We’ve already heaped plenty of praise on the C4 chassis Corvette ZR-1 (well, I have, at least) but this seemingly well-preserved example is a rare spec I’ve never heard of. The seller describes it was a “Street Skinner” package car, which evidently consisted of some very meaningful performance upgrades compiled by an aftermarket specialist that knew these cars exceedingly well. The shop that built the performance package has evidently folded up, so there’s not a ton of info out there. Check out this “Street Skinner” package ZR-1 here on craigslist for $34,000.
Thanks to Barn Finds reader Pat L. for the find. The listing notes that the Corvette is believed to be one of just 37 cars ordered in Polo Green Metallic II paint, and that numbers gets lower still when you factor in the extra bit of performance it has. The Street Skinner package was apparently developed by a company called Auto Masters in Palm Desert that had a knack for extracting significant horsepower from the LT5, and its co-founder Jim Van Dorn was particularly passionate about making the ZR-1 into a true world-beater.
The Street Skinner package was developed by Jim in partnership with MerCruiser (Mercury Marine) and Doug Rippie Motorsports; apologies if I left anyone out or confused a name/company, but most of this data is cobbled together from old forum posts. Keep reading below for the full list of performance upgrades, as it’s quite extensive. Let’s not forget that aside from the Street Skinner package, this is simply a very nice ZR-1, with low miles, outstanding cosmetic condition, and all of the little knick-knacks the original owner received, from the special ZR-1 flashlight to the keychain.
Here’s the break down of the upgrades the Street Skinner package delivered: fully ported, polished & balanced; cams custom timed; 4.09 gear; Grand Sport Corvette brake calipers; short shift transmission, clutch and flywheel rebuilt/replaced; upgraded FX3 shocks; early 1990 STEEL halfshafts; Watson headers, B&B Tri Flow mufflers with 3 inch custom SS exhaust; all-new fuel system (pumps, injectors, etc); newer style gill panels; new tires and chrome 5 spoke wheels; custom ECU increasing rev limit from 7200 to 8000 RPM. That’s a mouthful, and there’s not one bit in here that wouldn’t make this ZR-1 a ton of fun to drive. This looks like a massive performance bargain at the asking price.
I can barely get in and out of one of these but I’d love to take this car down the 1/4 mile. This thing has to rip.Nice car.Awesome color.I think it’s worth it. Glwts.
Someone could get a screaming deal on a unique ride. Especially when you consider how many muscle-era cars cost that much for a project that needs that much more work.
Thank you for pointing out the obvious.
There was a “Snake Skinner” package offered back then as a response to the Viper. Maybe this was a dialed back version of that.
British racing green and a tan interior makes as exciting as the 4 door malibu posted today … it needs to please the eyes
Polo Green was the USA green; please don’t use BRG on a Vette.
I wonder what the actual HP was, back in ’92?
@ BIG C, 375 was the advertised horsepower for a stock factory fresh ’92 ZR1. This one here is beautiful even without the mods. I hope an enthusiast buys it. I love it.
Moose I thought by 92 it was bumped up to 405 HP
Most owners did the HP upgrades for 405 HP. Initial ZR-1 Gen I were 1990-95 models.
1993 LT-5 went to 405hp.
1991 ZR-1 SNAKE SKINNER
It all started with a factory test mule. The experiment was to see how a ZR-1 would perform if given more power and less weight. The end product resulted in a ZR-1 that was so fast it was named the “Snake Skinnner”, for it’s ability to out-perform the Viper and legendary Cobra.
It’s stock appearance is most deceptive. Deep in it’s secluded desert hideout, this Corvette underwent a metamophosis of grand proportions. The fiberglass hood was replaced with a high tech Kevlar hood with half the weight. The rear window was plexiglass. No air-conditioning, no radio, and no other power amenities were included in this “Mongoose” of a Corvette. The engine is this “SS” very unique.
The LT-5 ZR-1 engine retained it’s original displacement. However, it’s what’s inside that counts. The cams were advanced in timing a bit, the intake throttles were modified so that all ports would flow equally and headers were bolted up to the aluminum block to increase the airflow out of this beautiful engine. A black crackle finish was placed on the surface of the engine to reveal it’s secret identity. At first only 440 HP was stated, but later, 475 NET Horsepower was advertised.
Let’s take a look at some figures:
0 – 60 MPH ……………… 3.6 sec.
0 – 100 MPH …………….. 7.8 sec.
1/4 Mile : 11.8 sec. @ 123 MPH
0 – 100 MPH – 0 : 12.8 sec.
( This beats the ’65 427 Cobra Record Holder of 14 sec. )
Cornering : 1.05 g’s
All of this was done with a set of Goodyear Eagle GS-CS tires, the “S” stands for “sticky”, which were mounted on a set of Dymag magnesium wheels.
This type of dynamic performance was a bit too much for the corporate executives, so the Snake Skinner never became a factory option.
Enter the “Tuners”…
Both Doug Rippie and John Lingenfelter received the data required to build their own Snake Skinners. Not content with leaving well enough alone, provided LT-5 engine packages that not only delivered 475 HP with the original displacement, but also provided LT-5’s that were “stroked” to 368 cubic inches and pumped out 565 Horsepower!