Vette!

So this Crossfire injection means it's not a ZR1?

IIRC Crossfire injection was used in '82 and '84, then they realized how poor it was and canned it for a traditional single centralized throttle body before changing to tuned port a few years later. Crossfire was a good theory, but the performance gains just weren't there.

The first ZR-1 wasn't until 1990 or so, no? (I'm sure there's a wikipedia page all about the history of the corvette but no I haven't looked there yet).

Previous Owner says this one is a Z51 model with the upgraded suspension. From my understanding this option wasn't available until 85'. He also said he put roller rockers in, High Flow exhaust, Computer upgrade, Shift Kit in Tranny with 3000 Torque Converter and a few other things to get the Horsepower up to about 245. I know stock it was rated @ 205. I won't know if all these things are true until I see for myself. For now the car is real and almost ready to be put on the road to drive. Mechanically she's good.

O.K. this is starting to sound believable.

Hard to believe Corvettes used to come with less power than the Riviera.

First ZR-1 was in 1970 as i stated in page 1

How about first 4th gen ZR1?

1990.

Looking back I just realized the OP didn't say his 85 was a ZR-1. Don't I look stupid . . .

The 90's ZR1's were pretty badass for the time, but now, even a stock LS3 Vette would outrun it. There is a couple here in town who belongs to the ZR1 owners club, and they have 5 or 6 of them. My best friends uncle owned one back around '00.He sold it though when it started nickle and diming him.

I think the older ZR-1s and C6 are near equally matched, running high 12s. Any car made in 1988 that can run 12s stock is still bad-ass in my book! Interestingly, the public's view of the base C6 isn't the same as with the old ZR-1. That car was insanely fast, and still is. But I see new Vette's everyday and don't think much of them, cause they're everywhere. They're like 'sleeper' sports cars.

BrianEsser wrote:

The 90's ZR1's were pretty badass for the time, but now, even a stock LS3 Vette would outrun it. There is a couple here in town who belongs to the ZR1 owners club, and they have 5 or 6 of them. My best friends uncle owned one back around '00.He sold it though when it started nickle and diming him.

Yeah, I bet those Mercury Marine cammer engines are expensive to maintain...

One thing that I thought was smart was the reverse-flow cooling system. I wonder why they didn't stay with it...

They did up until the LS1, they mostly stopped due to going to aluminum heads (though the mercruiser engines had aluminum heads as did the F and Y body LT1/LT4's), There wasn't as big of a problem with detonation. Plus, at the time, reverse rotation cooled the heads better and let them run higher compression. That's how my stock LT1 had 10.75:1CR

BrianEsser wrote:

They did up until the Ls1, the mostly stopped due to going to aluminum heads, There wasn't as big of a problem with detonation. Plus, at the time, reverse rotation cooled the heads better and let them run higher compression.

Right, that was the whole point. Now wouldn't that be a good idea for an... L67?

I don't think the gains would have been worth it really. At least at stock power levels.

BrianEsser wrote:

I don't think the gains would have been worth it really. At least at stock power levels.

Ah yes, but the stock power levels would themselves be higher if they could have increased the compression ratio in our iron heads...

And is it really that hard/expensive to reverse the water pump and the radiator hoses & fittings?

Well, reverse cooling systems are plumbed different, but also have different coolant passages in the block and heads. I don't think it could be easily done on a L67, though with enough cash, anything is possible.

I agree, they could have squeezed a few more HP out, and it would have allowed them to bump the compression up a bit. But, as with all car companies, penny pinchers rule.