"New" Z on the way... 1991 #302

[VetteMed]

So, I decided to make an offer on the high-mile white/gray 91 ZR-1 that's been for sale for a while... For under $10K, for a complete, running, well-documented Z for sale by the original owner, in the color combination i want, I think it's a reasonable gamble. It's being picked up by the shipper today, in California, and should arrive here in Florida in a week or so. I'll post up pics once it arrives, but here's one shot from the for-sale ad:

http://www.zr1netregistry.com/91Vette-1.jpg

This week is going to draaaaag along, while I wait for it to arrive.

[DMark]

Under $10k....., Well Done! :cheers:

Sounds like a future 415 engine car to me.

[phrogs]

Well your getting the color you want and for a great price I think thats a good buy!

[scholtmj]

What a deal! You'll have to post a comparison between this car and your last car and tell us what the extra miles feels like.

Run till 300k miles then a 415???

[VetteMed]

What a deal! You'll have to post a comparison between this car and your last car and tell us what the extra miles feels like.

Run till 300k miles then a 415???

Yep, it's going to be interesting to see how a 1-owner, 188k mile car feels as compared to my prior 5-owner, 65k mile car!

I'll run it till I spin a bearing or some such, all the while socking away some cash for the 415 :) I plan to use the car a lot, I'm curious to see just what kind of longevity I can get out of the LT5. A 415 sounds great to me, when the time comes :mrgreen:

[ZZZZZR1]

What a deal! You'll have to post a comparison between this car and your last car and tell us what the extra miles feels like.

Run till 300k miles then a 415???


I agree!!! :thumbsup:

Congrats!


David

[GOLDCYLON]

Well I like the color but im biased lol :hello:

[-=Jeff=-]

That is the car that was in a Jalopnik Article too right?

[XfireZ51]

I notice there's no ZR-1 on the hood. Was that started in 91 or 92? :confused:

[-=Jeff=-]

92

[HIZNHRZ]

Congrats Andrew. I'm sure there will be nothing wrong with the car that you can't handle. Best of luck.

[VetteMed]

That is the car that was in a Jalopnik Article too right?

Yep, that's the one.

[VetteMed]

I notice there's no ZR-1 on the hood. Was that started in 91 or 92? :confused:

As Jeff said, '92... seems like most folks put them on their 91s at some point, and I'll probably do the same, as I like the look.

[bdw18_123]

Well I like the color but im biased lol :hello:

Me too, for the same reason! :mrgreen: :thumbsup:


As Jeff said, '92... seems like most folks put them on their 91s at some point, and I'll probably do the same, as I like the look.

I'm also planning to put the emblems on the sides of the hood on my '90.

[-=Jeff=-]

Yeah i did not do the emblems but did this:

http://vettextc.jiminees.com/Bloomington_2009/images/dx6490_57.jpg


Used the stickers from the Registry store instead

[tomtom72]

:thumbsup: Congratulations on your new toy!

That car's looks, in the picture you posted, belie it's mileage! I'll bet that owner was as OCD as the rest of us here! I think you did a great deal for yourself.

Enjoy!:cheers:

[Huntingbigun]

Really good prices for piece of history, we have to hook up one day

[VetteMed]

Really good prices for piece of history, we have to hook up one day

Yep, it's hard to imagine that prices could go much lower on these cars :icon_scra... they are an incredible value, when you consider the history and the quality of engineering that went into making it happen. Let me know if you're ever in the Gainesville area!

[VetteMed]

Congrats Andrew. I'm sure there will be nothing wrong with the car that you can't handle. Best of luck.

Thanks :thumbsup: can't wait to get my hands dirty again!

[Huntingbigun]

Yep, it's hard to imagine that prices could go much lower on these cars :icon_scra... they are an incredible value, when you consider the history and the quality of engineering that went into making it happen. Let me know if you're ever in the Gainesville area!


Wil do, same if you get down to Lakeland or Plant City. We also hang out at Homosassa on the weekends :cheers:

[phrogs]

Id like to know where you guys plan to get the ZR-1 badges from because they are getting harder to find better get em now if you want them! :-D

[scholtmj]

PM sent on the ZR-1 emblems :thumbsup:

[Kb7tif]

Hey good luck on the new ride! I have been off here for a while. What did you get for your other Z vettemed?
I sold mine it was shipped to Tennessee. Guy likes it. I wound the piss out of her before they picked the car up,
Crazy thing is I sold her thru craigslist. we had a car inspection at a BMW dealer then he wired me the money.
My 92 had a piston slap on the passenger side. When I was putting on the headers i noticed it was wet in 1 exhaust port, pry head gasket or cracked liner ect. I didnt have the money for a overhaul. So Bye Bye it went. Getting the fever again.

[VetteMed]

Hey good luck on the new ride! I have been off here for a while. What did you get for your other Z vettemed?
I sold mine it was shipped to Tennessee. Guy likes it. I wound the piss out of her before they picked the car up,
Crazy thing is I sold her thru craigslist. we had a car inspection at a BMW dealer then he wired me the money.
My 92 had a piston slap on the passenger side. When I was putting on the headers i noticed it was wet in 1 exhaust port, pry head gasket or cracked liner ect. I didnt have the money for a overhaul. So Bye Bye it went. Getting the fever again.

I got 13,900 for my '91 on eBay. I wasn't trying to get rid of a problem or anything, just wanted a color change. It was a nice driver-condition car, sold it to a dealer in Illinois, who now has it listed on his website for $16,800. :dontknow:

[-=Jeff=-]

I got 13,900 for my '91 on eBay. I wasn't trying to get rid of a problem or anything, just wanted a color change. It was a nice driver-condition car, sold it to a dealer in Illinois, who now has it listed on his website for $16,800. :dontknow:

Which dealer?

[VetteMed]

Which dealer?

Diamond Motorworks, in Naperville, IL.

[-=Jeff=-]

hey that is not too far from me..

[DMark]

.... I sold mine it was shipped to Tennessee.... wet in 1 exhaust port, pry head gasket or cracked liner ect.... So Bye Bye it went....
I trust you told my fellow Tennessean about this issue.

[Huntingbigun]

Id like to know where you guys plan to get the ZR-1 badges from because they are getting harder to find better get em now if you want them! :-D

Me too I want some

[Z51JEFF]

Id like to know where you guys plan to get the ZR-1 badges from because they are getting harder to find better get em now if you want them! :-D

There still out there.About a year ago I found 3 pieces.The one thing Ive never seen is the CORVETTE emblem in white for the 91-95s.

[VetteMed]

SO, the car arrived on Monday.

The problem list so far:



Oil leak from rear diff, may be pinion seal, as entire pinion area is caked with grease.
Leaking differential oil burning off from rear exhaust
Oil leak from front of engine - can't determine source yet, passenger side framerail caked with grease and dirt, oil cooler lines suspected, can't yet rule out other sources.
Wheel bearings are probably shot - whine/howl noise while driving.
Clicking sound from rear driver's side, upon initial acceleration - suspect U-joints gone bad.
Parking brake doesn't hold
Parking brake switch inoperative - light stays on
Bose is inoperative
Wear on seat bolsters
Cowl drains and hood hinge drains clogged with debris, preventing drainage (fixed )
Paint has dark staining, vertical streaking (fixed - orbital buffer and polishing compound)
Many paint chips, especially trailing edges of doors (temp fix with touch-up paint, full paint job in the future)
Weatherstrip is in need of replacement - hatch completely shot, others marginal but will replace.
Windshield delamination, not terrible, but there's a 1/2 inch stone chip blemish on the passenger side. I suspect I'll probably replace with a regular windshield.
Dirty interior - dust, bits of grass
Rear cross-drilled brake rotor cracked around cross-drilled hole
Headlight motors need bushings


The good:


The motor runs well, didn't really open it up fully because I haven't sorted out the driveline yet. Runs smoothly, good oil pressure.
Everything is complete - nothing hacked up or missing. Original owner sent me the pizza box, all service records dating back to 1990, service manuals, receipts for any aftermarket parts (Baer rotors, upgraded Bilstein shock controller, Samco intake duct, accel injectors, etc)
The suspension feels tight, even with 188K miles. It feels tighter than my 65K mile #1147 felt.
Fluidyne radiator
Carpets are in surprisingly good condition, just dirty.


First order of business is to pull the rearend, in order to replace the seals. Also pulled the plenum, of course, to replace plug wires/breather hoses/breather box gasket etc. New oil cooler lines waiting to go on, and of course the C5 brakes and A-Molds that I pulled from #1147 before selling.

Couple of pictures, prior to initial cleaning:
http://i680.photobucket.com/albums/vv163/agchoset/IMG_2353.jpg

Here you can see some of the baked-in filth in the paint... the doors and rear bumper were most severely affected, but are cleaning up well.
http://i680.photobucket.com/albums/vv163/agchoset/IMG_2354.jpg

Got my work cut out for me, but for under $10K I still think I did well.

[secondchance]

Clicking noise from the rear, especially if from driver side, may be incorrectly torqued king nut for rear wheel bearing and shouldered washer.

[VetteMed]

Clicking noise from the rear, especially if from driver side, may be incorrectly torqued king nut for rear wheel bearing and shouldered washer.

Good to know, thanks! I've already ordered new u-joints and hubs, since I don't want to take any chances at this kind of mileage. :thumbsup:

[secondchance]

Make sure you have a pair of these washers on hand before tearing into rear bearing hubs.
http://i658.photobucket.com/albums/uu303/byongyun/Rear20Wheel20Bearing.jpg

[VetteMed]

Pulled the plenum and fuel rails last night, lots of seepage under there... Started "removing" the brittle old breather hoses before I snapped this pic, btw.

http://i680.photobucket.com/albums/vv163/agchoset/IMG_2377.jpg

[Z51JEFF]

Congrats on the new car.If you dont have the breather hoses yet do some searching for my thread about new breather hoses.A set on Fleabay at $127,DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMN.Its good to know a useable replacement can be had for next to nothing.

[VetteMed]

Congrats on the new car.If you dont have the breather hoses yet do some searching for my thread about new breather hoses.A set on Fleabay at $127,DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMN.Its good to know a useable replacement can be had for next to nothing.

I picked up the hose at Oreilly last night after work - Thanks!! :thumbsup:

[scottfab]

Under $10k....., Well Done! :cheers:

Sounds like a future 415 engine car to me.

Well done indeed!!

[VetteMed]

Update:

Pulled plenum, injector housings, breather box, alternator, AC compressor, oil cooler, AC condenser, radiator, fans, tensioner.

I've removed the secondary butterfly assemblies, and I'm going to have Marc Haibeck burn a chip. I'm not going to reinstall all of the under-plenum vacuum plumbing, it's just too old and dried out for me to want to gamble. Everything plastic is just brittle and itching to crack. I was surprised at how relatively simple the process of removing the secondaries was.

The Fluidyne radiator is still in excellent shape, so that goes back in. Some loose paint on the oil cooler, cleaned that up, got new lines to install for that too. The AC condenser looked to be original, so that's being replaced.

I have a new AC compressor and a rebuilt alternator on the way. New water pump will be going in. Old alternator was making some noise, and the AC compressor was seeping oil everywhere.

The one thing I've found so far which concerns me a little, is some areas of rust-colored staining of the block at the areas of cyls 7 and 8. I worry that this may be a sign of headgasket seepage, but the oil and coolant both look fine, and there's no white smoke from the exhaust... so I'm going to button it all back up and hope for the best.

More to come...

[Huntingbigun]

keep up the good work send more pics

[todesengel]

Update:

Pulled plenum, injector housings, breather box, alternator, AC compressor, oil cooler, AC condenser, radiator, fans, tensioner.

I've removed the secondary butterfly assemblies, and I'm going to have Marc Haibeck burn a chip. I'm not going to reinstall all of the under-plenum vacuum plumbing, it's just too old and dried out for me to want to gamble. Everything plastic is just brittle and itching to crack. I was surprised at how relatively simple the process of removing the secondaries was.

The Fluidyne radiator is still in excellent shape, so that goes back in. Some loose paint on the oil cooler, cleaned that up, got new lines to install for that too. The AC condenser looked to be original, so that's being replaced.

I have a new AC compressor and a rebuilt alternator on the way. New water pump will be going in. Old alternator was making some noise, and the AC compressor was seeping oil everywhere.

The one thing I've found so far which concerns me a little, is some areas of rust-colored staining of the block at the areas of cyls 7 and 8. I worry that this may be a sign of headgasket seepage, but the oil and coolant both look fine, and there's no white smoke from the exhaust... so I'm going to button it all back up and hope for the best.

More to come...
Consider doing a leak down test before you put it back together just to put your mind at ease Med. Napa also sells a "sniffer" that will check for the presence of exhaust gases in your coolant. Just my $.02, but I would rather know for sure than wonder.

[VetteMed]

Argh, I stripped the heads of 3 torx bolts on the passenger side cam cover. Grrr.

[bdw18_123]

Argh, I stripped the heads of 3 torx bolts on the passenger side cam cover. Grrr.

I feel your pain, I did the same thing on mine, had to drill the heads off. Time for a set of SS bolts! :mrgreen:

[VetteMed]

I feel your pain, I did the same thing on mine, had to drill the heads off. Time for a set of SS bolts! :mrgreen:

Yep, that's the plan, I already have the SS bolts here, but 2 of the stripped heads are behind the AC/heater box... which means I think I may have to pull that out. Might go ahead and replace the AC evaporator, since I'm replacing the rest of the AC components too... lots of the dreaded "job creep" on a 188k mile car :dontknow:

[-=Jeff=-]

Yep, that's the plan, I already have the SS bolts here, but 2 of the stripped heads are behind the AC/heater box... which means I think I may have to pull that out. Might go ahead and replace the AC evaporator, since I'm replacing the rest of the AC components too... lots of the dreaded "job creep" on a 188k mile car :dontknow:

if you are going to do it.. do it right..

good luck on the TORX Bolts.. I had 2 stripped on mine..

[scottfab]

I feel your pain, I did the same thing on mine, had to drill the heads off. Time for a set of SS bolts! :mrgreen:

This comes under the heading of "too late now" but....:-({|=
A friend showed me how a swift crack of a hammer on a sawed off
allen wrench helps break the thread bond.
Even in the hard to reach screws you can still sit a crowbar across the
top and whack the crowbar.

[rudolph schenker]

:happy1:

[VetteMed]

Got the passenger side cam cover off today, had 3 bolts that were stripped, lots of fun getting those out. Now, on to the driver's side cover.

[VetteMed]

Driver side cover is off, no stripped bolts on that side :occasion1

[VetteMed]

http://i680.photobucket.com/albums/vv163/agchoset/IMG_2428.jpg

http://i680.photobucket.com/albums/vv163/agchoset/IMG_2427.jpg

[rudolph schenker]

http://i680.photobucket.com/albums/vv163/agchoset/IMG_2428.jpg

http://i680.photobucket.com/albums/vv163/agchoset/IMG_2427.jpg


Looks familiar as I am finishing up my plenum pull.

[Ccmano]

How goes it? Did you do the leak down test?
H

[VetteMed]

Buttoned it all back up, seems to run OK, but I've got a code 64 and code 55. I haven't done any troubleshooting other than that, as I'm in the middle of moving (twice in 2 weeks, first rental was in terrible condition, infested, etc). I probably won't be able to do anything on the car over the summer at all, I suspect :-x