28K Mile Survivor! 1991 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1
Corvettes are making big news right now with the new C8 coming out. While C4 Corvettes have not fully hit their stride, this 1991 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 can really get you on the right path to Corvette ownership. It is located south east of Minneapolis, Minnesota. A VIN is listed for this Vette and the seller lists the title as clean. According to the listing, there are only 28,000 original miles on the odometer. Thank you, Gregory F, for the tip. You can view more on Craigslist.
According to the listing, this car does run and drive. The eight-cylinder engine is connected to a six-speed manual transmission. One of the notes the seller makes is that they are able to smell oil when the car is running, which they believe the culprit might be valve cover gaskets. They also say a new battery should be installed and the brake rotors should be replaced. All belts, hoses, and tires are original.
Inside, a lovely red interior compliments the white exterior. It does have some wear and tear, including some of the seats starting to crack and the carpeting is fraying at certain points. However, those are simply minor blemishes. It does not detract from the car in any way. A photo of the digital dashboard indicator shows the mileage on the car. It is fun to see the incorporation of analog and digital gauges back then.
So, it is obvious that this car will need some work. However, for the asking price, it seems worth that works if you are passionate about Corvettes or you are wanting to join that automotive community. The sellers note that the car has been in storage for 10 years total. That is why things will need to be tended to. All of this is good to know. With all of that in mind and a great price, you should really be considering this Corvette.
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Comments
One day I will have one.
Best of luck Miguel. I know black cars with a red interior are known as Black Widows, aside from the obvious is there a nickname for white over red cars? There are a ton of them.
Red Velvet?
And you will love it!
These were wonderful cars. More performance than anyone will ever need, but not too much so it can’t be enjoyed.
The LT5 doesn’t have valve covers, they are cam covers. These are awesome cars, I owned one for 15yrs. Best bang for your buck in my opinion!!
Hoses, belts and tires are original, better plan on doing some work or shipping it if you plan to buy something like this. Before rushing into something with the LT-5 engine, either be competent to work on it or find someone that is. Not a lot of shops say they’ll touch them from what I’ve been told.
I said it before but a local Chevy dealership had one on the lot last year, they ultimately moved it to their bargain lot trying to sell it and it was in pretty good shape.
The seat shows more than 28k.
At only 28K miles, was it a track car?
Corvettes are awesome cars, and we all have our favorites. This is a terrific car and I wish the new owner well.
I was fortunate to own the ’67 427- 400 (Tri-Power) roadster shown. I was the 3rd owner. I bought it in 1982 and sold it in 1984 – very sorry I did.
The sound of 427 angry cubic inches through side pipes was something to hear. (I do still have the kids! – adults now) 😎
The 1967, 427-400 Roadster mentioned above.
There’s a mint 6,600 mile 1990 in red on Bring a Trailer which is only bid up to 10.5k with 1 day to go. So I suspect that this ask is optimistic by a few g. This should realistically be available under 10 grand.
If somebody would have told you back in the early 1990s that these would someday be priced about the same as a Cavalier Z24 you would have been laughed at, LOL! Yet here we are. These really never caught on.
Mr.Buzzkill says “Go slow” when purchasing a C4 and watch and wait for bargains. Here is one example: 1995 coupe, 48,000 miles, two-owners, stored winters in heated space, absolutely mint condition, all paperwork and maintenance records from the day it was delivered including the plastic steering wheel and seat covers from the factory. NCRS Top Flight. White over red leather. Completely original. Sold at $12,500 (Private sale, no auction). Original window sticker price, $39,500. Bide your time. GM made a lot of C4’s.
That one went for $24,750.
Seems more than reasonable.
Mr.Buzzkill says “Tread lightly” and consider you could possibly put another $10,000 into this as some of the seller’s comments hint at major problems. “Smell oil”- No thanks. “Needs rotors” at 28K miles? No thanks. There are always a lot of well-cared for ZR-1’s for sale every day. One had best be an LT-5/ZR-1 expert or find one to inspect this car prior to purchasing.
Go north to find clean low mileage Corvettes. These cars are stored and often pampered through the winter months that can keep them off the road for half of their life.
I’m by no means a Corvette fanboy, but these ZR-1s were technological tour-de-forces at the time. It would smoke (bad pun for this particular car) my 911 that’s roughly the same vintage, and today is 4X the price of a C4. Was I a riverboat gambler however, would I wager that someday these things will eventually catch fire? Probsnot. I think the issue is that C4s in general are just seen as less than handsome, and there’s precious little to differentiate the ZR-1s.
You had me at red interior ♥️
IMO, the VISUAL pinnacle of all corvette motors, not counting the 1 that WAS(blasphemous!)in the 4 rotor corvette. A fine change in the shape of the rear spoiler. Sure it don’t have the curves of the prev gens, but it still is instantly recognizable as a corvette with neutral, dare i say handsome looks – not angry or stupid looking. Perhaps maybe they should have made it a little WIDER. Tho nonetheless, fine proportions & overhangs,
unlike on …
If only they designed the car with lower sills & wider footwells. & dare i say kept the prior gen’s dashboard. I just like a big round speedo & tach in front of me.
@Joe- The ZR-1 is a little wider than the base Corvette from the doors back to accommodate the much wider rear tires. I often wonder if anyone has ever had any issues finding body parts if required? You hear a lot about concerns over finding mechanical parts but not too much about body panels. Windshield also differs from the base car. Wonder if those can be found. Fuel injectors also need to be changed over to handle ethanol blends up to 1993 models.
Frank, I had also wondered the same things. Everything breaks sometime.
Stop calling low mile cars “survivors”.
They didn’t survive anything.
Did it climb a mountain and make it back in one piece?
Did it run a long distance or 24 hour race?
Did it catch fire but get put out before structural damage?
Did rust get stopped at surface only before it became cancerous?
Time capsule? Maybe. Garage queen? Probably. But survivor no. Would you say someone is a survivor if they made it to 75 by living in a plush condo being waited on hand and feet by pleebs?
Can’t answer all your questions, but the 1990 ZR-1 did run for 24 hours at a test track in Texas at 174.9 mph to prove the durability of the LT-5 engine.
Craigslist post deleted.
Find a good ZR-1 without oil issues. Engine rebuilds are pricey. As stated plenty of great low mileage card at fair prices. My 90 ZR-1 with just over 11k miles was under $20k. That included new injectors, new water pump and really nice condition. Fixed the seat bladders and pumps and car passed NCRS PV. Great car to drive!
THAT’s the way to buy a ZR-1!! Well-played. Great price, great mileage and the right things were corrected. Enjoy the living you-know-what out of it. Color?