Last Ride

Hey all--
Well, I am going to buy a Porsche. This damn Corvette has left me stranded for the last time! Here are the details:

Intermittent start problem. The car starts when it wants, it doesn't start when YOU want! Every day is an adventure!

Doug Rippie 368 runs awesome if you can get the car to start! 4.10's spool her up fast.

The LCD screen decided to take a crap on me, so guess your own speed!

Special AC-delete! Okay, so it's there, but it doesn't work, either.

Wilwood Brakes! They suck because the rotors are cracked and the pads are gone. I ordered new pads and have slotted rotors to go on the car, but if it doesn't go, why make it stop?

The stereo blows nuts as with all Blose systems.

The coilovers and roll bar DO make this the tightest C4 I have ever driven. This of course, assumes you can get it started....

The Hurst shifter rocks!

That's about all there is to tell. It comes complete with receipts from Rippie, and I will throw in my receipts as well. Oh, and it comes with one cracked glass top, a solid top, and some other miscellaneous crap! Can anyone suggest a decent sports car that won't be such a pain in my butt? Make an offer!

WydGlydJim

I'll give ya $5.00.....only because I like Quasar blue!



[Modified by WydGlydJim, 11:15 PM 6/22/2004]

Last Ride

$5.00 would get you a test "drive", but I would have to push you around!

Jeffvette

5K. I need another non running ZR-1 to match mine.

Last Ride

Okay, I am calming down now. It's nice to know God isn't singling me out! The car actually runs, but supposedly, the old VATS is what is keeping my car from starting occasionally. Gordon Killebrew took a look at it this past weekend, and he said he thought it was the starter going bad, and I think he might know a thing or two about the car. Funny thing is, when it does this, you get in, turn the key, and... nothing. No ticking or attempting to turn over. All accessories work. The other problems are being addressed, but they are simply annoying. The no-start business is infuriating! Especially when I go to my softball game, bop in the car when I am done, turn the key, and then have to wait for 20 minutes while my buddy jumps in his 1986 Honda Accord and it starts right up! I guess I could have worse problems in life than a Corvette that doesn't work like it should, but man, that is frustrating!

Bryan

threestar40

Gees, all it needs is a starter, brakes, and a decent stereo, Doing the labor myself, I could do all that for maybe 3 grand first class. Probably less.

As far as the gauge cluster, I guess I would just gut it and put in Auto Meter...It would be a fun project for me...Building custom dash gauge clusters is a blast and you learn tons about your car and wiring locations of sensors and all kinds of fun stuff...or just find a stock one and put it in. 911's are tame compared to your car, unless you get a turbo...have fun fixing that b1tc$h!!!

I don't know, I've contemplated that little swap myself, read a couple of books on 911's, For me, the ZR1 is much more exotic, much more powerful, and is generally cooler. The only thing that the 911 has over it is body and chassis quality IMO.

Just quit whining, go pull the plenum, put in a starter, get a really kick butt sytem with bigbutt sub and component speakers, and fix the brakes and you've bonded a little with your baby and you'll love it more. If your not going to do the work yourself though, just sell it. A coil over ZR1 is a pretty cool thing to have, I know half the guys on this forum would cream their pants over that suspension.

I'll give ya 15 for it as it sits or trade you for my 50 thousand dollar prostreet '91 gmc truck straight up. Its got a blown port injected small block in it, not that fast though, makes tons of low end torque about 340 ft.pounds between 1and 2k rpm, makes 325hp@5k rpm at the wheels(I know that's not much but I do have the dyno sheet and I did build the WHOLE thing myself), ford 9 inch, 31x18.5 hoosier prostreet radials, one of a kind. Back half is form S&W race cars and is ready for 1000hp runs awesome. If your ready to go drag racing, it would be a lot of fun, but, you would need a new giant motor and tranny that made about 800hp...then you could really go scare the cr@p out of yourself =). I would love to displace my truck with your car and have 2 ZR1's instead of 1 and my ridiculous truck that is still a lot of fun on the street but needs to be turned into a race car.

Whattaya say?

Rick :flag

sultan 2 ZR1 KSA

[Modified by sultan 2 ZR1 KSA, 9:49 AM 6/23/2004]

phrogs

Man the starter is easy to change out at least do this, pull the starter and have your frined in the honda take you to auto zone and have them check the starter out on their machine.

Now if its vats you can bypass vats

My car did the same thing yours is doing it had done it about a half dozen times, but all I did was get a new key cut and I dont have the problem anymore, what im talking about is the chip on the key tends to get worn down as does the ingnition switch everything will work on your car but it wont start no click nothin all the dash lights up stereo works the whole deal, check the starter make sure its not that, get a new key clean out the inside of the ignition switch with some alcohal and try it a few times.


If gordon said starter start there I guess he is like the man on the electronics but I have not used his services, I know where he worked and what he did so its worth a shot. a starter cost $150 off ebay and Im sure you can get one from a local place as well.

johnny

-=Jeff=-

I will trade you for my vette. Mine starts all the time everytime.

Honestly it sounds like the VATS to me. There is a cheap fix for it. Are you coming up to Bloomington Gold?

Either way I think I may have the connector needed to build the Fix, but I would need either the actual OHm Measurement from the key or the Pellet #.

Email me at vettxtc@comcast.net, the fix would not cost more then $15 shipped to you.

As for the Dash, an LCD from a regular 90-91 vette will work too. just buy a cluster with a 6K tach and swap LCDs.





[Modified by -=Jeff=-, 8:11 AM 6/23/2004]

Z Factor

Now that is what I call a sales pitch, with POS in the title no less.

BERTZR1

Bryan,my car had the same damn problem that your describing,and it turned
out to be the starter.
As far as the radio it's A POS,the speakers are worth keeping with out the amps that drive them. .I bought A JVC XC-777 head unit it's A double din and fits just like the bose unit.
You won't have to do any modifying to the radio Bezel it fits perfect.
I ran mine with an AMP and it sounds great.Ask PeteZR1 he bought one
as well.

KDuniverse

Get a new key. The resistor in yours is probably bad. If the car doesn't start and doesn't make a clicking, or at least an attempt to turn over, but has all accessories working, it's the VATS. Either the key, or you can go with an aftermarket alarm and bypass the vats all together, forever. There, just saved you from selling your car

Last Ride

Okay, so I really don't want to buy a Porsche! I know they are not the cars these ZR1's are, we are family friends of the owner of the Porsche store here in sunny Springfield. If it is the VATS, then it will be dealt with on Monday. I am taking the car into my stereo shop to have an alarm put on. I asked thm if they could solder in a resistor that would simulate the resistor in the key, and they said, "No problem, we do it all the time for remote starters." Good deal, a $.50 resistor over a $15 new key. By the way, I tried cleaning the key before with jewelry polish, but got the same results.

If it is NOT the VATS, I checked the prices for starters yesterday at Autozone. They quoted me a price of $165 for one of their starters. Are they any good?

The brakes are going to be fixed by next weekend. I ordered pads from Rippie, but they were backordered until today. They aren't terrible, but they definitely don't stop the car like an expensive brake system should! I already have the rotors.

The AC seems like a simple-enough fix. It was also diagnosed by Gordon Killebrew as a low refridgerant. He gave me the name an number of a supplier for a direct replacement for the R12. Did I mention how awesome he is?

I am in contact with a guy that rebuilds the LCD screens, so that should be taken care of soon as well.

The stereo is the part I am least worried about at the moment. But I do have plans for that as well. I have a set of component speakers for the front doors, and a couple of low volume 8" subs for the rear pods. I am either going to do an Eclipse or Kenwood Excelon deck and a decent amp to pull the whole thing together. I know this will leave a gap in my dash, but that space could be filled with an EQ or Nitrous controls or something Thanks all for letting me vent!

Bryan

-=Jeff=-

Bryan,

The LCD has the IC baked in the Glass, so you may need to replace the LCD itself.

I was able to get one from vette2vette.com for $50 since the Cluster was damaged I could get just the LCD.

FU

A bit of work and that car will be on top again.

There are a couple of guy's in the Chicago area that are real good with ZR1's. Why not let them have a look instead of getting all frustrated ?

TONYDEE64

I think you should absolutely sell the car.. but then again if you do you'll never be able to replace it as there just weren't that many built. Does a coil over suspension really make people cream? If so, you guys are easy.... Now, just as a sanity check, would you all rather have a ZR1 than a turbo 911? Hmmm.....I don't know about you guys......

If I were to buy your car I would immediately pull the motor and put a BIG BLOCK in there!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'd put the Lt5 over in a corner of my garage and throw a piece of plywood across the plenum (it's pretty flat, right?) and make a work bench out of it... not good for much else is it? OR I guess I could sell the motor to one of you guys for exactly one million dollars!!!!!!!!!!!!!




[Modified by TONYDEE64, 2:28 PM 6/23/2004]

Last Ride

Yeah, I want to get it up to Marc Haibeck in Chi-town, but I hear he is booked for a few months. Word is that he is the best around here, so I want to get it up to him to go over the car and troubleshoot. It's a three hour drive, so I want to make sure he has room before I head up!

Bryan

DDSLT5

Don't you mean "ONE HUNDRED BILLION DOLLARS"? Said in Austin powers voice!

TONYDEE64

Ahh yes, sorry, my bad......didn't mean to offend anyone....

xlr8nflorida

The LT5 rocks and usually doesen't experience many problems.