Sinkhole Corvette restoration begins

By: Spencer Leech, Unique cars magazine

Date: 21.02.2017

Pictures: Corvette Museum

Pictures: Corvette Museum

Pictures: Corvette Museum

Pictures: Corvette Museum

Pictures: Corvette Museum

Pictures: Corvette Museum

Third of the recovered cars hits the workshop

When the ground collapsed at Kentucky’s National Corvette Museum in 2014, leaving a 10-metre-deep and 12-metre -wide sinkhole in the Skydome floor, three Corvettes in showroom condition were damaged, and five completely destroyed. Two of the salvageable models have since been restored, and to mark the third anniversary since the sinkhole’s opening, the museum has announced that the on-site restoration of the last damaged Corvette has begun.

The 1962 Chevrolet Corvette, original donated by David Donoho in 2011, will be restored largely by museum staff, though some jobs like straightening the car’s frame will be completed by specialist mechanics. As the car will be repaired in the museum, visitors will be able to watch any work taking place on-site, which the museum hopes will help attract guests.

In order to get the car back to its as-donated condition, it is expected to cost a total of $25,000(USD), which General Motors has agreed to cover.

The two Corvettes that have already been restored – the 2008 ZR1 Blue Devil prototype and the 1992 ‘millionth-built’ convertible –were both repaired by General Motors at its Heritage Centre.

The other damaged Corvettes have since been preserved in their ‘as recovered’ condition, and remain on display in the rebuilt Skydome. Models that were deemed unrepairable include a 1984 PPG Indy Car World Series pace car, a 1993 ZR-1 Spyder, a 1993 40^th Anniversary coupe, a 2001 Mallet Hammer Z06 and the 1.5-millionth Corvette ever assembled.

Read more about the 1962 Corvette restoration here: CorvetteMuseum.org.

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