My ZR-1 Revival Thread - ZR-1 Net Registry Forums

willseph · 11-17-2020

Hello friends! FNG here, new to ZR-1s but previously owned a C5Z along with a handful of other fun cars. I'm excited to tap in to the wealth of wisdom and experience in this forum as I resurrect a 1990 ZR-1 that I just bought.

Long story short, I stumbled on it on eBay, drove the 9 mins from my house to the seller's house to look at it, and ended up buying it after the auction failed to meet the reserve. I'll use this thread to update the progress pictures and stories (and plenty of "don't do what I did"s).

It's a '90, white with black interior. It has headers & a Borla exhaust along with a Haibeck chip and some sort of cross-bracing between the b-pillars. Hoping to get a few things sorted out before bringing it to a body shop to have the frame inspected/corrected. Then comes the fun of piecing it back together.

Thanks in advance for the knowledge, the search function has already gotten a good workout on my behalf.

Mikey · 11-17-2020

Congrats!

owwdee · 11-17-2020

Congrats and welcome. You will find very good resources here. I?ve been through exactly what your pictures show. Take your time and enjoy the process. It is worth it in the end!

For the front crossmember it is critical that the frame shop gets everything back to where it should be otherwise you may be chasing issues with hood and bumper fitment forever. Spoken from experience.

Prez1967 · 11-18-2020

Saw you post on FB, looking forward to watching the car come back to life!!!!

-=Jeff=- · 11-19-2020

Welcome.. I saw that car. on eBay. it was in Crystal Lake..

JThomas · 11-19-2020

Good luck, and hopefully we will meet up at a Registry event some day. Project cars can be fun and rewarding!

willseph · 11-23-2020

Got to dig in to the car a bit more this weekend. For those not following the CF thread, here are some pics.

The radiator, condenser, oil cooler, and power steering cooler all took a bit of damage. I'm going to try to straighten the radiator and pressure test it to see if it's functional, I'd hate to scrap a nice Dewitts unit with barely any mileage on it. Fans looked good too. I'd like to pull off the oil cooler and condenser, but I'm worried about discharging freon...so I need to read up in the service manual to see the right way to do it.

Picking up a couple spare wheels this weekend and then it's going to the frame shop. I might start the DERM replacement process this week while I'm off for Thanksgiving, from what I hear it's a bear to replace.

conesare2seconds · 11-23-2020

I think they build the car around the DERM.

HIZNHRZ · 11-27-2020

Best of luck. Hope you never have to replace your heater core. No doubt in my mind that is the first thing on the ZR-1 parts list and they build the car around it...

Chicago area is a great place to rebuild a ZR-1! Enjoy...

Corvette95 · 11-27-2020

DERM is a cakewalk compared to heater core.

Quote:

Originally Posted by HIZNHRZ

Best of luck. Hope you never have to replace your heater core. No doubt in my mind that is the first thing on the ZR-1 parts list and they build the car around it...

Chicago area is a great place to rebuild a ZR-1! Enjoy...

11-17-2020	#1
willseph Join Date: Nov 2020 Location: Chicagoland Posts: 24	My ZR-1 Revival Thread Hello friends! FNG here, new to ZR-1s but previously owned a C5Z along with a handful of other fun cars. I'm excited to tap in to the wealth of wisdom and experience in this forum as I resurrect a 1990 ZR-1 that I just bought. Long story short, I stumbled on it on eBay, drove the 9 mins from my house to the seller's house to look at it, and ended up buying it after the auction failed to meet the reserve. I'll use this thread to update the progress pictures and stories (and plenty of "don't do what I did"s). It's a '90, white with black interior. It has headers & a Borla exhaust along with a Haibeck chip and some sort of cross-bracing between the b-pillars. Hoping to get a few things sorted out before bringing it to a body shop to have the frame inspected/corrected. Then comes the fun of piecing it back together. Thanks in advance for the knowledge, the search function has already gotten a good workout on my behalf. Last edited by willseph; 06-17-2024 at 03:47 PM.

11-17-2020	#2
Mikey Join Date: Jul 2020 Location: Nashville TN Posts: 323	Re: My ZR-1 Revival Thread Congrats!

11-17-2020	#3
owwdee Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: Colorado Posts: 69	Re: My ZR-1 Revival Thread Congrats and welcome. You will find very good resources here. I?ve been through exactly what your pictures show. Take your time and enjoy the process. It is worth it in the end! For the front crossmember it is critical that the frame shop gets everything back to where it should be otherwise you may be chasing issues with hood and bumper fitment forever. Spoken from experience. __________________ 1991 ZR-1 #1900 Black/Black

11-18-2020	#4
Prez1967 Join Date: Aug 2018 Location: Finksburg, MD Posts: 244	Re: My ZR-1 Revival Thread Saw you post on FB, looking forward to watching the car come back to life!!!! __________________ 1994 #353 "Bluey"

11-19-2020	#5
-=Jeff=- Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Bartlett, IL Posts: 7,169	Re: My ZR-1 Revival Thread Welcome.. I saw that car. on eBay. it was in Crystal Lake.. __________________ 1990 Corvette ZR-1 #1051 Watson Headers (2" Primary) - Flowmaster Cats - Borla Catback Late Model IH - Plenum Coilovers - 4.10s Custom Interior NCM Lifetime Member #978

11-19-2020	#6
JThomas Join Date: May 2008 Location: Okemos, MI. Posts: 1,191	Re: My ZR-1 Revival Thread Good luck, and hopefully we will meet up at a Registry event some day. Project cars can be fun and rewarding! __________________ Joe Thomas Corvette Club of Michigan NCRS-Michigan Chapter Member NCM Master Ambassador NCM Lifetime Member Former NCM Board Member 1991 ZR-1 Melon Copper Metallic/Black 1992 ZR-1 Bright Red/Black (Sold) 1995 ZR-1 Bright Aqua/Gray (Sold) 2012 ZR1 Super Sonic Blue / Dark Titanium

11-23-2020	#7
willseph Join Date: Nov 2020 Location: Chicagoland Posts: 24	Re: My ZR-1 Revival Thread Got to dig in to the car a bit more this weekend. For those not following the CF thread, here are some pics. The radiator, condenser, oil cooler, and power steering cooler all took a bit of damage. I'm going to try to straighten the radiator and pressure test it to see if it's functional, I'd hate to scrap a nice Dewitts unit with barely any mileage on it. Fans looked good too. I'd like to pull off the oil cooler and condenser, but I'm worried about discharging freon...so I need to read up in the service manual to see the right way to do it. Picking up a couple spare wheels this weekend and then it's going to the frame shop. I might start the DERM replacement process this week while I'm off for Thanksgiving, from what I hear it's a bear to replace. Last edited by willseph; 06-17-2024 at 03:47 PM.

11-23-2020	#8
conesare2seconds Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: Greater St. Louis Posts: 490	Re: My ZR-1 Revival Thread I think they build the car around the DERM.

11-27-2020	#9
HIZNHRZ Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Germantown, MD Posts: 738	Re: My ZR-1 Revival Thread Best of luck. Hope you never have to replace your heater core. No doubt in my mind that is the first thing on the ZR-1 parts list and they build the car around it... Chicago area is a great place to rebuild a ZR-1! Enjoy... __________________ 1991 Blk/Blk #864 Founding Member #255 Marc Haibeck Follower !