1991 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 LT5: Muscle Car Of The Week Episode 262 V8TV
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1991 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 LT5: Muscle Car Of The Week Episode 262 V8TV
The ZR1 version of the Chevrolet Corvette has always stood for power and performance, but this second-generation ZR1 from 1991 boasts a few notable features not shared by any other Corvette before it, or since the end of it’s production in 1995.
Initially, the ZR1 package was installed on the 1970-1972 LT1 350 small block Corvettes, and it added performance suspension and brakes, beefed up cooling, and other parts to make the Corvette perform better on a race track.
By the mid 1980s, Chevrolet developed the goal of creating the fastest production car in the world, and they resurrected the ZR1 name for the production version. Nicknamed the “King Of The Hill” Corvette, the ZR1 would take a high-tech approach to achieve this goal.
Around that time, GM had added the racing operation Group Lotus to the list of companies under the GM umbrella. Chevrolet relied heavily on their expertise to assist in the development of the ZR1, and Lotus brought some innovative ideas to the table. First up was the development of the LT5 V8 engine. If this ZR1 was to be fast, it needed power under the hood, and Lotus saw the potential in taking the legendary Chevrolet small block V8 to the next level through the use of overhead camshafts and 4 valves per cylinder. Since day one, the Corvette has been a pushrod V8, with one cam an 2 valves per cylinder… and it still is today. However, the limited production ZR1 was a great testbed for the technology, which had been used in smaller displacement engines for decades. The result is an aluminum block still displacing 5.7 liters or 350 cubic inches, but that twisted up 375 HP, compared with the 250 HP standard L98 pushrod 350. And Lotus didn’t stop there, they revamped the engine management system for better performance and efficiency and re-tuned the suspension for high-speed track performance. Chevrolet was happy with the design, but didn’t have the in-house capabilities to produce them, so they relied on Mercury Marine to build the LT5 V8 for production of the engines. So now we have an American icon sportscar featuring a new engine design from a British firm, using non-traditional Corvette engine architecture, and an outsource for engine assembly. Yeah, the ZR1 definitely did NOT follow the standard Corvette arc of development.
But the efforts paid off, as the 2nd gen ZR1 proved to be wickedly fast, and the LT5 demonstrated exceptional reliability. 0-60 ran by in just 4.4 seconds, quashing any rumors that overhead cam engines didn’t produce torque. The Z’s top speed tickled 180 MPH, and the car set numerous speed and durability records along the way, like the 24 Hours Endurance run at 175.885 mph for over 4200 miles, setting a world record.
Sophisticated speedy cars like this don’t come cheap, and the ZR1 stickered about double what a base Corvette did in ‘91, helping to keep the production numbers and sales down. Overall, just shy of 7000 ZR1s of C4 generation Corvettes were sold from 1990-1995.
Another factor that helped keep the ZR1 a secret was the fact that the car didn’t really stand out from a regular Corvette. The first ones had flared rear quarters and a bulging tail section, design cues that Chevrolet adapted to all Corvettes for ‘91, so aside from the bigger rear tires and ZR1 badging, you really couldn’t tell the car was twice as bad as a standard Corvette. And what supercar driver wants their ride to blend in with the other, “regular” rides? Perhaps if the car came in special colors or had bolder badging or stripes, it would have been more of a celebrity on the streets. But this was the early ‘90s, and the theme was monochromatic colors with black rubber and plastic trim, and minimal flash.
The 1991 ZR1 was jammed with features, like power seats, windows, door locks, steering, brakes, premium audio, A/C… the list goes on and on. The ZR1 had A ZF 6-speed manual transmission for front gears, and a Dana 44 housing stuffed with hardened 3.45:1 gears in the rear. Tires were huge for the day, 275/40-17s up front and steamroller 315/35-17s in the rear. Teal green was popular in ‘91, and the car still looks fresh today, as it’s only showing 3500 miles on the odometer today, less than a round-trip from New York to LA. It’s the only overhead cam Corvette produced, and as a nearly-new example, it has a rightful place amongst the other pinnacle Corvettes in The Brothers Collection.
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#ZR1 #Corvette #LT5 #CorvetteZR1 #BrothersCollection
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I'm an owner! Turquoise Metallic! 287,000 miles on it! Bought new!
Somebody PLEASE do a vMAX run to end this argument once and for all! Bob... You'll do.
Rock and roll, my man!
@@DJones476 Ask and ye shall receive - ua-cam.com/video/chXz2xuiDJY/v-deo.html
Damn sir, if you don’t mind me asking what are you doing backed into afford such a beautiful car.
It’s supposed to say were not are srry.
Drive the hell out of it, mad respect on the miles. They were made to run
I’ve owned a 91 ZR 1 for ten years. Wanted one when they were new, could not afford one. Found a red on grey one years ago at an affordable price. Has a few mods. Always brings a smile to my face when I drive it. Sure newer Corvettes are better in many ways, but the ZR-1 proved that the Corvette could take on the worlds best and beat them.
Long live the king.
But why did you sell her?
@@wilhelmtrager7875 He didn't "sell it". At least he made no mention of selling it here.
That LT5 engine will still outlast anything made today when ran wide open, non-stop. Because NO auto-maker has broken the 24 hr and 5,000 mile ( nearly 30 hrs ) high speed endurance records that are still owned by the C4 ZR1. Sure, the interiors and INITIAL performance are better on the newer top-shelf Vettes, but they still can't run as hard for as long as this one can. Believe it. Or else those records would be broken. And many have tried, and failed. I hope you still own yours, and if ya do, keep it. Sure wish I could afford one. It's my #1 choice of all used performance cars, hands down.
I always loved this body style the best. learning more about the ZR1 makes it even better.
Proud owner of the 1990 ZR-1, putting headers on her now. 78k miles, runs great. I remember when they came out, way out of my price range. Can't believe I own one now. Nice video, still "King of the Hill". 👍👍🏁🏁
I love these 90's ZR-1 Corvettes...
Always loved that color being different. Someone in my area owns a base convertible in that color. Looks beautiful going by my house
Did he say 275 front 315 rear tires were big for the those days? They are big by today's standards. I remember the King of the Hill when it came out. What a machine then and still to this day.
theplayernkc yes and no, certain recent Mustang s and Camaros have 305’s in both front and rear, still big though;)
A 2018 Camaro SS comes with 245 front 275 rear standard. 2019 Mustang GT has 235 both front and rear standard. Not even close to the tire size of the 1991 ZR1.
theplayernkc never heard of the 2018 Mustang PP level 2 or the 2014 Camaro Z/28. Don’t bring a spoon to a knife fight;) at least you’ve learned something for today or yesterday, depending on where you are right now. You’re welcome. BTW I saw one of these cars brand new at a dealership back in the day, they were asking less than MSRP.
Not as big, but an SS 1LE has 305 rears
theplayernkc 1992 Viper 275 front, 335 rear!
I was in high school when the ZR1 was introduced and I vividly remember how incredible I thought that cat was. A standard Corvette was my dream and the ZR1 was a fantasy.
My favorite ZR-1....beautiful car, thanks for sharing!
Guy in alaska has a plum/purple color c4 zr1; modded for autocross. It is insane. Love the sound of the 4 cam.
4.4 0-60 and 180+ Top speed? This thing would stay with or smoke most performance cars made today.
Lucas Arthurs facts
Lucas Arthurs lol.... My focus can do that.
Herp Derp probably not
Herp Derp lol not even the Focus RS would keep up with this ZR1 lmao.
Lucas Arthurs shows what you know.
Awesome review on a legendary car. I remember seeing the 315 tires for the first time and being blown away by a tire that wide. It was crazy at the time to see that.
A quick way to tell if it is a ZR-1 (if no badge) is to look at the rear license plate and reverse lights. In a regular C4 the reverse lights are next to the license plate- with a ZR-1 there is a gap of about 1 1/2 inches between the reverse lights and license plate. This is due to the back end being wider than a regular C4.
I'm pretty sure that from 91 to 95 the zr1 was the only Corvette with a 3rd brake light at the roof line. The lower models had it just above the license plate.
I have one of the 92 ZR-1's built in the PPG Turquoise Metallic. Now at 290,000 miles. I have the 1989 EXP wheels. VERY rare in the USA.
bought it new 12/90
Would I drive one? Hell yes! My first one was a black 91 with cognac interior. My knew 91 is this same color combo as the car featured in this video. But she has been massaged by ZR1 guru Mark Haibeck to the tune of 528 H.P. and is capable of over 200 mph. I love blending in with other C4 Corvette's but that's just me.
WHAT INJECTORS DOES MARK RECOMMEND?
The C4 LT5 with 4 cams and 32 valvels is the best ever built engine for a Corvette and the only one which deserve the name LT5.
That's the best production V8 ever built by any auto-maker, period........because both of it's 24 hr and 5,000 mile (nearly 30 hrs ) high speed endurance records still stand to this day. Many have tried, and failed......yet again.
Looove ZR1, 1991, white on the outside and red in the inside .-)
One classic car..one of these called the Sledgehammer was tuned by Callaway to go 254mph..a world record. Also a standard ZR1 held other world records for endurance..at 175mph..still not beaten today for a mass produced car...
I think that Callaway was built in 88. It was not a ZR-1
Correct, a Chevy pushrod v8, not a Dohc
LT1 Hurricane Camaro was crazy. As a kid GM magazine had an article it was a bored 383 or 396 and the reviewer said the first 3 gears were useless, spinning the tires easily.
The car that finally beat the ZR1 record was a Volkswagen Jetta that was a race car. Not a stock car by any means.
@@zwild1160 correct. The world records were held by C4 Corvettes..
I still love this generation ZR1👍
I just bought a 91 ZF6 Z07 L-98 in Turquoise Metallic and LOVE it! It's my second 91 TM car, the first being an automatic. Can't wait to get all the mods done and get the power bumped up :)
Well done video! I was just coming of age when the ZR1 was being sold. A successful Salesman in my uptown friends neighborhood had one, it was red and amazing. Even though 375 HP is entry level V6 power today and the interior reminds me of the early 80s, it still holds a special place in my heart. :)
Jeff Collop not sure I'd call it entry level, many v6s barely make 300 hp, unless it's the top of the line then we're talking 400+hp
Lambochaser
Let's agree that it was an impressive power plant 20+ years ago and one that GM needed Chevrolet to have after the Buick Grand National.
Jeff Collop I will agree with you on that.
Torque and powerband is what matters. LT1/LS1 owner and drove a few LT5's at my dealership years ago. LT1 has very good low end power, LS1 very good mid-high end power & the LT5 bottom to top was a beast. We actually had a GM tech guy with a LT5 Tattoo and is a master of Corvettee's. He's crazy but a genius.
Entry level? 😏
Hey. I love the color. The spinning headlights are cool 🤙🏼
Until the H/L motors go out.Then you shit yourself when you replace them$$$$$$$$$$
I’m not a die hard corvette fan. More of a mustang guy. However a quarter mile time sub 12 seconds and a 0-60 sub 4 seconds. In the 90’s? Absolutely insane!
Especially STOCK!
Would I drive the 'King of the Hill!?' That's my childhood dream car that essentially jumpstarted my Corvette passion! I've now owned a 1995 LT1 6spd, and two beautiful C5 Corvettes. My 2003 modified Millenium Yellow Vette would 'spank' that old ZR-1 (while being much more modern, refined and practical), but it's nowhere near as 'special' as the legendary 'King'! Corvettes wouldn't be what they are today if it wasn't for that ZR-1 beast! I like the 'sleeper' styling of the C4s (So many people under-estimate even the 300hp LT-1s, imagine the surprise of the LT-5!) Without dispute, there isn't a more impressively beautiful engine display on ANY Vette than the C4 ZR-1! Pop that hood to reveal the tires, suspension, and the stunning LT-5 engine in its all-aluminum glory! (no plastic covers here, and very race-car like!) Those gorgeous intake runners, sitting atop this massive looking aluminum heart with tale-tale wide valve covers, and letters proudly displaying 4cam 32Valve 5.7L! The numbers were earth-shattering in its day! The C4s in general also had the lowest roofline, and a genuine 'cockpit' that really made you feel one with the machine, similar to the 1989 'Batmobile', or a fighter jet! You 'sit in' a C5 or C6 Corvette, but you 'strap on' a C4! Special enough, that much of the inspiration for the C7 was clearly the 90's C4. Just look at the cockpit and instrumentation designs of both, and once again behold the engine names LT-1, LT-4, and LT-5! Things rapidly change, yet remain the same- The recently unveiled C8 is shaking up the car world again with its crazy performance at a shocking value!, surprise🙄! "Long live the King!"
Another telltale is the 3rd brake light was on the roof portion of the rear glass. Reg-vettes had them in the middle of the rear bumper. Just from the owner of a few vettes. But,NEVER this 1.
I'm modding my 1995 LT1 Firebird Formula. i just got EBC pads and rotors. and it has a borla exhaust, headers, a hurst shifter, some type of lowering kit, OZ Racing Monte Carlo wheels, Eagle F1 tires, and some weird cold air intake that was modeled after the SLP cold air intake for the LT1. This is my first car i have ever bought.
I owned a White 97LT1 beat the crap out of it on every turn when I was a teen. Yes original Opti-spark with 160k+ miles! Just don't power wash near the opti spark and don't let the water pump leak over it. Own an LS1 now but not many people beat me racing wise with that LT1. Those engines were freak engines in the later years. Dyno stock was impressive 265-270HP so around 300HP at the crank & boat loads of low end power and went through a pair of tires in one year. Don't listen to the idiots that claim the Opti-spark is garbage.
Dimitrios F everyone is always saying that LT1 engines suck compared to LS1. Its all about the mods though. They aren’t too different.
Love this puppy , Especially seeing it doesn't have any distracting big screen or Screens garbage of today & 0 Granny aids, blind spot ,rear cross Traffic, parking sensor and all the other & mostly dangerous accident inviting goofy shite. Once a lottery ticket wins more than $50K cdn I'd love to find a 1994 & up zr1 with stupidly low odo reading & affix my personalized RARECAT plate. Thanks for the material you do the better job than most reviews.
So awesome! I had no idea there was ever such a thing as a double-overhead cam cross-plane v8! Truly impressive.
Fords had them for years
I could always tell a ZR1 to a standard vette, the rear looked twice as wide, people stroke these things good for 800hp, pity not worth much, love to have a pristine one. His vids are the best.
It’s just two inches wider.
Legendary in its time, but it's not worth more- partially because of the C5 Vette's LS1 and future LS engines success. They borrowed much of the LT-5 technology and improved up on it- making equal to much more power without expensive and heavy Quad Cam, 32 valve design of the c4 ZR-1. With C5 engine improvements, sadly the C4 ZR-1 was made relatively obsolete (not my sentiment, but $value is based on what the buyers market perception of what a car is worth). I've personally owned a '95 C4 and '02 and '03 C5's. From personal experience the C4 felt like a kit car in quality compared to the C5s (and you can buy C5s all day for under $15k). The ride, handling, comfort, interior space, fuel economy, power, aftermarket modifications, chassis and frame, etc. were vastly improved on the C5s. They may've lost some 'character' in the redesign, but it was massively improved at least on paper. Though C5 was larger, it handled better and weighed less than the C4s- Especially the ZR-1, that heavier design DOHC engine (awsome as it is) puts the C4 ZR-1 in at over 3500lbs, and with more weight on front end! While the DOHC LT-5 engine was a high-winding, high horsepower engine for its day, It's low end torque did not compare to the newer, lighter LS engines with OHV design. The new LS based engines went on to become the most popular engine-swap in history because of its ability to do so many things so well! The mighty LT5 was a rare DOHC unicorn, and it was WAY ahead of its time for power (time has marched forward another 25+ years though!) Proven to be bulletproof especially with its record setting 175MPH average run for 48 straight hours!? Do I remember that correctly? No other car has ever broke that record. I love the C4 ZR-1 (it was THE car to ignite the Corvette flame in my soul as a child), but it has been under-appreciated and partially forgotten like all C4s and other generations, as technology continues to march forward and each generation 'improves'. They've already resurrected the engine names LT1, LT4 and LT5 from C4 generation, and recently unveiled the C8 Corvette with radical changes. Now they've all but confirmed the higher HP versions like Z06 and ZR1 (possibly called Zora instead) will be powered by DOHC V8. Hmmm... Reminds me of another ZR-1 from times past😉! Although the rumors are now pointing to twin-turbochargers and of course all the technology learned since the 1990-95 era. The respect of 'the king' remains...😎
This is the best styled vette. Sleek, fast & sexy. You don't need a girlfriend, you need a pacemaker.
We own a 90 and a 91. The 91 has 12700 on the odometer. I can tell you they are fun to drive and still out perform cars worth much much more.
This guy's voice sounds a little like Ron Swanson from "Parks and Rec."
I remember the ‘89 ZR1 was close to $60,000 new. Almost bought one, test drove it, but just didn’t pull the trigger. Wish I had now! Still love the C4 body style, the front clamshell hood, and especially the 4-cam 32 valve Lotus Mercury powerplant! Actually says that on the cars mfg plaque.
I get a thrill every time I drive my ZR-1.
You are one lucky guy, these c4 zr1s are the shit!👍
I remember when I wanted a Shelby Dakota pickup and nothing else would do. Ahh, those were the ... minutes. Like five minutes ago, when I was watching that vid. Now nothing but a '91 ZR1 will do. There's nothing that will ever change my mind. This is the one and only car for me...Oh hello, '69 Cadillac video...
LOL, we know the feeling!
Looks just like my old 91 L-98/LT-4 after I got done modding it to LT-4 specs and narrowing the rear 1.1" to fit the factory ZR-1 wheels under the rear without hanging out. Mine was the same color too - loved it! Now I have a C6 :)
I'll take this over the new one. Just make it dark blue in color.
Awesome information about this car I didn't know lotus had been part of GM at the time. I liked this new body style when it first came out
I remember these when they came out,I was in High school and street racing alot,these were kings of the streets back then,Mustangs didn't stand a chance, who had a mod motor first!!!
The 3rd brake light on the top of rear window was the easiest give away.
wow thats a nice car color i love this corvettes
I love the drive of of the TDC, and Dual Overhead Cam Engines; their power, sound, feel it spectacular! I want to test drive one of these Corvette ZR-1's soon. Hope the new C8 has one!
Have a 94 ZR1 which to this day eats quite a few sports cars that want to take a go at her. It’s fun since most people don’t know what they are in for.
2:25, Corvettes had a Blue Flame inline six cylinder from day one. The small block V8 didn't come around until 1955.
Correct, the point was the V8s were always pushrod since their introduction, as were the earlier 6s. Good catch.
Life begins at 180 mph
ZX9R life............... LT1/LS1 owner and those engines go to 164-168MPH pretty easy. One day I will own an LT5. Fun cars, I worked at a Dealership when I was young and drove a few of the LT5's. Very fun cars.
lol...yep, my 997 TT was factory rated at 186 mph but mine has gone over two bills....dead solid. 700 WHP, 6spd manual, yeah she's fun.
My dads boss had that poster hung up in the office garage and I always liked it, but as a 10 year old kid, never really new the story behind it. lol
Steve Fowler Hell yeah dude, I ran up on that number a few times in my day. One of my Vettes (highly modded 02’ Z06) exceeded 210 on at least one occasion. It made me sort of a local legend (taking people rides, making videos etc. I was in my early-mid 20’s.)
IMO, the difference between 175 and 200, in terms of both exhilaration and risk, is like the difference between 100 and 175. That’s how it feels at least. It also took me about the same amount of time to get from 180 to 210 as it did for me to get from 55 to 180. At those speeds, your covering some major ground. And most people don’t understand how weird vehicles act at extreme velocity. You are likely one of the few on here who has both the means and the guts to hit the 200 mark, and actually understands what I’m talking about.
For instance, my stock 99’ C5 Corvette felt much more planted and stable at 165 than my 350Z vert did at 135.
Above 180, my Corvette (02’ Z06) would literally experience turbulence like an airplane; it would instantly dart left or right, shimmying like a foot or two at a time. It never really felt unsafe either, it was more bizarre than anything.
Also, you can’t just slam the brakes when you want to slow back down. Something as simple as just letting off of the gas abruptly can upset the balance and potentially cause a crash (although I imagine a 997 turbo to be quite a bit more stable at speed than a C5 Corvette. Likely far less crude in general).
Brakes also do NOT like slowing down at those speeds. Like 3-4 seconds of medium pressure caused my rotors to temporarily warp (felt/heard with each rotation). I would have to sort of lightly press the brakes for a couple of seconds until I felt they were getting hot and then let off for a couple of seconds while engine braking. I would have to do this until I got down to safer speeds under 100.
Speaking of Porsche’s, I had a Porsche Boxter about 10 years ago. I had always wanted a silver one like James Dean. Although not particularly powerful, it was an amazing car that gave me a better (and much needed) appreciation of the actual experience of driving in general; the nuances in the handling, the instant throttle response, how the chassis responded to the slightest of inputs, the sound of the mid-mounted flat 6, those brief but smooth 4 wheels slides while being completely in control, insane ability to rotate and agility during quick transitions. Just precision in general.
Prior to that, I had only owned (and had mainly been interested) in outright power, with handling, braking and feel barely of importance. Now, what matters most to me is a cars’ overall feel, the unique experience offered; I have learned that each car has its own personality to be appreciated.
Sorry for the long rant, I suppose thinking of my high-speed exploits hit a nerve.
Favorite road feeling automobile if you don't mind all the comment readers and I asking good sir? In your experiance?
I love this c4 ZR1 due to its twin cam engine!! I doubt other Vettes have that!
I had the exact Corvette, I bought in 2004 from a collection with 1300 miles on it. Sold it in 2010, should have kept it.
I'm looking at a '91 Zr1 today...asking price $45K with 7k miles and it is a red one...a very good looking vette...thanks for the video to bring me u0p to speed with the vehicle.
Steve Fowler In my area someone is selling a 91 zr1 in a real color for 21,500 and with 64000 miles
Picked an awesome example for your "Muscle Car of the Week"! #FlaskbackFriday
Always liked this car. Unfortunately had a friend pass away in a car wreck driving one. I think the color was called Polo Green? It was a Hunter/Forrest Green.
R.I.P Canuck, see you on the other side.
+Eric, yes for 1990 and 1991 the LT5 ZR-1 offered paint code 91U which was Polo Green Metallic. There were 105 1990's and 71 1991's that were painted the Polo Green Metallic. The 1992-1995's changed this colour to Polo Green II Metallic. The colour of the car in the video was indeed paint code 42U Turquoise Metallic there were 16-1990's and 97-1991's painted that colour. RIP to your buddy.
Sorry about your friend. There have been quite a few accidents and totaled ZR1's over the years.
PPG PACE CAR TURQUOISE METALLIC.
Wished that color was available in the more modern generation Corvettes.
Man, the ZR-1, Viper, Twin turbo Z, RX-7, Mustang Cobra, etc., all dropped while I was in HS, and the cars from that era marked the beginning of the march towards the 700HP monsters we see today. I'm looking at a 1994 right now - debating between that and a C5 or C6 Z06. The Z's crush this in terms of performance, but there's something about these C4 ZR-1's that's intriguing. I hated the C4 design back in the day, but it's really aged well. A clean C4 looks so elegant rolling down the road today. I'm shocked that prices on these haven't skyrocketed yet.
I almost bought one in 93 till I found out how much the insurance was on it I was 18 years old LOL so I was forced to get the l98 version but I was still happy and people ask me from time to time was that the ZR1 you were driving it was pretty cool they couldn't tell the difference.
craig howard lol I had a 1990 l98 lol mine was red with the glass top
Had a chance to buy a 90 zr1 back in November in red with 32000 miles, they wanted 32 grand for it. I wish I bought it, but I thought it was too high priced for a 30 year old car.
This is the only Corvette I have respect for. Every Corvette after this one should have been DOHC v8.
Lies. Not knocking the DOHC LT5, it’s a very good engine by all means, but if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. That’s why the engineers went back to overhead valve when they introduced LS engine family.
Not "Lies" … he's stating his personal opinion and preference. You should learn the difference before you accuse someone of lying.
GM went back to ohv because it was cheaper. DOHC is the reason the 5.0 make as much hp a GM 6.2. If ford 5.0 was a 6.2. It would be making 572 hp.
+blackericdenice Cheaper, yet no less reliable and still plenty of power to be had. If you heard what they said in the video, the sticker price on the ZR1 was so high that not many of them were sold, which might explain the return to OHV in the Corvette. Meanwhile GM’s 4.6 Northstar V8 which was based off the LT5 turned out to be a mechanic’s nightmare.
+Taproom113 You can excuse yourself from the conversation until you’ve learned a little more about colloquy, fool
Cool episode, v8tv caught me off guard with this review, Love it, keep em coming
Drove a preproduction zr1 in 1990 at college (gmi inst of engineering) anyone else remember the oil pressure problems?
IT WAS THE SENDER. MY CAR HAS 280,000 MILES ON IT. NEVER HAD THE PAN OFF.
Rare color, power key time...
🏁Corvette 🏁 KING OF THE HILL #1
Leno called, wants his pants back.
It’s not the only indication if you look down at the reverse lights a regular Corvette will not have the 2 inches of black plastic on either side of the tag that is ZR1 specific from where they widen the car 4 inches overall, 2 inches on either side of the tag and a trained eye or just someone who knows what they’re looking for will notice the deep dish rims in the back as well, however those are the only two external cues that will give it away, if you took the badge off of the back 90% of even car guys probably couldn’t tell the difference.
From 1991 onward, the third brake light was integrated into the rear bumper of all Corvettes...except the ZR-1. So if it's a 91-95 MY car and it still has the brake light pod on the roof, there's your fourth indication that you are looking at a ZR-1.
What a great color of paint... I'm gonna have to find the color code and get myself a similar color one day for when I get a sports car.
I love this car when it came out it had a 52/48 weight split between front and rear and weighs less than today's High performance cars.I own a 84 Grand prix that weighs 3200 pounds put a Vette engine in with the ZR1 heads that shared most of the features from the LT5 but was made for a push rod engine ,like the 58 cc chamber,and the 194 valves.
Really? I would like to see these heads. Would be interesting to see how 4 valves per cylinder work off of a single camshaft.
I heard normally they take a second longer to start. Is this due from the material and weight of the flywheel??
Spare parts There would be a quad cam configuration for 4 valves per Cylinder. and would be overhead camshafts.A good example would be the 2014-2018 3.6 liter in the Camaro Impala as this engine has 4 valves per Cylinder and rated for 335 HP.
Dimitrios F I am confused who are you asking this question to?
You didnt use LT5 heads, did you use the aftermarket ARAO 32valve heads? If you did, thank your lucky stars that you didnt get ripped off. Russ ARAO was convicted and did time over his scams involving customers.
c4 is my fav vette.
I love this car.
The standard Corvette had its mid stop light in the back window. The ZR1 had it in the roof.
It's a supercar..
Best color for the best Corvette.
I BOUGHT ONE! PPG PACE CAR TURQUOISE METALLIC
Mercury Marine knew a thing or two about aluminum engine metallurgy...good choice by GM. Not surprising that the engine was/is very reliable.
Brilliant car.
I can see advancement in technology in 1990 engine to 1991 engine in corvette. love engine this engine looks best to me
I honestly can’t pick between a C4 ZR1 or a C5 Z06. Performance is close on both and likely light to light better in the C5 and C5 is easier to mod but man the LT5 sure is cool.
never knew a modern era corvette was produced without pushrods
3k miles and you were beating on it! This car is going to be worth a million dollars soon.
Very nice video. Great host too! Thank you :)
I always look forward to MCW...thanks!
I remember reading in Road&Track magazine that the ZR1 would do 70mph burnouts lol
I could spot a real ZR1 from afar. It was wider at the back than the regular corvette. You would hear it at full throttle before you spotted it. The LT5 engine has a very distinct sound near redline.
This car is gonna be worth a lot of money one day. They already go for 30 grand now in decent shape.
Great job brother!
Beautiful car🇺🇸👍🏻
found 3 right now on craigslist "near portland" in seattle
Love the retro color.
Great video
Best looking corvette are the C4's
Nice compliment to any collection..
Beautiful car
Motorweek reports that Mercury Marine produced the LT5 for Chevy because the production run was too small to justify Chevy retooling a plant to produce the small number of LT5s.
I always see at least one at barrett jackson and think they're really cool! Chevy should have developed the 4 cam engine more. But the ls motors turned out be be great engines.
Beautiful car and a true exotic. Can be had for reasonable - right now. How available are GM/Chevy techs who specialize in maintaining these? That's the only thing that would scare me off from owning one.
No lie, I drove one of these to highschool in 1997. It was pretty fucking fast. Everything on it rattled though.
I thinh chances are high that the mid engine C8 will feature DOHC at least as an option. The first corvette had the blue flame inline 6 but it was OHV.
These cars made a lot of news back in the day, but because of weak sales GM canceled the gen II ZR1 which would have featured at 475+ hp version of the LT5 thanks to reworked heads. The LS proved to have more low end grunt and was cheap to manufacture.
I will be honest I was test driving a 95' Corvette, when I bought my RX-7. I had always wanted Corvette until drove one. Pain in the ass to get into and out of with the way the doors are designed. Even with those big tires it didn't handle all that great and even new it rattled and squeaked. I have no regrets that I left it at the Mazda dealership. Corvettes have come a long way since then though, particularly in the handling department.
Mazdas come a long way in the wankel dept...well, they will when the next gen rotary arrives. I am definitely waiting see the rx-9 before I buy another car
There wont be another rotary car, at least not one used to drive the wheels. The bar is just too high now in emissions requirements and economy expectation. They should make one the they concepts into an all electric. They got some real nice car designs and they really understand how to tune suspensions. The SkyActiv engines are efficient but not suitable for hi-performance applications.
GlassTopRX7 it is being tested as we speak. It was suppose to debut in 2020 but the board pushed it back or it could be a ruse towards a surprise unveiling. Some specs were revealed a few months ago
IT WAS HIGH PRICED. BUT, ALSO THE FOUNDRY CASTING THE HEADS, DECIDED TO CLOSE UP SHOP.
American car, British motor. P-51 mustang like.
The last few years they produced 400-410HP, even today out of a 5.7L engine that's still impressive WITHOUT turbo or supercharger and 0-60 around 4.3s
Nice!!!
Ha I wouldn't have figured on it coming with a zf6. Great looking car as is, I'd have to have different wheels on it though 😆
no push rods? I REALLY LIKE THAT!
If that’s not worth 80 grand, bad investment. I like that car.
Mr. Kevin Oeste , do you know your last name means West in Spanish i just noticed that..
What pisses me off the most about this engine, is that Chevrolet dumped so much money into development costs, but refused to use this in anything else. This engine should have been powering every single one of GM's v8 rwd fleet on its release. The Caprice, Silverado, Camaro, and even the Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham should have used this engine. This was GM's opportunity to bring reliability and sophistication to their fleet, that Euro and Import automakers had nailed down.
It's too complex to build for wide application and would be too expensive. There was also internal politics at play; apparently GM Powertrain was not happy about getting bypassed for the ZR-1 and that's how we ended up with the LT4 in 1996. It did let them work out some stuff for the Northstar and LS, though.
what a great video