New Member Looking at a ZR1…

[G-Sting]

Originally Posted by Paul Workman

Welcome to the "Brotherhood of the Beast!"

I can identify with your reaction to your first ride in a Z. I had a pristine 95 LT1/M6 car at the time I test drove my 90. Before starting the drive, I was already having seller's remorse. But, when I returned from the test, I gladly tossed in the 95 as part of the deal and bought the ZR-1 and never regretted it!

Ah, but that was 100+ rear wheel hp ago. The power delivery, the unique sound they have...nuttin' like it with a bowtie badge on it!

Good hunting!

Thank you for the warm welcome!

… and I appreciate all the comments, advice, and… humor! I suppose a thorough pre-buy inspection would possibly clarify many issues of the more expensive type. Though, I do understand on 'older' cars things can come up very unexpectedly.

The Z sat for 2 years in a show room. So the previous owner replaced the serpentine belt, all fluids, all 4 shocks, and a few other things. He had a leak in the tranny (dripping fluid), and had it taken apart and a new seals put in. Idled beautifully smooth, Shifted like butter, accelerated like a bat. New Nitto 555 tires. They are asking 19.9. It's number #1020 if anyone has more info on it.

Here is a photo of the engine compartment. I'm sure the sharp eyes here might be able to comment. Thanks again.

[-=Jeff=-]

looks pretty good and still has the OEM Plug wires on it (aftermarket no longer say 'corvette'

I see the dealer has detailed the motor.. the finish on the LT5 itself seems to be in good shape and color..

The red wire seen in the bottom of the picture, about 1/3 of the way in from the left, looks like an add on.. I am guessing that wire runs to the switch int he car and will be for the fans as a bypass

[WARP TEN]

If the switch is for a fan bypass it is probably because it was overheating bit. All C4s and ZR-1s are bottom feeders for cooling air and very often the radiators become partially plugged with debris which can cause this. common problem; not easy to see even with a light and mirror. If that is it, you can have the radiator removed and cleaned out for a few hundred dollars. My '93 was once about 40% obstructed which caused elevated temps. Never a problem after cleaning. You can also have Marc Haibeck burn a chip for you that turns on both fans at 205 degrees. -Bob

[Paul Workman]

Safelite installed a standard windshield in mine for about that $300 (as I recall). Actually, the Safelite tech let me help him (more like fuss over it like a mother hen!) soze I could see for myself how the glass was installed.

It is beautiful! I never knew how much I'd grown to dislike the delamination until there was none!

They will supply the weatherstripping, but I provided my own. As it happened, the metal frame sub strips they provided were incorrect, so I stripped and cleaned the original strips "on the spot", and we reused them.

I bought my weatherstripping from Corvette Rubber. Excellent rubber. But, I gotta warn ya...their customer service sucks (or it did in my case).

[geezer]

The switch could also be a bypass to solve a 'no start' issue should it occur.

[ghlkal]

Originally Posted by Dynomite

Can you give us some specifics on the $300 windshield and some specifics on the weatherstripping you found?
I guess the regular C4 windshield does not have and does not need the radar cutout?

Like Paul, I found a Safelite shop where the manager had installed a number of C4 windshields. The regular C4 windshield was $230 and it was $70 to install it.

I forgot the exact supplier I used for the weatherstripping, but it was good stuff.

No "cutout" on the regular windshield. I tried to get someone to install "airblue" or similar tint on the windshield, but ... that was another story.

[Z51JEFF]

Most will tell you that the trim will get destroyed removing but this is false. The trim is glued in but lacquer thinner will break down the glue and its then possible to get the trim off. Keep in mind that the holes in the WS frame are drilled with the trim at the time is installed at the factory meaning if a different set of trim is used the holes won't line up, at least it was like this on an 84 I had on the past.

[G-Sting]

Originally Posted by -=Jeff=-

The red wire seen in the bottom of the picture, about 1/3 of the way in from the left, looks like an add on.. I am guessing that wire runs to the switch int he car and will be for the fans as a bypass

You guessed it, Jeff! Turns on/off the left cooling fan…

I have appreciated all the comments, as well as the options concerning the windshield.

Was able to spend 2 1/2 hours with the car yesterday. Unfortunately, the local corvette expert could not take a last minute pre-buy inspection, so we checked everything out best we could at his grandfather's garage. Ran across a number of disappointments, though. Here's the list:

1. Found literally a pool of water (after the heavy rains here) on the passenger floor. The passenger window appeared to be completely up, but not for sure. I seem to remember the '96 C-4 having some similar issue. And I ran a bead of silicon on an inside front door seal to channel it properly.

2. The parking brake doesn't stay engaged. Can pull handle up, it applies the brake, but doesn't stay engaged, nor up. Handle just goes freely up and down whether you push the button or not.

3. No A/C. The previous owner had the same issue, had it refilled with Freon and dye. But it just blows ambient air again. We didn't have the glasses, nor light to check where the leak was coming from.

4. White/Blue smoke out of exhaust when it sits for a bit, then restarted. Occurs when revved either little or much. Issue or normal?

5. The right cam cover had what appears to be oil all over it. Hadn't noticed this on the previous pre-drive inspection. (Oil dipstick checked at the full line, oil looked new and clean.)

6. Has the orange coolant in the reservoir. (probably no big deal, but I've been rooting around on this excellent site.

Exhaust:


Right Cam cover:


Not sure this is the 'one.' Oh well, the hunt is part of the adventure!

Cheers,
G

[XfireZ51]

None of the issues look horrid, but for the money you could likely find a car with much fewer issues.

[mike100]

looks like the injector housing gasket and/or the plenum gasket is saturated with oil. Not so uncommon depending on how you seal the oil breather pass-thrus...probably installed the gaskets dry and they will weep oil that way. It does appear that they were removed for some kind of service or maybe repainting/powder coating as that finish looks very bright.

parking brake will be some kind of simple mechanical fix..you can get parts out of any C4 for that.

I don't do a/c so no advice

the 90 ZR-1 don't have valve guide seals, but other years should not smoke too much. Don't be alarmed with the amount of oil in the intake- that is par for the course on even the healthiest LT5's. They all puff a little here and there depending. You may need to see another one to compare.

definitely flush the coolant and use conventional green coolant. There are several types commonly available everywhere. I use the Autozone conventional green stuff.

the pool of water- not so surprised...all C4 weather stripping is pretty bad even on the garage queens. I have to chase drops near the seats and doors after every wash. make sure it isn't the heater core- then other wise sit in the car while somebody washes it down to find the leak.