Best regards from the Autobahn :)

[Matt B]

Guten Tag,

greetings from Germany. Allow me to introduce myself - I'm Matt, forty something years old and just imported a stunning 1991 ZR-1 from New Jersey to near Munich. She's a pristine red over black, first owner beauty with only 18.500mls. She's complete in stock condition down to the original 30 yrs old tires. The ZR is actually my third American beauty and joins my pastel yellow 1970 Lincoln Mark III and ruby red 1988 Chevrolet Caprice Brougham.
I grew up in eastern Germany and have been an admirer of US automobiles ever since. I've owned quiet a few over the last decades with the pinnacle of my collection just having arrived: my ZR-1.

Why ZR-1? Well... You know why . It's an amazing car - but it's the engine that conquered my heart. Its look, the sound, the brute force but also the outstanding technology being so far ahead of its time. And of course the passion it was made with... This is truly a gem and a must-have!
But ZR-1 are super rare over here so instead of spending ages on my local market I had a friend from New York inspect this particular car and quickly decided to not wait any longer. While waiting for her I read though this forum, studied Marc Haibeck's and other pages, soaked up the "Heart of the Beast" book and also applied as a member to the Net Registry - which I now proudly am.

The ZR-1 already was (or is) registered with the Net Registry, former owner is Mr. Monopoli from NJ. Unfortunately I never had a chance to directly speak to him, but in case someone knows him and/or this car happy to hear about!

Now I have to go down the road to make her road legal. Biggest issue comes from the rear tires which are not available at all over here. But if there's a will...

I will add some pictures of her in beautiful Bavarian countryside once I can take her out for a ride. Already now I can say that I'm seriously happy and proud to own that fine masterpiece of a car and have my stake in preserving the legend.

Looking forward to becoming part of the community and of course to riding my ZR-1!

Best

Matt

[Mikey]

Congratulations Matt! Thanks for sharing.

Surprised you can't find tires - Michelin is a French company is it not?
Or do you mean you can't find original style Goodyear?

[HAWAIIZR-1]

Welcome to the family and congratulations! Nice intro and story. Enjoy and best wishes.


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[dredgeguy]

Welcome Matt, hope you can join the ZR-1 Registry group gathering held at Corvettes at Carlisle, PA August 26-28. We will have group rates for hotel later this year so keep an eye out. Most years we have some European members join us and always great to meet a new friend. Welcome to the group and enjoy!

[conesare2seconds]

Welcome.

[Matt B]

Thanks for the warm welcome. Believe me - IF we will be allowed to travel freely in August It would be a great pleasure to join. We'll have to wait and see...

W.r.t. the tires right, Michelin is French. But... This is Europe so everything is complicated. There is a certain certification that car parts must have to be road legal. This is expensive so apparently Michelin has skipped certification and only produces for the US market. Which economically makes sense, as the number of ZR-1 over here is close to nothing. And also I learned that these Michelin tires are even Made in USA.
Also I'm forced to mount tires that are "Z" rated (or higher) so they are certified to withstand 290km/h (metric ZR-1 official top speed). I can't go for W rated or anything below 290km/h rating. Illegal here...

What they offer, though, is a 335 tire that fits various Ferrari and Lamborghini models, so there is a limited production run every now and then. I will opt for a pair of these. Front tires are available, so no issue here.

Best

Matt

[dredgeguy]

The 335/35 will fit perfect on the rears, that is what I am using with the Michelin Pilot Sport 2. Your speed will be off by a couple of MPH as the tire is very slightly taller but that is not a big deal.

[Matt B]

Very good! I will anyway have to adjust the speedo as this is going to be out of tolerance. Speedo by law mustn't show less than the actual speed in my place. So, did I mention how complicated things are here?

But once this is done I'm free to use 335 for good.

Next thing will be a complete tune up - plugs, oil/filter, coolant, clutch & brake fluid, drive belt, etc. Great chance to get acquainted with her quirks

[G-Sting]

Guten Tag and welcome, Matt. And congratulations on your ownership of a ZR-1!

We lived in West Germany in the mid-80s, compliments of the U.S. Air Force, and enjoyed every bit of our time. We traveled all over, when we got the chance - such beautiful countryside. Our German landlord and his family was very kind to us, which made things all the better.

I'm sure we all will enjoy seeing photos of your red ZR-1 with the backdrop of the epic scenery there.

Again, welcome and enjoy that beast!

-- Mike

[G8nightman]

Welcome Matt.


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