Worth Importing? 1991 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1

The Corvette ZR-1 is a vehicle you can find with relative ease in the United States. However, there’s a case to be made for importing this example from Vancouver, BC if you happen to live in the upper reaches of the Pacific Northwest, as being able to drive it home without having to pay for transportation could make the favorable exchange rate and smart assortment of upgrades/repairs a win-win. This particular 1991 ZR-1 listed here on craigslist for $44,900 works out to be about $33,000 (quick math) before applying the various duties and taxes associated with importing.

Listen: I know our readers are smart and plenty of you actually understand things like tariffs and the real-world costs of importing, so I’ll leave it to you to fine-tune my math skills, which are abhorrent. With that out of the way, I’ve had some revelations as of late when it comes to buying a car with some enhancements already made and the value that provides. I own a 1990 Porsche 911 Carrera 4, which I bought from a college professor who used it like any other commuter car. He upgraded the suspension, had it properly aligned, installed a chip and a sport exhaust system, and replaced the tires. It drives absolutely wonderfully, and it’s all work I would have done anyway. Not having to eat those costs and deal with the time/labor to install made me appreciate cars that aren’t necessarily bone-stock.

At this point, even high-performance vehicles from the 1990s have some pretty obvious flaws, and the seller of this ZR-1 had seemingly addressed them. He’s installed a Haibeck chip, dropped the rear suspension 2 inches, and installed a stainless steel exhaust system. Maintenance-wise, he’s replaced the coils, fuel pumps, plugs, wires, exhaust and battery. The combination of work that’s been done here implies to me that this is an owner who likes to drive his cars versus stare at them in the garage. One of the ironies of vehicles parked with delivery-only miles on them is that the owner never has to address the shortcomings it inevitably has. How convenient! This ZR-1 still looks quite tidy despite being driven, and has approximately 41,000 miles on the clock.

With 375 horsepower and 370 lb.-ft. of torque, you’ll never be wanting for speed, and the ZR-1 also worked out the suspension with a surprisingly trick factory set-up. When Car & Driver compared the ZR-1 against the then-king of the road Porsche 911 Turbo, the Corvette came out on top, winning for not only its outstanding performance but also its sophisticated suspension (the lower price helped, too.) It remains a car you can drive in anger while still living with it every day. This one appears to have the right work done, which is a testament to the owner; the question is whether it makes sense to buy an example in Canada or wait for one on this side of the border.