Daily driving a ZR-1 [Archive] - ZR-1 Net Registry Forums

8cam

12-08-2013, 10:39 AM

After a couple months of ownership, lots of driving, lots of reading and lots more driving, I've noticed some things. I daily drive my Z, rain or shine, no matter what it looks like outside, to work, the grocery store, picking up the kids (two in the car last night!), and oh yeah...some back road hooligan too. I love this thing. Dirty as hell right now though, got to give it a good cleanup whenever this rain stops. It spends many nights parked outside because the wife likes the garage too, and that's just fine.

The engine dominates. Just wow. Plant your right foot and achieve a moment of clarity. Even in normal mode, it sounds like something is lurking just under the stairs, waiting to jump you. Do something silly and those monster 315s don't have a chance, especially in the wet. Fun. It's also a pussycat, easy to just roll along in traffic without a complaint, running nice and cool. And when an opening in traffic appears, BANG you're there. More fun.

Speaking of tires, holy contact patch Batman. Biggest tires I've ever run on a car and wow do they grip hard in the dry. The fronts are the same size as the rears on my old 928 and the rears are just plain ridiculous...I like 'em. But even these things will go up in smoke if I let the engine off the chain. They also track straight and true on all manner of roads, but are a bit noisy on the highway.

I haven't pushed the suspension hard enough to really get a feel yet, but I'll be autocrossing in the spring and will know a little more then. In daily driving mode on smooth roads, it's just fine. Comfortable, very little body roll, and the front end actually turns in more sharply than the 308 or the M3 I recently sold. Very responsive. However it really doesn't like bumpy roads, wants to jump around a bit. And it REALLY doesn't like potholes and speed bumps. Wow that's just plain harsh. I've tried all three settings and they don't seem to make a difference there. The most annoying thing is the parking deck at work - it's like being on a hobby horse, just see-sawing its way up the ramps. At a normal "deck" speed, it's like it hits a resonant frequency and gets really bad...have to slow way down, or it feels like the car is going to bounce into the roof. Unexpected and not pleasant. But since that's about 0.00005% of my driving, it ain't no big deal.

The ZF gearbox surprised me. Coming from euros, I expected more of a truck feel but it's really very good. It's more of a heavy rifle bolt than the swiss watch feel of the 308, but it's precise and meaty, with near zero slop in any direction. That big shift knob is definitely an asset. In heavy traffic I actually wish 1st was a little shorter, but in normal driving and mountain running it's excellent. Easy to shift quickly and smoothly. In fact it's easier to be smooth with it than the M3 was, probably because of the very progressive clutch and the torque of the engine. But whoever came up with the 1-4 idea should be shot - it's downright dangerous when you're in stop/go traffic or trying to move slowly through a neighborhood. I've got to get under there and unplug the damn thing. I'll admit I'm getting used to the gear whine, but I am surprised that a car that was this expensive makes that noise.

I like the interior. For a big car (and the Corvette is a BIG car to me), the interior is downright cozy. Much tighter than anything this side of a Miata. I LOVE the seats, so comfortable and fit me like a glove. I know some like them and some hate them, but I'm 6'1" about 190lbs and they are just perfect. I do wish the steering wheel was more adjustable. I've also been reading about the steering column, why would anyone use the steering wheel to lever themselves out? I've never done that, never even occurred to me. I use the sill and maybe the A-pillar. But someone in my car's past did, because it has that inch of movement down-and-to-the-left. I have got to fix that, makes spirited driving kinda scary. The center console takes a little getting used to. It's in the way of fast shifting - I'm more used to having my arm completely free, not dragging my elbow on a console. Still haven't fully reconciled the best way around it but it's not that big a deal.

Did I mention I love it? :D It's just a very cool car, and I'm finding out that it actually gets MORE attention than the Italian supermodel. Maybe because folks think it's more approachable, but I get comments at the gas station, parts store, the kids' school, anywhere really. And a few know exactly what it is, spotting the logo on the rear bumper, and then the real questions start. Driving a car like this every single day is just awesome, so much more fun than the lemmingmobiles I'm surrounded by. I love jumping Prius drivers in traffic with the secondaries WFO. Why the hell anyone spends so much money on something so completely dull is beyond me. With the money I saved buying the Z, I can afford to put gas in it for a LONG time. Life is too short to drive boring cars!

We Gone

12-08-2013, 11:19 AM

Dynomite

12-08-2013, 11:23 AM

You did NOT mention the great gas mileage......even if modified ;)

Do not know if you have new rubber but those original hard rubber tires make the bumps more noticeable :p

8cam

12-08-2013, 11:37 AM

Mark, Cool story, Sounds like you found the right car. If you have not done so unplug the skip-shift and tape up the plugs or just get a chip to eliminate it. . here is a fix for the steering column.

http://zr1specialist.com/HAT%20Web/products/steering%20column%20pin.htm

Steve

Yep I found that, and I'll be ordering that little number soon. I also need to get under the car and unplug that solenoid, just have not had a chance to get in the garage in the last couple weeks. I definitely found the right car, just having fun with it doing the little things it needs and driving it every day.

You did NOT mention the great gas mileage......even if modified ;)

Do not know if you have new rubber but those original hard rubber tires make the bumps more noticeable :p

Seriously? :D I think my average mpg reading right now is 10.8! I'll be going on a road trip Tuesday so I'll get a better number then, expecting something north of 20mpg over the trip. But in my normal every day driving, mixing neighborhood, back roads, highways and in the city (25 miles from the 'burbs to downtown), I'm seeing 16-17mpg on average. And I leave it in FULL POWER all the time, so I guess it's not bad.

The tires are brand new, stick very well, and have extremely stiff sidewalls. I avoid speed bumps whenever possible!

8cam

12-08-2013, 12:17 PM

Couple more observations. The back has plenty of room to hold suitcases for two people with 10 days' worth of stuff. My wife and I traveled to SFO a couple weeks ago and it swallowed her bags and mine without a problem. I will say lifting suitcases over the bodywork is a long reach, but that's life with a sports car. Oh and yes my ZR-1 spent 10 days in an uncovered airport parking lot. The horror!

It did point out that I really need to flush and bleed the clutch. After those 10 days, it engaged almost on the floor, coming back up after a few miles/uses.

The original hatch gas struts are pretty much useless, barely popping it up. New struts coming in from Ecklers should fix that and I understand they will open it right up just by pushing the button? That will be nice.

The wiper blades are old and crusty, so I tried to find some auto parts store specials...no go with that hood. So they are also coming from Ecklers, should make a big improvement here in the rainy south. Which reminds me. All this rain we're having has shown me I have a leak, somewhere over my left foot. I'm guessing a drainage channel somewhere is clogged.

mike100

12-08-2013, 12:19 PM

mike100

12-08-2013, 12:24 PM

Definitely bleed the clutch hydraulics. That may be all you need, but if you have to, keep it topped up until you can replace the slave cylinder. Between this item and injectors, i'd say par for the course with C4's, especially the ZR-1.

they all leak a little, but my 95 did leak less. carry a towel and examine the weather stripping around the windows and targa top.

Schrade

12-08-2013, 12:31 PM

Check out the Memory / Calibration module in the ECM.

Sounds like you need Marc's module piggyback, for the 1-4 shift code delete, and the high idle coast-down (GM Tech Service Bulletin on that)

Vetman

12-08-2013, 12:31 PM

Tire engineer told me Michelin tires have more sidewall flex than any tire company. I have michlin pilots on my z and they were a huge improvement over the new sumos that were on the car when I bought it a year and one half ago.

We Gone

12-08-2013, 12:38 PM

geezer

12-08-2013, 01:31 PM

Re: Water leak left side. Test the area on the front plenum ( bottom of windshield & below the lt. wiper shaft) from plenum screen to outboard corner of plenum panel. Reseal as reqiured with flexible, paintable sealer.
Most likely suspect area.

8cam

12-08-2013, 03:48 PM

I got 27+mpg on my trip to Chicago back in Aug. at 75-80mph you can get a new clutch slave here or have yours rebuilt, I have a spare that needs to be done but unfortunately its a 91 so of no help to ya. Unless they are interchangeable maybe someone who knows will post in. If so we can work something out so you wont have any down time.

http://www.powertorquesystems.com/Corvette/CorvetteSlave_89_90.htm

I'll find out just how good the mileage can get when I head down to Thomasville on Tuesday and pay SGC a visit. My guess is I'm not getting anywhere near what it's capable of, and Aaron is going to help me sort it out. Of course I'm actually from Thomasville and Mom still lives there, so it's a great excuse to head down.

Oh yeah one other daily driving thing - that 6th gear is like falling off a cliff! I drive on the highway almost every day heading to work, but around the city where you're always accelerating and decelerating, even at 70mph, it's pretty much useless and I leave it in 5th. On a longer trip 6th is ok and I'll see how good the mpg gets on the trip down. The cruise control works very well, but I'll never understand why GM standardized on that awkward multi-function control stalk. The euro-style single function cruise stalk is so much more intuitive. Of course the cruise in the 308 consists of the floor mat getting stuck under the accelerator pedal, so it could be worse. 1st world problems.

8cam

12-08-2013, 03:50 PM

8cam

12-08-2013, 08:25 PM

I used to daily drive my LT1 powered C4 and did enjoy the carefree nature of a car that wasn't going to lose a lot of value from the mileage, but my 91 ZR is a little too nice to leave outside and I have invested 50% of what I bought it for fixing it up...so there is some apprehension for driving it a lot.

The car does get driven a lot nevertheless, but I had decided some time back not to drive it to work in traffic as that was not a worthy use for the car as is the increased chance for a fender-bender.

As far as the suspension- yes, it is older chassis technology, but there are a few way to get decent improvements on performance there. I would suggest rebuilding the FX-3 shocks to be a little stiffer. You ought to be able to feel a difference on the adjustable settings. I have also found that the Doug Rippie trailing arm brackets change the rear geometry enough to limit the nose diving nature under braking. That with good tires and an alignment should pretty much get the car to what i would consider a better compromise for street driving and performance driving without having to pop for coil overs etc.

Believe me I understand not wanting to put the miles on a car. In my case, this ZR-1 has almost 45k miles now and while it's 100% original and in very nice shape, I'm not an NCRS kind of guy. I will maintain it thoroughly, and continue to drive it every day. I do believe these cars will go up in value, so I have no intention of selling it. If/when I get another daily driver, it will become a fun weekender alongside the 308 (another car I believe is primed to go up). In the meantime I'm discovering that dailying a Z has very few compromises - it's an excellent car for the mission.

Good suggestions on the suspension. Mine seems to be in pretty good shape, but I would prefer a little more compliance for city driving. But that's really minor. I wonder if the hobby-horse effect comes from the leaf spring setup? It does have me considering coilovers, but that would break the originality and like I said, I do believe these cars are going UP. So I really have no mod plans, other than maybe an exhaust upgrade.

Franke

12-08-2013, 09:39 PM

Believe me I understand not wanting to put the miles on a car. In my case, this ZR-1 has almost 45k miles now and while it's 100% original and in very nice shape, I'm not an NCRS kind of guy. I will maintain it thoroughly, and continue to drive it every day. I do believe these cars will go up in value, so I have no intention of selling it. If/when I get another daily driver, it will become a fun weekender alongside the 308 (another car I believe is primed to go up). In the meantime I'm discovering that dailying a Z has very few compromises - it's an excellent car for the mission.

Good suggestions on the suspension. Mine seems to be in pretty good shape, but I would prefer a little more compliance for city driving. But that's really minor. I wonder if the hobby-horse effect comes from the leaf spring setup? It does have me considering coilovers, but that would break the originality and like I said, I do believe these cars are going UP. So I really have no mod plans, other than maybe an exhaust upgrade.

I did the exhaust upgrade based on Marc Haibecks report on stock exhaust restriction in my 1990. When I removed the resonator I was really surprised to see the whittled down inside pipe at 1 5/8 inches. There had to be a lot of standing wave backpressure at that inlet. I went with Corsa 2 1/2 inch. I am happy with it and like the sound much better than stock.

alnukem

12-08-2013, 11:21 PM

Kevin

12-08-2013, 11:33 PM

8cam

12-09-2013, 09:57 AM

Early this year I had the injectors replaced in my Lingenfelter 90, I also had the top end reported & a new tune........Wow, what a difference. I have drive this thing everyday. I did put it away once they started using salt on the highways. Do yourself a favor.......get 4.10 gears installed & a set of coil overs, you will love it!

Sounds great, good to hear the difference it makes. Right now my plan is to keep it close to stock, maybe with a few sensitive mods. The frame stiffener is my current leading candidate, since it is getting such good reviews and I do notice the shake and vibration, especially over bumpy roads. If I pull the trans to replace the pilot and throwout bearings, I might do the rear end at the same time, but I think the coilovers will be too much of a change from stock.

WARP TEN

12-09-2013, 04:11 PM

Vetman

12-09-2013, 08:33 PM

For me, my stock 90 with the 345's, 70 MPH in 6th is great. It will pull any hill at 70 in 6th, however, I drop a gear just because I feel it is better for the engine. 28 MPG is not bad either.

8cam

12-11-2013, 10:54 AM

Daily driving update. Got about 17mpg on my drive into the city in the morning, which is a mix of neighborhoods and traffic. Then I left Atlanta in five o'clock traffic yesterday afternoon, stop 'n go for a while until I cleared the city, and then headed south. 250 miles later I arrived in Thomasville averaging 25.5mpg, not bad at all. Nearly as good as my former M3 and a bit better than the 308 gets on the same trip. It would have been over 26 but those south GA back roads are too tempting. :D

One thing for sure, I HAVE to upgrade the headlights. These old sealed beam blob lights are just pathetic, and downright dangerous in the rain. I've got new E-code H4s on the way, will be a huge improvement.

RHanselman

12-11-2013, 04:52 PM

In heavy traffic I actually wish 1st was a little shorter, but in normal driving and mountain running it's excellent.

4:10's make the around town driving much better/fun...

Coil-overs for a daily driver I do not recommend. I love them on the track but hate them around town...

fletchusmc

12-11-2013, 08:06 PM

I've had mine for just over 3 weeks now and drive it every chance I get! This car is just unbelievable. First gear still feels a little strange but second on up seems to be the really fun part! I'm starting to see why everyone pushes 4.10 gears. Very happy to live in an area that gets no snow and road salt, tired of the rain though.

8cam

01-21-2014, 09:42 AM

Taken me a while to make this post, a little depressing. Got an update, won't be DD the Z any time soon. There was a mishap and the right side head gasket is blown. Hopefully the damage is limited to the gasket because it was shut down quickly...big puddle under the car. It's now at my brother's shop in Tallahassee where we'll take our time and get the job done right. I didn't plan on digging this deep into a ZR-1 this soon, but there you go. The engine will come out, off with the heads, and new stuff going back in. Right now my thoughts are new head gaskets, intake gaskets, skim the heads, and check the valve train for anything questionable. It's possible I'll consider some mods since the engine is out, but more likely we'll put it back together stock and just enjoy it for a while. Any WYAIT suggestions?

edram454

01-21-2014, 10:15 AM

We Gone

01-21-2014, 10:51 AM

Mark,

Good luck with the repairs, You may want to think about porting the top end and refinishing it as long as its apart. Dynomite has some great write ups on it. If I can help in any way give me a call.

Dynomite

01-21-2014, 11:19 AM

Right now my thoughts are new head gaskets, intake gaskets, skim the heads, and check the valve train for anything questionable. It's possible I'll consider some mods since the engine is out, but more likely we'll put it back together stock and just enjoy it for a while. Any WYAIT suggestions?

Yes......be careful if you are plaining the Heads or doing a valve regrind. Keep an eye on the Operational Limits of the Lifters :cheers:

See LT5 New Rebuild Issues (Lifters and Camshafts) (http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c4-zr-1-discussion/2942622-tech-info-lt5-new-rebuild-zero-compression.html)

As you want to leave it stock I will not mention elimination of Secondaries ;)
But having restored a 90' including restoration of the Secondaries so I can have a functional Power Switch......

I would recommend elimination of TB Coolant (and associated top of Injector Housing Coolant Port to Plenum) :thumbsup:

See Item #4 LT5 Eliminated Systems (http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c4-zr-1-discussion/2942569-tech-info-lt5-eliminated-systems.html)

8cam

01-21-2014, 11:34 AM

wow, sorry to hear that. What happend that blew the head gasket? was it spirited driving? With 45k miles it seems a bit premature for this to happen. I was shocked to hear this since I was reading all your posts on this thread and all of a sudden lost a head gasket! this kind of stuff makes me worry a bit. this is why I dont redline my car too often. Let me know what you find at your brothers shop. good luck.

ed ramos #3028

I wasn't driving, so I can't say for certain how the car was being driven. All I know is it lost the head gasket and puked coolant everywhere. No water in the oil, so it apparently all came out the side and through the tail pipes.

edram454

01-21-2014, 12:43 PM

Mark that sounds quite mysterious. all of a sudden, a car pukes the head gasket? A car known for its durability and the hundreds of hours of peak power and peak torque durability tests and it just pukes out the head gaskets?? Well, finding out the real reason as to why your car blew the head gaskets isnt going to get it fixed but I would be very careful letting that last person who was driving it while the gaskets blew drive it again.

sorry to hear that Mark. your z will ride again.

Kevin

01-21-2014, 01:56 PM

8cam

01-21-2014, 02:25 PM

I would be very careful letting that last person who was driving it while the gaskets blew drive it again.

Yep.

it's very rare that a zr-1 will pop a head gasket...all the ones I can think of have been related to nitrous use or the wrong coolant. Was the coolant in your car green or orange?

Normal driving, up to and including a few pulls to redline wouldn't do this. somethings fishy here

Normal green coolant, just changed in October when I did the water pump and all the hoses. Previous was also green and about a year old. Before that, I can't say. I have not inspected the side of the engine myself, but the (reported) white smoke and the huge puddle of green AF on the floor was fairly telling. The only other time I've had a car lose a head gasket was running a highly boosted 944 turbo at Road Atlanta, and it ran too lean on the top end. Big white cloud, every drop got vaporized.

I'm just glad to have the car in my brother's shop now. He does restorations, not normal mechanic work, but he's going to help me out and I am very grateful. He's a Corvette nut who loves the ZR-1, and says he's actually looking forward to it. I'm planning on a trip back down in the next few weeks and give him a hand. If anyone is in the Tallahassee area and wants to stop by, go for it.

http://www.fastfineclassics.us/

We Gone

01-21-2014, 02:26 PM

I wasn't driving, so I can't say for certain how the car was being driven. All I know is it lost the head gasket and puked coolant everywhere. No water in the oil, so it apparently all came out the side and through the tail pipes.

Pardon, my ignorance here but how could you blow a head gasket and not get coolant in the oil? Could it possibly be an injector housing gasket?

8cam

01-21-2014, 02:50 PM

Hi Steve, just replied to your pm. I'm honestly not sure. Does the injector housing gasket actually block coolant, or is it a fuel/air gasket? I don't know enough about the LT5 design to say one way or another. I'll break out the WSM and take a look.

[edit] on the oil question, again I'm not familiar enough with the LT5 design. The only routes I know would be through the block oil passages, back into the head, or past the rings. The first two would be the result of a very big blowout in a very bad place. My only other experience with this type of failure had the same result - coolant gone, and nothing in the oil. It's going to take some post mortem to figure out what really happened.

cadillac531

01-21-2014, 03:03 PM

This is why I never let anyone drive my cars and why I don't drive anyone else's. I'm glad you have the car in capable hands for the repair and I hope you get it back quickly.

We Gone

01-21-2014, 03:32 PM

Ok, was just looking at the pics on Marc H's site of blown head gaskets, it would have to be a major blowout to have also blown thru the outside also.

http://www.zr1specialist.com/HAT%20Web/articles/evidence%20that%20dexcool%20harms%20the%20cylinder %20head%20gasket.htm

8cam

01-21-2014, 03:42 PM

Kevin

01-21-2014, 03:54 PM

could it be the rad? Maybe a hose? I've blown several rads while owning this car and it came out like a waterfall. could we get some details on how this happened?

Dynomite

01-21-2014, 04:41 PM

Hmmm, then I wonder why there was a big puddle of coolant on the floor...would the injector housing gasket do that? I'll know more soon. Steve (my brother) is going to a compression check in the next couple days, and then start looking a little deeper.

This is Jerry's Injector Housing Gasket (Injector Housing to Head).....Injector Housing Gasket From Jerry (http://jerrysgaskets.com/store2/root/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=0&products_id=10)

To the Left there is a large hole above a hole...the bottom hole is coolant from the Head to the Injector Housing Coolant Manifolds.......if that breaks...coolant all over the floor :D

On top of Injector Housing directly above that lower gasket there is a small port about 1/4 inch diameter that feeds coolant through the Plenum (small L) and on to the TB coolant connection....(which all those ports can be blocked) with no bad effects. That would then allow you to remove the Plenum without having to drain/refill with any coolant.

http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll142/dynomite007/Dynomite4/e1d8091e-922f-4cd6-a621-8df0c316ecc0.jpg

edram454

01-21-2014, 04:46 PM

it's very rare that a zr-1 will pop a head gasket...all the ones I can think of have been related to nitrous use or the wrong coolant. Was the coolant in your car green or orange?

Normal driving, up to and including a few pulls to redline wouldn't do this. somethings fishy here

yeah I thought about the coolant also. Lots of people do not know that the lt5 takes a specific coolant. almost everywhere the stores are selling tons of dexcool and yellow coolants. during the life of the car who knows what was in the radiator?? the mystery continues.

ed ramos #3028

mike100

01-21-2014, 05:28 PM

I'm hoping for the bad injector housing gasket coolant leak into the intake tract- that will be no big deal if it turns out to be the only thing wrong.

8cam

01-21-2014, 05:48 PM

This is Jerry's Injector Housing Gasket (Injector Housing to Head).....Injector Housing Gasket From Jerry (http://jerrysgaskets.com/store2/root/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=0&products_id=10)

To the Left there is a large hole above a hole...the bottom hole is coolant from the Head to the Injector Housing Coolant Manifolds.......if that breaks...coolant all over the floor :D

On top of Injector Housing directly above that lower gasket there is a small port about 1/4 inch diameter that feeds coolant through the Plenum (small L) and on to the TB coolant connection....(which all those ports can be blocked) with no bad effects. That would then allow you to remove the Plenum without having to drain/refill with any coolant.

http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll142/dynomite007/Dynomite4/e1d8091e-922f-4cd6-a621-8df0c316ecc0.jpg

Thank you for that! The more I think about it, the more I wonder how in the world coolant got all over the floor from a head gasket. This makes a lot of sense. Hopefully I'll have some more answers this week.

cadillac531

01-21-2014, 06:52 PM

yeah I thought about the coolant also. Lots of people do not know that the lt5 takes a specific coolant. almost everywhere the stores are selling tons of dexcool and yellow coolants. during the life of the car who knows what was in the radiator?? the mystery continues.

ed ramos #3028

Specific coolant? I've only ever used green coolant.

Kevin

01-21-2014, 06:57 PM

Specific coolant? I've only ever used green coolant.

that's what you should use

Rex Ruby

01-21-2014, 07:21 PM

that's what you should use

GM spec 1825. NAPA has it.

Dynomite

01-21-2014, 07:55 PM

Thank you for that! The more I think about it, the more I wonder how in the world coolant got all over the floor from a head gasket. This makes a lot of sense. Hopefully I'll have some more answers this week.

My guru suggested I ask you if your potential Head Gasket issue is pressurizing your coolant system in which case you might have excess coolant in the overflow under the passenger headlight. This would be one of the best indications of a blown Head Gasket. Another indication is oil in that Overflow Tank.

Also.....when you park it HOT the coolant system is pressurized and will seep coolant where ever your gasket has failed. Be it a coolant gasket or Head Gasket.

8cam

01-21-2014, 07:58 PM

Well the overflow is empty and I don't remember any signs of oil, but I can't check the car myself. I'll ask my brother about it - in fact he's probably checking in on this thread. I'm starting to get hopeful, the signs are pointing to that injector gasket instead of the head.

Dynomite

01-21-2014, 08:01 PM

8cam

03-08-2014, 07:07 PM

The daily driver is back! Only missed out on three months. I think he's ready to run.

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb49/mlitherland/ZR-1/IMG_0828_zps29b7f513.jpg

On the way back I stopped by We Gone's place and let me tell you Steve and his family are first rate people, super-nice folks and he lives in paradise. What a beautiful place to be. I got to see "Old Blue" and hear that Haibeck monster run...WOW. I feel my bank account twitching already. Did I mention Steve is a really nice guy? He surprised me with a wonderful gift, and I couldn't wait to put it on the car. Thanks Steve! It's great to be daily driving a ZR-1 again!

Next step, big time cleanup. Wow my car is a mess. :D

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb49/mlitherland/ZR-1/IMG_0836_zps11735e09.jpg

edram454

03-08-2014, 07:37 PM

Specific coolant? I've only ever used green coolant.

Specific Coolant?? Really?

Three types of coolants,
LAT - inorganic acid technology.. traditionally green in color. Used primarily during the 1920-1990.

OAT - Organic acid technology..Corrosion inhibiting coolant usually orange, pink or dark green in color. Used in the 1990's.

HOAT - Coolant AND diverse additives that prevent corrosion in aluminum... usually orange or yellow. used in the 2000's.

There is a lot of diversity in cooling agents and not to mention all the different brands. Never having a ZR-1 I was almost ready to change my coolant to dexcool until I read about the head gasket failures etc.. so yes, specific coolant for the zr1. LAT.

ed ramos.=D>

Hog

03-08-2014, 07:46 PM

Specific Coolant?? Really?

ed ramos.=D>

He's asking a question. Really.

fletchusmc

03-08-2014, 09:56 PM

Congratulations on getting your beast back on the road!

randy ransome

03-08-2014, 10:27 PM

We Gone

03-08-2014, 11:50 PM

Mark,

Was great to see ya today, glad the beast is running good. The tag looks great on your ZR-1. as always let me know if I can help.

8cam

03-09-2014, 08:31 AM

Thanks Steve, really enjoyed stopping by there. Made a great rest stop.

That first pic is at my mother's place, where I picked up the car. The trip home was very smooth, the car ran perfectly averaged just over 25mpg for the 240 mile drive. Pretty good considering about a third of that was south GA back roads.

randy ransome

03-09-2014, 11:39 AM

If you don't mind sharing.

Where can I get a front ZR-1 tag like that?

ScottZ95ZR1

03-09-2014, 12:25 PM

If you don't mind sharing.

Where can I get a front ZR-1 tag like that?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/84-96-Corvette-C4-ZR1-License-Plate-Cover-ZR-1-Custom-/291094737386?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item43c69931ea&vxp=mtr

8cam

03-09-2014, 04:38 PM

We Gone

03-09-2014, 05:34 PM

Mark, get some "Mothers Back to Black" molding treatment and a tooth bush and your Rub strip will look new again at least for a few months, take care not to get it on your paint it may streak.

8cam

03-09-2014, 05:38 PM

LOL I took those pics before I used the Mothers, but yes I'm a big fan of the stuff. Not to worry it looks even better now.

cadillac531

03-11-2014, 01:14 PM

Congrats on getting back on the road. Very nice feeling, huh? :)

8cam

03-11-2014, 06:08 PM

Yes it is!

edram454

03-11-2014, 11:46 PM

Thanks Scott, I hadn't seen one in a long time and I wasn't sure where to get one. I like it a lot. This one is painted black, with a heavy metalflake in the letters, really looks great in the sun.

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb49/mlitherland/ZR-1/IMG_0846_zpscbc5440c.jpg

That looks much better.

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb49/mlitherland/ZR-1/IMG_0837_zpsbb603775.jpg

Your plate looks great. I bought one from that guy on ebay. He sends them really rough. they need to get worked over with filler and sanding before they can be put on any zr1. I did mine and it came out great. After the plate, labor and paint, it wasnt too cheap but it looks first class. He gave you a real nice gift.

ed ramos #3028

lakemeadzmonster

03-16-2014, 07:06 PM

I have been doing a yearly 2000 mile road trip around 27 mpg loaded with toys and I turned mine into a daily driver last year, now that we have solar shade parking structures at work, sun was my biggest worry prior to that drove it more during winter, but it did come to life after making it a daily driver. I'm still below 60,000 miles. Insurance, license all reasonable.

8cam

04-21-2014, 09:05 AM

I figured it was time for a daily driver update. The biggest headache was getting the car through Atlanta emissions, which I finally accomplished. After sitting for 15 years, a bunch of little things just weren't quite right and took a lot of time to sort, some by the PO and some by me - injectors, plugs, coil packs, vacuum leaks, O2 sensors, cleaning the TB, adjusting the TPS and resetting idle, and probably a bunch of other things. It all boiled down to a PASS, finally. And that's the last time I'll have to do it, since next year it will be 25 years old and exempt.

The O2 sensors are the most recent replacement, and besides helping emissions, made a big difference in fuel economy. This morning on my normal morning commute (5 miles back roads, 17 miles freeway) I averaged almost 22mpg. That's a 5mpg improvement over what I had been seeing, which is really welcome.

Then there's the clutch. I had to drive to the airport last week, and only got about 2 miles from my house when the clutch went to the floor. At 5am this isn't something you want to happen. I made it back home with a combination of creeping up to stoplights praying for green, and then simple brutality when I was forced to stop. Not a good morning. But this weekend with the help of my wife on the pedal, I cleaned out 25 years of black sludge from the reservoir and lines, ran a whole bottle of DOT4 through it, and now it's higher and tighter than it has ever been. I'm keeping an eye on it because I suspect I might still have an internal leak, which will mean rebuilding the slave.

In the meantime, it sure is running and driving beautifully. Yesterday was gorgeous and we took the top off and went for a drive, meeting some friends for dinner. I think my wife might finally be warming up to the Z. :D

Roadster

04-21-2014, 09:45 AM

Mark, great write-up....but excuse me for asking (still early in the AM) what was the actual cause of the problem? Was it the injector gaskets after all?
Glad you are up and running again.....
Just purchased my 94 Z on April 5th, really enjoying it alot.....although not my daily driver, I have the 82 for that duty, I would not hesitate to use it if I needed to.......

Tom

8cam

04-21-2014, 10:12 AM

Hi Tom. I can't say what the actual cause of the emissions issue was since we fixed so many different things. Everything made an incremental improvement, and I must have run it through the emissions test 7 or 8 times before I got a pass. The biggest items were injectors, vacuum leaks and the O2 sensors, but everything else made a difference too including running a can of seafoam through it, injector cleaner, detergent fuel, hot testing, you name it. Definitely an ordeal I don't wish to repeat. It's all really the result of letting a car sit for a long time. This car just sat in a warehouse from 1998 to 2013, not really stored properly for long term, and never started in that time. So you get lots of little issues that pile up.

Of course you also get relatively low mileage and a perfect interior, so it's a good trade as far as I'm concerned!

Roadster

04-21-2014, 10:38 AM

Mark, thanks for the reply......excuse me for asking, but besides of the improvements that you made to get it to pass, what was the actual cause of the coolant to leak? Was it one specific item or a number of things that lead up to that? I may have missed that in an earlier post when it at your brother's shop.
My 94 has almost 59k on the engine, so it has been driven, and from what Graham (another member) noticed is that mine may have been in the "captured test fleet" back in the day.....sounds interesting.
I really enjoy driving the Z, as you have indicated, it is a fun vehicle to drive....

We Gone

04-21-2014, 11:02 AM

Mark.

Great the hear your enjoying your ZR-1. The clutch slave is most likely the issue with the clutch. I have replaced 2 on the 91. They can be rebuilt Can't remember who does it. I have an old one that needs re done if you need a core so you won't have down time, just give me your old one to put back in stock for future needs after you replace it.

http://www.powertorquesystems.com/

8cam

04-21-2014, 12:01 PM

what was the actual cause of the coolant to leak?

Oh that problem. Luckily the coolant wasn't an issue after all, which made me very happy.

Mark.

Great the hear your enjoying your ZR-1. The clutch slave is most likely the issue with the clutch. I have replaced 2 on the 91. They can be rebuilt Can't remember who does it. I have an old one that needs re done if you need a core so you won't have down time, just give me your old one to put back in stock for future needs after you replace it.

http://www.powertorquesystems.com/

Thanks Steve, I've already bookmarked that site for if/when I pull the slave. Really appreciate the offer and I just might take you up on it. I'll be driving the car for a little while, monitoring the clutch to see if everything is ok or a rebuild is needed.

Mark

8cam

04-22-2014, 09:03 AM

Now that the big stuff seems to be sorted, I can start taking care of the little things. Steve's cleanup thread has me feeling guilty, so I'll start tackling the engine bay first and see if I can restore some of the shine. There are three rattles in the interior that are driving me nuts. First, the plastic trim around the base of the hatch is missing a couple screws, and vibrates like hell - easy fix. Then the interior mirror has something loose, took me a while to realize where that one was coming from. Finally the clear plastic instrument panel buzzes at certain rpms. Fixing all three will really improve things.

I also have a new vacuum pump coming from a fellow forum member (mine is DOA) which should help smooth out the secondary engagement. And now that emissions are done I plan on ordering a chip upgrade from Marc. I also need to get his pin fix for the steering column, since mine has that down-n-left play from someone pulling on the wheel.

It's the little things.

mike100

04-22-2014, 11:02 AM

... I also need to get his pin fix for the steering column, since mine has that down-n-left play from someone pulling on the wheel.

It's the little things.

Oh, I hated that. You will like the car so much more after you fix that and maybe a couple of the louder rattles. btw, I jammed a small piece of neopreme foam under my radio bezel as that was loose on my car. amazing how much noise a little plastic plate can make.

We Gone

04-22-2014, 11:36 AM

Mark,

I have a spare prom you can send to Marc and avert down time. I had re placed one years ago on the 91 so it keeps getting rotated to others for Marc's upgrade. As I don't think you can find them anymore you would have to go to a piggy back set up if you don't send him a GM prom. This one is out of the 93. All I ask is you trade me your old one so I will have it for the next.

8cam

04-22-2014, 10:33 PM

Ok Steve, I'll take you up on that and the slave. :) I'll give you a call in the morning.

I made a run out tonight to pick up some beer, wine and pizza. Parked outside the beer store and a guy says "Hey is that a ZR-1?" He knew all about it, very detailed, talked about driving one back in the day hitting 130 without even breathing hard. Yep that's it. Not many people have spotted this car for exactly what it is, and that was pretty cool.

We Gone

04-23-2014, 02:22 PM

Just let me know Mark.

8cam

05-02-2014, 11:29 PM

A couple days of driving confirmed that the slave was bad and deteriorating rapidly. What lasted a week, barely lasted a day, so I ordered a rebuilt slave from Jim @ Power Torque Systems. Super nice guy, very helpful with some great suggestions. I installed the new slave this afternoon, took about 2 hours which probably could be reduced to an hour after figuring things out like...unsnapping the hard line from the clip just forward of the bell housing gives just enough slack to rotate the slave down. And that gives just enough room to get a flare wrench on the line connection, which will finally get the old slave out of there. Putting the new slave in is a different sort of wrestling match, and I simply couldn't do it with the hard line connected. That meant reconnecting and tightening that line was a real b*tch.

Then there was the bleeding process. I didn't have a syringe to prime the slave, so I just hooked it up empty and started, with my lovely wife on the pedal. About 500 pumps later and still getting bubbles and not much resistance, so back under the car to crack the new bleeder valve - damn that thing is a real bitch to get to. Three cycles of this and we finally started getting fluid out the bleeder, so the slave was filling. Soon enough the pedal came up and felt strong, but definitely a learning process.

The test drive was great, clutch very strong and solid, much better than it's ever felt since I've been driving it. Job done. Just in time too, since I have shuttle duty tomorrow between my son taking the SAT, and my daughter going to the prom. Oh yeah tomorrow will be interesting.

8cam

05-03-2014, 05:57 PM

Getting ready for Caffeine and Octane tomorrow morning!

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb49/mlitherland/ZR-1/IMG_0933_zpsd1504d1a.jpg

8cam

05-05-2014, 09:37 AM

A couple days and about 100 miles later, and the clutch feels even better. It continued to self-bleed a bit, and feels fantastic now. I also disconnected that damn CAGS while I was under there and what a HUGE difference. So much easier to drive in heavy traffic now, shuffling between 1st and 2nd easily.

I took care of a couple of the interior rattles too and it's much more pleasant now, without all that buzzing going on. Biggest things on the plate coming up will be sending the TB to Marc for a real rebuild, and installing one of his software updates. I'll also be starting a real We Gone-style cleanup soon.

Later this summer will be a full paint touchup, correction and clean at my brother's place, and maybe by the fall we'll start looking at fun stuff like exhaust. But meanwhile I'm still driving it every day, and it's getting better and better. Just rolled 46k.

8cam

05-13-2014, 08:51 AM

The Z continues to roll along without a problem, nearly 47k now. The more I drive it the more I love these seats. They might not be everyone's favorite, but they just might be the most comfortable seats I've ever had in a car, and that's a lot of cars. If you've ever sat in an early Porsche 928, you know those seats are the absolute best...and these Corvette seats are right there, just perfect for me.

Mileage has improved slightly overall. I can get 25-26mpg on a long trip, but real world daily mileage is running right around 17.5mpg, including the daily commute, errands to Walmart and Advance, picking up the kids and evenings out. Not bad for a relatively heavy car with a big-*** V8. There are times when I see single digits though....

I need to do something with the HVAC controls. They have a mind of their own, working perfectly one day and then not at all the next. Years of non-use I guess. I'll have to pull the panel and start cleaning contacts.

8cam

05-13-2014, 09:01 AM

It's a damn good thing the rear vision is so good in these cars. Between the big glass hatch and good mirrors, I can see traffic around me much better than the 308 and better even than my wife's MB. I drive in heavy Atlanta traffic every day and in the downtown rush hour scrum, good vision and reflexes are critical. Yesterday I was on my way home, doing about 70mph in the far left lane and about to move to the right to let by BIGSUVSOB riding my ***. A quick glance right and I started to move, then saw a flicker of motion through the back hatch and I jumped back left.

An organ donor on a crotch rocket blew past me on the right, moving in 3 lanes at a shot, damn near launched over my front corner. I was doing 70 and he had to be over 100mph. If I hadn't caught that motion in my peripheral vision and flicked the car back left, there would have been biker all over the road. The stupid was strong in that one.

Speed is for the track folks.

8cam

06-16-2014, 08:25 AM

Been nothing to post because, knock on wood, the car has just been perfect. Averaging about 18mpg overall, a couple stays at the airport while I've been traveling, a/c is working well here in Hotlanta, just driving.

This morning I was topping up the tank and decided to check my oil. Imagine my surprise when the dipstick handle snapped off! Looks like the plastic just got brittle with age. I salvaged the pieces and might try to epoxy it back together, but I don't suppose this is an available part?

Also gave the guy next to me a jump start when his Honda Accord's battery died. Something funny about a 24 year old Chevy coming to the rescue of a nearly-new Honda.

We Gone

06-16-2014, 10:21 AM

http://www.zr1.net/forum/showthread.php?t=22827&highlight=dipstick

http://www.zr1.net/forum/showthread.php?t=20725&highlight=dipstick

8cam

06-16-2014, 03:15 PM

Thanks Steve, looks like this is a fairly common issue. The aftermarket handle looks nice, but I'm hoping to find an OEM style if possible. Given the way they are made, I'm probably looking for a whole new dipstick. But I'll replace it with that aftermarket if I have to.

8cam

06-22-2014, 06:24 PM

I'm becoming known as Mr. Water Pump after doing this particular job on all my cars. No idea why, but for some reason I seem to buy cars that either need a water pump immediately, or that kill their water pump over time. I replaced two in my 928s, which is not an easy job. I replaced the pump in the ZR-1 right away, because it was bad when I bought the car...one of the reasons I got a good deal on it. The ZR-1 pump is a certified BITCH, one of the hardest jobs I've ever done on a car including replacing motor mounts on a 928. In retrospect, I should have just disassembled the front of the car, would have been easier.

100% contrast, I just completed this job on my 308. EASIEST water pump replacement in the history of everything. Jack car, remove right rear wheel, remove wheel well liner, remove belts, remove water pump, replace. Here's a little perspective for you. This is the view after removing the wheel liner.

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb49/mlitherland/308/IMG_1100_zps59efc170.jpg

8cam

06-30-2014, 09:43 PM

Tough day for a 25 year old car today but the Z came through a lot better than the driver. Driving home in heavy traffic and there was a really bad accident up ahead, in just about the widest section of highway in Atlanta, and all lanes were blocked. Crawling along for 30 minutes, clutch in and out, never more than 5mph, finally to full stop where I sat there idling in 90+ heat for 45 more minutes. I figured it was better to keep coolant circulating and fans on, than to shut the engine down and risk heat soak.

The Z had zero problems, fans cycling perfectly, temp stayed right where it should, clutch still strong, everything exactly like it was designed to do. The driver's left knee suffered a lot more...still hurts. I feel old.

But I shouldn't complain. The accident was horrific and they had to life-flight at least one person out. Best wishes to them, really hopeful they are ok.

We Gone

06-30-2014, 10:19 PM

Sounds like your still enjoying the 90, We need to get together again.

Steve

8cam

07-01-2014, 08:23 AM

Yes we do. I haven't had time to do much more than work and go to the airport the last few weeks, but I'm planning a trip south soon. I'll have to stop by and check out the '93.

8cam

07-29-2014, 06:01 PM

I put more than 600 miles on the car this past weekend, and this was the first real road trip where my wife has joined me. I think she's slowly warming up to the car, since we had a great trip, very comfortable, the Z cruised along just beautifully. Fixing all the climate control buttons definitely helped, we stayed nice and cool the whole weekend.

Headed to the airport this evening for the third time in 3 weeks. I think the Z is becoming an airport resident.

48k and counting

Kevin

07-29-2014, 06:15 PM

i'm actually jealous

edram454

07-30-2014, 12:19 AM

damn 4 cam you are a stud. congrats on driving you z like a regular car. I baby mine like crazy and I am probably wrong doing that but I respect you for treating yours like it should be treated. I bought mine in november of last year with 45.213k miles. It now has 45.510k miles. not to many miles at all. I do go for drives every 2 weeks to open the secondaries on some vacant long wide streets near my house then back in my garage.

It does stay beautiful and my gentle but short flogging keeps me going to the next time.

ed ramos #3028

Racinfan83

07-30-2014, 06:04 AM

Yeah - I wish I drove mine more. Weather this week here is perfect - but I spent 9 hours Sun-Mon getting her ready for a show this Saturday and I'm not taking it out until then. It pains me so much to get it clean that I won't drive it so I can keep it clean. Wish there were an easier solution...

edram454

07-30-2014, 11:49 PM

yeah,, buy a duplicate...but..... you will start to care over the duplicate and before you know it, you will have two beautiful clean cars waiting for upcoming show events. Ha. Tell me how I know!

ed ramos #3028

8cam

07-31-2014, 01:26 AM

I love a dirty car! Just a great excuse to bond and clean it up again. My car lives outside (I know, the horror) but with a 2-car garage my wife gets one bay and the 308 gets the other. Sorry Z, you're roughing it. But you know, it's built well, cleans up well, and runs like a bat outta hell. Why not drive it every single day? Life is too short to drive a boring car.

I bought this car in October last year and other than a couple months where some work happened, it's been my every day driver, airport car, kid shuttle, grocery getter, Home Depot supply runner, you name it, and it just gets better the more I drive it. Most of the problems people have come from cars that aren't driven enough. This car is an American beast. It doesn't want to be babied, it wants to be worked hard!

I do have a few things that need attention, and they will get done. But the basics are solid, and it responds to regular use just like it should. Comfortable, fast, good a/c, reliable, and did I mention fast? :D

Racinfan83

07-31-2014, 06:00 AM

We Gone

07-31-2014, 09:53 AM

I agree who are you saving it for. I'm sure I will never live long enough to see big $ out of them plus how many people get to drive a real super car?

If I had a job I would drive one of mine every day, I have still been able to log about 1k miles on the Blue in the last 7 months and about 3k miles on the Yellow in the last 5 months.

:fahne:

Racinfan83

07-31-2014, 12:37 PM

I'm not "saving" it for anybody - I do several shows and I'm "in em to win em"..
While I love driving the car - it hurts me so bad to clean it that takes priority over driving it. :(

8cam

07-31-2014, 05:26 PM

That is cool that it works for you. When I said mine was a "pain" to clean - I meant that literally. I work as a baggage handler, and I have a combo pack of arthritis and carpal tunnel in my hands. Ever seen Deadliest Catch where they talk about "claw hands" - that's pretty much what I have year-round. Sometimes my right hand literally "squeaks" when I open it or try to close it (which I can't make a fist). So cleaning/waxing/etc just kills me. My hands and lower arms were both numb and in pain for over 36 hours after the two coats on the car this weekend - and that was using my Porter Cable DA to apply the glaze and wax - wiped off by hand. So I have to be really careful to NOT get it messed up - the pain of rewaxing is too much.... Sorry for the "whinefest" - just it is what it is....:o:(

Believe me I get it. While I don't have it as bad as you, 20 years working on computers damn near crippled my right hand and wrist. Using a normal mouse results in searing pain in less than an hour, and without that I can't support my family. I tried different mouse designs, track balls, thumb balls, support pads, even went left-handed for six months trying to let it rest. Nothing worked. Then I found a fricken miracle, Apple's Magic Trackpad. From the moment I switched to it, virtually zero hand/wrist pain, and I can work on my computer 12+ hours a day. Really a lifesaver, allows me to provide for my family.

Waxing still hurts, so I use my left hand there. Usually every weekend, but recent travels and deadlines mean the Z is caked in crap right now. Hopefully I'll be able to give it a proper cleanup this weekend.

8cam

08-10-2014, 08:07 AM

Having a little fun with the Z yesterday, my daughter and I co-drove it in an autocross. It took us both a couple runs to get comfortable with the power and grip, but we both got a lot faster by our last run. I was working out on the course during her run group so I had a front row seat and she really pushed it, got it drifting through the high speed section. I loved it, tough to pay attention to my job while trying to watch her. It was an awesome day. I can also say the Z has now been spun twice...and it wasn't me! :D

The course was really bumpy and that high speed section was in the worst part. I've been autocrossing a long time, but the vette definitely feels different from the other cars I've run - huge grip, but the chassis shakes and rattles more than I expected, a little disconcerting at first. But I learned to ignore it and dropped a ton of time. My best time was 72.8 seconds and my daughter's was 79.2 which I thought was pretty respectable considering the modified cars were running mid-60's. I haven't seen the results yet, but I'm pretty sure I wasn't last in class.

Not bad for a totally stock, 25 year old car running on street tires. The Nittos were pretty good, lots of grip for a street tire, and controllable under power. When my daughter spun, it was lift-throttle oversteer that got her, not the power. Just too hot into the corner.

This is the only pic I got, since we were both too busy during the runs to get any action shots. Gotta love the class.
http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb49/mlitherland/ZR-1/IMG_1256_zps8c9b8509.jpg

edram454

08-11-2014, 09:54 AM

damn 4-cam you are the zr1 stud. Not only driving your car daily but autocrossing it with you daughter driving it too!! As far as the looseness, it is known that c4's are loose. this car was not initially intended to have a targa top as it was part of the structural rigidity of the car. They decided to make the targa and it loosened the car quite a bit. that is why they respond to body stiffeners, roll bars and camber stiffening rods real well. The targa top is not much of a stiffener for the car since it is just clamped in place.

Even with all the body flex it has it still handles very good. Congratulations in continuing to drive and race your car as intended.

ed ramos #3028

Roadster

08-11-2014, 11:06 AM

Hello Mark, I have to say that you are really enjoying your Z, great that you are using it as a "dd". Although I only use mine on the weekends, as my 82 is my "dd", which is used to go just about anywhere.....I have put 52,000 miles on the 82 since March '12, and now approaching 120,000 miles. If I didn't have it the ZR-1 would be my "dd", as they are both fun cars to drive.....:-D
I tend to think that you are enjoying your ZR-1 more than the 308 that is in the garage.......

OregonDude37

08-11-2014, 12:24 PM

Enjoy driving our 1990 ZR1 - we try to get it out 2 or 3 days a week weather permitting. Not a true daily driver, but it is not a garage queen either!

8cam

08-11-2014, 04:27 PM

Even with all the body flex it has it still handles very good. Congratulations in continuing to drive and race your car as intended.

ed ramos #3028

Thanks! Once I ignored all the jumping around and realized it was putting the power down well, I could really start attacking the corners, especially that high speed section. As I get more familiar with the handling I'm certain I can knock another couple seconds off that time. I would really like to install that frame stiffener kit, but I'm pretty sure it would push us out of the street classes. She wants to run the whole series next year, so we'll stay as stock as possible.

I tend to think that you are enjoying your ZR-1 more than the 308 that is in the garage.......

You may be right. I don't drive the 308 nearly enough, just getting it out on the weekends when I have the time, while I'm in the vette damn near every day. Totally different sort of fun though, kind of like Grappa vs. Gentleman Jack - both pack the same wallop, but radically different flavors.

Enjoy driving our 1990 ZR1 - we try to get it out 2 or 3 days a week weather permitting. Not a true daily driver, but it is not a garage queen either!

Go autocrossing with it! Really a great car for it, loads of fun.

8cam

08-16-2014, 03:58 PM

The Z got a little TLC today. Visited the local suspension doc for a real alignment, which I'm fairly certain is the first real alignment the car has had in 15 years or more. I knew it was off because the steering was a little nervous, and it just seemed jumpy - turn in was quick and unstable, and in the autocross last week it was actually a little difficult to place and it pushed like hell. Turns out it was waaaaaay out, not even on the factory "conservative" settings. Positive camber on both fronts (at least they matched), negative on rears (way didn't match), inconsistent toe settings all around, and way too much caster. No wonder.

Since I drive it on the street so much, we went for a compromise between the safe standard spec, and the aggressive "off road" spec, but leaning aggressive. Right away, I can tell the steering is much more stable, and just hitting a few curves the car feels more confident. Another autocross next week should really show the difference.

Front
Camber: -1.5/-1.5
Caster: 5.9/6.1
Toe: 0.05/0.05

Rear
Camber: -1.0/-1.0
Toe: 0.10/0.10

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb49/mlitherland/ZR-1/IMG_1268_zps1acbb55c.jpg

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb49/mlitherland/ZR-1/IMG_1269_zps59bd6e77.jpg

8cam

08-16-2014, 05:37 PM

After the alignment was fixed, I still had to run a bunch of errands, finally glad to be home. The Z stayed nice and cool, and the a/c kept me cool to, on a hot day in Atlanta.

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb49/mlitherland/ZR-1/IMG_1272_zpsa78539bb.jpg

edram454

08-17-2014, 08:49 AM

car looks nice for a daily driven zr1. again, I salute you!

ed ramos #3028

8cam

08-17-2014, 09:11 PM

I hope it looks nice, period. :D I do try to keep all my cars looking good, but don't mind if they get a little dirty either. You can believe all mechanicals will be top-notch, and cosmetics will also be excellent. There's a full paint correction coming in the near future, along with some other maintenance items. Just have to find the time.

Kevin

08-17-2014, 09:38 PM

every time I see the 308 in your sig I start drooling. My friend 328 is my favorite Ferrari I've ever driven.

8cam

08-24-2014, 09:38 PM

Autocross again this morning, and the first one after getting that alignment done. HUGE difference, the car just turns and hooks up so much better. So well in fact, that I actually know the limits of the tires now, and it drifts pretty well, decently forgiving once you're over the limit. It's also clear how limited the Nittos are in this sort of thing, and better tires will be on the shopping list.

I was running against a couple S2000s running on stickier rubber, and managed to get within a half-second of them. On my last run I was sure I found that half-second, but spun it right before the finish line...dammit.

This course was different from the last one, smaller facility and tighter. I ran the whole thing in 1st gear, hitting 7200 about five times through the run. I had a passenger on one of the runs, and he couldn't get over how the engine just pulled to the moon and sounded fantastic. I will say running the entire course in 1st makes the car a lot more lively - power is *right*there* all the time and it's super easy to break it loose at 6500+.

It's also cool how much a conversation starter this car is. I put the hood up for tech inspection and drew a crowd. Then in grid I put the hood up again, letting it cool down a bit, and more talking. I swear I get more people coming up to me and wanting to talk about it, than I do with the Ferrari!

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb49/mlitherland/ZR-1/photo_zpsf208bc83.jpg

edram454

08-25-2014, 12:04 AM

your car looks good. It must be fast... its black!

Roadster

08-25-2014, 03:04 PM

To say you are having fun is an understatement at that.....it must be wild running the course in 1st gear, I can only imagine.......

8cam

08-25-2014, 05:01 PM

To say you are having fun is an understatement at that.....it must be wild running the course in 1st gear, I can only imagine.......

That's an understatement. With the engine deep in the powerband, the short gearing in 1st, and the less-than-optimal grip of the Nittos, I was riding a fine line the whole time. It was lots of fun, and would light up the rears and drift almost instantly. Forgiving though, and pretty easy to catch. By the third run I was getting confident on the corners - hard throttle to initiate a drift, off-throttle to pivot and turn, catch with countersteer and back on the gas. I managed to ride that knife edge really well, up to the end of that last run. Literally the LAST CONE before the finish, and I let that off-throttle go just a hair too far running somewhere north of 6000rpm...and around I went. Next time!

FWIW 7000rpm in 1st is about 40mph. You can have a TON of fun at 40mph, just sayin'. :D

8cam

08-25-2014, 05:14 PM

BTW those two Mustangs behind me were FAST, seriously cool machines. A Shelby GT500 and a Boss 302 Laguna Seca. With better tires I could take the Shelby - he got me by 0.8-ish, running new Pilot Sports...more practice and I might get him anyway. But the Boss was on another planet. Two-and-a-half seconds faster...the combo of track setup and very sticky tires was way too much. And what a sound, just incredible bouncing off the walls. I have got to wake up my exhaust, just way too quiet.

[edit] Ok they just posted the results and the Shelby's last run was quicker than that, about 1.2 seconds faster than I was. I still think I can catch him with more practice and better tires!

haber rj

08-25-2014, 07:30 PM

Mark great write up sounds like you are having a great time :handshak:

edram454

08-25-2014, 11:30 PM

Glad you are doing do well Mark. Hope you can kick that leguna seca stangs butt too. Loud exhaust is a must. It is the new thing now is having a healthy sounding car is almost as important as the actual performance. long tube headers, no cats, no resonators and tiny mufflers. Maybe a corsa cat-back or x pipe back system. I am removing my resonators next week and just running long tubes through an xpipe into 2 chamber flowmaster mufflers and I hope its really loud and really droney.

Keep up the good work and representing the zr1 so well.

ed ramos #3028

8cam

08-26-2014, 08:18 AM

The sound that Boss made was absolutely incredible. They have a pretty trick setup, and I'm sure this guy had removed the restrictors. I've always preferred a screaming, multi-tonal exhaust to a deep flat sound, and that's what I want from my car. To do that you need all 8 pulses working together, which means an x-pipe at a minimum, but a full crossover is really the best. I also want to clean up the back end because the stock tailpipes are just plain ugly...what were they thinking anyway? The Corsa tips look the best, but I would love to hear some sound clips of various configurations. Time to start doing research.

BigIke

10-31-2014, 02:16 PM

I toss my Raegan (7yr old) in the hatch all the time!

8cam

11-09-2014, 11:01 AM

Haven't updated this thread in a little while, because the car had been driving very well. Then I had an issue (detailed in the tech section) where it was running really rough. This ended up being bad coils and led to my first plenum pull. Four new coils, new wires and new plugs, and the car just screamed again, better than it has ever run in my ownership. Just awesome. And I was back to driving my Z and just about to roll 50k.

Until....I started hearing a giant hissing from under the throttle body, idle was parked at 2k+ and fuel mileage hit a new low. Crap. My first thoughts were, what in the world did I miss in pulling the plenum? What did I forget to reconnect? It was acting like the IAC failed and somehow sprung a leak. A quick pull and check, and the IAC was just fine so the problem was elsewhere. I've had the sticky throttle body problem for a while and knew that needed to be done, so off it came. And the problem was immediately obvious.

Apparently my plenum pull (where I left the intake horn and throttle body connected), put some stress on the *very* original throttle body gasket, enough that it was now BADLY blown. There's the hissing noise, skyrocketing idle, and bad mileage, all rolled into one. I KNEW I should have replaced those gaskets when I did the plenum, almost ordered them from Jerry when I bought the other stuff. Oh well, good excuse to do things right.

The throttle body needs going through anyway to fix the sticky problem, so it's headed to Marc to get rebuilt and I think I'll get his upgraded chip at the same time. New intake horn and tb gaskets coming from Jerry. The 308 is getting DD duty for a little while, things could be worse. :D

8cam

11-21-2014, 07:52 AM

Marc turned my throttle body around quickly and it's back on the car, along with a new set of gaskets from Jerry. My idle problems are gone and the transition to the secondaries is smooth and strong, just like it should be. It's a new car! Everyone should check those gaskets. Mine were original and shot, which allowed unmetered air into the intake. Replacing them went a long way to restoring the factory smoothness and consistency. If you have issues with idle or seem to have a vacuum leak you can't track down, check those gaskets! They are inexpensive, and will make that last difference...at least they did for me.

Back to piling on the miles.

Billy Mild

11-21-2014, 09:12 PM

XfireZ51

11-21-2014, 09:42 PM

Billy Mild

11-21-2014, 10:21 PM

Did u disconnect the throttle cable?

Yep.

XfireZ51

11-21-2014, 11:31 PM

Yep.

Well if u did, then the Min Air and TPS need to be re-calibrated.

8cam

11-22-2014, 10:05 AM

I pulled my plenum and before I pulled it, the car idled solid. After I put everything together it seems to have an idle that wonders occasionally. I also have a sticky throttle.

How long did it take for the rebuild?

Well if u did, then the Min Air and TPS need to be re-calibrated.

What he said, definitely need to recalibrate, and the procedure is in the shop manual. I pulled my TB on Saturday, sent it to Marc on Monday, he had it Wednesday, shipped it back the following Monday, I had it Wednesday and then installed on Thursday. So a week and a half, beginning to end, and I'm very happy with the result.

Billy Mild

11-22-2014, 10:57 PM

Well if u did, then the Min Air and TPS need to be re-calibrated.

What is the process called in the FSM? I have a digital copy and couldn't find anything related.

XfireZ51

11-23-2014, 09:38 AM

I don't think there is an outline of setting Min Air in the FSM. The Throttle body was not made to adjust easily.

XfireZ51

11-23-2014, 09:43 AM

I posted this on another thread re: setting the IAC counts which involves setting the Min Air throttle opening.

http://zr1.net/forum/showpost.php?p=209776&postcount=18

8cam

12-03-2014, 03:00 PM

Crap, I have totally ruined the future value of my car. Now it will never be a valuable collectible. Too bad, on to the next 50k!

(yes it's idling too high, should have replaced everything when the plenum was off)

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb49/mlitherland/ZR-1/IMG_1624_zps00ae71fb.jpg

edram454

12-04-2014, 09:08 AM

rock on!!!

ed ramos

8cam

12-20-2014, 05:55 PM

Road Trip!

I'm headed out to pick up my Mom and bring her back to spend the holidays with us. The Z is gassed up and ready to hit the road.

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb49/mlitherland/ZR-1/IMG_1632_zps7e646882.jpg

8cam

12-20-2014, 06:23 PM

Not bad at all, easy drive down. Start-to-finish with a 75mph cruise, one stop and a couple small towns, and still just under 26mpg. We'll head a little further south and meet my brother for breakfast in the morning, then back to Atlanta. Probably about 520 miles in two days.

These cars are such great road trippers, so comfortable and easy to cruise along in. If you let yours sit in a garage, get it out and go somewhere. I highly recommend it!

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb49/mlitherland/ZR-1/IMG_1633_zpsfcf73939.jpg

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb49/mlitherland/ZR-1/IMG_1634_zps22dc1c78.jpg

Roadster

12-20-2014, 11:03 PM

looking good.....enjoy the Holidays!!!! Hope Santa brings you a ZR-1 present, I know I'm getting one......:dancing

8cam

12-22-2014, 02:51 PM

looking good.....enjoy the Holidays!!!! Hope Santa brings you a ZR-1 present, I know I'm getting one......:dancing

My ZR-1 present is my wife saying it has "redeemed itself" after a few teething problems resulting from 13 years of storage. She wanted me to have a car that simply worked, and it took a little while to get all the little stuff ironed out.

Wrap up, 554 miles traveled and 24.4mpg overall. Great trip, car didn't skip a beat, Mom is here, and Merry Christmas everyone!

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb49/mlitherland/ZR-1/IMG_1639_zpseb6b542f.jpg

edram454

12-22-2014, 05:28 PM

nice job. I just took mine out for the longest trip for me and it was 70 miles. my car ran fine but the drone on the completely free breathing exhaust is pretty bad. My car is very loud but the free breathing exhaust allows the car to run so much better.... If I drive far I must be prepared to wear ear plugs because the drone will kill me. Congrats on your smooth running 1990 z.

ed ramos #3028

8cam

12-22-2014, 05:32 PM

My 76 year old mother said it was a very comfortable car to travel in, but "if it just had an oh-**** handle, I could pull myself out easier." LOL

BigIke

12-24-2014, 02:08 AM

Took my DD from Montgomery TX to Houma LA and back in one day for a safety class :). Had to stop in New Iberia on the way back, buy a screw driver, removed the lumbar controls, stuffed them under the seat and enjoyed the extra room for my Xwide ***...

700 miles

8cam

04-08-2015, 03:21 PM

This is what happens in springtime in the south, when you leave your Corvette outside.

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb49/mlitherland/ZR-1/IMG_1773_zpsozfxrmen.jpg

Bearly Flying

04-09-2015, 03:17 AM

8 Cam; You should be drawn and Quartered and then shot for letting that car get so dirty... Shame.....[-X

8cam

04-09-2015, 08:18 AM

LOL I drive it every day and washed it over the weekend. It also rained on Tuesday. This happened in one day! Welcome to pollen season in the south, my least favorite time of the year.

Dime

04-09-2015, 02:26 PM

Oh yes, the oak trees are out yellowing up EVERYTHING over here in Mississippi too.

RussMcB

04-09-2015, 04:35 PM

Mark, why don't you paint your car yellow? That's what I did. Problem solved.

8cam

04-10-2015, 12:46 PM

Actually I kinda like the powdered-yellow look. Just get a painter to try and match it.

BTW Russ, you need to post up some progress pics!

RussMcB

04-10-2015, 02:02 PM

<snip> BTW Russ, you need to post up some progress pics!I don't really have any. Below is what the car looked like on 3/16 when I loaded it up to take to the body shop (my Mad Max pictures). Yesterday I heard they've started on it. I'm pretty nervous about getting it back in time to get everything done before the MR/BG event in May. In addition to putting it all back together (big job), I need to install shocks (not a big job) and install a stereo. If I'm not thrashing I'll take some pictures of those jobs (if they're interesting).

http://zr1.net/forum/picture.php?albumid=305&pictureid=2780

http://zr1.net/forum/picture.php?albumid=305&pictureid=2781

8cam

06-23-2015, 10:17 PM

Haven't updated this thread in a while because, well you know a ZR-1 is a great daily driver! And it's just been rolling along, commuting in the hot southeast without a hitch. Our daughter just graduated high school and will be starting college in the fall, so we are just about empty nesters. That means downsizing! Yes we actually sold the big house and bought a small place with no steps. Daughter still isn't happy about it, but that's our business. So here's a couple pics, the Z in its new home (yes garage is tiny but we'll be fixing that soon), and my copilot Samson.

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb49/mlitherland/ZR-1/IMG_1994_zpsdcadbgfu.jpg

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb49/mlitherland/ZR-1/IMG_1920_zpsg78wm4w9.jpg

edram454

06-23-2015, 10:26 PM

Racinfan83

06-23-2015, 11:08 PM

We've been empty nesters for awhile now. Wish we could get rid of this biga$$ house with 32 stairs in it as well. Market hasn't been good enough to even think about selling for quite awhile - kinda getting there now. Problem is we looked on MLS the other day just goofing around and there are NO ranch homes in this county for sale with our need list and price point. I have too much stuff as well - moving would really suck. One of these days maybe...

8cam

06-24-2015, 08:46 AM

Moving did suck. The lucky part was we were in the hottest area in Atlanta, with precious little inventory and a line of people trying to get in. We posted the house on MLS at 1pm on a Saturday afternoon and by 10pm we had two offers for well above our asking price. Sunday morning we asked for "highest and best" from both, and had an agreement by Sunday afternoon...with two MORE backup offers. It was nuts.

This new house is 1400sqft, so much smaller than the old place. We sold or gave away so much stuff, and some of it was really hard to do. Movers took the big stuff over, and then we rented a 12' box truck to handle the small stuff ourselves, and we STILL took more than 1300lbs to the dump. Again, nuts.

But I am really enjoying this little house. No steps mean it's easy on my knees. My wife can be in the kitchen and I can be in the bedroom, and we can carry on a normal conversation. And the yard is a 45 minute job, including trimming, edging, and watering. Not really much room to work on the car though, but I have plans for that too.

Meanwhile, still driving the Z every day. The last couple of weeks have been ridiculous here in Atlanta, more like August than June. But the a/c works well, fans are cycling just like they should, and it's just super-comfortable even in traffic. Can't ask for more than that.

8cam

06-24-2015, 08:50 AM

BTW this is the first house I've ever had, where I HAD to hang tennis balls in the garage! It was the only way to consistently park the cars and leave room to walk around them. Believe it or not, the Z and the Merc are within inches of being the same length, and when they are parked correctly, there's about a foot on either end of the car. I mean the garage is really small! Kinda funny the Z's ball is about a foot lower and nearly two feet further back than the Merc's.

You probably noticed no 308 in that pic - no room at all. It's living with my brother for now, which really sucks. But we'll get back together eventually. :)

8cam

06-24-2015, 09:00 AM

Mark,

You gotta do what you gotta do. your new house is nice and you have a two car garage. Your car looks good and is behaving properly and you have a faithful co-pilot. I say things are going good for you. Congrats.

ed ramos #3028

You are so right. I love my life, and I'm very happy with where we are, could not ask for more. My wife is my best friend, my son is out with a job and going to school, and my daughter starts at Kennesaw State this August. Both kids have their moments, but they are good kids with their heads on straight...mostly. And Samson sticks with me everywhere, best buds.

This is all a prelude to REALLY downsizing. In about a year, my wife and I will likely get rid of almost everything else and rent this house out. Then we hit the road, nomad for however long we want, going home-free. That's what I'm really looking forward to.

WARP TEN

06-24-2015, 12:12 PM

RussMcB

06-24-2015, 12:27 PM

Here's what you need Mark:
--BobThat's pretty cool.

What do you do to make sure you don't push the Corvette into the attic? :-)

8cam

06-24-2015, 06:23 PM

Here's what you need Mark:

http://www.zr1.net/forum/picture.php?albumid=186&pictureid=1343

Unless your garage is too small. Mine is 21 x 21 and 10' tall, just enough for a lift with a 5' tall car and a 4' tall car. The reason I have this is when my wife moved me into the 2 car garage I had to sell HIL KING-- no room. After twitching for a few years, I calculated that I had enough ceiling height for the lift and bought WARP TEN. Works great. --Bob

I wish I could! I just went and measured for the hell of it, and this garage has an 8 1/2 foot ceiling height, so a lift really isn't an option at all. Besides this isn't the "forever house" anyway, so there will be a much better solution at some point. Meanwhile I'll just have to live with it, and that's not so bad.

WARP TEN

06-25-2015, 12:37 PM

That's pretty cool.

What do you do to make sure you don't push the Corvette into the attic? :-)

I have masking tape lines on the front post near the controls noting maximum height for each car. The cars have to go high enough to engage the safety catches so you can relieve hydraulic pressure while the car sits. When you take one down you have to raise it slightly to release the safety catches before lowering. It took some careful trial and error when I first set it up. --Bob

WARP TEN

06-25-2015, 12:44 PM

I wish I could! I just went and measured for the hell of it, and this garage has an 8 1/2 foot ceiling height, so a lift really isn't an option at all. Besides this isn't the "forever house" anyway, so there will be a much better solution at some point. Meanwhile I'll just have to live with it, and that's not so bad.

If your garage is stick built--that is, ceiling not built with trusses, you can probably raise the ceiling a foot and a half using collar ties instead of the current ceiling joists. Not too big a project but an architect or engineer should review it. If you have truss construction you really shouldn't do it. I raised the living room and kitchen ceilings with collar ties in our last house. My son is an architect and he reviewed raising a garage ceiling with trusses in a neighbor's garage. He said it could be done but would require some serious engineering and might not pass local codes. But as you say, nothing wrong with relaxing and enjoying what you have. --Bob

8cam

09-14-2015, 10:33 AM

Early morning at the airport, got a great spot. Anyone else leave their Z at the airport?

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb49/mlitherland/ZR-1/IMG_2180_zpsghl3audg.jpg

G8nightman

09-14-2015, 11:01 AM

I wouldn't leave it at the airport.... 0

Performawheels

09-14-2015, 11:09 AM

Early morning at the airport, got a great spot. Anyone else leave their Z at the airport?

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb49/mlitherland/ZR-1/IMG_2180_zpsghl3audg.jpg

If I was daily driving mine I would....car looks good! Hope you have/had a good trip.

We Gone

09-14-2015, 11:13 AM

Z looks great Mark :dancing

edram454

09-14-2015, 09:58 PM

your z looks great. nice pic and I am sure everybody that sees it feels the same that is why I would never park it there. I am a little more insecure about my corvette than other people so I dont like mine anywhere but in my garage. Your car does look great.

ed ramos #3028

mike100

09-14-2015, 10:47 PM

Getting a good spot is key to airport parking success! I use a multi story cement one so I can park out of the sun. All the corner spots on the outside ring are wider.

I left my old Lt1 95 c4 at the LAX Park once- those guys loved it. Had it tuned to the Spanish stations and the seat leaned back more... and I could care less- it was a valet park type of arrangement where they get your keys so they pack them in like sardines but never ding the doors.

8cam

09-15-2015, 07:55 PM

Thanks for the compliments! Even driving it often, it should still look good and run as well as possible. I actually had the option of parking it under cover, but that's an extra $5 a day. Me = cheapskate...ok not really. Here's the thing. Parking out in the open, yes it will get a little dirty if it rains, but that's easy to clean. If I parked in the covered spots, I'd come back to a car covered in bird crap because they all nest up in the rafters.

I left my old Lt1 95 c4 at the LAX Park once- those guys loved it. Had it tuned to the Spanish stations and the seat leaned back more... and I could care less- it was a valet park type of arrangement where they get your keys so they pack them in like sardines but never ding the doors.

:eek:

Now that's one thing I would never do...visions of Ferris Bueller in my head. My keys stay with me, 100% of the time.

32valvesftw

09-15-2015, 10:09 PM

I had to do it a few weeks, I made sure I had "the key" with me. They were good though most of the time it was in front of the hotel.

32valvesftw

09-15-2015, 10:09 PM

I had to do it a few weeks ago, I made sure I had "the key" with me. They were good though, most of the time it was in front of the hotel.

C4Ray

09-15-2015, 11:48 PM

I would never drive a ZR-1 daily but that's just me. IMO, the Car is way to rare and cherished to drive daily.

8cam

09-16-2015, 09:37 AM

I would never drive a ZR-1 daily but that's just me. IMO, the Car is way to rare and cherished to drive daily.

I look at it this way. I'd rather drive something amazing and cool every day, than be stuck in some shitbox, staring at my amazing and cool car in the garage. This way I get to have fun all the time, instead of waiting for the right conditions on the right day. I've daily-driven lots of interesting stuff over the years (including the 308 for a while), and it's just more fun that way. Have a rough day at work? Jump in the Z, take the long way home and blow out the cobwebs. I highly recommend it.

GOLDCYLON

09-16-2015, 10:23 AM

Lifes too short to be driving a Prius

Daily driving my Z for 9 years now.

Performawheels

09-16-2015, 10:26 AM

I look at it this way. I'd rather drive something amazing and cool every day, than be stuck in some shitbox, staring at my amazing and cool car in the garage. This way I get to have fun all the time, instead of waiting for the right conditions on the right day. I've daily-driven lots of interesting stuff over the years (including the 308 for a while), and it's just more fun that way. Have a rough day at work? Jump in the Z, take the long way home and blow out the cobwebs. I highly recommend it.

It would be nice to have that option. Unfortunately, where I live the freeways (91,60,10) that I drive on a regular basis are no place for a 6 speed manual :). It would be fun to drive it most days or daily though. Weekends and the occasional taking my son or daughter to school trip are what I've been doing. Even though they look great parked, these cars were made to be driven!

Corvettes White

09-16-2015, 11:25 AM

405 here. Pop the clutch at the meter light. Slam on the brakes 100 feet later. :cry:

We Gone

09-16-2015, 12:31 PM

Drove a 90 ZR-1 for almost 2 years working between Atlanta and Tampa every other week, never failed or let me down.

4CamJon

09-16-2015, 06:41 PM

mike100

09-16-2015, 06:52 PM

I was almost ready to just drive my 91, but I hate leaving a triple black car out in the sun since there is no covered parking opportunities at work. I drive a '12 Mustang and got rid of a diesel golf to buy it. I spend about 60 minutes everyday in a car- may as well be a 400hp one.

I did genuinely enjoy DD'ing a 300 hp LT1 C4. Every now and then some BMW would clean your clock at a light, but a C4 is still fun when you take the twisty roads home.

WARP TEN

09-17-2015, 10:59 AM

I still say that unless you are trying for a sound investment and buy an extremely low mileage, perfect condition, well documented, all stock ZR-1, and don't drive it at all, you might as well drive your car. I put 74,000 miles on my 93 (now around 140,000 miles with new owner) and have put 12,000 on my 95 since I bought it (now up to 32,500). I even had a picture (can't find it now) of my QB 93 in the garage with the entire cargo area filled with grocery bags but with drag racing numbers still on the glass. I had been at the track with my daughter and we stooped for groceries on the way home. --Bob

MuRCieLaGo

09-18-2015, 06:59 PM

Nice story 8cam, it was a nice read.

But what's that 1-4 gears story? Can anyone explain? And what about that transmission noise?

I'm a bit concerned about ZR-1s transmissions, I know it is the weak part of these cars.

edram454

09-19-2015, 04:02 AM

the zr1 zf 6 speed trannys are not delicate at all. they were based on truck transmissions and take quite a beating but being in a zr1 lt5 car it is going to take a ton of abuse. My car has 45k miles and the previous owner put it on the track for some track sessions and it still performs like new. he replaced the clutch etc.. but the transmission still works fine despite hard abuse. During the introduction of the zr1 in europe, Jim Ingles did constant transmission clutch poppings and burnouts etc.. and the car never broke. The porsche broke a half shaft and other cars were showing signs of wear but the zr1 never let up and performed great the entire press gathering. The car was praised by the germans as being a "hammer" which to them means far beyond expectations. The transmission is always going to be the weak link in the drive train in any car so it is not surprising that they break most often. I think the zf 6 speed tranny is a great tranny and was considered state of the art at that time.

ed ramos #3028

pantera1683

09-19-2015, 12:14 PM

I'm a bit concerned about ZR-1s transmissions, I know it is the weak part of these cars.

According to whom?

MuRCieLaGo

09-19-2015, 07:44 PM

Very happy to read that you disagree when I say that the ZR-1 got a bad transmission.

I'm still learning guys...

What's that story about that 1-4 gears?

Corvettes White

09-19-2015, 07:56 PM

To meet EPA fuel economy the transmission would force a 1 to 4 gear shift under certain driving conditions. Skip-shift. Easily bypassed with no detrement to the çar. Same feature was on the C5. George

32valvesftw

09-19-2015, 08:51 PM

Lifes too short to be driving a Prius

Daily driving my Z for 9 years now.

Amen Brother!

MuRCieLaGo

09-19-2015, 09:28 PM

Corvettes White

09-19-2015, 10:02 PM

You need to buy a plug in bypass thing so the computer will not read the missing module as a fault. Not much money.

MuRCieLaGo

09-20-2015, 05:26 PM

Alright thank you Corvettes_White!

GOLDCYLON

09-21-2015, 11:05 AM

You need to buy a plug in bypass thing so the computer will not read the missing module as a fault. Not much money.

Concur easy mod simple plug and play most of the Major Corvette parts houses have this plug in harness....

This 1-4 Option was as known as Skip Shift and was a pure EPA fuel saving idea. GC

WARP TEN

09-21-2015, 11:43 AM

Concur easy mod simple plug and play most of the Major Corvette parts houses have this plug in harness....

This 1-4 Option was as known as Skip Shift and was a pure EPA fuel saving idea. GC
Actually also an emissions item. When we had to do emissions testing in Illinois Marc H discovered that during the 1-2 shift our cars got a HC spike which was enough to fail the car. The 1-4 skip shift solved that problem for some reason. When we used to do testing, on my '93 I would always have to switch back to my stock chip (which enabled the skip shift; as you know the skip shift can be eliminated by a programing change on the chip instead of using a plug). Passed every time --Bob

spork2367

09-21-2015, 03:51 PM

I would never drive a ZR-1 daily but that's just me. IMO, the Car is way to rare and cherished to drive daily.

The next owner will appreciate that....:-D

MuRCieLaGo

09-21-2015, 06:58 PM

1-4 skip shift is an option or it comes with every single ZR-1s?

Kevin

09-21-2015, 08:47 PM

1-4 skip shift is an option or it comes with every single ZR-1s?

standard on every 6 speed car from 89+

C4Ray

09-21-2015, 09:09 PM

Back to topic drive your Z on weekends only. Way to exotic and rare to abuse her as DD.

8cam

09-22-2015, 05:04 PM

Out of town for a week and this thread got busy! FWIW I flew back last night late, and after a full week outside in the sun with all the other airport commuters, the black Z fired right up and took me 35 miles home at a comfortable cruise somewhere north of 55mph. Still looks good too.

I spend about 60 minutes everyday in a car- may as well be a 400hp one.

+400

What's that story about that 1-4 gears?

To meet EPA fuel economy the transmission would force a 1 to 4 gear shift under certain driving conditions. Skip-shift. Easily bypassed with no detrement to the çar. Same feature was on the C5. George

Easily disabled on a 90 by unplugging the CAGS solenoid. On later years you can do it with a chip upgrade.

The next owner will appreciate that....:-D

There's a guy on FerrariChat with this as his sig line. I think it works here too.

"Not putting miles on your Ferrari is like not having sex with your Girl Friend so she'll be more desirable to her next Boy Friend."

Back to topic drive your Z on weekends only. Way to exotic and rare to abuse her as DD.

Respectfully disagree, and I've driven in everything from heavy traffic to mountains to parking garages, to cross-country jaunts. Great car for every day. Hey it's a Chevy!

32valvesftw

09-22-2015, 09:54 PM

[QUOTE=8cam;232515]
"Not putting miles on your Ferrari is like not having sex with your Girl Friend so she'll be more desirable to her next Boy Friend."
My favorite line in the thread.

Also the market has not been kind to these cars when compared for example to 911 of the same vintage, so you may as well enjoy it. And no machine likes to to sit around and not be used. I used to have an old Volvo with an analog in dash clock, it didn't work when I bought the car, but after getting the car running well and driving it regular the clock started working. If the car sat for a while the clock would stop working. So there you have it an analog clock from an 80s volvo is the perfect analog to driving a zr-1. :dancing

C4Ray

09-22-2015, 10:43 PM

The Porsche 911 values higher than the ZR-1? Hard to believe this!

32valvesftw

09-22-2015, 11:38 PM

The Porsche 911 values higher than the ZR-1? Hard to believe this!
https://www.hagerty.com/price-guide/1991-Porsche-911
If you consider the turbo 911 to be the top of the line and therefore the ZR-1 equivalent the difference is staggering.
https://www.hagerty.com/price-guide/1991-Porsche-911
https://www.hagerty.com/valuationtools/HVT/VehicleSearch/Report?vbe=82473

8cam

09-23-2015, 08:28 PM

The Porsche 911 values higher than the ZR-1? Hard to believe this!

911s are fantastic cars too, and they have gone completely nuts in the last two years. I had a 79 SC as my only car, drove it every day too, and wow do I wish I still had it. Paid $12k for it, put 35k miles on it, sold it for $12.5k, cheapest car I've ever owned. Today it would be a near-40k car. Don't even think about early 911s, basically anything with chrome bumpers is a six figure car these days.

Daily hack at a rest stop today, on the way to Florida. Cruised along super-comfortable in beautiful weather, averaged 27.2mpg for the trip.

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb49/mlitherland/ZR-1/IMG_2222_zpspypv6cbw.jpg

8cam

05-30-2016, 09:49 AM

I haven't updated this thread in a while because I've been, well, driving. In the last few weeks the Z has been to Bowling Green (sadly the week AFTER the gathering) and to Tallahassee, not to mention making runs to Home Depot while we rehab a rental property, and dealing with the wonderful Atlanta traffic. There was an autocross in there somewhere, and hopefully another coming up soon. Damn this car is solid.

All that to say, I've been riding the Z pretty hard and it's time for some maintenance. This holiday weekend is finally the time. Some time ago the driver's door switch failed, causing the alarm to go off randomly, so I've been running around with a bunch of tape stacked on the door frame. I ordered two new switches and replaced both of them, not too bad a job really. About an hour to pop off the door panels and install the new ones.

Then I went to install new brake pads. Got the car in the air and started to remove the left front, only to discover a lug nut badly cross threaded. To say I was pissed is an understatement. Now it's stuck half-off and won't move either direction. It obviously happened when I had the 90 wheels mounted up - the guy didn't thread it on very well and then used the air gun to run it home. ****.

I was seriously angry after that, took the dog for a walk and watched some of the Monaco Grand Prix. Finally when my head was clear I went back into the garage and replaced the clutch master cylinder - the old one was leaking pretty badly. This was a pretty easy job once I figured out all the little bits and pieces. The hardest part was that damn clip on the pushrod! One thing is a little odd about the new cylinder, and I'll make a post in the tech forum. The flange is thicker than the original, and when coupled with the spacer results in a shorter throw of the rod. Seems ok, but the clutch doesn't have the same feel.

Also changed the oil and filter after going a bit too far with the last change. Still need to reset the Change Oil light, but that's easy. Today I'll recheck the oil, reset that light and recheck the clutch master. Tomorrow I'll go after getting that wheel stud fixed, really not happy about that. Yes the shop that did the damage is going to have to take care of it and they damn well better not bring an air gun anywhere near the car.

Hopefully I can install the new brake pads next week.

8cam

06-01-2016, 12:18 PM

Just got home from the shop where they got the cross threaded nut off. Now there's a new stud in there and a new/temp lug nut in place. They also checked all the other lugs and it was the only bad one, thankfully. What a hassle. At least now I can swap the brake pads this weekend.

The rest of the work paid big dividends, especially the new clutch master. Huge difference from the leaky original, once it was fully bled. Far better pedal feel now, much more consistent with slightly more effort. I had no idea how bad that original was until now. Back to driving!

Tripler

06-03-2016, 03:46 PM

Back to topic drive your Z on weekends only. Way to exotic and rare to abuse her as DD.

Actually a weekday is a better day to drive your Z between high traffic hrs as a lot of tools heading to there cottages or vacations will cause road mayhem on the weekends . Weekdays work great for myself and riviera .
From 10 am to 3 pm is our maximum . Weekends have to many nutbars out ...

my 3 cent's ...

Tripler

06-03-2016, 03:48 PM

Great updates and stories 8cam . Enjoying this thread a lot ...

;) ;) ;)

8cam

06-05-2016, 08:24 PM

Weekend #2 maintenance complete, new brake pads installed. I went with Akebono ceramics because I have run them in several different cars, and I really like them. Excellent bite, wear rating, and absolutely zero brake dust. Once I can actually wash the car, it will be nice to have the wheels stay clean.

I still need to get that temp lug nut replaced and while I'm at it the wheel lock nuts are going away too. After working with the wheels for the last two weekends, I've had enough of that damn key.

But a quick run up the road and the new pads are bedded in, the new clutch master feels fantastic, just nice to have all the maintenance stuff done.

8cam

06-05-2016, 09:57 PM

Oh and one more thing. The design of the front calipers is a right pain in the ***. I've done brakes on lots of different cars, floating and monoblock, single piston, multiple, etc. and these look straight out of 1963. Their performance is fantastic, no doubt, and I have proven it. But they were not designed with maintenance in mind. A single pin and clip? Oh and put the holes on the ends of the pads so if you're not paying attention, you will put the pads in wrong the first time, thinking something about that pin. And what's with the prongs on the pads? Just to make them difficult to install I think.

Glad I won't have to do that again for a long time.

We Gone

06-05-2016, 10:11 PM

LOL You forgot to mention the anti-rattle clips

bradley

06-06-2016, 12:14 AM

I just loving driving mine every day 204k miles on her and she has only stranded me once .

Paul Workman

06-06-2016, 09:22 AM

Actually a weekday is a better day to drive your Z between high traffic hrs as a lot of tools heading to there cottages or vacations will cause road mayhem on the weekends . Weekdays work great for myself and riviera .
From 10 am to 3 pm is our maximum . Weekends have to many nutbars out ...

my 3 cent's ...

And, from when I lived in the Rocky Mtns, on Sunday evenings the weekender and local traffic too was almost gone after 6:30 PM - everybody home eating dinner and getting ready to go to work the next day, methinks. A great time for a cool-air cruise or even something a bit more spirited; having the back roads almost entirely to yourself!:dancing

8cam

06-06-2016, 12:46 PM

And, from when I lived in the Rocky Mtns, on Sunday evenings the weekender and local traffic too was almost gone after 6:30 PM - everybody home eating dinner and getting ready to go to work the next day, methinks. A great time for a cool-air cruise or even something a bit more spirited; having the back roads almost entirely to yourself!:dancing

And then there's my Sunday evening...just yesterday. Took the wife out to dinner and 60mph...BRAKE....back to 60...BRAKE...back to 60....BRAKE. Hey it was the first test drive after the brake job and I needed to bed in the new pads. She wasn't amused.

BigJohn

06-06-2016, 03:15 PM

Brake in brakes and then braked?

Roadster

06-07-2016, 06:09 PM

And then there's my Sunday evening...just yesterday. Took the wife out to dinner and 60mph...BRAKE....back to 60...BRAKE...back to 60....BRAKE. Hey it was the first test drive after the brake job and I needed to bed in the new pads. She wasn't amused.

You have to do what you have to do......I hope this was before and not after dinner, her stomach may have been very upset if it was after, come to think of it, mine might have been too.......lol

On another thought, I am not totally happy with the brake pads on my Z, don't know what brand they are, they still are almost like brand new. Thinking about making a change to get a little more stopping power. That brand of pads you mentioned seem interesting. May have to try them out!!!

8cam

06-08-2016, 09:29 AM

You have to do what you have to do......I hope this was before and not after dinner, her stomach may have been very upset if it was after, come to think of it, mine might have been too.......lol

On another thought, I am not totally happy with the brake pads on my Z, don't know what brand they are, they still are almost like brand new. Thinking about making a change to get a little more stopping power. That brand of pads you mentioned seem interesting. May have to try them out!!!

I really like the Akebonos, and keep putting them in different cars. One thing to keep in mind, they are ceramics. That means bedding them in properly is very important, and they take longer than most. So for your first several drives, they will feel like they aren't quite as effective. But once they are, they work extremely well with excellent stopping power. And my favorite feature...you won't have to clean your wheels nearly as often.

8cam

06-15-2016, 10:47 PM

Well tonight I had my very first roadside breakdown, my own damn fault. I had noticed the last couple days that the belt was squealing for a few seconds when I turned on the a/c, but it quieted down quickly. I figured I'd take a look over the weekend. Nope.

On the way to meet some friends this afternoon and it started screaming, even with the a/c off. Luckily I was near a gas station, so I pulled in and popped the hood. Shredded belt fragments everywhere and barely 1 rib's worth still on the pulleys. After a few choice works at my own stupidity, I grabbed an Uber to the nearest Napa. They had the belt in stock, and a couple el-cheapo screwdrivers and a pair of pliers. My Uber driver hung around and drove me back to the car, super nice guy. He's an actor, already been in a few things around here and doing Uber to pay the rent.

I got the belt all routed, but getting it back over the alternator was proving to be a real bitch. I could pull the tensioner back, but then needed two more hands on the belt. Luckily the guys in the gas station walked out and they had a breaker bar. Nice to have the proper tool. With the tensioner held with the breaker, it was much easier to get the belt on and done. I bought them a six pack for their help.

Started it right up, checked everything, turned on the a/c and the clutch kicked in like it should, everything looks absolutely perfect. The drive home was easy enough, just sorry I missed the meetup with my friends.

Moral of the story, your car will tell you when something isn't right. Listen to it!

Racinfan83

06-15-2016, 11:07 PM

Yeah that belt is not fun - even in the garage. Been there done that. Hope I don't have to do it again... Glad it worked out for you as well as it did

8cam

06-15-2016, 11:27 PM

I'm going to be cleaning belt bits, strands, pieces and dust for a while. When it went, holy hell it really went. This weekend will be cleanup, I guess a good excuse to do something I needed to do anyway.

WARP TEN

06-16-2016, 12:53 PM

When I got my '95 in 2012 it rolled off the truck running fine but with a serp belt that was just about gone. Lots of cracks and missing bits of rubber. Clearly the original belt (21,000 miles on the car). Fortunately it didn't break--I nursed it until I could get it to Marc for all the servicing it needed. I remember that with my '93 (which I owned from 6,000 miles to 74,000 miles) I carried an extra serp belt under the seat, but never had to use it. I think I had replaced the belt at some point in its life. --Bob

mike100

06-16-2016, 01:30 PM

Paul Workman

06-16-2016, 03:22 PM

keep an eye on the tensioner. They get "sticky" and don't allow the spring to push the wheel through the entire range of motion to keep the belt properly tight. You can't get the LT5 tensioner anymore, but you can rebuild the guts with an LT1 unit (much cheaper than the LT5 one anyhow).

AND, just to add this tidbit: the tensioner pully/bearing assembly from an LT1 will work in place of the ZR-1 pulley, in spite of not having the guide ridges on the outside edges of the pulley (like the ZR-1 pulley has). Replaced my pulley 8 years/ 19,000 miles ago and never had a moment's trouble, FYI.

8cam

06-22-2016, 07:35 PM

This looks like a good place to park.

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb49/mlitherland/ZR-1/IMG_2633_zpswblwwp6o.jpg

8cam

06-22-2016, 10:24 PM

Here on business again, doing training for a client Thursday and Friday. The ZR-1 looks lonely in the Fairfield Inn parking lot.

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb49/mlitherland/ZR-1/IMG_2638_zpsfy30jmb7.jpg

-=Jeff=-

06-23-2016, 08:38 AM

Lonely and tiny in comparison to the rest of the cars

Sent from my iPhone using ZR-1 Net Registry (https://siteowners.tapatalk.com/byo/displayAndDownloadByoApp?rid=90383)

Paul Workman

06-23-2016, 09:05 AM

Lonely and tiny in comparison to the rest of the cars

Sent from my iPhone using ZR-1 Net Registry (https://siteowners.tapatalk.com/byo/displayAndDownloadByoApp?rid=90383)

Just don't go parking it in the Doubletree lot in Gatlinburg!! Some gal might whack it while driving and texting!!! :mad:

XfireZ51

06-23-2016, 10:17 AM

Just don't go parking it in the Doubletree lot in Gatlinburg!! Some gal might whack it while driving and texting!!! :mad:

Paul,

I was thinking the same thing when I saw this.

8cam

06-23-2016, 06:35 PM

Damn Bowling Green is hot! 95 degrees in the shade today. I walked out to the car after the meeting ended and I swear it was 140 in the car. The meetings are at a place right next to the museum, and my hotel is down at exit 22, maybe 5 miles away. By the time I pulled into the parking lot, I think it was slightly cooler inside than out, with a/c running full blast.

Half-day tomorrow and I think I'll hit the museum for lunch and maybe run through the exhibits again. There's an Indy Car special exhibit going on. Wish I could hit the track this weekend, but I think I'd melt.

8cam

06-23-2016, 06:38 PM

Lonely and tiny in comparison to the rest of the cars

Sent from my iPhone using ZR-1 Net Registry (https://siteowners.tapatalk.com/byo/displayAndDownloadByoApp?rid=90383)

No kidding, I'm surrounded by rolling buildings. Right after I took that pic some yahoo in another S-HUGE-VEE cranked it over right beside my car....sideways in their space, with the front wheels full lock. I hate lazy parkers.

8cam

06-23-2016, 09:39 PM

Slightly better parking place this evening. Hopefully it doesn't get swamped by the hordes of monstermobiles later on.

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb49/mlitherland/ZR-1/IMG_2639_zpsdhdvo9uq.jpg

This was still the better spot.

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb49/mlitherland/ZR-1/IMG_2633_zpswblwwp6o.jpg

We Gone

06-23-2016, 10:06 PM

So glad to see your enjoying your ZR-1 the way they were meant to be enjoyed

8cam

06-23-2016, 11:55 PM

So glad to see your enjoying your ZR-1 the way they were meant to be enjoyed

I'm not sure this is what you meant! Frickin monsoon going on right now. Hard to take a picture, but the rain is sideways. A C4 isn't the most water-tight vehicle in the world, so I'm anticipating a damp *** in the morning. Good thing it's casual Friday.

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb49/mlitherland/ZR-1/IMG_2645_zpsdjxc5gvg.jpg

8cam

06-24-2016, 08:07 AM

Hey we made a new friend! Damn the car looks waterlogged.

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb49/mlitherland/ZR-1/IMG_2652_zpsbi0bzncg.jpg

rush91

06-24-2016, 09:24 AM

Hey we made a new friend! Damn the car looks waterlogged.

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb49/mlitherland/ZR-1/IMG_2652_zpsbi0bzncg.jpg

Birds of a feather.......That is too funny. I'm the same way when I take my Beast to Wal Mart or anywhere with a big parking lot. And it NEVER fails, I can park a mile away with no one in any parking spots close. When I come out, 3 or 4 cars parked by me lol......And those nice wet roads look like some tail sliding good times! All while being safe of course :)

8cam

06-24-2016, 11:16 PM

Back home from Bowling Green, 630 miles covered at a 75-80 mph cruise in 90+ heat the whole way, never skipped a beat. Great trip and I think I booked some more work. My kind of road trip.

8cam

09-25-2016, 02:37 PM

The daily driver is for sale! Life changes in a good way, and I'm hoping to find it a good home who will enjoy it as much as I have. Let me know if you're interested.

1990 ZR-1 #1322 for sale (http://www.zr1.net/forum/showthread.php?t=26952)

8cam

09-27-2016, 02:08 PM

Might need to change my name to 1cam, since that's all the Cummins has. Same hp as the Z but a LOT more torque. Don't think I'll be winning any drag races though.

BigJohn

09-27-2016, 02:47 PM

You will miss the gas mileage!

8cam

09-27-2016, 04:23 PM

You will miss the gas mileage!

No kidding. 27 vs 7. Ouch.

BigJohn

09-27-2016, 04:37 PM

My diesels are getting 15 mpg!

8cam

10-09-2016, 03:18 PM

Yes the Z is still for sale, but I'll admit to a few second thoughts. We bought a new Subaru Crosstrek last week, 5sp AWD, will make a great car to tow behind the motorhome. I've been driving the Subaru the last few days and it's a really nice car that I like a lot, but it definitely wanders a bit on the highway, has a lot of body roll, and is generally more tiring to drive for extended periods. I'm so used to the rock-solid stability of the Z, the very mechanical gearchange and the firm clutch, that the Subie definitely suffers by comparison - light clutch, rubbery shifter, and wallowy/wandering manner. I can drive the Z all day long and feel completely fresh when I get there, but the Crosstrek is more tiring.

I have not taken it off road yet, but I will and I expect it will destroy the Z in that arena! It will also be much happier behind a motorhome.

70T/A400

01-22-2017, 04:58 PM

I am going to miss the updates to what I consider the best post on ZR-1.net. This post was the reason I want to get into ownership of a ZR-1. I am not interested in whether the cars appreciate in value, what the public thinks of the car or how history will treat this rare feat of engineering by General Motors.

We like to think that cars have human like qualities, that is why we like to find faults with them. And Mark, you found faults, you had good days and bad and when your ZR-1 needed maintenance and it got it, the car responded by being stronger.

Also, General Motors did not develop and test and develop and test so that these cars could sit in a garage or barn. They did so because they wanted them to be reliable drivers. Not every minute we spend behind the wheel is on a canyon road or road course but it is more real than being behind a screen. There is something tangible, real, and worth doing. In todays world that wants to automate driving, I know what I am going to do.

I am going to be behind the wheel of a General Motors product that doesn't have a 13" screen, is recording my every move to the insurance companies, and chirps every time I go over the speed limit. I am going to drive.

Thanks Mark.