The continued Saga of the '87 Testarossa...

Mike, I am surely positive that this was not that car (or the guy)...for one thing, it has an immaculate engine compartment and interior. The guys at LFSC say they have known the car and owner from day one and it has always been that way. That was one tough story to listen to - CarGuy was right about the need for a back alley tune-up. I guess it really does NOT take all kinds, maybe we just HAVE all kinds.

To whoever was asking about the ZR1 experience; it has really been a pretty low maintenance cost car. I got it six years ago with 14,500 miles and now have about 29,500 on it. It is number 401 of the last 448 made in 1995. Bear in mind you cannot really take it to a normal Chevy dealer if you expect decent results - I mostly take mine to the local Lingenfelter performance car shop. Most of the "techs" in a Chevy dealer have likely never even seen one before.

The only reason it would be up for sale is to make garage space for the Testarossa. I think it is only worth about 32K to 35K, so the money is not really much of an issue. Just depends if I want a TR more, I guess...

Most work I have done was actually precautionary - battery, belts, clean out and balance flow the injectors, pulled plenum to check on secondary actuators & MAP hose, replace crank position sensor, and fix a power steering hose. I belong to a ZR1 web group, and most people report it to be a very durable car. There are a few horror stories out there on water pumps (this is only on really high mile cars, though) and a few transmission/clutch breakages from drag strip use.

If you love the Testarossa, you should take the time to drive a good example of the ZR1 - they were after all, sort of contemporaries. There is not much out there for the money that can offer the kind of high RPM performance, sound quality, and driving experience for what a ZR1 costs. Of course, looks wise, everybody just thinks it is a nice old Vette with fancy wheels...

I am probably going to give the Testarossa people another call late this week to see how things are going...will post when I hear.

James

 

Latest news from Chicago (this is on that original car I posted with the compression issues...) -

The #11 cylinder did indeed come back to normal leakdown numbers after driving a while. The #12 cylinder has some carbon stuck in one or maybe both exhaust valves. Heads are being pulled to make some decisions, along with the new belt service, gaskets, transmission, diff, etc. All are in agreement that the bottom end of engine is fine, as so many here have opined.

Owner and I are talking about it's future home...

James

 

I just talked with Lake Forest Sports Cars early last week who have it apart. They have the transmission back together and feel it needs valves. There are still decisions to be made as to whether this means a "valve grinding job" or actual new valve parts. I am thinking about the end of October to see what happens. The mechanic said he was still struggling with a very stubborn head bolt when we talked.

I talked to the owner the week before, and he is still willing to sell...I didn't tell him, but I am making up a 1/24th scale monogram model in his exact colors to give to him just in case this happens.

In my case, the 1995 ZR1 is getting a full "detail for future sale" and winter mantainence this Friday, and will then go into winter storage at a dealer who will show it if a buyer should appear.

Maybe poster 'parkerfe' would be interested in the ZR1? He said it was one of the most beautiful cars ever made (or SOMETHING like that) in the "other cars" forum page just this morning.

Thanks for the interewst, James

 

I had heard that somewhere, too - actually what I was exactly told was: we need to see whether it needs a couple of valves or not...

"quoting BPU699 - Good luck on the purchase...any idea what the bill is at this point?"

Well, the current owner is taking the load on this before the sale; and modesty prevents me from making a direct question. I would just hazard a guess of about $25,000 to $30,000 from what the way they are talking.

Remember, this is replacing a 1st gear and synchro (and who knows what else around about that gear), the differential (to an upgrade version), the water pump, the timing belt service including tensioners, valves as needed on 11 and 12, and fixing an oil leak that is coming from under the valve cover into the spark plug boot on cylinder #3.

James

 

The owner called this morning; they are doing a valve job on the engine. The main holdup here is that there are one or more bolts on the left cylinder head that appear to be frozen. I talked to his mechanic late last month and he verified that the head bolts are really stubborn.

Joe is trying to get them out without twisting one off, but they have not come free yet. I don't know what you do in this situation except just be patient - but I can't really believe that penetrating oil can get in or do much on a head bolt. And I have twisted off two head bolts in my own short mechanical career. One Corvair long stud in the block, one Renault Fuego conventional. Neither was very much fun to extract and fix. Now you see why my engine overhaul career was a short one.

Anyway, the day will come when application of the long wrench has to be done and we will see what happens.

The owner Roger says when all is done that he will put it in storage for the winter, and I am doing the same for the ZR1, and then we will talk it all over in the spring.

James

 

I know I am going to get hammered by Rifledriver or others on this - but confessions are supposed to be good for the soul...

On the corvair, I put the big squeeze on the stud - (about 6 " long, they hold in the cylinders like a VW or Porsche) with vicegrips, and used about a 4' piece of pipe to break it loose. It cracked the block half from the threads down to the cylinder sleeve bore; about a 1/2 " crack. I ground out the crack with a motor tool, had a guy heliarc it full of aluminum weld, and had the machine shop clean up the bore hole, drill and tap a new stud hole, and put it back together.

On the renault, the head bolt twisted off right at the gasket plane. I got the others out OK, filed the head bolt flat, drilled into it with a carbide bit, and threaded in what is called an "easy-out". It is a conical threaded thing (threaded backwards) that you jam in the new hole you drilled and then you can hopefully back the stub out. Once the head & gasket are off it is more practical to get penetrating oil down into the trouble area. Supposedly heating the block and freezing the bolt stub are useful, but I did not have to do this.

I guess if these didn't work, then I was heading to salvage for a new block...

James

 

Chiaro is right...I think maybe I have given it up already as for owning it myself.

However, being a curious and stubborn sort, I just had to know how this all ends up. And, if it all should ever get back together, it might not be a bad car...at least the nightmare part is going down on someone else's watch...

and, I thought maybe others out there would like to know as well.

Meanwhile, I have been attending Ferrari events here in Dallas and other cars for sale are appearing.

James

PS - back on the head bolt thing; I forgot to say the obvious: Helicoil the hole after you get the bolt out. I knew a guy who built VDub engines who just helicoiled ALL the head studs as a matter of course when he built one on the idea that they were easier to get apart again that way.

 

Is everybody tired of this 1987 saga?

I thought so. But, as they say - don't give up the ship.

Talked to owner to say Merry Christmas - he and new wife are off to Europe for the holidays. They got the heads off with no damage to the studs, and owner told them to take their own sweet time about putting it back together as this is like free winter storage for him.

So, we think the restart procedure will take place in late January or maybe February.

I think I may just find the time to travel up there and see this for myself.

James

 

I called and talked with Roger about two weeks ago. What has happened is that Joe Paukner, the lead mechanic, has been "retired" from Lake Forest Ferrari. Their story was that they wanted new-age techs who are adept at computer diagnostics...

It turns out that in fact the left cylinder head has still not been removed, and nobody else in their shop wanted to take on the task. So, the engine has been jobbed out to a local specialist for the valve work. They think they may have it back for reassembly about the end of April.

I think I am going to take a couple of days off and take the Amtrack up there to have a personal look at all these proceedings for myself...

P.S., in the latest devlopments we decided not to sell the ZR1 if we do go ahead and get this car, or even another TR. Probably the Z06 will be sold to make room instead - I never really warmed up to it anyway and am still driving my 993 daily.

And I know that people are wondering why I am still hanging around on this one, but I did kind of give my word to the owner and want to give this deal every chance of working out -- especially with all the work he is putting into it. If it comes about in time, I will bring it by the Boardwalk Ferrari show this spring here in Dallas. I got gently told that the ZR1 would NOT be welcome in this event!

James