New ZR1 owner

[edram454]

Just received my black/black 1990 Zr1. It has mods like ported Jeal Siamesed Plenum/injector housing/long tube DRM headers with flowmaster exhaust/ new rc injectors/ported tb/new vacuum lines/tb coolant bypass/brake bias/eradispeed drilled/slot rotors and hawk pads/chassis stiffener cage/new luk clutch/all synthetics/new ac system/zimmer chip/ etc.. don't know what it makes ..maybe 380-400 rwhp. I currently have a C5 auto black/black coupe 2000/ heavily modded 525 rwhp. 39k miles. zr1 45k miles. Which one of these cars would you keep if you can only keep one due to storage?? I have always had a thing for the z and it is my third attempt in buying one and its mine. The last time I lost 5k dollars and walked away with nothing because after I gave a deposit to a dealer, I found out the car was damaged (needed rebuild) had to pay to get out of the deal. would you sell the z or the c5 supercharged?? I want the z but after reading about the difficulty in obtaining parts and lack of knowledgeable mechanics etc.. it is riskier than owning a c5. 525rwhp on a mustang dyno and a automatic car/ if this were a stick and a dynojet dyno it would have dynoed easily over 550. These are big numbers to the wheel. I am at a crossroads. I like the z but I know my c5 would blow it in the weeds at everything. I appreciate the history and the mechanical complexity of the lt5. runs good, sounds great. but what do I do? Anybody sold a 500 plus horsepower c5 for a z?? did anyone regret it?? Any imput would be appreciated. You have a good web site, very informative. edram454:pray

[bradley]

do you plan on using it as a daily driver? I have 2 zr1s a 90 modded like yours which I got 175k out of before I popped a head gasket and a 92 callaway 475 super natural which has 158k on it and running great . parts are not hard to find that's an old wives tale . I have only been stranded once and that was when I blew a 1/2 shaft at the drag strip . I bought both cars when they had 30-32 k miles on them . your c5 is great but there are tons of them out there .I like the fact that I am driving a very rare corvette and when I open the hood people just go OH sh*t.

[alnukem]

I have several vettes, they all have their charms. It would be a difficult decision to pick between a built c5 & a ZR-1. A sensible approach for cost of upkeep & being that it's already built would be the the C5. I have a C5Z06 that puts down 370 RWHP & a ZR-1 that puts down 400 RWHP, as far as being fast, they are both pretty equal. If I had to pick one, I would pick the ZR-1 because it feels so much "rawer". If I lived in Florida & storage was the only thing that was in my way, I would get a storage garage & swap them out, drive the crap out of each till spring, pick the winner & sell the loser in the Spring market, this will open your buyers to the people in the north & probably fetch more money. I put my cars away yesterday. Good Luck.

[Bearly Flying]

Everybody has a C5, not too many have a ZR-1.

As far as the HP goes there will always be somebody with a bigger wallet than you.....


Owning a ZR-1 is pretty special.

[Kevin]

between the two, the one you like more

[Paul Workman]

My choice wouldn't be everyone's choice. Among the many charms the Z has over your modded C5 that trump the C5 - is the uniqueness. (Nothing so special about a supercharged C5 or C6. You see them all the time.)

And, for the money spent on purchasing and then building up the C5, one could have their Z and the ponies too. Think about that! :dancing

I'd sell the C5 and turn the money around and give a chunk to Pete and AES for a closed deck 427 LT5 and never look back - except to see rivals in the rear-view mirror. But! That's just me.

Oh, and as far as parts scarcity goes, the REGISTRY takes car of its own. Parts and expertise is made available, and talk about lack thereof is highly over wrought.

Welcome to the BROTHERHOOD OF THE BEAST!:handshak:

[Kevin]

My choice wouldn't be everyone's choice. Among the many charms the Z has over your modded C5 that trump the C5 - is the uniqueness. (Nothing so special about a supercharged C5 or C6. You see them all the time.)

And, for the money spent on purchasing and then building up the C5, one could have their Z and the ponies too. Think about that! :dancing

I'd sell the C5 and turn the money around and give a chunk to Pete and AES for a closed deck 427 LT5 and never look back - except to see rivals in the rear-view mirror. But! That's just me.

Oh, and as far as parts scarcity goes, the REGISTRY takes car of its own. Parts and expertise is made available, and talk about lack thereof is highly over wrought.

Welcome to the BROTHERHOOD OF THE BEAST!:handshak:
that depends entirely on the size of your savings account

[ZZZZZR1]

You bought a great ZR-1!

Welcome!!!

Please post pictures and love to know more about your new car

:cheers:

David

[edram454]

thanks for all the advice. The zr1 is unique and only a few are around. I have always loved the zr1 and hoped to have one in my life time. My c5 is built and beautiful but I cant say it is a blast to drive. it is actually dangerous if one is not careful. with an auto transmission, if you slam the accel pedal down it can downshift 2 gears and all hell breaks loose, especially my rear tires, the loss of control in instantaneous. to race somebody on the street next to you is a scary proposition because you dont know how many gears the automatic trans will downshift on it's own. at 40 or 50 miles an hour it is dangerous to stand it on. it is like a lack of control of the vehicle. it is not paddle shifted. I can say that I have never read anywhere from any body that driving a zr1 was not fun. it is a fun car to drive. I bought it for the uniqueness, the mystique and the fun of driving which I was actually lacking. that is why my c5 has such low miles. I dont think it has 1000 miles on all the mods. tires and rims 100 or less miles. I hate to see it go but the thought of driving with fear is not fun. it has already done 2 360's in the middle of a major highway, thank God nothing happened but that woke me up. I have had faster cars like my 1200 hp prostreet mustang ran 8 in the 1/4 mile but I would drive to local shows to blow there mind. It had a manual valvebody gm built turbo 400 tranny. I lost a lot of money on that one and missed the corvette people who were older and more educated. Mustang crowds were a bunch of very young guys. I didnt fit in. I will take the riskier of the two and keep the zr1. It has good mods too and runs strong. As soon as it came off the truck, I put some more gas in it and took it for a quick ride around my neighborhood, I stopped to do a little burnout and boy did it light them up, I didnt move 3 feet and that thing was already roasting the tires:handshak::handshak:. But you see, because of the stick and clutch I had control. My c5 would burn and then shift to second take off and at 3500rpm get in boost and start burning very hard while you are moving. I feel I joined the big leagues with my vintage zr1. You guys are great and is a big reason why I will keep her. Thanks for all you opinions and inputs.

Your friend,
edramos.

[John Boothby]

Welcome! Enjoy your Z! It will put a grin on your face all day long!

[edram454]

How do I get rid of that (L98) under my name?? I didnt even put that there. I see everybody else has LT5. If anybody can help I would appreciate it.
edram454

[Kevin]

just keep posting, you'll get there eventally

[BigJohn]

How do I get rid of that (L98) under my name?? I didnt even put that there. I see everybody else has LT5. If anybody can help I would appreciate it.
edram454


100 posts will change it to LT-5!

[Mystic ZR-1]

Big John get back to work...

[BigJohn]

Big John get back to work...

OK!

:censored:

[edram454]

ok. I got 99 more then. thanks.

[BigJohn]

ok. I got 99 more then. thanks.

Looks more like 96!!!

[edram454]

96 it is!!:dancing

[ZZZZZR1]

See this thread?

Want to meet other Z owners and see some maintenance?

http://zr1.net/forum/showthread.php?t=21619

Let me know. Love to see your car and meet you!

:cheers:

David

[alnukem]

edramos.....you made the decision I would have made. Lets hear about the car & the mods on it. There is a lot to be said about a strong running N/A car. I still can't get over how well our cars can run with stock cams.....no compromises. My car is a little legendary with my friends since I had some more aggressive porting done to it. I am a relatively new member, but welcome to the Brotherhood.

[Vette Guy]

Yes, Welcome! We are quite a tight knit group. Many of us have other vettes that come and go, but the ZR-1s stay. It sounds like you have a strong Z, and will certainly enjoy it.

Mark

[edram454]

This car is actually still on the zr1 registry cars for sale. It is the first one.. the 1990 Black on Black John Evanish car. I had called him and we struck a deal. It was after the deal that he said he had it consigned to small dealership. We agreed on a price and that was it. According to one of the salesman at the dealership the car had been for sale for some time. It started out at 29k and slowly the price was reduced to 18.9k as it states in the add. The owner is a great guy and a very straight and honest man. The consignors...are another story. I sent the whole amount for the car on an expensive next day fedex sat delivery and they were happy. unfortunately I had to wait over a week for my title. In fact I received the car and still had no title. the consignors did not did live up to our agreement. The car was delivered full of bird ****, filthy, full of pine tree debris and sap, not one drop of gas (it had to be pushed) and a dead battery. Needless to say, I was more than angry.

The owner really got the bad end of the deal because he had to pay them for nothing. the car was taken to two drivers school events and 2 autocrosses by the owner. It was prepared for road racing. It was a zr1 that was gently used by two owners and had regular maintenance. The last owner had it 15 years and put 17k miles. He did all the mods, top end porting by Jeal, plenum siamesed and IH ported, TB ported, TB coolant bypass/chassis stiffener/heavy duty drilled/slotted rotors w/hawk aggressive pads/ and GS calipers/he did some front suspension stiffening and slightly lowered the car/long tube headers DRM ceramic coated/new RC injectors/all vacuum lines replaced/all synthetics everywhere/rear wheel bearing assemblies replaced/bilsteins rebuilt/new carpeting/flowmaster cat back system/slightly lowered car corners flat/zimmer chip/pizza box etc.. there is stuff I am forgetting but I like the fact it wasnt sitting there rotting away. 45k miles..sounds great and pulls like a freight train. I love the roll bar (chassis stiffener).. the car looks like it means serious business. chrome deep dish amolds(not the ones in the pics).. I just bought it new tires and new amolds deep dish of course.

The original windshield looks fabulous and a new glass top. bose speakers and amps rebuilt.. etc.. manual fan switches. car runs super cool.. and I am in florida. I let it idle for 30 mins..stayed cool. remember it is 84 degrees here right now.. we are having a wonderful winter! new clutch/ clutch slave cylinder...etc.. I just keep on remembering.. I will stop now. Oh one last thing, a 10k Imron paint job. It is very slick and shiny.

I am doing some detailing new so it wont be ready for a couple of months to show it.. It has the usual 1990 puff of smoke at start up.. after it idles it goes away.. a puff when you hit it and a little in deceleration. I might switch the 10w30 mobil 1 over to 15w50 racing oil.. one of the forum members suggested this and it worked on his 1990. I cant remember his signin name but he is one of the prolific knowledgeable guys on the forum. LGAA?? Anyway that is the low down on my car #3028. new the very end of the 1990 production run.

I always go to Mecum and I probably will be going this year. I would like to sell my C5 so I wont feel guilty for spending so much money and just to go there and spend more. I've got to watch myself because I can go crazy with this stuff. It has happened before. Thanks for asking and I will be on this forum daily.

edramos.:-D

[Franke]

Congrats on buying a fine Z machine. Welcome!

[Schrade]

Welcome onto the boards there.

Mods (for power) will get the best of your wallet. Never enough. Once you start, you're done for. And like BF said, there's always someone else somewhere with more. Then you have to grab your wrench and your wallet. It's a bug, and the bug wins every time.

It got me with a WWII rifle, that my dad carried in VN (got snappics of him with it in the jungle, on the boards here). All owners of one of these rifles KNOW the bug. One day, I got a rare one from a friend. I was gonna' flip it for a big profit, and never did. THen one day, I was looking at them side by side - 2, and in 6 months, I had 5 more. I had the bug, which I said I WOULDN'T. Nipped it in the bud, and got rid of the 5 additional...

Vette mods are the same way...

[alnukem]

Sounds like a awesome car & a great deal! You saved a ton of $$$$ buying it with the mods done, kinda nice to get the better end of the stick once in a while. Have you put it on a dyno yet?

[Racinfan83]

It got me with a WWII rifle, that my dad carried in VN (got snappics of him with it in the jungle, on the boards here). All owners of one of these rifles KNOW the bug. One day, I got a rare one from a friend. I was gonna' flip it for a big profit, and never did. THen one day, I was looking at them side by side - 2, and in 6 months, I had 5 more. I had the bug, which I said I WOULDN'T.

Yeah it's a good thing I have never found a good enough deal on one of those for me to drop the cash on it.... (guessin it's a 14?)Cuz guns are like potato chips - you can't have just ONE...:-D

[edram454]

I have learned to control myself. My worst experience was when I bought my brothers 1989 Mustang 5.0 LX convertible. It was stock and beautiful. 5 speed etc.. white ext, white leather int.. 225 hp. by the time I was done, I had 85k in it, put 1200 hp at crank, won world of wheels, ran on c16 race gas only but street legal. I have a laptop integrated into the car so I can select my fuel maps and chose tunes.. street tune, emission tune. race.. hot race.. etc. this was back in 1996. This one got away from me and that can only happen once. I lost over 50k on that car. I should have built me a Willys gasser at least the market would have been much better since older guys would want it.. the young guys loved the stang but they didnt have that kind of money.

I like this z because it has good mods. I know mods on z's are expensive. On my c5 all it took is a vortech supercharger kit/blower cam and rev kit. wala... 500+ horsepower to the wheels. How much would it cost to make a LT5 make 500+ horsepower to the wheels?? Blower kit, cam and rev kit installed and dyno tuned was 10k. I think I would take way over 10k to make an LT5 run that hard.

I did not want the zr1 so much for the power but for the engineering of the total package of a car that was the best at the time. It still holds it's own even today. Mystique , rarity etc.. it all plays a part. Zr1 always commands respect. Look at the new ones now!! they can kick so real butt and are state of the art. They are the best supercar for the money in the world. The Z designation was a zora thing. The first Zr1 was an 1970 LT1 stripped for racing only. They were only manual shift, no ac, no radio, hd suspension..etc.. like an L88 but with a 350 to compete and beat small block racers who were dominating the b production class. zora pushed very hard for that package. Zora Racer 1. It was always a complete package engineered car. Then came our Zr1's. Same thing. A completely engineered car from top to bottom made to compete and win against the best. Now the new ones. Another reengineering with different body panels etc..brakes .. things unique to the Zr1 that makes it the flagship corvette every time one is introduced to the public. Gotta love that.

[alnukem]

Yes, It would take a "little" more than 10K.

Read this thread. It would put you very close.

http://www.zr1.net/forum/showthread.php?t=21203

[Z06scentair]

Congrats and welcome! Beautiful ZR-1:cheers:

[Kevin]

Tim, we still need to meet up.

[Vetman]

You made the right choice. I love my z for it's uniqueness. Always dreamed of
owning one. Mine is stock and will stay that way. Drive it a lot and where the hell can one use more speed? However I do have this fantasy to find a safe spot and drive at 150 with the cruise control on!

[edram454]

You made the right choice. I love my z for it's uniqueness. Always dreamed of
owning one. Mine is stock and will stay that way. Drive it a lot and where the hell can one use more speed? However I do have this fantasy to find a safe spot and drive at 150 with the cruise control on!

your car will do it with no problem whatsoever.

ed ramos