz whether anyone knows what the King is and all...:mrgreen:

Isn't it a TPI, after all? :wink:

[Greenvetter]

Amen to that Nick! :thumbsup:

[WB9MCW]

CAV keep the faith....I luv the mighty Z just because she is the ultimate stealth sleeper vette! Most folks can not tell it from a std c4 unless they see the badge or get a glimpse of the tire width from behind. But they sure figure it out when they get waxed big time by the king!!! And so (one time) a c5z06 (black one) had been tailin me hard right as I pulled out from my house street(what are the odds of that a black z06 on my azz right out of the shoot) for abt 5 miles to the next town and when the moment came ( an uphill 1/8 mile romp) I hammered it...yep he did stay exactly with me and weaved between the cars the exact same..but he never gained 1 inch for the whole 1/8th to abt 100mph. Well it was great cause I the thumbs up from his old lady as we turned on an off ramp to the right. When I am at the cruise car shows at he culvers/hooters/a&w's and the hood is up is when I have the most fun...cause they usually say first " hey man i aint ever seen a vette engine like that b4" my answer is ...well ur lookin at the finest engine ever put in an American car bar none...she is an all aluminium DOHC 350cid hemi (that right guys our pistons are curved and qualify as hemi-sphereical) that puts out 375-405 Bhp and redlines at 7200rpm. Englishman(Lotus)/American engineering, Mercury Marine built engine, with a German tranny in a specially modified vette body/frame. What u have here is the "KOTH" as it was nicknamed by the Chevy engineers. And a king it is indeed. Then I spout the fig's 0-60mph in 4.3 seconds, 10 sec@100mph 12.8 sec.@ the 1/4mi.and at 20seconds =150mph,, and if the road is long enough a top end of 175-180mph. I believe this to be the best car ever produced in America(usually this produces a jaw drop comment of "wow no kiddin" from them)...If they are a real vette or car guy I go on to tell em the Record breaking story @ the Firestone Tire test track in Texas with all the details including the fox sighting and the 190mph victory laps. By then they have either figured I am crazy or a good lier! Usually I convince em that i'm just "vette Zr-1 crazy" and if they like to bench race well we have a good time at it swappin the old war stories!!! My fav. is when the mopar hemi guys (I always id em b4 they do me)stop by and glance in at the motor, they usually do the double look followed by a call to "joe hey lookie here at this vette motor" and it starts all over again cept 4 the part where I rib em on not having the hemi market cornered!!! The spark plug wires down between the cams into the covers makes believers of em everytime. I love telling em the low production #'s for each year and the totals of less than 7k. By now they have figured out that they are indeed lookin at a RARE vette!!! I usually close up with tellin em about "Bad Attitude" my 28' Wellcraft Scarab that has a 600hp blower motor as being my high hp monster motor I own (hell the motor alone cost more than I paid for my ZR-1) but that my NA all alum DOHC hemi @7000 rpms is the best music to my gearhead ears!!! I do admit I luv the sound (whine) of the blower motors and you think ur in a jet turbine plane but my luv affair with the LT-5/ZR-1 is second only to my wife and family(blood relatives)!!!! As bad as I want a c6z06 someday, I don't think I could ever give my ZR-1 addiction up, for it is indelibly etched in my mind and will be runnin thru my blood forever!!!! So ya see CAV we are the KEEPERS OF THE KING...............LONG LIVE THE KING OF THE HILL.................... and Patton I hope ur proud of me not using the CAPS cept where appropriate!!!

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/6/web/390000-390999/390224_4_full.jpg

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/6/web/390000-390999/390224_27_full.jpg

http://learning.ncsa.uiuc.edu/wads/ham/wb9mcw/boating/25_24.JPG

[bobbyhi]

Well said Bryan.....even without the CAPS!!

[RICHARD TILL]

Hey WB9MCW, that was a good post. i`m going to read it about 5 more times so i get it down pat. my old 9o-zr1 wont win a car show. can`t compete with the low mileage pristine ones. its got 109k miles on it and still looks good enough to draw lots of questions. i wish i`d kept some the earlier cars like the 2 ss 69 chevelles, a 70 road runner or the 67 dodge r/t. thats history and the zr-1 is present, if it ever gets sold it`ll be by kinfolk after i`m gone. for the big rush, i go dragboat racing with a 496 cid chevy powered tunnel hull jet boat. i race it in ky. and around st. louis. it runs 10 sec. 1/4 mile, 104 mph. named underdog but it gets plenty respect. by the way, are you a ham? my dad was from 1955-1980 ......K5KMR......built his xmitr`s out of old military surplus. i sat in the shack many hours (listening) when i was a kid. guess i`ve typed too much now. see ya, 73`s........richard.........

[WB9MCW]

We have drag boat races at blarney island every thurs all summer long on the chain o lakes! beengoing there for 20 years... 4 cat's outboards, single carb, multi carb,and un limited(nos and or sc) mph in fly 1/8 mi are 80,90,100,and 110+ for last cat. pretty exciting and lots of eye candy on the island afterwords. here info and link to blarney isle site.


http://www.blarneyisland.com/images/circle-image.jpg

How It Began

Blarney Island is a legend on the Chain O'Lakes. Beginning in the 1900's when Jack O'Connor and Shorty Shobin wagered their businesses, to its current status as the Chain O'Lakes most recognizable landmark, Blarney Island has been the mainstay of attraction for over 100 years.

In the beginning, Blarney Island was a houseboat sitting on the edge of the Fox River owned by Jack O'Connor. Across from Blarney Island was Shorty Shobins place known as Rohema or more aptly known as "Shorty"s. It was no secret that the two were competing for the same business less then 100 yards away from each other. As one could imagine there were some heated feuds between the two. The feud came to a head one night over a high stake game of poker. As the game was coming to a conclusion, the stakes continued to become more risky.

The last hand Shorty and Jack wagered their businesses and Shorty came out on the short end. After that poker game folklore has it that Shorty took his life in the backroom of the bar. One night not long after Shorty's death, Jack O'Connor's house boat burned down forcing the original owner of Blarney Island to move his business over to Shorty's place.

Jack O'Connor continued to run his business over the years until he sold it in the 1930's to Jack Pigensor. In 1939, the Stratton Lock and Dam was put up in McHenry, which flooded the existing riverbanks. The Dam created what is now known as Grass Lake. Once the lake took hold it cut Blarney Island from any dry land access and made Blarney an official island.

Jack Pigensor would own Blarney Island until the 1950's when Ed Walters bought him out. Walters would also experience something extreme during his tenure as Blarney Island's owner when the whole bar was nearly destroyed in the spring thaw of 1952. Instead of cutting his losses and leaving everything behind, Walters decided to rebuild Blarney Island. Not wanting to lose all of the tangible evidence of the turn of the century business, Walters used pieces of the destroyed building to erect the new Blarney Island that spring.

Blarney Island would meet yet another owner a few years later when Bud Holtz bought it from Walters around 1963. Holtz bought Blarney Island after selling his own tavern in Antioch, IL, known as Bud's Tavern. He would own and operate Blarney Island for almost 9 years until he sold it to the Haley family in October of 1971.
The Legend Lives On

The Haley family would begin the process of expanding the business to accommodate more people and more activities. To make the Island more successful, the Haley's would start a shuttle service to and from shore in 1972. In 1975 "Nancy K. and the Associates" became the first band to ever play at Blarney Island. Then another first was in 1978 when Blarney Island held it very first Boat Race.

Over the years that the family owned the business, many members have held the role of General Manager/Owners. In 1988, one of the younger brothers, John Haley, bought out his remaining family member.

In 1992, Haley expanded to what is now the land base of operations for Blarney Island known as Port of Blarney. The Port of Blarney is a year 'round restaurant and during the summer is an active marina, plus the home to the Blarney Island's shuttle service.

In 2003, John Haley formed Blarney Enterprises, LLC to bring in partners to help manage and operate the business, with the promise to keep the history and the Island alive.

link is http://www.blarneyisland.com/

http://www.blarneyisland.com/images/circle-image.jpg


one of my friends is a 1/10 owner of the thing!!! part of the 2003 group!!!!

Been a Ham 33 years since 1972... gerat hobby.. if u go to my website I have pics of my station and antennas etc.

http://learning.ncsa.uiuc.edu/wads/ham/wb9mcw/shack/01_01A.JPG

http://learning.ncsa.uiuc.edu/wads/ham/wb9mcw/

check out this mopar project!!!!!!!! time for wax patrol my best friends winter proj. fun 4 summer next year....WAX PATROL,,,WATCH OUT PUNK RUSTANK AND RICERS!!!lol
http://www.imagetrash.com/image_2213.jpg
http://www.imagetrash.com/image_2218.jpg
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/6/web/390000-390999/390224_86_full.jpg
http://www.corvettekillstories.com/forum/index.php?act=ST&f=21&t=5272&st=0#entry55559

great site too lots of vette race vids and race stories enjoy RT

[Patton]

Wadsworth,... I leave for a couple weeks and the LT-5 becomes a FREAKIN HEMI?!?! What the HELL are you doing man?.... :sign10:
Before I get to carried away, Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays to you and yours!!!

Okay onto business. The LT-5 is NOT a "HEMI" engine. The term "HEMI" refers to head design. On a HEMI motor, The combustion chamber on the head (not the pistons) are Hemispherical in shape. Back in the 50's it was a revolutionary design and produced WAY more power than the FLAThead design. One of the key advantages of the HEMI head versus the flathead engine is Surface area. Unnecessary surface area causes heat loss, fuel that is near the head walls in a flathead can be so much "cooler" than the middle of the chamber that it does not burn as efficiently. With a flat head, the amount of surface area relative to volume of the combustion chamber is large. In a HEMI engine, the surface area is much smaller than in a flat head, so less heat is lost and peak pressure can be higher. Its all about Thermal Efficiency. Oh and then there is the whole little fact about how a 4 valve hemi is damn near impossible. Because of its spherical nature the angles just don’t work out for the cams and it would be a connecting/push rod hellish nightmare to engineer. And even if you could do it, (nobody ever has) it sure as hell wouldn’t win any endurance races (hint hint, wink wink, nudge nudge). In the past the HEMI allowed for much bigger valves to be used than the flathead design, until it dawned on somebody that making four smaller valves would actually give you more airflow than two bigger ones. That gave birth to the "Pentroof" combustion chamber that the LT-5 uses along with all other 4 valve engines today. The pentroof is much more efficient than the HEMI, i mean for christ sake in REQUIRES two spark plugs to even burn properly.
It is an older technology that is not the best anymore but it is warm in the hearts of every gear nut (even mine!) and actually competes very well with if not better than the other modern 2 valve designs thanks to Daimler Chrysler’s modern tweaks. And besides it just isn’t cool to pull along side someone and ask "You gotta a PENTROOF in that thing?"

So anyways,.... Getting to the point, stop putting that sloppy mopar badge on our shiny bowties. And I still love you. :D

Happy New Year!

[Patton]

JESUS THAT FREAKIN CHALLENGER LOOKS SOOOOO BAD ***!!!!!

You HAVE to gimmie more pictures!!!!!!!
I almost bought one a few years back,... it had the 442 or 440 something like that. A nice puke green old school color. Shoulda woulda, couldnt-a.

Ya, MORE PICS MAN!

[bobbyhi]

I knew something has been missing for the last couple of weeks. Welcome back Patton!!

[WB9MCW]

Well Thnx For The Correction Mr P I Will Be Sure To Delight In Tellin All Dem Mobenz Jerks... Or Was That Benzpar... That We Have Better Than A "Hemi"...Hell We Got Ourselves A Dog Gone "Pentahood" And 5 Is Better Than 4 Or The Lousy 2 Der Dang Wussy Hemi's Have....right.... Plus We In Da Hood....

[tomtom72]

Welcome back Patton! Gingle bells to you & your family!!:hello:

Bryan...he who dies with the most toys wins! Man you sure do have some nice ones and so do your friends! Must be very entertaining hang'in with you guys! Hey Bryan, what's better than owning a boat?...hav'in a friend that owns a boat!:mrgreen:
I made the same mistake a few times about the Hemi thing because people look at the plugs and ask..."is that a hemi?" I used to say .."well, kind of...but not really." I always forget that penta-roof thing. I would just say the plug has no place else to go because of the 4 valves. Then I would either dazzle'em with the dual lobe profile and they would think this guy's baffling us with BS! If you start explaining this motor to some one who doesn't know much about it, it's a hoot to see the look on their faces! Sometimes they wanna know what yer smok'in & if they can have some!:sign10:

:cheers:
Tom

[Patton]

Whatsup Killers!

Bobby, hows it hanging?

Bryan, MOBENZ?,... I thought WTF? then BENZPAR and I was :sign10:
HAhahahhaha that is great. Damn Hun.
COME ON MAN, WHERE ARE THE CHALLENGER PICS??!?!

Hey Tom,... You going nuts without your Z fixes yet? I feel really bad for you man.... its gotta suck. Me on the other hand am just lovin life, All "winter" means for me is a free cold air intake that actually works! I am really asking for a horrendous ticket soon, I seriously need to take it easy! But Its not my fault!! Its too tempting! The streets are wet and you can drift effortlessly at every corner with virtually no excessive tire wear or driveline stress... Ahhhhh the holidays are a merry time. I cant seem to keep her under 100mph lately, maybe its actually a good thing that my big butterflies dont open for the next couple months. God I love the LT5. jacked vacuum or not.

[tomtom72]

Happy New Year guys!!! :cheers:
Patton, you're gonna get a big ole ticket with those blasts & the drift'in!:sign10:

As a matter of fact I had to use my Z for the last two weeks as my DD, thank goodness for no snow...just rain. Made life very interesting. The regular DD is F. O. R. D. We have mucho rain now & we all have a cruise planned for this weekend...a NYC run called the 5 borough tour & I'm signed up as long as it don't snow! I thank you for your sympathies though & I'm envious of you guys that live where the snow don't go!:mrgreen:

Keep yer gas dry!

Tom

[WB9MCW]

ok I think that this link will work.... all the pic's on the Mopar project and a ac cobra replicar and the concept new mobenz challenger pic's...enjoy

http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/wb9mcw/lst?.dir=/mail