Enthusiast with Jeff Hill provides an in depth, enthusiastic comparison between two gorgeous 40th Anniversary Corvettes. The King of the Hill ZR1 and the special 40th Anniversary LT1.
Outstanding comparison betwixt the each of the vehicles, i own a 1985, 1991, and a 1994 corvette. Every time i drive them its like the first time. What a thrill it is to drive these cars.
Great video! As an owner of a 95 ZR-1 the car is truly amazing! The people who think "C4's are slow" are fools. The amount of people who i have left in the dust is amazing. Im fairly sure the ZR-1 in later years have more than 405hp. My but dyno tells me probably 440-450hp. Its a monster and if you want one, you better buy one before they are all gone.
I'd honestly prefer a C4 ZR-1 over any C5 and C7. Really any of them besides the C6 ZR-1 and I do like the new C8's. My mom had a C3 that spent most of the time broken down.
@@Ocoanater I got my 95 c4 zr-1 in 2018 before all the craziness in the used car world for the low price for 25k with 16kmiles. Still feels like I stole it, it’s that amazing of a car.
When I was a teenager my mom had one and let me tell you well they were a week on an Alaskan cruise I found the keys and no 17-year-old should be driving a ZR1. I don’t know how I never put that car into a tree or a ditch but luckily I didn’t otherwise I would not be here today to tell you about this😂
In 1990, I was 12 years old and the ZR-1 just came out. It was my dream car. It still is. Tragically, I've never been fortunate enough to own one. Or even drive one. Or even sit in one. Even as a passenger. *sigh* But I will say ... That sound... The LT5 exhaust note. My favourite engine sound ever. I can't wait to actually hear it for myself! ... Someday...
Love the enthusiasm! I feel the exact same way about the ZR1. It was a monster for its day, and is still one of my favorites.👍🏼 Almost forgot..liked(loved) and SUBSCRIBED! 😎
Great video! I own a 95 ZR-1 and love it! I'm a 90's baby, so I had grown up idolizing them on my yearly trip to Corvettes at Carlisle. That extra wide backend just made them look so mean. I knew someday I had to have one. I finally had the means and found the right one in the rare purple color. With all the c4 bashing I had heard I was a bit worried that it would be a don't meet your hero situation, but one drive crushed that thought. What a car! Mine has 84K miles on it and still feels great. My dad has a C6 Z06 (obviously faster) and between the 2 I enjoy driving the ZR-1 more. People need to stop bashing c4's and just give them a chance. They are so underrated!
Love this car my dad has the 1996 LT4 Collector Edition silver Corvette with removable top. Had so much fun in that car and the motor just pulled so hard. 👌🏾 Red groves on the intake was the give away.
I have a polo green 95 c4 lt1 paired with the zf6, I’m the 3rd owner but got it out of auto auction. All I know is she is far from stock and an absolute monster. I’ve ran with an 06 c6, upgraded turbo and tune Jetta boosted v6 camaro, Kia k5 gt, civic si, she’s a wild one
Same. Had a 94 C4, 6 spd manual in Black Rose. I had to replace the optispark after my dad and I hosed off the engine not knowing about not getting it wet. 1K later and it was running again. Costly mistake.
Great video. I enjoy the interior, obscurity and turbocharged character of my 3000GT VR4 but lately I’ve been drawn to the callaway twin turbos and zr1 c4s in particular. I spent a couple years driving around in a burgundy on burgundy LT1 powered GM myself but that was my 94 Buick roadmaster!
As Americans, "Zee" R 1 is how we say it. However, it's not unusual to hear Canadians use "zed" when referring to the letter Z. While it sounds different to us, he's not wrong for saying it. It's similar to differences in American English vs. British English word spelling, for example: color vs. colour and favor vs. favour.
I was tempted to ask the narrator "Where you from, boy?" and then I zoomed in on the license plates and saw "Alberta". I was still temped to point out "They don't say 'zed' where those cars were made 😜"
I just have an old 85 fixer upper. Currently sanding her for paint prep. I specifically wanted an earlier, angular C4 because of the old school sbc, colorful digital dash and very 80's nostalgia. Someday might drop in a hot 383 or 406. She's under construction but still love driving it. 👍
My dad was a gm big wig in the 90s and I got to drive a ruby red 93 off the assembly line and out back to the track .I was instantly hooked . I've had ten c4s since then including a 1990 ZR1
Great Vid! I bought a 93 40th edition and just love it. Now looking for the matching 40th ZR1 version.... Oh I also own a Lamborghini Gallardo but own them both for different reasons! Love my corvette
My dad has a 40th Ann 93 LT1. Someone crashed into it a couple years ago and he was fixing it but passed before he could do anything. So it’s mine now and I’m just a college student and I don’t even know how I’d begin to restore it. It needs a lot.
Great video. My mexican uncle took me for a ride as a kid in his then new 1992 C4. I'll never forget how much of a spaceship that thing looked like back then. I clearly remember the speedo reaching over 200 (km) on a clear, wide open section of road. It's safe to say this car helped a lot in making me a car guy :)
C4 is awesome. My son is currently restoring an unkept 94 red on red beauty. Possibly LS swap. One question… what’s with calling it zed r 1? It’s American and pronounced zee r 1.
Only people from the USA say zee, the rest of the English speaking world says zed. If you say zee over the phone or two way radio, people think you are saying cee, which causes confusion. Ask me how I know.
Still driving my stock '95 LT1 as a daily 8 months of the year... ...in ten years its had rear wheel bearings ($60), and a fuel pump($90)... ...tho it'll likely need an optispark either this summer or next (a couple hundred, and a saturday in the garage)... ..its like drivin' a quick lazyboy chair...
Jeff are you at RMM? I run my zr-1 there all the time. it is certainly a fantastic track car. i rcal a black Z at the okotoks car auction a few years back it went for 17 i think. i should have picked that up! i also have a tpi c4 and it is also a total blast on track. they are just colossal bargains overall and im bias but i think they look fantastic. my first track car at castrol was an 86 4+3 and even that was a total blast and rock solid car.
Fantastic! I have owned that ZR-1 you mention but it sold for mid 20’s as I recall. Now owned by my cousin and I rode in it at RMM, was exceptional! Thanks for sharing.
Back when this car came out GM actually owned Lotus. Lotus had a 4.8L engine and they just took that design and increased it to 5.7. I believe that the only thing that a pushrod 5.7 shares with the LT5 is the rear main seal and I think the rear of the blocks share the same bolt pattern for the driveline mounting.
I have a '95 ZR-1. Neck snapping acceleration. Good handling. Not so good (typical era) GM interior. Owned it for 22 years and don't see letting it go.
Im late into the performance car culture but today at 60 yrs of age If asked what make am I a fan of worldwide ? Porsche, I just bought a 2016 Porsche Cayman GTS 15.5 k miles. With PDK. My dream car had it 6 weeks 1500 miles in I absolutely love it. I watch alot of car vids and would love to drive the famous tracks of the world. When I watched the 24hrs of Le Mans, I do feel proud when those C7's thunder around the track beating up on the Porsches and Ferraris. Cool to see and hear those C7's. The C4 may be a good value but...
I like the clamshell hood exposing engine & front wishbones. I had a C5 w/ tinted top,removing it created a hurricane inside,a lot of buffeting. I thought the Z put out 375 hp but fair enough.
The 90 thru 92 LT5's were 375 hp. The 93 thru 95 LT5 had 405 hp coming from a change in cam timing ( I think intake cam timing?) and a very mild porting job which took the intake ports from like 28mm to 32 mm. They had to do a recalibration of the fuel mapping as the LT5 ECM's are a speed density fuel calculation.
So cool! I wish I could fit in a Corvette. I'm 6' 6" and I can't fit in either a C3, C4, C5, or C6 (haven't tried later gens, but I've been told they're not any bigger). I've had to "settle" for its little brother...a 2002 Camaro SS (6-spd manual). The rear seat area gives me room to lean the seat back far enough. (I fit in the 5th and 6th gen Camaros too, but I MUCH prefer the 4th gen styling)
@@toddgorski2452, I have a long torso. I should specify that, technically, I do fit, but I feel neither comfortable nor safe. I feel like I'm crammed into the 'Vette cockpit to the point it's just not an enjoyable drive. The 4th-gen Camaros/Firebirds, because of the rear seat area, allow me to recline the seat back far enough to be comfortable (Note: It has to be a hard-top car...T-top cars have a big ceiling protrusion on the rear edge of the T-top that is right where the top of my head needs to be).
Oh ok I gotcha. Yeah I’d have to agree it’s not the most comfortable sometimes….but being as big as we are gotta sacrifice some comfort for the experience. I just wanted to make sure I let you know it’s possible for the experience. The c7 is a little better….the c8 is the best for us tall guys though. I sat in one and couldn’t believe the leg room. Unfortunately the price tag is a little high for me I have to wait a couple years for the dealer mark ups to calm down.
@@toddgorski2452 , very true. I appreciate your input. That's interesting about the C7s and C8s. From the outside, the C8s look like they'd be the worst for a tall person, but then again, it's a whole different kind of car, so it requires a whole different way of viewing it, but your point about the high price is a good one. Until they come down to normal Corvette prices, the C8s wouldn't be up for my consideration at this point anyway. Looks-wise, the C6s are my favorite generation...particularly the Z06 models.
Yeah I was surprised when the sales person was talking about it to me but then it made sense because the engine is in the back they have extra space up front now for leg room they couldn’t do before.
I had a lovely, really low mileage 87 and was just thrilled to drive it. Loved the dash! Not a fast car but had character and was quick enough to bring a smile. Iconic look too.
The C4 cockpit is as close as one can get to a F16 without joining the military. C4 (for me at least) is "technically" the first "front" mid-engined Corvette with the motor being placed entirely behind the front wheel axles. "If" the goal of mid-engine mounting is 50/50 weight distribution for the purpose of handling (93 LT1 Coupe 51.5/48.5) should it matter how the weight distribution is achieved be it front or rear motor mounting? C8 is of course a "rear" engine-mid engine design. A 175.885 mph average 24-hour endurance record was set in a 1990 ZR1 Corvette on a Texas track nearly eight miles long. Remembering that fuel stops and driver changes are logged at zero mph the ZR1 had to lap for 24 hours at a higher speed than 175 MPH (a documentary is available on RU-vid).
Contrary to what you said these are not dirt cheap cars you will see most going from 5-12,000 bucks in good running and driving condition after the year 86 when they introduced the LT1 if its a Zr1 your gonna be paying closer to 25,000 lmaoo go on Facebook market place most “affordable” c4s have severe issues and or are sold as parts cars for a few thousand but only once in a while do you find an affordable c4 that doesn’t need a lots done to it still gonna pay closer to 5k tho but if you do get this car its definitely worth it the rear wheel drive feels great they take corners like champs and they are just fun to drive, also the static look to these when they are lowered a little or if you do a flush fit stance with your wheels is awesome they look super mean and fast
@@ChrisBrown-pz2gu lol i said it was introduced after the year 86 not specifically the year they put them in the c4s the actual year the LT1 came out was in the 70s and was already being put in corvettes at the time they just reinstalled it in the early 90s vettes to improve performance vs the L98 and The LT1 isnt even the best the best vettes you can get from the c4 line are Callaway twin turbo c4s they are also referred to sledgehammers I believe but i could be wrong. Dont worry i know what they are lol i know what im sayin i have a c4 i have like the oldest 84 crossfire c4 out there rn at least the only stock one.
@@EnthusiastTV they are cheaper than brand new off the line price for sure considering that the zr1s were sold for closer to 65k because of the performance upgrade i can see the “affordability” nowadays but most people dont have that type of money to spend on a car like that but they still want one so they’re going to opt for they mid to late 80s vettes that aren’t as well rounded performance wise yea 3.5 to 5k is cheap for an L98 vette not a lt1 and a zr1 unless you got money these cars are genuinely pricey sports cars as far as chevy. Shoot even the z28 cameros are going up in value as well they are retro era and the market is gonna go up for any of the c4s soon so I wouldn’t count of affordability in the coming years lol
3rd led brake light was moved from the top of the rear glass to the middle of the rear bumper, which looks better more flush as compared to the one on the ZR1 which sticks out a bit
If you want a C4 for performance, mod up a regular one. The ZR1 is now a collector car, and I suspect parts aren't available like they used to be. The ZR1s 405hp (or 375, depending on which year you get) isn't as impressive as it used to be, and it's geared tall as heck. The ZR1 can go zero to 60 in *1st gear* because it's a 7200rpm Corvette with the same gears as a 5700rpm L98 car. The gear ratios are great for gas mileage in 6th gear, but for acceleration they leave something on the table. You can find LS-series engines with >400hp for kinda cheap, and lots of options for engine mods and gear swaps. Also, if you want a C4 for performance "brace it before you race it". The C4 had a reputation for being built on a wet noodle for a frame, and tho GM didn't quite admit to it, the day they unveiled the C5 they talked about how the structure was *much* more rigid than the C4, and some % more rigid than the Mercedes-Benz benchmark. The C4 frame didn't change much from 1983, when GM didn't have "torsional rigidity" in their dictionaries. The aftermarket has sells a big underbody X-brace, 4- and 6-point roll bars, and various other things that reinforce the C4 frame. They also sell coil-over conversions because the stock transverse leaf springs are *not* the hot ticket for handling at the limit. A bump on one side can travel through the spring and jolt the tire on the other side, and this might be why Corvettes had a reputation for being skittish at the handling limit. But if you see one with a coil-over conversion it looks like the car could have been made that way. I get the impression the leaf springs weren't the engineers' first choice, and they made room for coil springs for owners that were serious about handling.
@@danielcamacho1913 The C4 can use bracing for serios competition because it wasn't initially designed to have a removable targa roof but hatch roofs like C3. The C4 handles best for spirited driving with the steel framed targa roof bolted in place and there are aftermarket roof braces available for autocross pilots.
Vette. Google tells me 14.7 seconds for the quarter-mile for the 326 HP 2017 Camaro and 13.0 for the 1993 300 Hp LT1 Vette. My guess it's the phenomenal off line traction of the Vette and better aero but if you have the cojones the Vette will walk away from the Camaro with a stable 162+ mph top speed.
I appreciate your enthusiasm but my C6 Grand Sport 6 speed manual has enough quirks as it is. The C4 would drive me nuts. GM has a way of half baking everything they attempt.
@@EnthusiastTV If it was manufactured in a diffrent country sure, but the ZR-1 was manufactured in Kentucky, where the designers called it as such. Most people pronounce "Porche" correctly and they don't live in germany. Same with Jaguar. I don't live in Europe or Canada and on paper pronounce words differently, but if someone pours creativity and time into manufacturing something and then gives it a name, I respect it enough to pronounce that name the way it was intended by the people who created it.
@@themathingrelax, we say zed and you don’t, that’s ok. But if you want to get specific, then the English language was created and designed in England. I’ll pretty sure they poured a lot of creativity and work into creating this language and they call and pronounce the last letter of the ENGLISH language , ZED. Is it disrespectful of someone else taking that language and changing it around to fit there local customs? Anyway, we all all car guys, no matter how we pronounce a letter, let’s just enjoy the cars. Btw, I have a 92 convertible with the lt1, and 6 speed manual, and the more people that appreciate these cars, the better. Cheers.
Even today they are sweet cars. Too bad I'm not inclined to finish watching this video after only 2:05 minutes into it as it really annoys me to hear the ZR1 being called a Zed R1. I live here in the states and pronounce it Zee R1.
@@EnthusiastTV it's odd for us Yank"s to hear that so how do you say zebra asking for a friend ....P.S I owned a 1993 Zr-1 Ruby Red car #95 if anyone sees this hit me up & I will explain why that cars is a terror !