I Bought a ZR-1!!!! 1995 #121 - ZR-1 Net Registry Forums

RichieDMD · 09-01-2021

So, I first came here early last year (not long before the shutdown) with an interest in learning about ZR-1s. I made a long post about my goals and what I was thinking and I received a bunch of replies with a ton of information. You can see it here: http://www.zr1.net/forum/showthread.php?t=31442

I owe a big thank you to all of you who gave me advice and info as I was learning and looking.

At the time, I was wanting an earlier ZR-1 for a couple reasons...but the more I researched, the more I came to the conclusion that later was better.

I ultimately came to the conclusion that what I wanted was a 1994 or 95 (preferably 95) Torch Red ZR-1. I wanted an original car, lowish-moderate mile driver in good condition. I wasn't really concerned with interior color...any would do if the rest of the car matched but I will admit that Red/Red was more red than I wanted.

I started looking seriously a couple months back...watching websites like BaT and keeping an eye on eBay and here. A red/red 1994 sold a few weeks back with 21K miles for $35,500 (plus premium) and I considered bidding but I let it go (frankly, I couldn't get my wife to have me a 100% green light and I wasn't going to do it without one).

Speaking of my wife, she was fine with me buying one but she told me I needed to part with one of my other cars to make room. It was more about the space than the cost...but apparently 3 cars is my current max. At the time, my "collection" comprised of my daily driver (2017 BMW M3) and two "fun cars" (1993 Camaro Z-28 Indy 500 Pace Car Festival Car, 2002 Camaro SS 35th Anniversary Edition).

Basically, I needed to commit to selling one of the Camaro's. In the past, I had reached the conclusion that the Pace Car was the one to go...and had listed it for sale a couple times before being unable to go through with it once offers started rolling in. My wavering on committing to selling it impacted her green lighting the 1994 ZR-1 (she knew full well that I would get the ZR-1...and then "not be able to sell" the pace car...she knows me).

Not deterred, I continued to look for a ZR-1 and followed up on a couple cars that just weren't "right." At the same time, I did list the 1993 Camaro Pace Car.

I made a WTB post on the Corvette Forum a couple weeks ago figuring the chances of something coming out of it were low...and within a couple days I was contacted by a guy in California with a 1995 he was considering selling. 1995, red/beige, 38K miles. Car is not a double Dunn car and it has a transparent top only.

We ended up making a deal that I felt was very fair and the car is now mine.

I haven't had a chance to look at in person, but I've closely examined the photos, maintenance records, and had a mechanic friend look over the images and data. The car looks good. It also recently passed the California smog testing so it clearly runs well.

Meanwhile, I got a very fair offer on the Pace Car about 10 days ago. The guy is an older gentleman from the east coast who just wants a car to enjoy with his wife for Cars and Coffee. Seemed like a really nice guy and a good home...so I accepted the offer. The car was picked up last week. I miss it, but it was time.

As for the ZR-1, I'm hoping the shipping company will have it here this weekend. But, we will see. It's always a wait.

Here are a few of the sellers photos. I will post more photos when the car arrives.

Demps · 09-01-2021

Congrats! It looks great. Look forward to your impressions once you get it.

Ted

DRM500RUBYZR-1 · 09-01-2021

Congratulations!
Very Nice!!!
Get ready for some FUN!

Marty

HAWAIIZR-1 · 09-01-2021

Congrats! It?s a beauty and you will love it. Enjoy.

Sent from my iPhone using ZR-1 Net Registry

zyal8r · 09-02-2021

Congratulations! Looks beautiful! The windshield appears to be in very good shape, too - definitely a win!

Enjoy it and post more pictures when you get it!

Mike

dredgeguy · 09-02-2021

Have fun with it and you will always be happy you did not settle for anything other than what you wanted. Well done!
The perfect car is always out there, you just have to wait for it to find you!

Matt B · 09-02-2021

Congratulations! I wish I'd have your patience. I FIRST bought my ZR and THEN asked all the questions [emoji28]
I hope you will enjoy her as much as you expected or even more. And by the way - pace cars are always kinda cool cars but in that case your trade off was more than fair. Z28 out, ZR-1 in sounds like a pretty good option!

Sent from my SM-G991B using ZR-1 Net Registry mobile app

RichieDMD · 09-02-2021

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt B

Congratulations! I wish I'd have your patience. I FIRST bought my ZR and THEN asked all the questions [emoji28]
I hope you will enjoy her as much as you expected or even more. And by the way - pace cars are always kinda cool cars but in that case your trade off was more than fair. Z28 out, ZR-1 in sounds like a pretty good option!

Sent from my SM-G991B using ZR-1 Net Registry mobile app

Thanks.

The pace car was cool...but the problem was it was too boring to drive. I loved looking at it, but when I got it my daily driver was a 2002 SS Camaro...and LS1 car with a 6-speed. The pace car, being the same generation but a decade older, was very similar in many ways but worse. It was an LT1 car (so cast iron, lower HP, and that dreaded Optispark was always looming) and it was an automatic. When I upgrade my daily driver, I kept my beloved 2002 Camaro and I found that when I wanted to drive a V8 I always picked the 2002. The Pace Car just sat in the garage. Even though I really liked both...when the time came to finally get a ZR-1 and I needed to let one of the Camaro's go, the choice was obvious.

Jagdpanzer · 09-03-2021

Beautiful car and great score.
You will surly enjoy it.

Sent from my iPhone using ZR-1 Net Registry

RichieDMD · 09-03-2021

Well, she got delivered a couple hours ago and I took her for our first spin. It was awesome...everything that I was wanting.

The condition of the car is superb. It has a couple very minor paint chips but for a 26 year old car...I don't think they get much better outside of a museum.

The car drives very nice. It's fast...but not insanely so. I honestly figured it would be a little faster than my 2002 SS Camaro (which has some minor aftermarket work done) and slower than my daily driver 2017 BMW M3. I think my expectations were accurate.

What really drew me to the ZR-1 was the fantastic history and cool story.

When I decided to sell my 1993 Camaro Pace Car...I did it because it was too similar of driving experience with my 2002 Camaro (but worse in every measurable way)...but it had a better story/history. I choose to keep the more fun car to drive and sold the story. So, I wanted a car with just as good of a story but that was just as fun to drive (but also had a different feel).

I think this is exactly that...I'm in love.

If I'm honest, it doesn't feel like it has the brutish raw power of the Camaro even though it has more HP. I think the reason for that is the ZR-1 is so well balanced and refined. It's really drivers car and not a V8 deathtrap (like the Camaro).

I think my little car collection suits me really well. I have a luxury performance daily driver, one of the coolest Corvette's ever built, and a sentimental deathtrap Camaro.

09-01-2021	#2
Demps Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Niceville Posts: 998	Re: I Bought a ZR-1!!!! 1995 #121 Congrats! It looks great. Look forward to your impressions once you get it. Ted

09-01-2021	#3
DRM500RUBYZR-1 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Mullica Hill, New Jersey Posts: 2,592	Re: I Bought a ZR-1!!!! 1995 #121 Congratulations! Very Nice!!! Get ready for some FUN! Marty

09-01-2021	#4
HAWAIIZR-1 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Japan Posts: 3,583	Re: I Bought a ZR-1!!!! 1995 #121 Congrats! It?s a beauty and you will love it. Enjoy. Sent from my iPhone using ZR-1 Net Registry __________________ Craig "ZR-1 NO KA 'OI" "ZR-1 ICHIBAN" 1995 #228 Black/Black with Dunn Heads ZR-1 owner since September 2003 ZR-1 Net Registry Founding Member #0074 NCM Lifetime Member #2048

09-02-2021	#5
zyal8r Join Date: Oct 2019 Location: Raymore, MO Posts: 137	Re: I Bought a ZR-1!!!! 1995 #121 Congratulations! Looks beautiful! The windshield appears to be in very good shape, too - definitely a win! Enjoy it and post more pictures when you get it! Mike

09-02-2021	#6
dredgeguy Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Ellicott City, MD Posts: 1,708	Re: I Bought a ZR-1!!!! 1995 #121 Have fun with it and you will always be happy you did not settle for anything other than what you wanted. Well done! The perfect car is always out there, you just have to wait for it to find you! __________________ Charlie __________ Dredgeguy WAZOO Member 1992 Bright Red/Black ZR1 #246 Dana 4:10 gears Polished LT5 by Haibeck Polished Fikse FM5's with Michelin Pilot Sport 2 Stainless Works headers and cats with Corsa

09-01-2021	#1
RichieDMD Join Date: Feb 2020 Location: Oregon Posts: 67	I Bought a ZR-1!!!! 1995 #121 So, I first came here early last year (not long before the shutdown) with an interest in learning about ZR-1s. I made a long post about my goals and what I was thinking and I received a bunch of replies with a ton of information. You can see it here: http://www.zr1.net/forum/showthread.php?t=31442 I owe a big thank you to all of you who gave me advice and info as I was learning and looking. At the time, I was wanting an earlier ZR-1 for a couple reasons...but the more I researched, the more I came to the conclusion that later was better. I ultimately came to the conclusion that what I wanted was a 1994 or 95 (preferably 95) Torch Red ZR-1. I wanted an original car, lowish-moderate mile driver in good condition. I wasn't really concerned with interior color...any would do if the rest of the car matched but I will admit that Red/Red was more red than I wanted. I started looking seriously a couple months back...watching websites like BaT and keeping an eye on eBay and here. A red/red 1994 sold a few weeks back with 21K miles for $35,500 (plus premium) and I considered bidding but I let it go (frankly, I couldn't get my wife to have me a 100% green light and I wasn't going to do it without one). Speaking of my wife, she was fine with me buying one but she told me I needed to part with one of my other cars to make room. It was more about the space than the cost...but apparently 3 cars is my current max. At the time, my "collection" comprised of my daily driver (2017 BMW M3) and two "fun cars" (1993 Camaro Z-28 Indy 500 Pace Car Festival Car, 2002 Camaro SS 35th Anniversary Edition). Basically, I needed to commit to selling one of the Camaro's. In the past, I had reached the conclusion that the Pace Car was the one to go...and had listed it for sale a couple times before being unable to go through with it once offers started rolling in. My wavering on committing to selling it impacted her green lighting the 1994 ZR-1 (she knew full well that I would get the ZR-1...and then "not be able to sell" the pace car...she knows me). Not deterred, I continued to look for a ZR-1 and followed up on a couple cars that just weren't "right." At the same time, I did list the 1993 Camaro Pace Car. I made a WTB post on the Corvette Forum a couple weeks ago figuring the chances of something coming out of it were low...and within a couple days I was contacted by a guy in California with a 1995 he was considering selling. 1995, red/beige, 38K miles. Car is not a double Dunn car and it has a transparent top only. We ended up making a deal that I felt was very fair and the car is now mine. I haven't had a chance to look at in person, but I've closely examined the photos, maintenance records, and had a mechanic friend look over the images and data. The car looks good. It also recently passed the California smog testing so it clearly runs well. Meanwhile, I got a very fair offer on the Pace Car about 10 days ago. The guy is an older gentleman from the east coast who just wants a car to enjoy with his wife for Cars and Coffee. Seemed like a really nice guy and a good home...so I accepted the offer. The car was picked up last week. I miss it, but it was time. As for the ZR-1, I'm hoping the shipping company will have it here this weekend. But, we will see. It's always a wait. Here are a few of the sellers photos. I will post more photos when the car arrives. Last edited by RichieDMD; 09-01-2021 at 11:30 AM.

09-02-2021	#7
Matt B Join Date: Jan 2021 Location: Beautiful Bavaria Posts: 523	Re: I Bought a ZR-1!!!! 1995 #121 Congratulations! I wish I'd have your patience. I FIRST bought my ZR and THEN asked all the questions [emoji28] I hope you will enjoy her as much as you expected or even more. And by the way - pace cars are always kinda cool cars but in that case your trade off was more than fair. Z28 out, ZR-1 in sounds like a pretty good option! Sent from my SM-G991B using ZR-1 Net Registry mobile app __________________ ZR-1 #638/1991

09-03-2021	#9
Jagdpanzer Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Northern VA Posts: 2,659	Re: I Bought a ZR-1!!!! 1995 #121 Beautiful car and great score. You will surly enjoy it. Sent from my iPhone using ZR-1 Net Registry __________________ Phil Wasinger 1994 Torch Red ZR-1 WAZOO Member George Braml Intake

09-03-2021	#10
RichieDMD Join Date: Feb 2020 Location: Oregon Posts: 67	Re: I Bought a ZR-1!!!! 1995 #121 Well, she got delivered a couple hours ago and I took her for our first spin. It was awesome...everything that I was wanting. The condition of the car is superb. It has a couple very minor paint chips but for a 26 year old car...I don't think they get much better outside of a museum. The car drives very nice. It's fast...but not insanely so. I honestly figured it would be a little faster than my 2002 SS Camaro (which has some minor aftermarket work done) and slower than my daily driver 2017 BMW M3. I think my expectations were accurate. What really drew me to the ZR-1 was the fantastic history and cool story. When I decided to sell my 1993 Camaro Pace Car...I did it because it was too similar of driving experience with my 2002 Camaro (but worse in every measurable way)...but it had a better story/history. I choose to keep the more fun car to drive and sold the story. So, I wanted a car with just as good of a story but that was just as fun to drive (but also had a different feel). I think this is exactly that...I'm in love. If I'm honest, it doesn't feel like it has the brutish raw power of the Camaro even though it has more HP. I think the reason for that is the ZR-1 is so well balanced and refined. It's really drivers car and not a V8 deathtrap (like the Camaro). I think my little car collection suits me really well. I have a luxury performance daily driver, one of the coolest Corvette's ever built, and a sentimental deathtrap Camaro.