AJM54GT3

I have raced BMW's with NASA and driven Porsche's and a highly modded turbo 135 BMW in OLOA. With the prices of ZR1's dropping so quickly, I am seriously thinking about buying one and converting it in to a race car--ie, full cage, gutted interior and safety equipment.

Given my heat soak issues with the chipped 135i, )it would go in to limp mode after about four laps at race speed due to hi heat), I am wondering if anyone has had the same type of issues with a ZR1. With the BMW, I added a much larger intercooler, huge oil cooler etc and the problem was cured. Can a stock ZR1 motor shed heat under sprint race and enduro race conditions? Do any of you guys know of a ZR1 that is currently being raced? (Not talking about DE's or HPDE's).

Also, I would like to replace the rotors with steel units. With my GT3 you can fit rotors fron a Cayenne S on the front and GT3 Cup rotors on the rear. Is anything like that possible on the ZR1?

Any other issues that I should take in to account before diving in to this project?

Thanks Alex

ps I have also posted these questions on the ZR1 forum.

wallyman424

Are you by any chance a friend of Eric Wongs? He told me he had a baller friend that was considering a zr1 racecar.

As I told eric, you'd be much better served building a world challenge style car out of a c5 or c6 if you desire a newer body style. Itll cost about the same, and be much faster. Plus you'll get to spec out whatever brakes, etc you want. Zr1 has its own heat soak issues as well.

Honestly for turn key, give Doug Rippie a call, and for the same money as it'd cost you to convert a zr1, you'd have a faster, better racecar. http://dougrippie.com/?p=554

AJM54GT3

Thats me. Eric has been a good friend for years, at least until he called me a baller!!!

Eric told me what you said but, I guesss I don't understand why a ZR1 race car would be a slower car. Dont the cars start with the same platform? Since the ZR1 has a higher hp motor why would it be slower (assuming that I converted the suspension)?

vette6aut0x

First question is what class are you trying to compete in with which club? In NASA I would think you would have to run in SU in and SPO in SCCA. The only ZR1 that I have been around has a head and cam package and is a DE car. The car has about 4500 miles on it and has the sh%t run out of it.

vette6aut0x

I have driven both the ZR1 and c6 Z06 on the track and the Z06 is a much more balanced car on the race track. I felt like the front of the car under braking (Zr1) was nose heavy and did not want to turn in as easy as the Z06. I could rotate the Z06 and go to power much faster than in the ZR1 which helps with lap times.

wallyman424

Well the thing w/ LS series motors, is that you can make a naturally aspirated motor with as much hp as the zr1 has EASY. Hell you can even go higher. The problem as I'm sure you've found w/ the 135 is forced induction SUCKS on track, especially for longer races. Plus those carbon brakes suck for racing.

By racing a zr1 YOU would be the one doing the R/D on the motor (aka losing a lot of money), with a WC prepped vette you'd be racing reliably in a known entity.

What I'm saying is that with the zr1 you're paying A LOT for the name and body work. You could build a much better car by starting from scratch.

0Randy@DRM

This would be a pretty fit for you!!! I maybe bias but honestly it's a good bargain after you add up all the parts and labor to build one from a stock car.

http://dougrippie.com/?p=554

It's a template we can go more or less!

Randy
Wally you beat me to it.....

BlackRocket

That DRM Race Car is SWEEEEET!

Team Lazy

When there are beasts like this out there, why would you consider doing all that R&D? I'd be very surprised if a ZR1 while under development would be anywhere near as fast or fun...

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/auto...ing-built.html

varkwso

There is no one racing, or even time trialing a ZR1, and the development would be steep. One did compete in OLOA last year I think.

I have driven both on track and I agree with David on the cars.

AU N EGL

High HP does not mean MORE SPEED. More Seat time ( Experience on the track) and a well balanced / set up car means more speed.

Wally for example. Stock LS6 engine. Lots of experience and seat time plus time he spent setting up his car = Wally is very VERY FAST.

Have seen videos of 2 C6ZR1s set up as race cars. One on Sebring and One at Watkins glen. the one on Watkins Glen went into the armco ( poor driving line or lack of seat time experience ) the one on Sebring was fast in the straights, but lesser HP cars caught him and passed him in the corners.

There is a great C6 T1 car for sale in Chicago for $32K or check out Phoenix Performance, Joe normally has several corvette race cars for sale

Corvee

The DRM build is the ticket. You will be happier with the performance of the car and have $$$ left for the racing budget to boot. Randy is happy to discuss the specific advantages and specifications for your target class. Check this out: http://www.youtube.com/user/drmotors...28/cR8LL3salZE

Team Lazy

And there's where the driver ends up with a reputation for having way more money than talent .

I can teach my 9 yr old nephew to pedal a ZR1 a million miles an hour in a straight line. That's just known as spending cubic dollars...

So there's another issue with the ZR1. If you aren't wiping the floor up with the other guys thru the corners as well, what do you think they'll be thinking of your ability as a driver?

This stuff can't be news to the OP with his amount of experience. But I'd personally be pretty pissed if I spent $150,000 and 2 seasons to buy, prep, sort out, test, re-test and I'm no faster than the $50k car I could have been racing for the past 2 years.

However the spirit of development and trying something new deserve to be applauded...

yakisoba

I have to say, if you want to develop the ZR1, go for it. It'll be an interesting journey. I don't know about the brakes, except that some variation of the C6Z package might work. I don't know that the bracketry is different in the ZR1, but it might be. Several different big brake packages are available though, so you can find something for sure.

GM claims to have licked the heat. I wonder, because I've never seen one of these under race conditions. Hopefully, due to brave souls that give it a try, we'll find out soon.

travisnd

FWIW the new CTS-V Coupe looks to have the ZR1 caliper but with steel rotors...

Everett Ogilvie

Awesome car, why would anyone considering building up a car not consider this one? Unless of course one likes to "get his hands dirty" which I can understand. But this sure is an impressive car - wish I could buy it.

Bill Dearborn

I was at the Watkins Glen race in 2009. It was a NASA Northeast event and the guy in the ZR1 was in 2nd place when he piled it up. The 1st place car (a GTO) had moved into the next zip code and was no longer in sight of the ZR or the 3rd place Dodge that was right on the ZRs bumper. The video was from the 3rd place car. All 3 were very fast compared to the rest of the field but that GTO was really fast.

Bill

AJM54GT3

I appreciate all of your well reasoned replies. I full understand that it is very rewarding to drive a slow car fast and using talent not hp. Heck I drove a SpecE30 for several seasons and it was very satisfying.

I also agree that buying a built, well sorted race car would be an easier, cheaper (and maybe faster) way to go. But half of the fun for me would be building a one of a kind car. Also, unlike most race cars that I have looked at, Cup cars for example, I could drive the ZR1 on the street or in OLOA if I wanted to.

Not sure what I am going to do but thanks again for your thoughts.

OKsweetrides

For something more DE/HPDE-ish or an event where tweaked street cars can run... as others have said, you'll be paying a lot of money to just have the ZR1 name when an equal $ Z06 or C6 will run circles around it. But I think LG did a ZR1 for that Spectre(?) street rally; did quite well.

It is fun being the guinea pig at times though, uniqueness has it's own rewards.

If your gonna be running a ZR1 in a class where you need a cage... why would you drive it on the street?

95jersey

you would be BEST served with a former trans am car. TONS of hp and grip and the price would be about what a ZR1 would cost, and you wouldn't have to go through crazy conversions and wasting money putting a steel cage on an aluminum frame.

Either World Challenge Corvette or Trans Am Corvette. You'll be faster than T1, or any TTU prepped ZR1