I need help!! Does anyone have ANY info on a 1993 Callaway LeMans?

[GottaKnow]

Callaway IS embossed on the back. I have a picture of the rear but it's at a car shop right now. I will get the pics back today or tomorrow and post the back part of the car.

 

[GottaKnow]

Ugh this is getting too complicated for me!

What is the difference between a vin and a chassis number? SORRY STUPID QUESTION!

She gave me a number stating she thought it was the chassis...

Here is the beginning of it: 1G 1YY2389M ......

I did a free check on carfax and it said it was a 91 vette..I emailed someone from callawaycars.com and they can't even find a car with that vin.. I am absolutely totally confused. Someone (besides myself) don't have the facts right.

I'm waiting for an email back from her, hopefully she can clear SOME of this up.

Thanks guys, I'm not crazy really...

 

[Vettelt193]

Well, a 1991 vette would make sense... the wheels match a '91... a couple of ideas to get out there:

1) someone found a wrecked callaway LM, put the body on a different car (not likely unless they really knew carbon fiber well)

2)Callaway used the car for testing (doesn't make too much sense either, becuase they should have the VIN on record) ALSO Callaway probably wouldn't have used an L89 car for the testing

3) Someone made a replica of the callaway body and put it on this car

 

[90 Corvette ZR-1]

Gota:

Where was this car delivered? Do you know? If so this may help. I don't know why Callaway wouldn't have record of this car. Does your friend have a digital cam? If so have her take pictures of the VIN tag (drivers side front of the dash) and go from there. 1991 is still TT Callaway time..... However, someone may have had a conversion done to the car at a later time. What engine is in the car? I know you don't know but it will help so if possible find out.

The color is starting to bother me also, unless it was reshot sometime in its short life span. If your friend could scan or fax or something the info on this car to you it would be helpful.

here is a picture of my friends LM

compared with the one we are talking about.

This is what the rear end should look like

side view

stright on

I love this particular car so I have a ton of pictures of it. I have an engine shot at home that I can post when I get there tonight.

 

[90 Corvette ZR-1]

OK. Looks like the car is missing the edges of the carbon fiber chin spoiler. Just like I thoguht. I don't know what to say untill I get more information. I am sorry, I wish I could help you more right now.

on edit:

One more pic. this is what the rear emblem should look like.

 

[GottaKnow]

She said she's going to email me tomorrow, she just got off a plane and needs to recoup. It will probably take her a few days to get back to me, she's slow hehe.

LT5ZR1VETTE asked me if it was imported to England, and although I couldn't aswer that... I do know the family selling this car are English. They did live in England years back, but not anymore. So maybe the delivery destintation was England somewhere.

Don't be sorry, I've gotten tons of information between a few of you guys than I would EVER be able to find just myself. Any input helps.

 

[90 Corvette ZR-1]

Where do they live now (state wise not town) and when did they move? Im not trying to pry into anyones personal life, this could be helpful. I am assuming (there that word again) the moved to the states?

 

[90 Corvette ZR-1]

Does that rear end shot look like the one that you have? How about any of the other pictures? Have you ever seen the car in person or just in pictures? I hope again im not coming off as rude. Just a lot of questions that need answered. I think we are headed down the right track to figuring out what this car really is.

 

[GottaKnow]

No problem, ask away.

They live in Monte Carlo now. Ok let me just explain a little further so you can understand a bit better why I can't answer much. I'm selling the car for my father's girlfriends son.... I am almost positive this car was bought when she was still married to her ex-husband when they lived in England. I've only known her for a few years, but they've been dating for longer than that. So I don't know details like that.

I've never seen the car, just these pics that she sent me. But she is suppsed to ship the car here for me to sell it somewhere. To me, I think it looks like one, but I don't know a damn thing about corvettes to base that on. Her son never returns my email so I'm stuck trying to figure this out on my own.

.. even if it's not an LM I'll be happy to find out what it really is. lol

 

[jplay]

for comparison from

http://www.supercars.net/

 

[90 Corvette ZR-1]

jp:

I know that car very well. it is my friends car. That is a 100% real LM.

Here is an interesting twist a European/Itallian company made a few of the hoods before they were shut down by a law suit.

 

[supernatural400]

There is a guy from Ct, who has a ZR1 Callaway LeMans, purplish in color, he once told me only 5 Lemans cars were ever made. I think they only made them from ZR1's but I could be wrong. they are SuperNatural 490's at least thats what's on his car. I'll see if I can dig up a few pictures of it. It's not my taste in cars, but it's really nice

 

[90 Corvette ZR-1]

Not all of the LM's were made off ZR-1's. One or 2 were, but yes there were only 5 made.

 

[GottaKnow]

Ok well I got the pictures back.

The back end of the car DOES say callaway embedded where corvette would be... and it has the dual exsaust. BUT, it doesn't say callaway on the side panelling like on the other blue callaway posted. What do you guys think of this?

I'll get the pic up on here when I get home from work tonight.

 

[GottaKnow]

where would I find the rear emblem on the car?

Ok now I see where it would be, on the top right below the back mirror? I can't see it in these pics I have, but you can slightly see something round in the middle of the rear bumper, unless it is just a glare or I am just really hoping I see one.

Can anyone tell me, IF THIS IS A LM what would be it's selling price with the damage to the front? Any guesses?

And if this car has never been registered in the US what needs to get done to have it shipped here and sold?

I appreciate it! Every bit of help from you guys is getting me closer to the answer.

 

[Vettelt193]

If there were only 5 LM's ever made, the chances that Callaway built one on a 91 vette with an automatic are very slim... If it is real, even with the damage, I would guess $50k+ because it is so rare, and cost so much new... It is hard to get prices on cars this unique... the price is based more on who you can find that is willing to buy it... the hard part is finding someone that wants that particular car... If it isn't real, you will have to find someone that wants to have a look a like car... good luck either way.

 

[GottaKnow]

I think what I'm gonna do is ask for her ex husbands number so I can talk to him directly, because I am almost positive he is the original buyer. I think I would get much more accomplished that way.

And can someone tell me the difference between a chassis number and a vin number? Or is it the same thing. Appologize for my stupidity.

 

[90 Corvette ZR-1]

that rear emblem is on the fuel door on the rear end of the car. Right behind the rear hatch glass. I'll e-mail you when i get home here soon and give ya some more info that I found out.

Does the exhust exit at the middle of the car? The front spoiler is going to be very expensive to fix. Callaway WILL NOT make another one. Which means that the buyer will need to find a shop that not only knows how to repare, if that is possible, carbon fiber but also work from only pictures of the car. This is going to be an expensive repair project. Plus shiping (the the states, then to the destination of the buyer), legalization, repair, inspection, making the car US legal, etc etc etc.

How are the documents comming? The best way I know of to get the vin is to look at the bottom drivers (in the us) side of the window and there should be a cut out in the dash that says the VIN. For a 91 it should say 1G1YY......... Did the car ever have another set of wheels on the car, or were thouse the only ones? The ones on the car I posted are off the Race car so I don't know if all the cars came with 5 spokes or not. I do have a contact to the former VP of Callaway, so I may ask him to shed some light on this.

But as I said there was an Itallian/English company that was making knock off's of the hood. However, with the rest of the car baring the typical Callaway markings I see that as a positive to the cars originality. I am not ready to say that the car is 100% a real Callaway yet, and even if I ever do there is no way for me to garuntee that the car is (legal disclamer: IF such a statement is ever made that my oppion is that the car is real I WILL NOT BE HELD RESPONSABLE IF THE CAR IS NOT A TRUE LM.) I am no expert on these cars by anymeans. I simply know a gentleman who onws a beautiful low milage example of one of these beasts, and am trying my best to help out with what little I know where there seems to be a total lack of knowledge by anyone except a few people on this car.

The selling price is still a mystary to me, but the way things are shaping up I don't think I'll be driving away with it, I am sad to say. Which raises another question, does the car run and is it driveable? Also, what motor is in the car? I am trying to remember if there are any distinguishable marks on the motor that may help. Is anything engraved, printed, marked, written, stencled, anyform of writing at all, onto the valve covers? If so what does it say?

How are the lights held onto the hood? I would still like to know what happened that produced the necessary force to rip a carbon fiber chin spoiler that is about 3" thick off the car. Is there anyother damage to the car?

Feel free to e-mail me if you don't want to asnwer here.

 

[GottaKnow]

Honestly, I can't answer any of these questions until I talk to the original owner. I have no idea. Obviously, his son took the car and did something REALLY stupid to hack the front up like that.

But you know what, the exsaust is different. On this car, it's on both sides of the rear, it's not in the middle. Is every callaway exsaust in the middle? Because if so I guess that just answered the question to this mystery.

I'll post the pic when I get home. My boss's friend is a car collector, maybe he'd be interested in it even if it's just a fake one.

To my knowledge the car is fine everywhere except the spoiler. That is what she told me. Engine is in good running shape. I'm waiting for an email from her, so I'm still waiting for the VIN and all the questions I already emailed her about. Hopefully she won't get too confused and overwhelmed. That's why I just want to talk to her ex husband if possible.

I wish the car was in my backyard so I can look my damn self. That would be easier.

When she first asked me to sell the car she said I hope I can get at least $15,000 for it. So either she has no idea what she is selling (which seems to be the case from not knowing much about the car) or SOMEONE in that family knows something about this car that I don't. And I assure you I will find out! Because I don't want to end up being the jerk who sells it.

 

[Vettelt193]

The car very well could be a real Callaway, but here is why I think it isn't:

-The emblem on the front is placed too high.
-The LM package came with wheels, coil-overs, brembo brakes (which I really don't think would fit under stock wheels), custom interior...
-The LM's were made in '95, and were supposed to have the callaway supernatural engine
-These cars are super rare... also, there was a company making knock off hoods... this company could have easily made the other callaway panels as well.