wtb 1St zr1

[joelvette]

Looking into the possibility of buying a ZR1. What are the pros AND cons of owning a 75,000 miles ZR1. I have driven one before and it was probably like the first time you drove one, only now they are hovering within a couple grand of my budget limit of . Other than the normal c4 items, what are the usual expenses and items to watch for on the ZR1? I'm looking for a summer daily driver (approx. 6-8k a year) and stored for the winter. I was and still am looking for a 40k miles 95-96 6speed for around $15000 when I saw 3 70k mile 91 ZR1's on ebay for about 18000. Reminded me of that first test drive.
thanx joel

[Vetman]

Basics like get under it looking for wet spots, oil or water. Radiator water clean and green, does it pull strong past 5000 into the 6000+ range, trans shift properly with not too much gear whine, tire wear even, radio rebuilt, gauges all working. Etc.my 1990 just turned 75,000 and runs like a watch.

[Kevin]

injectors will probably need replaced, vac leaks, leaking oil cooler lines, tires (a real pita to find) power key may need rebuilt but that's easy.

cons: vac leaks are a pain to chase down. parts aren't hard to find but they can be expensive. and the rear tires don't like to keep tread on them...no idea why.

pros: it's a great car to drive, fun to own, and the brotherhood is great.

I just looked up where you are from me and if it wasn't 4 hours I'd be happy to help you look at a few cars

[BigJohn]

Good luck on finding any 96's!

[-=Jeff=-]

Good luck on finding any 96's!


I think the 94-96s he was looking at are LT1 and LT4 cars. since he added, that he then saw 3 1990s for ~18000 which was more than his budget of 15000 for the 94-96 LT1/4 car

[XfireZ51]

Having an LT-5 is worth a hell of a lot more than the $3k difference between it and an LT1/4.

[We Gone]

Lots of good reading right here, Your in the right place to find out.

http://www.zr1netregistry.com/Marketplace/BuyersGuide.aspx

[8cam]

61k here, my car has been to Florida and Kentucky in the last couple of weeks and other than a recent starting quirk, has had zero issues once I took care of all the basics. For these cars, those basics are well documented here and once done, can rack up huge mileages with just basic maintenance. See Steve's link for some great info.

[Fully Vetted]

The C4 ZR-1 is probably the most reliable classic car on earth. How many guys do you know that would take their INSERT ANY OTHER CLASSIC CAR HERE that has already clocked more that 100k miles and drive it from Maine (I believe) to Alaska on a 10,000 mile 30 day vacation. Exactly. That doesn't mean you won't have some bugs to work out of whatever car you buy but it does mean once you're done with proper maintenance you will not have any issues. The other part of owning a ZR-1 is you're also getting a protection plan known as the ZR-1 Net Registry Brotherhood. There's not a problem on these cars that hasn't been diagnosed and repaired by somebody on this forum. Guaranteed. These guys tend to swarm you if you ask for help. So, it's not just the car. It's the club.

I would suggest a couple of things. There was a 30Hp jump from '92 to '93 but the performance difference is pretty much nill as the earlier cars were lighter. I suggest you figure out the color combo you want first. That may eliminate a few years. I also suggest you buy the best example you can afford. I would stay away from the $10k basket case that you're sure you can nurse back to health. That can get quite expensive. And be patient. The car you want will come available soon. I promise.

[cvette98pacecar]

Looking into the possibility of buying a ZR1. What are the pros AND cons of owning a 75,000 miles ZR1. I have driven one before and it was probably like the first time you drove one, only now they are hovering within a couple grand of my budget limit of . Other than the normal c4 items, what are the usual expenses and items to watch for on the ZR1? I'm looking for a summer daily driver (approx. 6-8k a year) and stored for the winter. I was and still am looking for a 40k miles 95-96 6speed for around $15000 when I saw 3 70k mile 91 ZR1's on ebay for about 18000. Reminded me of that first test drive.
thanx joel

If you are serious about a ZR-1 and want a very nice 91 with 90K miles look in the for sale section for Ted Dempsey post. You are not going to find a nicer car for the money.