Need more info on 91' ZR1 black motor - ZR-1 Net Registry Forums

witdog2020 · 08-26-2009

How, Where, can I get more info on the black motor car built before Doug Rippie started? Is there still a number around for Kim Baker Racing? Doug says this car isn't his, It's a previous black motor build, built before Doug was hooked up with Jay grundyke. Was Kim Baker the actual founder of the black motor? How many black motors were built before Rippie and Dieline hooked up? I don't see any references to black motor cars before Rippie's.

If you have the publication the heart of the beast, you will see in the pictures a black motor car with white lettering like the car we have.

Anybody with any info?

PhillipsLT5 · 08-26-2009

Did you try JVD?

ZZZZZR1 · 08-26-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhillipsLT5

Did you try JVD?

I agree.

Call Jim Van Dorn... He knows these cars very well.

http://www.automastersofbg.com/

GOLDCYLON · 08-26-2009

If JVD doesnt know nobody does

ZRWON · 08-27-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by witdog2020

How, Where, can I get more info on the black motor car built before Doug Rippie started? Is there still a number around for Kim Baker Racing? Doug says this car isn't his, It's a previous black motor build, built before Doug was hooked up with Jay grundyke. Was Kim Baker the actual founder of the black motor? How many black motors were built before Rippie and Dieline hooked up? I don't see any references to black motor cars before Rippie's.
If you have the publication the heart of the beast, you will see in the pictures a black motor car with white lettering like the car we have.
Anybody with any info?

My BEAST2 is the late Doug Johnson's car mentioned by JVD in the Corvette Action Center story see following links
http://home.comcast.net/~bbstrow/bill3.htm
http://www.corvetteactioncenter.com/...lackwidow.html
http://www.automastersofbg.com/Weekndr.pdf
http://home.comcast.net/~bbstrow/
and here are some pictures for you
Pic of #8, the last of the original 8 Black Widows

Copy of notes recorded when Doug Johnson got 1st BEAST from JVD and is on way back to home in FLA

witdog2020 · 08-27-2009

Nice car

Did you Widow car not come with front crash bars (or roll cage)? This car has large tubes. And it is all tied with the cage inside the car.

ZRWON · 08-27-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by witdog2020

Nice car

Did you Widow car not come with front crash bars (or roll cage)? This car has large tubes. And it is all tied with the cage inside the car.

BEAST did not come with any race safety eq. BUT, with an 8k rev limit, 4:11 rear and all the other goodies JVD included it is very fast! I considered using it for Open Road Racing and make it into the 200 mph club but I'd need to get rid of about 1200 lbs and install the race gear you refer to. I decided I'm only the "current custodian" of Doug's BEAST and will keep in in the original condition. I don't know of any of the original Black Widows that the owners installed the racing gear you mention with the exception of JVD's '91 # 8 , WEEEKEDR, named because of the low miles...he used it only on weekends for racing

A call to JVD @ (270) 842-0454 would get you more correct info. While you are talking with Jim you might ask him for DVD he made of his presentation at Corvette Museum last Labor day weekend, if he has any copies left. The DVD is a treasure of Vette racing history and is free except Jim asks you to send a donation to one of his favorite Charities in Bowling Green (can't remember which one but I did include a donation for Jim to handle). I only know of owners of 4 of the original 8 Black Widows. I guess the rest are lost to history. I tried to locate all 8 a couple years ago with no success.

witdog2020 · 09-01-2009

I have New info!
The car was owned by Jay Grundyke! The owner of Dieline! He had this engine built by Kim Baker Racing with 1600 miles on the car. The car was Black/Black. They had the car painted white to signify Kim Bakers racing accomplishments and to model his race vettes. This car has traveled the country it was used to show what they can do with the Corvette and modifications they are selling. The car was built to all race specifications to model the cars. The car was sold to an associate of Jay, named Bill. Senior citizen discounts on the service records. He and his wife got divorced and she got the car. The car was traded after a few years on a brand new corvette. Thats when the owner that has it now purchased the car, and garaged it, never even plated the car. This car was also featured in a magazine in the early 90's. The previous owner could not remember which magazine or what year. This car probably is built probably better than most of the widow cars, thats not for me to judge. She also stated that they had the coil overs removed. This car may be 1 of 1, I have not seen any info of any more of these cars being built between Kim Baker and Dieline like this.
I have an email sent to Kim Baker and I hope to get a response. I have another email sent to Dymag. The wheels, I am told from a Dymag Rep. that these wheels may have never went into production this wide, and that only prototypes may have been released to the vendors. I am waiting on the response from Dymag across the water. They have confirmed they will know soon. They needed the serial number.

The car was put on the track for demonstration while Dieline owned the car, I don't know any speeds, just that it performed very well. After reading the " The Heart of the Beast" It looks as though the Father of the black motor was actually Kim Baker? GM,Mercruiser, Kim Baker and Dieline were actually working together prior to the black widow cars.

I will post the new info as I get it. The history of this car is very interesting. This car is very rare, and the value of the car seems to far exceed what the owner is asking for the car.
As soon as I receive all the info from Dymag, and I want to to give Kim Baker time to return my email, hopefully with all specifications in the engine. We will put the car on ebay if we get no takers here.
If anyone knows which publication this car was shown in, please let me know which edition, what year. I want to get as much info correct as possible on the car.

Thanks

Eric870 · 09-02-2009

I copied this off of Bakers web site..

Another testament to Kim Baker's expertise with engines is that he was one of the very few outside specialists called upon to aid in the development and testing of the ZR-1's LT5 powerplant. As far back as 1987, Baker was involved in the program, putting ZR-1 prototypes through high-speed testing at superspeedways such as Talladega, Riverside Raceway, and Mosport near Toronto, Ontario.

"We did approximately 350,000 street miles and 10,000 miles under race conditions during our work on the LT5," Baker says. "As a result of that testing, we gained incredible knowledge about the ZR-1 motor and vehicle." The crowning achievement for Baker was gaining a spot on the Morrison racing team that set new land-speed and endurance world records at Fort Stockton, Texas, in the ZR-1 he had helped to develop. Through his involvement with "The King of the Hill," Baker, too, became a legend. In 1991 he was named "One of the 10 Most Influential Men of Corvette" by Road & Track.

zr1mom · 09-02-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by witdog2020

How, Where, can I get more info on the black motor car built before Doug Rippie started? Is there still a number around for Kim Baker Racing? Doug says this car isn't his, It's a previous black motor build, built before Doug was hooked up with Jay grundyke. Was Kim Baker the actual founder of the black motor? How many black motors were built before Rippie and Dieline hooked up? I don't see any references to black motor cars before Rippie's.

If you have the publication the heart of the beast, you will see in the pictures a black motor car with white lettering like the car we have.

Anybody with any info?

http://www.zr1netregistry.com/ZR1_faq.htm#66

Mom

08-26-2009	#1
witdog2020 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Hartford City Posts: 21	Need more info on 91' ZR1 black motor How, Where, can I get more info on the black motor car built before Doug Rippie started? Is there still a number around for Kim Baker Racing? Doug says this car isn't his, It's a previous black motor build, built before Doug was hooked up with Jay grundyke. Was Kim Baker the actual founder of the black motor? How many black motors were built before Rippie and Dieline hooked up? I don't see any references to black motor cars before Rippie's. If you have the publication the heart of the beast, you will see in the pictures a black motor car with white lettering like the car we have. Anybody with any info?

08-26-2009	#2
PhillipsLT5 Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Scottsdale, AZ Posts: 2,452	Re: Need more info on 91' ZR1 black motor Did you try JVD?

08-26-2009	#4
GOLDCYLON Join Date: May 2007 Location: Peoria, AZ Posts: 9,155	Re: Need more info on 91' ZR1 black motor If JVD doesnt know nobody does __________________ GOLDCYLON - 91 ZR-1 #2014 GOLDCYLON - 90 ZR-1 #2794, 4L60e (Formerly Schrade's) GOLDCYLON - 11 CTS-V Arizona State Director 91 WHITE/BLACK #2014. 380 P&P&PCed,Ported Heads, Jeal Long tubes, Corsa Exhaust/FIKSE FM-5s /LED TLs, LED Headlights, Front Wilwood 6 piston narrowlite calipers and rear Wilwood caliper street shop mod,CNCed Coolant Pipes,TPI Cvr,Filter cover,Stainless Bolts, DRM/DOM PROM /ZFDOC mod build #102,DRLs,BMAD with stainless Debris Screen,Coplan Air Blaster, Pioneer APP Radio 4,Brey-Krause HB,Sub Bar,Fire extinguisher seat mount,DRM Coilovers,LEDs everywhere,Compass mirror (orange),V1 DIC hidden display, Homelink sun visor, Carbon Fiber top x3 and APSIS Carbon Fiber interior, APSIS CF Steering Wheel/NAPA Leather, Banski trailing arms, Guldstrand front suspension,urethane bushings from Prothane (total suspension) ZFDoc drive shaft safety loop, raptor shift light (orange),AO engineering louver front plate, Console seat cushion, 96CE seats with black custom Sheepskins, ss billet catch can,Viper remote entry/alarm,Cragar Rear Louvers,LED side louver lights, Dewitts Radiator with SPAL fans and a Woods 160 T-Stat 90 RED/BLACK #2794. 4L60e Automatic Stage V by RPM Transmission, TCI Dedicated TCM, OBX Stainless Headers, Corsa Exhaust, SAN Secondaries and Haibeck PROM, Exotic Muscle Coil overs, LED Interior Lights, LED Tail Lights, LED Headlights, 94 Sport seats with black custom Sheepskins , Cragar rear louvers, GS Front calipers, Banski Trailing arms, APSIS Carbon Fiber steering wheel, Front and Rear Baer Eradispeeds, DRLs, Guldstrand front suspension,urethane bushings from Prothane (total suspension), Dewitt's Raditor with Dual SPAL fans and a Haibeck 170 T-Stat 11 RED/GREY CTS-V

09-02-2009	#9
Eric870 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Portland OR Posts: 173	Re: Need more info on 91' ZR1 black motor I copied this off of Bakers web site.. Another testament to Kim Baker's expertise with engines is that he was one of the very few outside specialists called upon to aid in the development and testing of the ZR-1's LT5 powerplant. As far back as 1987, Baker was involved in the program, putting ZR-1 prototypes through high-speed testing at superspeedways such as Talladega, Riverside Raceway, and Mosport near Toronto, Ontario. "We did approximately 350,000 street miles and 10,000 miles under race conditions during our work on the LT5," Baker says. "As a result of that testing, we gained incredible knowledge about the ZR-1 motor and vehicle." The crowning achievement for Baker was gaining a spot on the Morrison racing team that set new land-speed and endurance world records at Fort Stockton, Texas, in the ZR-1 he had helped to develop. Through his involvement with "The King of the Hill," Baker, too, became a legend. In 1991 he was named "One of the 10 Most Influential Men of Corvette" by Road & Track.

09-01-2009	#8
witdog2020 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Hartford City Posts: 21	Re: Need more info on 91' ZR1 black motor I have New info! The car was owned by Jay Grundyke! The owner of Dieline! He had this engine built by Kim Baker Racing with 1600 miles on the car. The car was Black/Black. They had the car painted white to signify Kim Bakers racing accomplishments and to model his race vettes. This car has traveled the country it was used to show what they can do with the Corvette and modifications they are selling. The car was built to all race specifications to model the cars. The car was sold to an associate of Jay, named Bill. Senior citizen discounts on the service records. He and his wife got divorced and she got the car. The car was traded after a few years on a brand new corvette. Thats when the owner that has it now purchased the car, and garaged it, never even plated the car. This car was also featured in a magazine in the early 90's. The previous owner could not remember which magazine or what year. This car probably is built probably better than most of the widow cars, thats not for me to judge. She also stated that they had the coil overs removed. This car may be 1 of 1, I have not seen any info of any more of these cars being built between Kim Baker and Dieline like this. I have an email sent to Kim Baker and I hope to get a response. I have another email sent to Dymag. The wheels, I am told from a Dymag Rep. that these wheels may have never went into production this wide, and that only prototypes may have been released to the vendors. I am waiting on the response from Dymag across the water. They have confirmed they will know soon. They needed the serial number. The car was put on the track for demonstration while Dieline owned the car, I don't know any speeds, just that it performed very well. After reading the " The Heart of the Beast" It looks as though the Father of the black motor was actually Kim Baker? GM,Mercruiser, Kim Baker and Dieline were actually working together prior to the black widow cars. I will post the new info as I get it. The history of this car is very interesting. This car is very rare, and the value of the car seems to far exceed what the owner is asking for the car. As soon as I receive all the info from Dymag, and I want to to give Kim Baker time to return my email, hopefully with all specifications in the engine. We will put the car on ebay if we get no takers here. If anyone knows which publication this car was shown in, please let me know which edition, what year. I want to get as much info correct as possible on the car. Thanks