eBay Find of the Day: Damaged ZR1 on the cheap
Mildly mutilated Corvette ZR1 on eBay - Click above for an image gallery
We figured it was just a matter of time before a cracked-up Corvette ZR1 found its way onto eBay, and thanks to (we're assuming) a ham-fisted driver hailing from Fort Worth, Texas, a slightly marred example of Chevy's hottest Corvette can be yours for the Buy-It-Now price of $97,500.
According to the listing, the Cyber Gray ZR1 sustained damage to the driver's side rear, and while the bumper cover is torn and the left-side lower control arms are bent, we're more concerned with the cracks in the rear tub (see the arrows in this pic). Assuming the structural damage is repairable and the carnage is limited to the replaceable suspension and body bits, the ZR3 Premium Package-equipped ZR1 – with a clear title (?) and only 1,200 miles on the clock – could be Humpty-Dumptied back together for a reasonable sum. But for us, those cracks in the tub mean only one thing: track toy. Strip out the interior, mount a pair of lightweight buckets, a Stack display and a cage, then proceed to the nearest track -- but not before you try to crash (no pun intended) GM's two-day ZR1 driving school first.
Gallery: eBay Find: Damaged Corvette ZR1
[Source: eBay via CorvetteBlogger]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
garlinski 3:06PM (5/04/2009)
If you wanted the car, and you bought the car... then you wrecked the car, why wouldn't you want to FIX the car and KEEP the car???? I don't get it? What a waste... that is IF it can indeed be fixed.
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Phil L. 3:12PM (5/04/2009)
> ...that is IF it can indeed be fixed.
I suspect concern about this very topic is the real problem here. I'd love to hear what the original owner's insurance agent thinks about this situation.
The auction is a bargain at ~$50K. Those who can risk ~$100K for a fun car will simply spring for a new ZR1.
Chris 8:20PM (5/04/2009)
Because he's probably a pretty smart guy....1st for buying the ZR1, 2nd for realizing its too much car for him to handle so he swallowed his pride and bought something he can handle.....probably a GTR
dukeisduke 10:28AM (5/05/2009)
Well, the car sold, for the BIN price. The seller is a used car dealer in Fort Worth, that also sells rebuilders. Looking at the CARFAX data, the car was sold by Tom Benson Chevrolet in San Antonio, into a corporate fleet(!) in Oregon. The weird thing is, it also shows "Oregon Motor Vehicle Dept, Manhattan Beach, CA", and a California title number. My guess is the thing spun and smacked the concrete barrier on the freeway, and either the owner didn't want to mess with repairing it, OR it was totaled by the owner's insurance company, and RLB bought it at an insurance auction. It still has a clear title, which may just mean that CA hasn't issued a salvage title yet.
garlinski 11:04AM (5/05/2009)
Wow... lots of details! Interesting stuff...
MoeJoe 3:11PM (5/04/2009)
I wouldn't speed 100,000 on a broken car that could have problems. A ZR1 is what? 130,000? I think if you can afford 100 for fun, whats 130 for the guarantee of a working car.
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KeatMP 5:12PM (5/04/2009)
I saw one at the dealer in the showroom for $120,000 with the optional nav and bose audio. I think there base around $105k?
Either way, $97,000 for a pretty banged up ZR1 is in no way a bargain.
paul34 3:14PM (5/04/2009)
I"d buy it for $100, then just back it up into my garage and leave it there. That way...
"Holy crap! You have a ZR-1!"
"Yea bob, she's pretty great, hey is your hot sister still around?"
"We should take the car for a spin sometime"
"uhh... yea... hey I have to go check on something that I have on the stove"
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Aprime 3:34PM (5/04/2009)
I can't believe you people associate spending money with "getting" girls. I'm glad I don't have to go through that, or having an expensive cars to compensate for whatever it is you folks are lacking, be it confidence or manhood.
To be honest, I'm rather surprised when girls and my friends alike tell me my G3's a nice car. -_- I never thought much of it (I always say it was a mistake because I could've got a much nicer vehicle for the same price), must be my age or something... But they say the same thing about my apartment.
Must be a cultural thing, because I'm just as depressed whenever I read that one of you guys bought their wife their car - I mean sure if it's a gift or something, but otherwise? Do they have a job or do they spend the day taking care of the 20 kids you made because you despise contraception? Haha, sorry, rant over. :3
paul34 3:35PM (5/04/2009)
Aprime, ever heard of humor?
LK 3:42PM (5/04/2009)
@ aprime
Wow you must be the life of the party
Goat Law 3:55PM (5/04/2009)
APrime has what is commonly referred to as 'Wealth Envy.' He is upset by other people's success and seeks to denigrate such at every possible moment. His seeming self-flagellation about his G3 is a ruse designed only to seek pity.
Alex 4:08PM (5/04/2009)
Aprime, your friends are just being nice to you and girls are almost always nice when rejecting advances. Your G3 is lame and you are not fooling any of us.
Aprime 5:34PM (5/04/2009)
I've heard of humor, but I didn't get any laughs - although yeah now that I reread it, I realize that you said you'd buy it for a 100 (go figure with the price they put up) bucks. Which yeah, okay, now it's worthy. :v
I'm not asking for any pitty, I made a bad choice, I admit consistantly. My friends would be rather stupid to lie to me when I'm probably to first to say my car sucks, it's only redeeming feature would be its sound system, in my opinion. It's as if you called someone's girlfriend ugly and everyone else disagreed with you, basically. Of course not everyone disagrees, I've got import fanboys for friends as well, but regardless, but non-car peeps say it's nice, and I'm always asking them why, and the answer I typically get is the interior. I had two friends who were interested in taking it over but had to walk back due to their financial situations, not the actual car.
Goat Law, you're full of it - if anything others (of my age group) envy me, it's absurd how comfortably I live given my social status (student) and age (20) to many. I only aim to own sporty compact cars in my life and live a decent life serving my country's well being.
I understand little about what brings women to me, but my belongings (clothes aside) are the last thing they see. I'm envious of a lot people's stability in their lives, however.
Anyway, sorry about that, I just feel there's a cultural gap of some sort everytime consumerism and women are combined.
StickShift 3:19PM (5/04/2009)
If not for the price, this could very well be the ultimate parts car.
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ozyran440 6:00PM (5/04/2009)
I was just thinking about that. I saw the car and said to myself, "Self, there are A LOT of possibilities with THAT powertrain and drivetrain!"
Than I saw the price.
*sigh*
Imagine, a 1965 Chevy II Wagon with that engine under the hood....in primer gray with a green driver's side front fender, a red passenger door, and a gloss black tailgate, all matched to a primer gray- and rust-colored body. You could really pick on some unsuspecting people then! Ah, to dream.
Anywho, there is no way I'd buy that car for $97K. Too close to the price of a brand new one, IMO; I imagine there's even a few low-mileage, fully-functional, used ZR1s that are floating around for that kind of money.
Carlos 3:21PM (5/04/2009)
Damn I wish I could find a ZR1 that was smashed so bad in the rear end that all they could sell were the brakes, and engine. LS9+FD RX7=drool
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Shamdiddly 3:24PM (5/04/2009)
LS9 + FD RX7 = skipping ludicrous speed and going straight to plaid.
UCJR 4:09PM (5/04/2009)
"It's the only ship that's made the Kessel run in less than twelve parsecs."
Serge 3:32PM (5/04/2009)
I doubt that an RX7 with mods to hold the power will weigh less than a ZR1...