Daily driving a ZR-1

[8cam]

I haven't updated this thread in a while because I've been, well, driving. In the last few weeks the Z has been to Bowling Green (sadly the week AFTER the gathering) and to Tallahassee, not to mention making runs to Home Depot while we rehab a rental property, and dealing with the wonderful Atlanta traffic. There was an autocross in there somewhere, and hopefully another coming up soon. Damn this car is solid.

All that to say, I've been riding the Z pretty hard and it's time for some maintenance. This holiday weekend is finally the time. Some time ago the driver's door switch failed, causing the alarm to go off randomly, so I've been running around with a bunch of tape stacked on the door frame. I ordered two new switches and replaced both of them, not too bad a job really. About an hour to pop off the door panels and install the new ones.

Then I went to install new brake pads. Got the car in the air and started to remove the left front, only to discover a lug nut badly cross threaded. To say I was pissed is an understatement. Now it's stuck half-off and won't move either direction. It obviously happened when I had the 90 wheels mounted up - the guy didn't thread it on very well and then used the air gun to run it home. ****.

I was seriously angry after that, took the dog for a walk and watched some of the Monaco Grand Prix. Finally when my head was clear I went back into the garage and replaced the clutch master cylinder - the old one was leaking pretty badly. This was a pretty easy job once I figured out all the little bits and pieces. The hardest part was that damn clip on the pushrod! One thing is a little odd about the new cylinder, and I'll make a post in the tech forum. The flange is thicker than the original, and when coupled with the spacer results in a shorter throw of the rod. Seems ok, but the clutch doesn't have the same feel.

Also changed the oil and filter after going a bit too far with the last change. Still need to reset the Change Oil light, but that's easy. Today I'll recheck the oil, reset that light and recheck the clutch master. Tomorrow I'll go after getting that wheel stud fixed, really not happy about that. Yes the shop that did the damage is going to have to take care of it and they damn well better not bring an air gun anywhere near the car.

Hopefully I can install the new brake pads next week.

[8cam]

Just got home from the shop where they got the cross threaded nut off. Now there's a new stud in there and a new/temp lug nut in place. They also checked all the other lugs and it was the only bad one, thankfully. What a hassle. At least now I can swap the brake pads this weekend.

The rest of the work paid big dividends, especially the new clutch master. Huge difference from the leaky original, once it was fully bled. Far better pedal feel now, much more consistent with slightly more effort. I had no idea how bad that original was until now. Back to driving!

[Tripler]

Originally Posted by C4Ray

Back to topic drive your Z on weekends only. Way to exotic and rare to abuse her as DD.

Actually a weekday is a better day to drive your Z between high traffic hrs as a lot of tools heading to there cottages or vacations will cause road mayhem on the weekends . Weekdays work great for myself and riviera .
From 10 am to 3 pm is our maximum . Weekends have to many nutbars out ...

my 3 cent's ...

[Tripler]

Great updates and stories 8cam . Enjoying this thread a lot ...

[8cam]

Weekend #2 maintenance complete, new brake pads installed. I went with Akebono ceramics because I have run them in several different cars, and I really like them. Excellent bite, wear rating, and absolutely zero brake dust. Once I can actually wash the car, it will be nice to have the wheels stay clean.

I still need to get that temp lug nut replaced and while I'm at it the wheel lock nuts are going away too. After working with the wheels for the last two weekends, I've had enough of that damn key.

But a quick run up the road and the new pads are bedded in, the new clutch master feels fantastic, just nice to have all the maintenance stuff done.

[8cam]

Oh and one more thing. The design of the front calipers is a right pain in the ***. I've done brakes on lots of different cars, floating and monoblock, single piston, multiple, etc. and these look straight out of 1963. Their performance is fantastic, no doubt, and I have proven it. But they were not designed with maintenance in mind. A single pin and clip? Oh and put the holes on the ends of the pads so if you're not paying attention, you will put the pads in wrong the first time, thinking something about that pin. And what's with the prongs on the pads? Just to make them difficult to install I think.

Glad I won't have to do that again for a long time.

[We Gone]

LOL You forgot to mention the anti-rattle clips

[bradley]

I just loving driving mine every day 204k miles on her and she has only stranded me once .

[Paul Workman]

Originally Posted by Tripler

Actually a weekday is a better day to drive your Z between high traffic hrs as a lot of tools heading to there cottages or vacations will cause road mayhem on the weekends . Weekdays work great for myself and riviera .
From 10 am to 3 pm is our maximum . Weekends have to many nutbars out ...

my 3 cent's ...

And, from when I lived in the Rocky Mtns, on Sunday evenings the weekender and local traffic too was almost gone after 6:30 PM - everybody home eating dinner and getting ready to go to work the next day, methinks. A great time for a cool-air cruise or even something a bit more spirited; having the back roads almost entirely to yourself!

[8cam]

Originally Posted by Paul Workman

And, from when I lived in the Rocky Mtns, on Sunday evenings the weekender and local traffic too was almost gone after 6:30 PM - everybody home eating dinner and getting ready to go to work the next day, methinks. A great time for a cool-air cruise or even something a bit more spirited; having the back roads almost entirely to yourself!

And then there's my Sunday evening...just yesterday. Took the wife out to dinner and 60mph...BRAKE....back to 60...BRAKE...back to 60....BRAKE. Hey it was the first test drive after the brake job and I needed to bed in the new pads. She wasn't amused.