Prototype ZR 1

[Art A.]

Tom Russo posted the following item and I was to tied up with an ongoing family situation to respond properly. But I have found a few minuets--so here goes.


Re: Prototype 69 LT-1 ?

Posted By: Tom Russo
Date: Thursday, 2 January 2003, at 3:35 a.m.

In Response To: Re: Prototype 69 LT-1 ? (Chas Kingston)

I believe we love to read about specialty Corvettes and learn our initial reservations are unfounded but it is all about documentation as Chuck knows.

Recently on another forum, someone was asking if we knew about the "Cowboy" 78 Corvette. It had a fancy paint job in the color scheme of the Dallas Cowboys and was built for someone back in the 70's. The current owner had not pictures, no newspaper articles, etc.

I had to kindly report that when we did our surveys and interviews for the 78 tech manual...we never came across the story or the car. To make the point, I used the example of the 69 Astronaut Corvettes with their pictures, stories, etc to show these cars were built for the three astronauts of Apollo. Of course, it helped that window sticker showed speciality paint.

I forget who it was but a fellow in North Carolina discovered a prototype yellow ZR1 car in Germany. Someone stumbled across it in a junk yard the fellow in NC had some relationship with someone...both formed a partnership to rebuild the car. Well, ZR'1 were tested in Germany and it was Porsche (?) who set up the test plan for the ZR1 and I guess when this wrecked...just dumped the car. Now, GM destroys the car or something.

Anyway...these stories are great

Yes, Porsche did in fact do some of the testing on the ZR1's in Germany.

Tom, It is your last statement referring to the ZR1's that I would like to comment on and shed some light on. I was working for the GM Legal staff in the late 90's when it came to GM's attention that one or more of these ZR1 test vehicles were in private hands and I was directed to look into it. GM does in fact have the documents and VIN tags for said vehicles, that were SUPPOSED to be destroyed. Someone didn't just "stumbled across it in a junk yard" ----- it probably was a setup deal. GM was and maybe is still on the look-out for these vehicles to surface and they will probably take some action when they do. It is illegal for ANYONE other that GM to possess these vehicles. These vehicles ARE GM property and are NOT certified for federal---or any other---certification.

I hope these people didn't put to much money into rebuilding the car!

Art

[Joe L.]

Re: Prototype ZR 1

Art-----

One of these prototype ZR-1 cars was on display at Bloomington Gold a few years back. My vague recollection is that it was the last year at Springfield, but it could have been the first year back at Bloomington. I have pictures somewhere here. The car that was displayed was yellow.

I also attended a seminar on the "discovery" and restoration of the car at the Bloomington Gold workshops that same year. It seems that this car and at least one other were "found" at a salvage yard in Europe (in either the UK or Germany, as I recall) that GM had engaged to destroy the cars. The cars were some how or another "crushed" per GM's specifications. Supposedly, as I recall, a GM rep witnessed the "destruction".

Anyway, a couple of guys from the UK "found" the crushed cars still in the salvage yard (yes, I know; why did the cars remain at the salvage yard for several years after they were destroyed?). The cars were in VERY bad shape, but these fellows "purchased" the wrecks from the salvage yard as "scrap metal"; not as rebuildable cars. However, they then "restored" them. The car that I saw on display, even after extensive restoration efforts, was still VERY rough. Externally, it looked "sort of ok", but internally it was very incomplete. According to the restorers, they still planned much more work on the car. Plus, they had another that was less far along in the restoration process. I believe that they may have had one or two other ZR-1 prototype cars that they were using for parts. In addition, they were using at least 2 other late 80s C-4s for parts. If I recall correctly, they were using the VINs of these cars as the VINS of the completed vehicles. So, basically, the prototype ZR-1 parts (or "scrap") were being used to "convert" the cars they owned and held title to "prototype ZR-1s". Somehow, they had also obtained a large number of ZR-1 prototype pieces, including many LT-5 prototype engine parts. Some of these were on display and they were obviously non-production pieces.

I don't know where the project is now.

[Edward McComas]

Re: Prototype ZR 1

I had the opportunity to discuss this situation with the individual that found these cars, and is restoring a few of them. He told me that the cars were found in a junk yard in England, after testing at Lotus. As I recall, there was one 1986 ZR-1, and a number (something like 3 or 4) 1989 ZR-1 cars.

These cars were squashed when this guy found them, but the ZR-1 motors (prototype engines) were still in the cars. The remains were brought back to the US. The 1986 car has been restored, and was actually on display at Bloomington a few years ago. I don't know what the current status is of the 1989 cars.

This individual also donated a prototype cam cover for an early ZR-1 engine to the National Corvette Museum. Jim Miniker conducted an auction of this cam cover. I was there when it was auctioned off. Jim made the point that GM had spent a lot of money trying to figure out how these cars and parts came back into existence.

[Edward McComas]

Re: Prototype ZR 1

Check out http://www.eurovettes.com/zr1story.htm for the details about this car.

[Art A.]

Re: Prototype ZR 1

I've know most of this----my only comment is, it's a good them for them that GM DOESN'T ever want ANY bad publicity, so they haven't pursued it!!!

Art

[John P.]

Re: Prototype ZR 1

The yellow 86 is owned by a guy named Ed Simmons, He used to live in Winston Salem NC and owned a corvette shop called eds corvette shanty it has since gone under and ed has also disappeared along with a lot of money that wasn't his im one of them!

But Anyway I have seen pictures of these cars (prototypes) and I know of 2 individuals who have one each and are fixing them up, One gent has a Phase 2 LT5 he is rebuilding to put into his car a 87 I beleive He is on the Corvette Forum alot.. It belongs to the Blue car that was crushed and the other guy has the white one in this picture I have provided...

I believe he has been in contact with Jeff Jeal who was a part of the development team at Lotus, and he is trying to finish this blue car before the ZR-1 Gathering in May...

I personally think it is really neat and a part of the history of these cars as I own a ZR-1 Im kind of intrigued about all of the development I think it is really interesting..

I guess GM's definition of "crushed" and the UK version are way different the pictures of the cars that I have seen were basically crushed with a front end loader or equivalent because the main body of the car was still intact except for the windshield pillar and the rear bow was crushed on all of them...
but you basically have a corvette that was in a roll over accident not impossible to fix!

[Norris W.]

Re: Prototype ZR 1

I've personally seen 2 of these cars in unrestored condition. I think one is the one that's been done and was displayed several years ago. If so, it was a pearlescent white type color and is completed. It was largely done by a local Corvette shop who's proprietor is a longtime NCRS member, former NCRS judge, Bloomington judge, and also ran one or more of the Bloomington workshops as well as helping with the Special Collection for a number of years.

Most recently he owned the blue prototype ZR1. Although the Vin tag was removed, it had many prototype pieces so labeled, and a number of property of GM stickers also. This particular car had coil overs all the way around when he aquired it, but I'm unsure the origin of them. It also had a number of hand made fiberglass components and was somewhat crude in the door jambs where the wider prototype panels were apparently scabbed on. The engine/transmission was gone before he aquired the car.

He also has a crushed ZR1 plenum hanging on the shop wall, but if I remember correctly, it came from the white car which had apparently been somewhat damaged intentionally to make it unsellable. The Blue car showed no signs of any body damage repair. It left here within the last year, or at least very close to that time period, and I'm unsure of the final destination. It was an interesting car to look at with all it's prototype parts and labeling.

[Art A.]

Re: Prototype ZR 1

Johnny, Could you please e-mail me the pictures---they
would not load here for some reason--maybe they will via e-mail.

I know the vin's are not with the vehicles, because I saw the vin tags in the company car folders that were removed from the vehicles----I wonder how these guys get insurance and register these vehicles?

Art

[John P.]

Re: Prototype ZR 1

I know that the blue one that tyler has the Vin tag was removed they just busted the glass at the base of the windshield and removed the vin tags...
Ive never had the opportunity to see one of these unclose and personal

On how to make them legal I have a few ways I believe are possible legal probably not but you aren't hurting anyone and if you try to resell the car your not going to make money without documentation so without the vin that's kind of hard to do!

johnny

[Tom R.]

Re: Prototype ZR 1

And here I thought someone would shed light on the cowboy car!

But yes it was Ed who presented a three inch notebook of photos in Jan of 97 in BG during the unveiling of the C5. We were in the Hearth Inn. Photos began with the salvaged car and took you through a pictorial history of its resurrection. Quite an interesting story.