1990 #1012

[1990ZR1#1012]

It's been a fun 5 months of ownership thus far! Been learning a lot and working on the vehicle with my stepson. Fortunately he has been a certified mechanic for 10 years (Toyota and Jeep) and we have access to his employer's/dealership's bay and lift whenever we do repairs and upgrades.

Found the listing for my vehicle from the when Original Owner's Son's listed it back in 2016. This is the person from whom the guy I bought it from locally had purchased the vehicle...

Oct-19-16 at 06:04:37 PDT

1990 ZR-1 #1012, Original Owners: My father bought the car new in Columbus, Ohio in 1990. He took immaculate care of the car. I moved the car to Virginia when he was no longer driving it and he has since passed. The car is in excellent condition, now in Virginia near Washington, D.C. Less than 1000 miles on the car since 2009. I have all service records going back to 1990. I would love to keep the car, but need the garage space now.

I have both original tops, 2 sets of wheels (1 sets of stock wheels and black wheels pictured on the car), factory manuals, original owners kit with box and original items, and window stickers. Also have a fitted car cover. It's never been in an accident and well taken care of for the past 26 years. There are some very minor nicks at the front of the hood (pictured) but overall paint job is very well maintained.

The following maintenance was done by Tony's Corvette Shop in Gaithersburg, MD, in 2013/ approximately 300 miles ago at an investment of over $6,200.00:

- 4 new wheel bearings
- 16 new injectors
- Steering column rebuild
- U-Joints, runner gaskets, plugs, coils
- I have a CD with pictures and records of all the work
- Staff noted remarkable performance and condition of the car

Here is what I have assessed historically to date: Vehicle was originally purchased by a physician in Ohio on a lease program at a price of $1,300.00 per month. Lease was eventually converted to a purchase. Physician drove the vehicle for 29,000 miles, an average of 1,260.87 miles per year, until 2013, at which point he had the full set of 16 fuel injectors replaced along with rebuilding the steering column at a cost of over $6,200.00 (a CD with pics of Fuel Injector Rebuild Process was included with purchase) and passed the vehicle on to his son in Virginia. The Son put about 1,000 miles on it between 2013-2016 and then sold it via eBay Motors to the "local to me" Littleton, CO owner from whom I purchased it. The local Littleton, CO owner put another 1,000 miles on it from 2016-2021 at which time I purchased the vehicle. Purchase included both the Original Factory Painted Color Bright Red Targa Top and the Glass Targa Top.

Vehicle came to me with a collection of documents from the original owner to the local owner including original lease/purchase paperwork, both original window stickers, the ZR-1 Owner?s Presentation Box (?Pizza Box?), maintenance records, Owner?s Manuals, Chevrolet Repair Manual and Supplement A, Andrew Young's "Heart of the Beast" Book, etc.

Purchase also included a box of "dog bones", aka, rear suspension pieces, as the originals had been upgraded with a T-Arm/Toe Rod/Strut Rod Combo Kit which features T-Arms w/Heims, Strut Rod w/Heims, HD Toe Rod Assembly w/Heims, T-Arm Brackets. Also appears that there have been some upgrades to the front suspension as well, but I have not been able to fully identify what specific parts and pieces were replaced. All modifications allow greater adjustability and flexibility in adjusting the suspension in as the driver so desires.

Since purchasing the vehicle my stepson and I have performed the following maintenance/upgrades:

* Air Filter, Oil Filter (Bosch)/Oil Change (Mobil One Synthetic), Radiator Flush
* Two New Airtex Fuel Pumps E3420 with Strainers & K&N Fuel Filter PF-1000
* eBay LED Headlights & Driving Lights ($100.00) - for now...will be upgrading
* SOLD the Black Powder Coated A-Molds/NT05 Set up and reinstalled the original Factory Saw Blades with Nitto NT555 G2 tires ($850.00)
* Powerstop K4913-26 Z26 Front Muscle Carbon-Fiber Ceramic Brake Pad and Drilled & Slotted Rotors / Powerstop K1523-26 Rear Z26 Muscle Carbon-Fiber Ceramic Brake Pad and Drilled & Slotted Rotors ($500.00)
* Bilstein FX3 Shocks with Actuators ($1,850.00) * NO MORE CODES *
* Haibeck AYBKG Performance Calibration PROM (Chip) - The performance calibration AYBKG is based on GM's latest release of the calibration for '90 LT5 engines. GM calibration AYBK was released as a service part via Product Service Bulletin 476503, dated February, 1994. It was released to address problems with idle fluctuation after a hot restart, increase in idle speed after a hot restart and excessive engine speed during coast down to a stop with the clutch disengaged. ($275.00)
- The calibration generally increases torque and horsepower by 10 respectively. It also reduces power fadeout associated with engine compartment heat. The engine will be more powerful and the output will be more consistent as the engine thoroughly warms up.
- The original equipment calibration is designed to protect the engine when 87 octane regular grade fuel is used. This calibration optimizes the knock control for fuel with 91 octane or more. Premium grade fuel is required.
- The ignition spark advance is increased 10% at all engine speeds. As a result, the advance at wide open throttle is increased by 3 over the stock calibration to 28 degrees.
- Both cooling fans are turned on at 205 degrees. Both are turned off at 200 degrees.
- The fuel delivery at wide open throttle is about 6% rich in the stock calibration. The fueling is reduced by 3%.
- The stock calibration retards the ignition spark advance when the intake air temperature is over 90 degrees F. This is revised to 160 degrees and the amount of retard is decreased.
- The engine control system tends to sense false ignition spark knocks during fast throttle openings at lower engine speeds. This can result in a 10 hp power reduction for about a second after the throttle transition. To address this, the ignition spark timing knock retard is reduced by 50%.
- The CAGS (1 to 4 shift) is disabled. Also, the 1 to 4 shift lamp is turned off.

Interestingly, when I installed the Haibeck Performance Chip, I discovered that the Original Chip had a handwritten cursive notation of "Morrison" on the side of it and an Orange Sticker on top with another handwritten notation of "1990 ZR-1". Morrison Racing offered modded chips in the early 90s specifically calibrated for the ZR-1. Morrison Racing used a Race Modified but internally Stock 1990 ZR-1 in 1990 and set seven World Records; among which was an Average Maintained Speed over 24-Hours at 175.885mph. The vehicle achieved over 200mph in the straights. That bit of history aside, I am running the Haibeck Performance Chip "piggybacked" onto the Stock (Morrison ???) Chip with all the benefits and zero issues.