Wannabe ZR-1 owner, help please!

[tomtom72]

Hi Rob, Thanks for the thumbs up! Thank you for your help. Thank you for runing the site. All The members at CAC, THANK YOU ALL, for the help. I was and am overwhelmed by everyone's unbelievable willingness to be in my corner!

TOM ( I can't get this stupid grin off my face )

 

[Rob]

Morning All, Thanks Bryan for the kudos! I got another question. What should I need to know about Bras for a C4? I figure that there are quality diffs...like outer material & liner material and some brands fit better than others?

Tom

I would say to stay away from Bras - unless you want to go with something from these guys: http://www.speedlingerie.com/

...and even then, I'm not sure it's a good idea. Bras can do more damage than good.

 

[Rob]

Hi Rob, Thanks for the thumbs up! Thank you for your help. Thank you for runing the site. All The members at CAC, THANK YOU ALL, for the help. I was and am overwhelmed by everyone's unbelievable willingness to be in my corner!

TOM ( I can't get this stupid grin off my face )

:L The grin, may fade a little with time, but it never goes away, and immediately comes back as soon as you climb in, fire the LT5 up and prepare for launch.

 

[tomtom72]

Thanks Rob, I never had one for my 72, I was just getting paranoid. I figure that moisture build up and pattern imprinting on the paint when hot, right? I think I'm just worried that I will nick up the front if I go get the car & drive back to NY next weekend. If the weather turns bad (snow) I'll kick myself! Why Can't I buy a vette in the spring like most normal vette owners? :confused Sorry Guys, I just have to ask now that I'm on-line with NYS-DMV. NY is a two plate state, on a C4 it mounts where I see the rectangle that says 'corvette'?:duh

 

[Wegone]

Tom,

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You can try the old plastic wrap (stretchy plastic stuff you use to cover things in the frig) trick to keep most the bug and grim off as you travel home!!

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When I go to car shows I just put a few layers across the frontal area and part way up the hood than just pull it off just don’t cover the radiator opening.

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Good luck on your trip home and let us know your impressions of the first drive.

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Steve

 

[redvett]

Hi All, Looks like financial things may break my way soon(fingers crossed). I have discovered something I have overlooked in studying ZR-1 ads, slightly modified cars. I mean I've seen a lot of ads for ZR-1's that have exhaust system swap outs to headers, most say "original factory exhaust goes w/car". Is the orig. exh. sys. a one piece welded system? If you swap to headers do you need to recalibrate the fuel delivery soft-ware(program)? Sorry, I keep thinking of SB's from the 60's & 70's, lean condition on cyls.6,8,5 & 7, when headers were used. What happens to the O2 sensors and the EGR(?) Sys. and the catalytic converters if you swap to headers? In the old days the exh. gaskets used to leak and the headers used to burn thru eventually, does this still happen? Am I correct in thinking that a street legal header would have all the smog hook-ups like the stuff from SLP(used on the firebirds & camaros) and low restriction cats? I guess I could just limit my looking to box stock ZR-1's; but I've found that people who do the little things to enhance motors usually are strict about maintenence also. I'm not saying that bone stock owners are not strict about maintenence! Thanks to all the members for any light you can give me. Tom

Most of us with ZR-1's have done some mods to the exhaust. There are only i believe Watson (like i have) and Jeal headers and no they havent been a problem leaking. The O2 sensors screw into the header and if you keep the stock exhaust you will not have any resonance in the car but with an after market exhaust it will be noisy. Yes you will be having to recalibrate the fuel & timing. The headers will have Air fittings but few use them we just cap them off because the backfire valves go bad quickly. Make sure if you get headers to get them ceramic coated they will be cooler and not rust. I suggest you join the ZR-1 Registry http://zr1netregistry.com/index.htm plenty of help and people who supply parts are available.

 

[MoeJr]

Hey Tom hope the trip goes smooth. My .02 about mods is with a ZR1 I would probably only do the cat back exhaust and air filters. I have never been big on changing the chips and headers on Vettes. I remember back in 93 I was visiting a friend at a Chevy dealer. They had quite a few Vettes in the bays being worked on because of aftermarket chips. He told me this "who has more R&D time and manpower? GM or a small aftermarket company?". He had a good point. I know alot of people think the guys at the plant burning these chips don't do the best job but when it comes right down to it usually they have it at the best settings for all around use. Enjoy your new ZR1 and make sure you put more miles a year on it than the other guy did.

 

[tomtom72]

Hi Steve, Thanks for the wishes of good luck! Your's is sold I see...great deal, everyone gets what they need to get right! That is an idea I never thought of. You mean I could just use plastic food wrap in multiple layers? I'll go to the local costco & get resturant width, 2' wide, food wrap. Could ya just see me on the plane with that in the overhead, or as checked luggage!! Thanks for ALL the schooling you gave me, I mean it!
Yea, MoeJr, I hope I use it a little, heck I'll probably drive the wheels off it. I still remember how much fun it was to tool around in my first vette. Heck I got all NY winter to figure places to go. I told my boss last Friday that I wanted some V-time this June. I thought if I got a vette I would sign up for the festivities in Bowling Green. I'll just have to wait & see, at least I got a vette that's a step in the right direction. Thanks for the opinion on the mods. I know this may seem conservative but I tend to agree with your view. In NYS they are hard about the emissions compliance & most of the ones with headers had no cats. I see that as a mod to improve breathing, but NYS DMV has no sense of humor when it comes to that. I know it makes me sound like a pansey but I don't have any hooks when it comes to state inspections. We have no state inspection stations just privately owned ones. I have not had a hot rod in 24 yrs so I'm out of that loop. I think I'll just leave it alone and enjoy, heck it will beat the heck out of my tempo!!!
Hi REDVET, I here what you're saying about the science of it. It's like I told MoeJr about the emissions inspection. I guess after the new(to me) wears off and I get used to the car I may start looking for something extra. I actually hope not because this car is bone stock and I think I've got a mind to see if I can keep it that way. I don't know, heck I know at least I got a better chance of passing NYS emission test the way the car is. One less thing for me to handle right now.
Tom

 

[tomtom72]

Just an update

Hi All, I turned chicken on driving back from Roanoke, VA. to NY in my new vette at this time of the year cause I am scared of the weather. It would be my luck that I would get going and it would start snowing! So I decided to hire a transport company. I think it's between FedEx and Enclosed Vehicle Transport.com, both use closed trailers of all metal construction ( no soft sided trailers ). I really don't want to drive thru salt with the car or even take the chance of driving on salted roads. The owner said that he never used the car in the winter and that he would work with me on a shipping date cause it is not a good time of the year, holidays & all. He told me that he was excited about me being excited and the time of the year slipped his mind too. His wife brought up the subject to him about the ify weather. I didn't realize that I was leaving from the part of VA. up by Rt 81 which is in the mountains. The owner said I could hit ice or snow or both if I left next weekend and he couldn't tell me what to expect from the car in those conditions. I really do not want to find out either! To me it's a no brainer, if it was spring I'd do it. Tom

 

[WB9MCW]

No Salt A Gud Rule

no salt indeed tom..yep dont wanna let da z see the nasty stuff... its like a unwritten rule...keep ur z a snow virgin!!!! has a nice ring to it ...dont ya think?? cya, wb

 

[tomtom72]

Hi All, Bryan I sure do want to keep my Z a snow virgin, and it dose have a nice ring! I have a customer # from Fed Ex and I talked to the owner last night about the shipping. This morning @ 8:30 I calling Fed Ex to give them the final details about the pick-up location: who to call, the phone #, the address and pay them. I sent the $ and documents from my DMV along with pre-paid return postage so the stuff I need for DMV has a ride back. Now I just wait for all that stuff to come back to me and I can go register the car & get my plates. I told my insurance agent to put the car on my policy as of this coming Monday. I'm hoping Fed Ex has a shipping date available for me before Christmas, it would make a nice present to unwrap! I don't think I left anything out; I probably did but I'll figure it out as I go along. Anyway time to call Fed Ex, bye, Tom

 

[tomtom72]

Final update....car is coming!

Hi All, Merry Christmas to all! The deal is done. I have just been called by the former owner that my ZR-1 is on the FedEx transporter bound for NYS. That is the end of the beginning. I should expect a call from the driver when he gets to the GWB. I will then have to make a meeting place to off-load the car cause the rig is not going to fit anywhere near my garage, it's too big! Looks like I will have my cleaning work cut out for me if this darned ice/snow storm makes it necessary to put down salt here. Oh well, I'll have all winter to get the bottom and top of the car clean at least. I'm hoping the weather man is wrong cause the closest place to unload means a five mile trip to my garage over salted roads...man that breaks my heart! Who knows, maybe I'll luck out & not much ice & snow will be here & the DPW will not have to salt. Anyway, even this set back can't seem to dampen my excitement. I am stoked! I have to go out & buy some Cannon cotton towels and some car wash soap for when it gets here so I can get the salt off the paint. Thanks to all the members for your help and advise in getting me thru this buy.

to CAC members & staff & Hib & the Detail Dude, yea I've been reading "car care" section, for all the support! Tom

 

[Wegone]

Congrats again Tom I know you will enjoy the ZR-1 for many years to come


Steve

 

[tomtom72]

Hi Steve, Thanks for the thumbs up! Thank you for sharing your knowledge with me. I hope the deal on your's went smooth. Have a merry & healthy! Tom.

I gotta go finish the car care section so I won't embaress my vette. Man I never knew there was so much to cosmetic maintenance. The owner said he had to turn away when they loaded the car today. Wednesday, 12/22/2004, I meet the transporter yesterday & saw my new car finally. Man & holy smoke what a beautiful car ( now I remember one of the reasons we want them ) and drove it to get it's picture taken for Ins. Co. reasons. Ya'll can laugh at this cause I think it's funny. I had a grin so big that I was in danger of swallowing my ears & the grin is still here. I only drove it about 10 miles, photos & back to garage, and I had the key in "normal" ( I now call it the 'beginner's mode' )....holy mackerel!!!! I know it's funny but for 18 years I've been vettless, actually for the last 5 yrs I've been driving a Tempo 4 cyl/auto, & nothing I've driven in those yrs has had more than 200 hp. Man you vette owners have all the fun!!! In the beginer's mode the car rocks and brings a memory to my right foot it of my 72 LT-1! I can't wait for spring so I can learn the car and learn how to drive it. I know I will never know it's real limits, there is a communicated feeling from the car to the driver that seems to say the same thing my 72 LT-1 said to me..... " you're in good equipment: listen, feel, learn, probe the limits...you may not want to find the limits,they exist somewhere beyond your present abilities & familiarity...bring lunch you'll be here awhile, school is in session!" I think that sounds corny but I know I never mastered the C3 at it's limits & I know I'm not 25 anymore so I know I will never find this car's limits ( I don't think I want to ), but I know I'm gonna have fun learning what my skill level will let me learn with this car. Man this is great! Tom

 

[Z06 Tom]

I know this thread is a few months old, but I got a smile out of reading it so I thought I'd say, Congrats Tom! Hell, I got excited just reading through the thread. Post some Pics of that monster!!

 

[tomtom72]

Hi Tom, Thanks for the ! I still don't have a digital camera! Been spending too much on the toys for the toy! I will get one asa I get all my Z's needs taken care of. The only thing killing me is it is too cold to even work on it in the unheated garage, except for this weekend. 40's are predicted and maybe I can get the speakers and the pre-amp out to send off to Fla. to get fixed. Then maybe I can start cleaning & detailing or changing fluids & checking the radiator for debris & fabricate some kind of screen to stop the stuff from going in there & the list goes on & on. But nothing major, just little things and ofcourse I will have to eventually get a set of D3's cause the OE tires I'm saving on the OE wheels. I'll post a pic if I can, she sure is fine looking. Save the wave, Tom.