LantanaTX

I am thinking about buying this car. It looks like steel blue which I love, but it also looks like it has been repainted. Seems to also have different side vents. The car is out of state and the buyer has only given me the VIN. What is the best way to find out the original color if it was changed? Can you tell me from the picture of other non standard mods?

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USAZR1

Looks like it has different brake calipers. What year car is it?

okinawa86vette

I have a steel blue ZR-1 ....the painting that car doesn't quite look right and it looks like the surrounds of the emblems aren't steel blue. There also shouldn't be emblems on the hood, but some add them. Could be originally SB, but not a great repaint. Hard to tell without seeing it in person....could be fine. The body panels on mine all match up no matter the lighting, although lighting changes the overall look a lot with that color.

And yes, the lower fender panels are the 95-96 type. Steel blue was only available in 1990-91. The wheels are 94/95 ZR-1 type. The windshield looks like it may not be the ZR-1 type, but I'm looking on my phone, so the pics are small.

If you pass me the year and last 4 digits of the vin, I'll look the car up in the registery members only section and see what it was from the factory along with the options. PM me if you don't want to post here.

Chris

okinawa86vette

Also, steel blue ZR-1s are pretty rare...11 in 90 and 46 in 1991, so you're right to check. I wouldn't buy a car site unseen, especially a ZR-1 if there's any doubt on the cars appearance, originality and mechanical shape.

LantanaTX

Thanks everyone for the responses. The VIN is 1G1YZ23J0M5800663 appears to be a '91. also looks like the some sort of added piece to the side mirrors. The brakes look like the original PBR's but painted red. anyone identify the exhaust? Also should the door handles be painted? Missing black at front corner of the front bumper? I like this car and ready to pull the trigger if it is an original steel Blue car. Interior is black.

okinawa86vette

Glad you checked....

It is a '91 ZR-1, but was code 42U exterior Bright Turquoise and black interior.

I'm actually surprised.....you don't see too many that were repainted in a different color. And looking at the car on my computer full size, the emblems are definitely colored wrong....all of the cars had matching surrounds on the emblems except black which got white surrounds. That's what those look like to me. You're right, it should be black between the corner markers and fog lamps. Here's a pic of mine and how it should look.....





Chris

rickyrj1

Not Steel Blue but still a ZR-1! Color looks like a gray to me. The exhaust looks like B&B or Borla. good luck, keep us updated

LantanaTX

After seeing more pictures of Steel Blue, this car is looking more gray to me too. It is a color I like but I am thinking of this car as an investment and not sure how much the color change hurts it. This car also needs some work which I am happy about as I like doing the work and the price seems good at $13K. all the needed fixes are fairly simple for me but would be expensive to have a shop do.

JimZRyd

For 13K might be worth seriously considering. Maybe have another Z owner in the area check it out. I like the color...a Cyber Grey Z would be awesome! If it's truly an investment car you are after you might be better off looking for a very low mike all original car for much more money and be prepared to wait it out. Or just pick this one up, spend some dough modding it out and simply enjoy the ride! Nothing like an LT5 spooling up to spoil you!

Jim

USAZR1

Here are two ZR-1's that have been for sale awhile and both could be bought for a decent price,I'm sure.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c4-z...90-zr-1-a.html

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c4-z...-for-sale.html

LantanaTX

Thanks for the links. Nice cars! I am still drawn to the grey one unless someone can talk me out of it.

illenema

At 13K I really dont see how you can go wrong on that car.
Make sure the engine is free of knocks and trans is good, Id grab it.
I miss my 92 but it needed engine work si sold it before got really noticeable... Good luck!

rickyrj1

Its not an invest grade car. If you bought it for the 13k and drove/enjoyed it you would be able to sell it in the future for the same if not more $$$. That's a lot of performance car for 13k (assuming the car is all there mechanically)

Tomcat74

Tomcat 74
91 ZR1 #906

LantanaTX

I will probably go ahead and buy it. Like I said earlier it needs some work, but nothing I can't do myself. The seller seems like a nice honest guy and said it stumbles when you get on it hard and idle isn't bad but not 100%. sounds like fuel injector to me. The a/c doesn't get cold, and is missing the radio as the previous owner had installed an aftermarket head unit and kept it. He also said, the tires are new, clutch, trans and brakes are all fine. I have been messing with cars my whole life. I was the first in the US to put a Mercedes V8 in a Crossfire with the goal being a German built Corvette. Now I may soon own the real thing! couple of shots of my last toy...

LantanaTX

Just ran a Car Fax and it was clean and qualified for their buy back guarantee.

5abivt

As investment I would say not a chance. Like mentioned earlier you could keep the car , drive it and mod it and not lose anything on it years down the road. For $13k thats a lot of car for the $$.

Looks to me like the previous owner just painted it how he liked. Matching mirror deflectors, door handles, side fenders to the newer style, silver around the emblems and changing to a steel blue which I think looks fantastic (im sure with better photos the car would look much better).

just take off the really hideous c5 emblem off the hood please

Graybeard ZR1

Or better yet, strip them all off. As long as it's a repaint in a non-stock color, you could get creative without disturbing an original car.

IMHO. that's a beautiful color, and an original Steel Blue pictured above is too. I've been a fan of Silver, and these Silver variants, for a long time. But recently, it seems that every econobox in the world is sprayed silver.
Still a great color. Probably THE color for ZR-1's, in my opinion.

BTW, that's a Borla exhaust. Sweet sounding, but the flow is not the greatest.

LantanaTX

Anyone in the CO Springs, Denver area willing to take a look at it for me?

Does look like cyber grey to me.

USAZR1

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Those tips sure look like B&B's to me.