Best regards from the Autobahn :) [Archive]

Matt B

01-26-2021, 04:56 PM

Guten Tag,

greetings from Germany. Allow me to introduce myself - I'm Matt, forty something years old and just imported a stunning 1991 ZR-1 from New Jersey to near Munich. She's a pristine red over black, first owner beauty with only 18.500mls. She's complete in stock condition down to the original 30 yrs old tires. The ZR is actually my third American beauty and joins my pastel yellow 1970 Lincoln Mark III and ruby red 1988 Chevrolet Caprice Brougham.
I grew up in eastern Germany and have been an admirer of US automobiles ever since. I've owned quiet a few over the last decades with the pinnacle of my collection just having arrived: my ZR-1.

Why ZR-1? Well... You know why :). It's an amazing car - but it's the engine that conquered my heart. Its look, the sound, the brute force but also the outstanding technology being so far ahead of its time. And of course the passion it was made with... This is truly a gem and a must-have!
But ZR-1 are super rare over here so instead of spending ages on my local market I had a friend from New York inspect this particular car and quickly decided to not wait any longer. While waiting for her I read though this forum, studied Marc Haibeck's and other pages, soaked up the "Heart of the Beast" book and also applied as a member to the Net Registry - which I now proudly am.

The ZR-1 already was (or is) registered with the Net Registry, former owner is Mr. Monopoli from NJ. Unfortunately I never had a chance to directly speak to him, but in case someone knows him and/or this car happy to hear about!

Now I have to go down the road to make her road legal. Biggest issue comes from the rear tires which are not available at all over here. But if there's a will...

I will add some pictures of her in beautiful Bavarian countryside once I can take her out for a ride. Already now I can say that I'm seriously happy and proud to own that fine masterpiece of a car and have my stake in preserving the legend.

Looking forward to becoming part of the community and of course to riding my ZR-1!

Best

Matt

Mikey

01-26-2021, 10:33 PM

Congratulations Matt! Thanks for sharing.

Surprised you can't find tires - Michelin is a French company is it not?
Or do you mean you can't find original style Goodyear?

HAWAIIZR-1

01-26-2021, 11:01 PM

Welcome to the family and congratulations! Nice intro and story. Enjoy and best wishes.

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dredgeguy

01-27-2021, 09:27 AM

Welcome Matt, hope you can join the ZR-1 Registry group gathering held at Corvettes at Carlisle, PA August 26-28. We will have group rates for hotel later this year so keep an eye out. Most years we have some European members join us and always great to meet a new friend. Welcome to the group and enjoy!

conesare2seconds

01-27-2021, 07:53 PM

Welcome.

Matt B

01-28-2021, 04:50 AM

Thanks for the warm welcome. Believe me - IF we will be allowed to travel freely in August It would be a great pleasure to join. We'll have to wait and see...

W.r.t. the tires right, Michelin is French. But... This is Europe so everything is complicated. There is a certain certification that car parts must have to be road legal. This is expensive so apparently Michelin has skipped certification and only produces for the US market. Which economically makes sense, as the number of ZR-1 over here is close to nothing. And also I learned that these Michelin tires are even Made in USA.
Also I'm forced to mount tires that are "Z" rated (or higher) so they are certified to withstand 290km/h (metric ZR-1 official top speed). I can't go for W rated or anything below 290km/h rating. Illegal here...

What they offer, though, is a 335 tire that fits various Ferrari and Lamborghini models, so there is a limited production run every now and then. I will opt for a pair of these. Front tires are available, so no issue here.

Best

Matt

dredgeguy

01-28-2021, 08:03 AM

The 335/35 will fit perfect on the rears, that is what I am using with the Michelin Pilot Sport 2. Your speed will be off by a couple of MPH as the tire is very slightly taller but that is not a big deal.

Matt B

01-28-2021, 03:34 PM

Very good! I will anyway have to adjust the speedo as this is going to be out of tolerance. Speedo by law mustn't show less than the actual speed in my place. So, did I mention how complicated things are here? ;)

But once this is done I'm free to use 335 for good.

Next thing will be a complete tune up - plugs, oil/filter, coolant, clutch & brake fluid, drive belt, etc. Great chance to get acquainted with her quirks :thumbsup:

G-Sting

01-29-2021, 05:27 PM

G8nightman

01-29-2021, 06:05 PM

Welcome Matt.

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Corvette95

02-01-2021, 06:00 AM

Welcome... is this your first Corvette C4?

Matt B

02-01-2021, 05:13 PM

Unfortunately yes ;). I've always been a fan of the Corvette but was more focused on C5 upwards. My only contact with the C4 was an early model which - though being a kid of the 80's - never seemed to be too impressive to me. Then I discovered the ZR-1 and knowing it exists left only option: go and get one! So... I did. And so far I'm glad. I'm spending time with her every day. :thumbsup:

Matt

Matt B

02-01-2021, 05:19 PM

Guten Tag and welcome, Matt. And congratulations on your ownership of a ZR-1!

We lived in West Germany in the mid-80s, compliments of the U.S. Air Force, and enjoyed every bit of our time. We traveled all over, when we got the chance - such beautiful countryside. Our German landlord and his family was very kind to us, which made things all the better.

I'm sure we all will enjoy seeing photos of your red ZR-1 with the backdrop of the epic scenery there.

Again, welcome and enjoy that beast!

-- Mike

Mike, may I ask where about in Germany you used to live? I spent my time at the German army on former US Army premises. Unfortunately the troops had left before we moved in, but there was plenty of US Army spirit in the air. That was long before I could afford my first Buick but boy, did I love this area. :fahne:

Have a good day

Matt

Jagdpanzer

02-01-2021, 08:54 PM

Hi Matt,
Welcome to the group.
I've worked for German diesel engine companies MTU Friedrichshafen and MAN Augsburg most of my professional career so very familiar with your area of Germany. My dream is one day to bring my ZR-1 over for some quality Autobahn and Alps driving.
Once things get back to normal I will be traveling to Augsburg again and perhaps we could meet up somewhere along the way for a beer.

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Matt B

02-02-2021, 07:26 AM

Hi Phil,

very good! Augsburg actually isn't far away from my location - compared to the U.S. I'd say "next door". So whenever you decide to visit just give me a shout.
Taking your ZR-1 to Germany sounds exciting. But don't wait too long, they've been discussing about a general speed limit on Autobahn for years now and you never know what the next election might bring...
The Alps however will remain beautiful no matter what speed limits there are ;)

Matt

G-Sting

02-09-2021, 03:51 PM

Mike, may I ask where about in Germany you used to live? I spent my time at the German army on former US Army premises. Unfortunately the troops had left before we moved in, but there was plenty of US Army spirit in the air. That was long before I could afford my first Buick but boy, did I love this area. :fahne:

Have a good day

Matt

Hi Matt,

We lived about 20km northeast of Kaiserslautern. In the 80s, there were plenty of US Air Force and a US Army servicemen stationed near there. It was a very pleasant, quiet area where we lived.

One some of our travels, we visited Munich, cross-country skied in the Black Forest, took a hang gliding course south of Munich in the foothills of the alps, enjoyed the area of Garmisch a couple of times, etc. Beautiful scenery all around there.

All the best,
Mike

We Gone

02-10-2021, 08:50 PM

A bit late but Welcome.

Matt B

02-18-2021, 05:11 PM

A bit late but Welcome.

Thanks :)

Mike, I know there was a lot of US forces in Germany these days. I'm from the eastern part, GDR. Surrounded by Russians... I was a child back than, merely 14 year old. But I remember those big trucks and the Hummvee's. Not knowing what exactly that is I saw when we first took a day trip the "new world" but I was heavily impressed. US Army... Man, for a 14 year old GDR boy who grew up with the A-Team that was pretty much the coolest thing on earth!
Still today I pass by an old US Army ground near Bamberg sometimes and actually one of the places where I every now and then fix my car is on former US Army premises. Unfortunately it's all long gone, political reasons, whatever. But you can still smell some fading memories of a nice past. Personally I think it's a pity as I always loved the cultural influences.

Your experiences over here sound great and I'm really glad to hear to you could take so many nice memories from my area. As said, let me know whenever you come here. Lots to show you around - particularly if you bring your Z :)

Matt

Matt B

02-25-2021, 04:22 PM

So, my ZR-1 project progresses. I recently took out the seats to give them a proper makeover. Lumbar didn't work, only one chamber inside the right seat filled up with air. A quick check showed broken air hose connectors. An easy (and cheap) fix... Pump diaphragms and air chambers are good to go.
I cleaned all surfaces, switches and buttons and applied some leather coating. Just like new!

Once seats were out I decided to pull CDM and control head and send both for an overhaul. Not an easy job when you're 6 foot 3... Luckily I'm blessed with skinny hands and trained guitar player fingers. Looking forward to re-install both... not.

Then I swapped the murky brake fluid which had the distinct look of engine oil. OLD engine oil... Also a new drive belt and pulley came to use, replacing the 30 years old originals.
Engine Oil is drained, new Bosch filter (as per Marc's recommendation) installed. Also I tightened most oil pan screws - all of them rather lose - but could not reach to 3 or 4 located at the front. Refill will be done with a MOS2 oil that was made to replace high ZDDP oils.

Moreover I cleaned front control arms, shocks, brake calipers, etc. and gave a shot of fresh grease to all 6 linkages.

Last thing I just did today was to replace the likewise murky clutch fluid. I used a method I learned from YouTube: remove old fluid from the reservoir, wipe it clean, refill with fresh fluid and pump the clutch. However I'm not convinced this method does ANYTHING more than making sure you have fresh fluid in your reservoir... Doesn't seem very effective.

Tomorrow I will replace all spark plugs, P/S fluid, air filter, clean everything that between the rear wheels (brake calipers, disks, control arms, shocks, etc.), install a set of fresh wiper blades and the speedometer calibrator. Lots of work to be done... She's a real beauty, but not much (if any) work was done to her in the past.

G-Sting

03-02-2021, 04:38 PM

Thanks :)

Mike, I know there was a lot of US forces in Germany these days. I'm from the eastern part, GDR. Surrounded by Russians... I was a child back than, merely 14 year old. But I remember those big trucks and the Hummvee's. Not knowing what exactly that is I saw when we first took a day trip the "new world" but I was heavily impressed. US Army... Man, for a 14 year old GDR boy who grew up with the A-Team that was pretty much the coolest thing on earth!
Still today I pass by an old US Army ground near Bamberg sometimes and actually one of the places where I every now and then fix my car is on former US Army premises. Unfortunately it's all long gone, political reasons, whatever. But you can still smell some fading memories of a nice past. Personally I think it's a pity as I always loved the cultural influences.

Your experiences over here sound great and I'm really glad to hear to you could take so many nice memories from my area. As said, let me know whenever you come here. Lots to show you around - particularly if you bring your Z :)

Matt

Hi Matt,

Very kind words. And thank you for the invite! I don't know when I'll get back to Germany, though I was there in late 2017 for a few days in the Koln area.

It's amazing - really miraculous in many ways - that the Berlin Wall came down when it did. And it's awesome so many gained freedoms they never had before. My wife and I traveled to Berlin when it was in the middle of the GDR. We got to visit both sides of the wall. A stark contrast. You really felt for the people on the other side.

It sounds like you're making good progress on the ZR-1. Changing all those fluids, cleaning things up, etc. I just took mine out for a spin today, now that all the salt has washed off the roads from recents heavy rains. It looks like we are on the edge of spring. Anyway, it's always a blast driving that machine. You have much to look forward to!

Keep us posted on your progress and when you get it rolling again.

cheers,
Mike

Matt B

03-11-2021, 05:28 PM

So... The re-work progresses... I already spent a substantial amount of time on my new ZR. I cleaned all brake calipers, suspensions links, etc. from what the age brought, put fresh clutch fluid to the reservoir, replaced plugs, brake fluid and drive belt/pulley, had control head and CDM fixed, cleaned and re-finished the seats, replaced the sealed beams by legal H4 inserts, installed a new hatch weather strip, hood support and rear fog lamp. Also I bought new Michelin tires and a speedometer calibrator.
Loads of work to do to a very scruffy car. Currently I'm trying to remove the exhaust to give it a fresh paint job. Issue is that my Z came from NJ and was exposed to salty sea air it's whole live...
Just last night I found out that the rear right Bose amp is no Corvette amp, both left hand side amps don't work. So now I will buy new rear amps for Dr Don and have the front ones fixed.
In 2 1/2 weeks I will have her examined by TUV, our local authority to make a car road legal. Still a way to go, fingers crossed I'll be successful.
Anyway, she's an amazing car and I'm confident we'll be great friends once everything is up to date.

Next steps will be: replace transmission fluid, refresh steering fluid, replace cam sensor by one made by Phil, change coolant, fix audio, run her!!!!

I'll keep you posted!

Matt B

03-14-2021, 04:40 PM

So... The story goes on. While the new camshaft sensor is on it's way (thanks, Phil!) I pulled the exhaust as planned and cleaned and nicely repainted the mufflers.
Don't ask me why - but I had a look into the cat tubes and discovered the driver's side cat to be broken. The monolith has become lose, doesn't make sense to proceed here. So I pulled the left side manifold today, right side to follow tomorrow. I intend to have metal based monoliths inserted as leaving cat out is no option over here. My connection to this Corvette is already way more intimate than I thought it would be...
Isn't that great? :)

More to come. My target is to have the legal inspection done in 2 weeks and hopefully get her road legal on first attempt. Fingers crossed!

Matt B

03-24-2021, 09:21 AM

So... More progress. We've had a rather cold week so working wrenches was all but ideal for me. Nevertheless my Z went on! Thanks to the great support by a German ZR brother I had the chance to replace my broken driver's side cat with a used (but great) original part. Work wasn't actually too bad, only the lower front bolt (the one next to the steering gear) is a nasty beast - as is getting the big center nut back onto the stud. It took me a few hours back an forth but wasn't the worst thing I ever did.

In parallel I repainted the mufflers and had some the cracked welds around the silencer redone.
Moreover I took out the two beams that connect front and side crossmembers to fully re-tighten the oil pan. Following that I used gallons of break cleaner to remove the leftovers of a cracked cam sensor and leaking oil pan from all under the car. Ah, and I also drained the tranny to make room for fresh fluid.

Today the replacement cam sensor by Phil has finally arrived, so tonight I will plug this one in, add the Ecklers speedo module and mount the inner fenders on both sides. And maybe, if there's time left, I plan to mount the exhaust as well.

So only a few miles to go for me. Rear fog lamp, German road legal parking light assembly, and rebuilding the interior after all electrical work was done. Tuesday next week is her big day - 9 a.m. she will be inspected by an official inspector to judge whether or not she's ready to hit the road. At least the weather forecast agrees that it's gonna be a great day :)

Gents, I can't thank enough for that forum! Besides the plenty of questions I asked (and all of which were answered perfectly well and kindly) I found so much just by research and digging in the crates of that huge pool of knowledge. It's a great community and huge factor in a satisfying ZR-1 life!

ImpalaDave

04-08-2021, 09:15 AM

Welcome to the brotherhood! I enjoy reading your enthusiastic posts detailing all the maintenance work you're doing on your new baby. I am also a new ZR-1/C4 owner. These are amazing machines and I'm excited for you to finally be able to drive it! A note about flushing the clutch fluid - if you can, crack open the bleeder on the slave cylinder with a brake bleeder bottle/hose attached and slowly pump the pedal a few times, then check your clutch fluid level. Continue the process until the fluid is clear. It's similar to bleeding brakes but a little easier. This process will guarantee that you have flushed out the old fluid. I haven't done this on my Z yet but I assume it's the same as any hydraulic clutch system. Enjoy and have fun!

Matt B

04-12-2021, 08:28 AM

Thanks, Dave! I'll definitely try this. When working on my reverse light switch I asked myself "Why the heck don't I use that bleeder valve?!?" as the drain/refill process of the reservoir has only a mere effect on the whole system.
Also thanks for your nice words. Actually I was intended to follow up my story here, but in the end this car caused way more white hair than I expected. Let's put it that way: I'm definitely having a "run". One of the nice highlights was that the dudes at my appraisal office forgot (no kidding...) my appointment. So... I pulled her back on the trailer and took her home.

I however eventually finished my work in the meantime, which includes fresh fluids for power steering and transmission. For the latter I decided to go with the 5W30 recommended by Marc but will test and compare Castrol 20W60 (or 10W60?) next time. Technically my ZR is now ready, including rear fog lamp and a nicely repaired Bose system. Unfortunately the latter broke down after only 2 cycles. But I ran out of patience and will not touch it again for now. I opened a separate threat on this.
Now I'm focussing on making her bullet proof, e.g. by installing the recommended clutch switch bypass relay.

Interestingly I got in contact with the brother of the previous owner. He sadly confirmed that the gentleman has passed last November, which must have been right after I purchased the car. I never met or spoke to him, but now I have a piece of his legacy so I will treat it with the necessary respect.
On the other hand he also confirmed that the previous owner bought the ZR new (which to me was always a bit blurry as the title was issued in 1995 with no indication of what happened before that day). And, even more interesting and important, that the injectors were replaced by "ZR-1 Net Registry recommended" parts. Good news, at least one topic less on my list...
And maybe, if only I have some luck, the family will find the lost binder with all the documents, invoices, etc. that is supposed to exist. Fingers crossed.

So... Wednesday is the day. I'm really excited as it's hard to tell if she will pass the emissions test, all brakes are as they should an all Euro Conversions are done properly. It's always a thrilling experience. After 3 months of intensive care, setbacks and surprises my ZR now needs to offset my pain with positive experiences.

Matt B

04-18-2021, 08:02 AM

Well, finally... After a couple of painstaking months of work I went to the federal inspection last week. Everything was set perfectly well, all fluids replaced, lights and switches testes, new L/H side converter to ensure emission compliance, fresh tires, speedo calibrated to match the 335 rear rubber, European light conversion, all documents in place etc.

So we put her on a trailer and proudly carried her to the inspection. Everything was so good! Brakes perfectly aligned, test ride must have been awesome (considering the fat grine on the guys face), she performed really well. In emissions she did so well, that one particular test couldn't be done because after being stressed with sudden extra load (brakes, A/C, lights on) the engine returned to perfect parameters SO quickly that recalibration of injection and ignition was done before the test could start. So that could have been a perfect pitch ... if not the stoplight switch had stopped working =D>

Okay, no big deal. It's easy to fix these switches. But sadly we could not finalize the inspection and I missed my appointment to get her licensed. Over here federal inspection and licensing are two different pair of shoes and thanks to covid there is no more spontaneous "just go there and get it done" licensing.

Anyway, after having fixed the switch in the evening I got my documents the next day and next Thursday will be the day to put plates on her and finally get her on the road. I will send pictures as soon as the weather allows.

Let me also say a big thank you to all of you here and this amazing brotherhood. I'm new to ZR-1 and Corvette in general, the closest I have to my Vette is a 1988 Caprice (it's a Chevrolet, it's red and it has a V8). So the advice, help and inspiration I found here were a key success factor to achieve the current status. My ZR is a great car but was not really taken care of for a while. Now she's up to date, at least for the moment.
Based on my recent experience I expect more issues and trouble to come. But I know that I'm in the right community to overcome whatever may be down the road. :):cheers:

garyhugo

04-18-2021, 02:16 PM

Well done Matt and welcome to the greatest C4 ZR-1 club on the planet. Now start enjoying it!

dredgeguy

04-19-2021, 08:26 AM

Congrats Matt and glad to see you have her ready to go. One thing about these cars, the more you drive them the better they perform. I purchased mine with 61,000 miles on her in 2012 and now just turned 103,000 miles yesterday. Drive it often, it reduces your stress!

lfalzarano

04-19-2021, 03:49 PM

Matt B

04-22-2021, 04:11 PM

Thanks all :). Today my journey finally came to an end as I got my license plates!!! Not without thrilling moments, though. But successful in the end. I immediately took her for a spin, about 30mls around town. What an insane beast! I never drove a ZR before, or any other Corvette. And it's so impressive. I love the gear whine in first and second, sounds like an angry bull.
But it's also a surprisingly civilized and even more surprisingly comfortable ride. I would have expected WAY sturdier. But even in Track Mode your spine is safe. Also I was surprised about how much power she has in low power mode. It definitely feels much stronger than just around 230hp.
Now I need to carefully wake her up, as this probably has been the longest spin she was taken for in many, many years. I have to carefully burn some deposits and also follow up some issues and noises before I drive her really hard. So there still is a lot for me to be discovered down the road. But following your advice my plan for 2021 is to make sure her engine never cools down :)

DRM500RUBYZR-1

04-24-2021, 06:51 AM

Well done!
Now, ENJOY!
:cheers:
Marty

conesare2seconds

04-24-2021, 10:07 AM

:cheers:

G-Sting

04-24-2021, 07:10 PM

Awesome work, Matt. Congratulations!!

Matt B

04-25-2021, 01:05 AM

Here 2 shots from my first spin. The mountain in the background is called "Wendelstein". It's near Rosenheim, about 30mls south-east of Munich. She ran perfectly well. I just need to urgently fix the AC now (R-12 was drawn and recycled during import...) ;)

G-Sting

04-26-2021, 03:53 PM

Great report, Matt. Z is lookin' real good with the backdrop of the Bavarian hills.

Crazy - it reminds me of how a friend of mine and I took a 3 or 4 day hang gliding course in the mid-80s somewhere up in those hills south of Munich.

Matt B

05-01-2021, 01:27 AM

My pleasure to bring up some nice memories! I'm sure there will be more Pictures like that once the weather allows. Unfortunately 2021 seems to be not as lucky as 2020 in terms of hours of sunshine...

Matt B

07-13-2021, 04:25 AM

Erik

07-13-2021, 06:34 AM

Just a brief update - yesterday I took her for valuation. Before that we gave her a professional polishing and interior cleaning. She did very well, I'll have my result in a few weeks.

Next will be to pull the plenum, solve a Secondaries vacuum issue, clean the valley and swap the AC refrigerant to 134a.

Story goes on :)15799

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Thanks for the update, Matt. She really looks great. Reminded me how beautiful the bright red can be. Looking forward to the next steps on your journey. And the inevitable high speed autobahn run!

BTW, I love how seriously Germany takes car safety. Something I wish North Americans would do too. Keeps the old pieces of crap off the road. You should drive around Florida sometime. Incredible the garbage cars you see!

Matt B

07-14-2021, 07:44 AM

Thanks, Erik. As said, now I need to finish the rebuild, also the entertainment system doesn't work though all components were rebuild.
I have a pair of new fuel pumps, new brakes all around (to preserve the factory brakes, get lower in brake dust and improve the performance).

I'm glad that after a pretty tough start this car has evolved and now seems to be a pretty decent one.

Car safety is an issue here and has always been. I once heard that it was introduced in the 1930s to ensure car owners would show cars where they suspect any issue to a specialized person to ensure the car KS road safe. However the hidden agenda was to make sure cars are ready for the intended war. Not sure if it's true but sounds sort of consistent.
Today, even with a historic car like my 1970 Lincoln there is a federal inspection every two years which, if done properly, unveils all safety concerns AND may lead to a formal suspension of your car if things can't be fixed in time. So you better ensure to pass, otherwise you still can drive the car but getting pulled over by police or involved in an accident can become an expensive fail.
But who wants a widow maker on a German Autobahn where 100mls and beyond are usual?

That said: with now coolant, coolant and brakes on board I may give her a try ;)

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Matt B

08-02-2021, 05:36 PM

Took her for another spin tonight to test drive my new Haibeck Chip.

Noteworthy information: this picture was taken at former US Army Barracks in Bad Aibling https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_Aibling_Station
There's still a tiny bit of American spirit around with "Johnny's Bowling" probably being the most present. The ZR-1 makes a perfect match, not only because of the color :)15938

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