Which ZR-1 Do I Buy? - ZR-1 Net Registry Forums

Obiwan · 11-18-2012

Hello all,

After 4 years without a ZR-1 during a brief soiree into the classic Mopar muscle department, I have decided to buy another ZR-1. I just can't go much longer without owning the definitive American muscle car from my generation. I have my eyes set on a couple of cars which are being sold for the same price however I cannot decide which way to go. They both appear to be very nice cars but they are very different from each other.

The first Z has fairly low millage (32K) and is bone stock and original. The car has been well taken care of and looks fantastic on the inside and out. I have ran through the ZR-1 Net Registry buyers guide checklist with the seller and everything appears to be checking out. The car has some service records, it's pizza box and both tops. The only problem with it is that it is boring. If I purchase the car, I going to end up porting the top end, chip, headers exhaust etc. My concern with this car is the money I'm going to end up spending to get it where I want performance wise, and believe it or not, it's millage. My previous ZR-1 had 8K on it when I sold it and I had numerous issues with dried out vacuum lines, gaskets, seals, and injectors from not the car not being driven prior to my buying it.

The second Z has higher millage (80K) but has already received all of the mods I would end up performing on the other car and much more. This Z has been meticulously maintained and looks as good cosmetically than the low millage car. This Z has all of it's service records and they indicate that some major cost inducing repairs have already been addressed such as: new clutch, injectors, water pump, speaker amps, CD player, and brakes. The car did have a blown head gasket at around 65k which was documented along with photos of the block, liners, pistons, heads, and valves to prove that no damage was done to the motor itself. The owner attributed the damage to a mechanic using the wrong anti-freeze and replaced both head gaskets at that time with Jerry's. My concern with this car is obviously the millage and longevity of the engine although slapping some much larger pistons in it would be the natural progression if things did go south.

So that's my conundrum. I look forward to, and appreciate any and all insight.

Best regards,

Obiwan

11-18-2012	#1
Obiwan Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Way Upstate NY Posts: 10	Which ZR-1 Do I Buy? Hello all, After 4 years without a ZR-1 during a brief soiree into the classic Mopar muscle department, I have decided to buy another ZR-1. I just can't go much longer without owning the definitive American muscle car from my generation. I have my eyes set on a couple of cars which are being sold for the same price however I cannot decide which way to go. They both appear to be very nice cars but they are very different from each other. The first Z has fairly low millage (32K) and is bone stock and original. The car has been well taken care of and looks fantastic on the inside and out. I have ran through the ZR-1 Net Registry buyers guide checklist with the seller and everything appears to be checking out. The car has some service records, it's pizza box and both tops. The only problem with it is that it is boring. If I purchase the car, I going to end up porting the top end, chip, headers exhaust etc. My concern with this car is the money I'm going to end up spending to get it where I want performance wise, and believe it or not, it's millage. My previous ZR-1 had 8K on it when I sold it and I had numerous issues with dried out vacuum lines, gaskets, seals, and injectors from not the car not being driven prior to my buying it. The second Z has higher millage (80K) but has already received all of the mods I would end up performing on the other car and much more. This Z has been meticulously maintained and looks as good cosmetically than the low millage car. This Z has all of it's service records and they indicate that some major cost inducing repairs have already been addressed such as: new clutch, injectors, water pump, speaker amps, CD player, and brakes. The car did have a blown head gasket at around 65k which was documented along with photos of the block, liners, pistons, heads, and valves to prove that no damage was done to the motor itself. The owner attributed the damage to a mechanic using the wrong anti-freeze and replaced both head gaskets at that time with Jerry's. My concern with this car is obviously the millage and longevity of the engine although slapping some much larger pistons in it would be the natural progression if things did go south. So that's my conundrum. I look forward to, and appreciate any and all insight. Best regards, Obiwan