Hello to all from Germany

[Thomas ZR-1]

Hi everybody!

My name is Thomas and I did my registration at this great forum last week. I´m living in Germany close to the border to Belgium and The Netherlands. The little city is called Aachen, it`s 70 km to Cologne.

My zr-1 is from 1990 (number 29), I bought it in 2003. Original it was in red/red but if you have a look at my album there are a lot of modifikations I did in the past like coil over suspension, Porsche brakes, 18" wheels, new saddled interior, new colour on the outside (Lamborhini orange). In 2008 I rebuild the engine with a lot of mods (headers, porting, special cams etc...). Every winter-season I do some changes so I made up my up coming plan for 2012/13.

What can I tell you about me. I`m 42 years old and married with my wife Katja. I infected her with the corvette virus in 2008 when I got to know her:-D. She is 42 too and owns blue 1993 convertible. We don`t have children but 4 cats in our home. Occupational I`m a master mechanic and I studied mechanical engineering. After all I´m working at a company for engine development in our home town.

As I told you I´m owning my zr-1 now nearly for about 10 years but it´s difficult to find another guy in Germany with such a corvette. Most time I`m the only one with a zr-1 on a corvette meeting in our area. I think there are less than 100 zr-1 corvette licenced in Germany.

Ok..so I hope I can learn some more facts and ideas from you about the king of the hill. Some weeks ago I bought a new belt tensioner at Jerrys gaskets and I could see that Jerry is a member of this forum too...that`s great!

Sorry for my school english but I hope you can understand me.

Thomas

[ZZZZZR1]

Hi everybody!

My name is Thomas and I did my registration at this great forum last week. I´m living in Germany close to the border to Belgium and The Netherlands. The little city is called Aachen, it`s 70 km to Cologne.

My zr-1 is from 1990 (number 29), I bought it in 2003. Original it was in red/red but if you have a look at my album there are a lot of modifikations I did in the past like coil over suspension, Porsche brakes, 18" wheels, new saddled interior, new colour on the outside (Lamborhini orange). In 2008 I rebuild the engine with a lot of mods (headers, porting, special cams etc...). Every winter-season I do some changes so I made up my up coming plan for 2012/13.

What can I tell you about me. I`m 42 years old and married with my wife Katja. I infected her with the corvette virus in 2008 when I got to know her:-D. She is 42 too and owns blue 1993 convertible. We don`t have children but 4 cats in our home. Occupational I`m a master mechanic and I studied mechanical engineering. After all I´m working at a company for engine development in our home town.

As I told you I´m owning my zr-1 now nearly for about 10 years but it´s difficult to find another guy in Germany with such a corvette. Most time I`m the only one with a zr-1 on a corvette meeting in our area. I think there are less than 100 zr-1 corvette licenced in Germany.

Ok..so I hope I can learn some more facts and ideas from you about the king of the hill. Some weeks ago I bought a new belt tensioner at Jerrys gaskets and I could see that Jerry is a member of this forum too...that`s great!

Sorry for my school english but I hope you can understand me.

Thomas


Thomas!!!!


Hey and welcome!!!! You bought your car about the same time as me and we have both done a ton of upgrades

There are close to 100 ZR-1's in Germany????? Have you seen many? Is there a way of contacting them?

Thanks for posting and can we see more pictures of your car?

:cheers:

David

[scottfab]

Welcome Thomas and Katja
I know of one person that may be in Germany (or Switzerland)
with a ZR-1. I will contact him to see where he lives now and
if he still has his car.

Maybe you can upload pictures of you car?
Click on "User CP" and find the "Pictures and Albums" area to upload pictures then make a link to them from here.

[GOLDCYLON]

Welcome aboard. GC

[-=Jeff=-]

Wow that looks cool.. I like the color of the motor

[cvette98pacecar]

Thomas, Katja welcome to the group. I like all the upgrades.

[nelson007]

Hallo Thomas,
I also live in Germany in the spring and fall. I live near Augsburg. I have my ZR 1 in the states. I might be bringing one of my vett's to Germany in the spring.

Nelson007

[vilant]

Guten Tag. Your car looks incredible:jawdrop:. Love the color, especially on the engine. Welcome to the club.:cheers:

[Thomas ZR-1]

Thank you guys for welcome me so awesome...thanks a lot!!!:handshak: David there are zr-1 in Germany and the other europian states but the only way to meet them is to visit big international corvette meetings as there is for example every year in july the meeting in Praha (Czech Republik). It`s 800 km from my home but enjoy this meeting every year. Praha is a wonderful city, all the buildings are 150-200year old and in excellent condition today (watch XXX with Vin Diesel and you know Praha). At this meeting there are alway some zr-1 freaks from Switzland, maybe one of them is the one you mean Scott. His name is Miri (Sam in the german corvette forum). He is an absolutely expert for the lt5 in europe (and unfortunately the only one, all the other small companys do only work on C5 and C6)...it`s crazy: lt5 expert from Switzland...120 km/h (75 mph) speed limit...haha.

Miri is a friend of mine and he told some ideas to me to make my lt5 from 350 to 375 by changing only the cylinder liners (4.040 bore) with special JE pistons. I could still use the stock crankshaft and rods. Ok..I know: more cid more hp but I don`t know what possibilities there are...

Well... I still enjoy the last sunny days 2012 driving my zr-1 with the new mounted 4.10 rear axle...295 km/h (183 mph) should be possible with it on the highway:dancing I`m going to test it out in the next days.

Here is a picture from 2008 at the dyno (messured 459 DIN HP) and the big rear wing (europian Ferrari challange) but I removed the wing after 4 years in 2009.

Thomas

[scottfab]

Thomas
Very good decision to remove the wing.

I do not know Miri. I have not heard back
from Wolfgang yet.

My last trip to Germany was to Gunzburg.
I leased a BMW and visited the autobahn.
Unfortunately 130mph (209kph) was all it would do :(

[A26B]

Hi Thomas,

Great to see you here! I know Miri (Sam) and have met him here in the US. he is indeed a very knowledgable LT5 expert.

Jerry

[Blue Flame Restorations]

Welcome. So good to hear of other Corvettes in Europe.

:handshak:

[CJ_ZR1]

Welcome Thomas

The Lamborghini orange looks great on a C4 especially with the black rims and black pillars/top.

:cheers:

[cvette98pacecar]

Keep us updated on the dates of the event. Maybe we can get a small group to take a trip across the pond.

[Thomas ZR-1]

Keep us updated on the dates of the event. Maybe we can get a small group to take a trip across the pond.

Yes Robert that`s a very good idea to visit the corvette meeting in Praha.It`s alway in july but the exact date will be fix in a few month. At the meeting there are often visitors from the US:fahne:. The czech corvette club has the Las Vegas corvette club for friends. The judges of the jury for the corvette rating are most time Benita, the president of the Las Vegas corvette club, her husband Jerry and some other members of this club. This year I won the category c4 with my zr-1:dancing.

You can not compare a corvette meeting in the states with a meeting in europe. A big meeting in europe are 150-200 corvettes but if I look at carlisle....oh my god...it`s unbelievable.

Here are some pics from Praha:

[Thomas ZR-1]

...and another one. It showes the Mozart theatre at the old town of Praha. If we are visiting Praha we always stay there for a week (little holidays). It`s a fantastic city and you can connect corvettes with culture!

[HAWAIIZR-1]

Thomas,

Welcome and that is one awesome car. Another member Rick, like me loves custom work and you sure have done a lot. I was offered a job in Weisbaden right after I moved to Japan and could not accept it and surely regret it. One day I hope I can move to beautiful and historical Germany with my ZR-1. Thanks for sharing and take care.

Craig

[Thomas ZR-1]

Hi Craig

That`s pretty cool, I grow up in a little town close to Wiesbaden. In 2002 I was in the asian area in Seoul / South Korea at the huyndai company mounting an engine test bench that we developed in our company...

...and one of my dreams is to come with my zr-1 to the states to visit the corvette meeting at the corvette museum in Bowling Green. I visited the United States a long time ago, Florida. I think it was in spring 1991...one of my best holidays!:flag:

Thomas

[Fully Vetted]

Welcome, Thomas. My wife and I vacationed in Munchen in '09. Incredible, incredible historical buildings in your country. Just amazing.

Great job on your Z. You nailed it on the wheels.

David

[Z Factor]

Hi Thomas,

I am glad to see you took my suggestion and posted your introduction/info.

Will be having an extra Lowenbrau tonight for you, not that I need a reason to drink German beer. :cheers:

[tf95ZR1]

Excellent Z! Very clean!
The American flag on the hood (bonnet?):
because it's an American made car, or are you from the US?
Porsche calipers because......you're in Germany? ;)
I also agree (but its only my opinion):
great idea removing the WING!

PS Welcome to you and your wife! You both should
come to the annual Gathering in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
Lots of international guests attend! OK, at least 3 from
Spain, and Craig came from Hawaii. Does that count?
:-)

[HAWAIIZR-1]

Hi Craig

That`s pretty cool, I grow up in a little town close to Wiesbaden. In 2002 I was in the asian area in Seoul / South Korea at the huyndai company mounting an engine test bench that we developed in our company...

...and one of my dreams is to come with my zr-1 to the states to visit the corvette meeting at the corvette museum in Bowling Green. I visited the United States a long time ago, Florida. I think it was in spring 1991...one of my best holidays!:flag:

Thomas

Hey Thomas,

I have heard so many great things about Germany and its on my list of places to visit before I die. Cool that you had a chance to visit Seoul and the US. Really looking foward to hearing more from you and cool pics of your Z.

Take care,
Craig

[Thomas ZR-1]

Excellent Z! Very clean!
The American flag on the hood (bonnet?):
because it's an American made car, or are you from the US?
Porsche calipers because......you're in Germany?


The American flag is an airbrush, it was the job from a friend when he was painting the car in the Lambo orange. I`m proud of owning a sports car #1 from the US:flag:
Porsche calipers in connection with Porsche rotors are one of the best brakes in the world. Front is 993 turbo and rear 986 boxster s. All adapters and brakets are manufactored by myself same as the coil over. The Bilstein company is only 55 mls from my home and I know the chief from the motorsport department quite good. So they built the shocks for my zr-1. The springs are H&R, that company is also not far away from me only 5 mls from Bilstein. After all we tested the coil over suspension at the Nürburgring (T H E german race track!...only 30 mls from home).

Driving a zr-1 on the german highway (Autobahn...no speed limt) is awesome. You has to be absolutely concentrated because you do not drive the car...the car drives with you, it`s a monster. The zr-1 goes 300 km/h (185 mls/hr) that`s amazing... I checked it out a few times.

If you drive a Porsche or Ferrari in my country nobody regards it, maybe like: ah yes a Porsche but if you come up with a corvette nearly no one knows what it is: what is it?...ah yes a corvette...wow what great sound!!! 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2...that`s power on wheels!...and I love it.

Unfortunately the winter is coming. This means 4 or 5 month rain and snow in Germany. No time for a ride but I`m looking forward to next corvette season starting in april 2013. In winter there is enough time for further mods on the car: the whole engine is going to become chrome plated (my friend Günni has a company for chrome plating ), a complete oil cooling system for the gear box waits to be installed, some more cid`s would be great while I`ll take out the engine of the car to check and change the camshaft timing again. The suspension bushing should be changed. The stock bushings are over 20 years old and making some noise. I`m still not sure which one I should choose, maybe some of you have an idea what kit I should mount in??? Polyurethan gets noisy in a year I heard, what about del-a-lum from globalwest?

Sorry for all the questions but I`m the only one in our area with LT5. Does anyone of you have an idea where I can buy cylinder sleeves and pistons to build a 375 cid from my engine? I can do all necessary jobs in the workshop at the company where I´m emloyed. We are a company for engine development.

Ok it`s time to go to bed, it`s midnight in Germany.

Thomas

[tomtom72]

:hello: and Welcome to our corner of the asylum!

:thumbsup: That is one great looking ZR-1 you have there Thomas! Thanks for taking the time to post up and say Hello. :handshak:


:cheers:
Tom