I want this car!

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by vilant

Love the engine. Wonder if those 8 cars would be classified as proto-types?

these aren't gm cars, they're aftermarket tuned cars much the same way yenkos are. they're not prototypes in anyway, shape or form. that said they're still amazingly cool cars and I'd love to own one...i've got my eye on #2. But these are not ncrs cars

[vilant]

Originally Posted by Kevin

these aren't gm cars, they're aftermarket tuned cars much the same way yenkos are. they're not prototypes in anyway, shape or form. that said they're still amazingly cool cars and I'd love to own one...i've got my eye on #2. But these are not ncrs cars

Ahh I see. Thought GM ordered these cars. Makes me wonder how many of our Z's were upgraded through DRM, LPE, or Callaway, aftermarket?

[Kevin]

http://www.zr1netregistry.com/ZR1_blackwidow.htm

[Bob Eyres]

I don't see how it's worth near the price asked.
It's an early example of the first tuner effort on the LT5. No re-ground cams or special parts, and it doesn't have low mileage in the collector sense.
Trick black wrinkle paint, and a clever name, but few significant differences from a normal ZR-1.
Beautiful car, but IMHO not in the same league as the recently sold White 94' 415" Lingenfelter that SW had.

[gbrtng]

Originally Posted by Daniel_Mc

Same here I Love the Black Motor cars. I know the NCRS was looking at classifying them as something but besides the DRM Black Widows there are a few more Black Motor cars some built before the 8 DRM's.

Daniel

That's news to me ... I thought the 8 Rippie cars were the first ones and the rest were wannabees.

[vilant]

Originally Posted by Kevin

http://www.zr1netregistry.com/ZR1_blackwidow.htm

Very cool. Thanks.

[gmonsen]

While here is some appeal from it being an early tuner ZR-1, I would rather buy a car for $20,000 and have Haibeck put $10,000 or more into the motor, maybe a Boudreau trans, and some other goodies.

Gordon

[Daniel_Mc]

Originally Posted by vilant

Oh really. Was that an upgrade DRM did, like Ligenfelter or Calloway? I was under the impression GM ordered the upgrade of the 8 for possible replacement of the LT5. I don't know the history.

Originally Posted by gbrtng

That's news to me ... I thought the 8 Rippie cars were the first ones and the rest were wannabees.

No, DRM did not do the other cars the ones directly involved were Morrison, Baker, GM, and Synergies (Better known as Dieline). As far as the 8 Black Widow *cars DRM had GM's "blessing" if you will but GM *did not do the cars. From what I can gather the black finish was on several marine LT5 applications at Mercruiser but was applied by Mercruiser to distinguish the motors as they traveled through the assembly process. Remember the LT5 Mercruiser staff wanted all the 405 HP LT5's to be black but GM shot that idea down (this was discussed at The Gathering 2011). From the net site:*

Mercrusier *had been experimenting with special machining of various engine components for racers Tommy Morrison and Kim Baker and they came up with a finished product for Rippie’s new project. Cylinder heads, injector housings, intake plenum and portions of the throttle body were given a complete port and polishing, then treated to a durable wrinkle black powder coated paint. The engines were sent back to Rippie’s shop in Minneapolis, MN., where he reassembled them, performed custom camshaft installation, and finally, ECM calibration.

Morrison used the Black motors in the race cars from what I can gather and worked directly with GM and Mercruiser. *I have not been able to confirm if any of the Morrison Black Motors made it into street cars or even survived. I'm still chasing this.... Baker tweaked a few Black motors as well most for Tommy Morrison but possibly 2 went into street cars. GM had a Black Motor Z known as the SnakeSkinner (the car is now owned by a member of the Hendricks family if I remember correctly) it was John Heinricy's personal car used for testing and one of the 89 Z's. It was sold out of the GM collection in 09 at BJ. One of the black motor Z's wasn't even built in BG it was hand built, frame included, different brakes, different wheels, etc. and given a production VIN number from a donor car. It was done by the company that did all the tooling for the C4 frame and did other one off cars for GM ( Falconnor ZR-12, ZR-1 spider, etc.) This Z from what I gather was done before the Rippie cars and was first seen at the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1992.*This is just from memory I have pictures and such on my computer at work I can post up on Monday if anyone wants.

Daniel

[Demps]

I'm pretty sure a Morrison motor is in George Bonefide's '91.
Ted

[Kevin]

from what I remember George's car is a "factory black motor" but is' not a black widdow car