Looking at a low mileage (below 1000) 1990 and was wondering if there is anything to watch out for. With the mileage being below 1000, is that particularly bad for a 90 ZR1? Is it possible to mess with the odometers? I know they're digital, but anything is possible these days with what the collector market is like.
Besides researching the car... research the seller. Your buying his word when you buy the car. See if you can find 3 of them if you can so you don't find yourself losing any objectivity when contemplating a deal. Knowing that you can pass on the 1st one and move on to a 2nd or 3rd Z will make the process a bit easier in some ways imho. Other than the stuff that deteriorates over time you should be able to locate some prime examples... it seems a few are coming out regulary these days.
Welcome to the hobby !
Looking at a low mileage (below 1000) 1990 and was wondering if there is anything to watch out for. With the mileage being below 1000, is that particularly bad for a 90 ZR1? Is it possible to mess with the odometers? I know they're digital, but anything is possible these days with what the collector market is like.
Thanks in advance...
To answer your question, yes the odometer can be messed with if you know what you are doing.
In regards to the mileage, it really depends on how the car was taken care of. Was it stored with a full tank of gas, did it have stabil in it, was it driven around the block etc. Was the AC compressor run etc.
There is a high likelyhood of some issues such as injectors but you won't know until you inspect the car and drive it. My Z goes 500-1000 miles per year and it runs flawlessly.
I think some on this board would rather have a low mileage Z with a few more miles than this one. There are some things like intake secondaries, injectors, etc, that do better with some exercise But I think that is the case with any car. The LT-5 was made to withstand whatever is thrown at it for the most part. It's hard to say how a 1000 mile car would react to putting it on the road. There may be quite a few things that would need to be done to make it roadworthy, or not? That being said, I'm sure this is a time capsule, and it may be in pristine cosmetic condition so that's a plus. Depends on what you want the car for? I want a Z to exercise hard!
Either way have fun on your search, and the Zs are fantastic cars!
Oh BTW you're looking at the right year
__________________ 1990 LT5 1973 LS4 (sold)
Last edited by WydGlydJim; 11-09-2007 at 05:52 PM.
I would have a hard time driving a ZR-1 with less than 1000 miles. If I was looking for one to drive it would have some miles on it. Like in that 20,000+ range.
*sigh*, only 1000 miles.
That's only around 58 miles a year.
Not nearly enough.
Get to know the owner.
Did he buy the car because it was in love with it, or was it just a really bad financial investment?
Did he treat it well, or was it just another piece in his large collection of automotive memorabilia?
I have bought 2 low mileage ZR1s over the years. I was concerned about two things when I was looking. First, how was the car stored; and second, how did the car run and what might not have worked when I was on the hunt. I ended buying both cars from people who had them in temperature controlled garages. For evaluation purpose, I drained and replaced every fluid after the purchase. I did not have a minutes worth of problems from either car. My first I purchased with 123 miles and drove for the next 29K miles. My second I purchased with less than 2K miles. This is the car I still own.
Both were 91s and both needed injectors while in my possession. I can't imagine a 90, 91, or 92 with high or low miles that doesn't have some tell-tale idle or performance issue if it still has original injectors.
As far as your specific question, my experience stays their is no one thing to watch for other that the well documented pattern failures you can read about on the net-registry. There are, however, random failures of electromechanical devices that I believe are accelerated by extreme storage conditions.
Location: 1961 Red w/White coves 85,532 Original Miles
I recently purchased a 1991 ZR1 with 3,600 miles on it. The dealership that had the car sold it new to the gentleman that traded it in. They knew the car very well as the man who purchased it new bought other cars from them through the years. The original owner stored it in a heated garage he built just for the car.
When I picked it up, I looked it over for anything and everything, it was exactly as described, like new, it even smelled new. I drove it 650 miles from Wisconsin to Nebraska and it ran flawlessly.
I always wanted a ZR1 and waited until I found the right one. I did pay a a good price, but it needs nothing but to be driven.
I would say go for it, but check it out very carefully. If it is one of the low milage pristine examples out there, that has been taken care of, buy it.
I made it sound like it was a Z for me, but it's actually a Z for a friend. He's not a member here (yet), so I offered to ask on his behalf. I've also pointed him towards the ZR1 net registry. I'm always lurking here in this sub-forum, so I knew you all would provide some great feedback.
I'll provide the details once he's made a decision on whether or not to buy it.
Corvette Store
Possible ZR1 In My Future...
Something in the 5-10k.
