I had to put the Goat in to a shop yesterday,as I want someone with a lift and time to finally fix the stupid, poorly engineered B&M shifter for hopefully the final time. I've had the damned thing in and out three times now, and I'm done screwing with it. I took it to Guldstrand Motorsports, a well-known Corvette shop here in Burbank, owned by a nice a very accomplished gentleman named Dick Guldstrand. Seriously, look this guy up or go to http://www.corvettethunder.com/ . These guys are also going to do my suspension install BTW- their specialty...they were all excited over seeing a GThOlden in their amazing shop.
But I digress.
They weren't going to have it done by the end of the day yesterday, so...what to do?
My high-level boss here has a rare 1993 Corvette ZR-1 40th Anniversary edition that he keeps here but rarely, if ever, drives. The shop manager keeps it maintained mechanically, but it is in need of some serious TLC.
For the edification of Great Unwashed, the ZR-1 has the very advanced (for GM) LT-5 405 hp monster engine that was built by Mercury Marine- the only DOHC ever put in a Vette.
A while back, I suggested to him that he should let should let me drive it sometime to compare and contrast with the Holden. "Anytime," he said. I've never taken him up on that.
Until last night.
Since I was carless, I asked him if I could borrow the old girl to get home tonight-- remember that home is ~120 miles away.
"Fine with me," he said.
w00t!
Impressions after just spending 235 miles in the ZR1:
Fast car..keep in mind it was rainy, and my radar detector was in the GTO (I felt soooo nekkid!), so I couldn't really open her up.... well, not as much as I'd like to, anyway... :secret:
Uncomfortable seats, noisy, brutal, but that's part of the fun. This made me appreciate the almost effortless smoothness and refinement of our Holdens, but there is a lot to be said for the rawness and visceral "Holy crap, this is a street-legal race car!" feeling of the ZR1.
The various rattles and squeaks are many...not to be totally unexpected from a fairly exotic 13 year-old car with 40k on the clock.
Fast. Wow.
Incredible handling as well, when PERF is selected on the suspension selector...light years better than any other C4 I've driven.
Wow. Fast. That sound....like no other GM product...That geared-cam engine sounds sooooooo sweet...far more BMW Dinan 545i than LSx.
And fast. :burnout:
The ZR1 would get old in a right hurry as a daily driver...but as a second car...woah, am I becoming a GM head just as they are about to go off of a cliff?
But I digress.
They weren't going to have it done by the end of the day yesterday, so...what to do?
My high-level boss here has a rare 1993 Corvette ZR-1 40th Anniversary edition that he keeps here but rarely, if ever, drives. The shop manager keeps it maintained mechanically, but it is in need of some serious TLC.
For the edification of Great Unwashed, the ZR-1 has the very advanced (for GM) LT-5 405 hp monster engine that was built by Mercury Marine- the only DOHC ever put in a Vette.
A while back, I suggested to him that he should let should let me drive it sometime to compare and contrast with the Holden. "Anytime," he said. I've never taken him up on that.
Until last night.
Since I was carless, I asked him if I could borrow the old girl to get home tonight-- remember that home is ~120 miles away.
"Fine with me," he said.
w00t!
Impressions after just spending 235 miles in the ZR1:
Fast car..keep in mind it was rainy, and my radar detector was in the GTO (I felt soooo nekkid!), so I couldn't really open her up.... well, not as much as I'd like to, anyway... :secret:
Uncomfortable seats, noisy, brutal, but that's part of the fun. This made me appreciate the almost effortless smoothness and refinement of our Holdens, but there is a lot to be said for the rawness and visceral "Holy crap, this is a street-legal race car!" feeling of the ZR1.
The various rattles and squeaks are many...not to be totally unexpected from a fairly exotic 13 year-old car with 40k on the clock.
Fast. Wow.
Incredible handling as well, when PERF is selected on the suspension selector...light years better than any other C4 I've driven.
Wow. Fast. That sound....like no other GM product...That geared-cam engine sounds sooooooo sweet...far more BMW Dinan 545i than LSx.
And fast. :burnout:
The ZR1 would get old in a right hurry as a daily driver...but as a second car...woah, am I becoming a GM head just as they are about to go off of a cliff?