Third Corvette Extracted From Sinkhole

[Rob]

Related Video: http://www.vettetube.com/video/1962-corvette-recovery-national-corvette-museum-sinkhole/

Workers use a crane to remove a vehicle hoist from on top of a black 1962 Chevrolet Corvette, in the sinkhole at the National Corvette Museum on Tuesday, March 4, 2014 in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The 1962 Corvette also has a large concrete slab that is impeding its extraction. Eight Corvettes fell into the sinkhole on February 12. This vehicle is the third Corvette to be extracted. (Photo by Steve Fecht for Chevrolet)

Workers lowered by a crane, remove the hood of the black 1962 Chevrolet Corvette in order to provide an access point for hooking the vehicle up for removal, from the sinkhole at the National Corvette Museum on Tuesday, March 4, 2014 in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The 1962 Corvette, along with seven other Corvettes, fell into the sinkhole February 12. This vehicle is the third Corvette to be extracted. (Photo by Steve Fecht for Chevrolet)

A crane is used to remove the black 1962 Chevrolet Corvette from the sinkhole at the National Corvette Museum on Tuesday, March 4, 2014 in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The 1962 Corvette, along with seven other Corvettes, fell into the sinkhole February 12. This vehicle is the third Corvette to be extracted. (Photo by National Corvette Museum for Chevrolet)

A crane is used to remove the black 1962 Chevrolet Corvette from the sinkhole at the National Corvette Museum on Tuesday, March 4, 2014 in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The 1962 Corvette, along with seven other Corvettes, fell into the sinkhole February 12. This vehicle is the third Corvette to be extracted. (Photo by National Corvette Museum for Chevrolet)

 

[Rob]

Three of Eight Corvettes Removed from Museum Sinkhole

Remaining five buried classics expected to be removed over next 60 days

2014-03-04
GM Media

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Three of eight historic Corvettes that fell into a sinkhole under the National Corvette Museum last month are back on solid ground following delicate removal techniques on Monday and Tuesday.

"The recovery of the first three cars went flawlessly, and the cars are in remarkably good shape," said John Spencer, manufacturing integration manager for Corvette. Spencer. "Unfortunately, the remaining five cars are either partially or totally covered in debris. We expect their recovery will be much more challenging, and the cars to be in much worse condition."

On Tuesday, the 1962 Corvette was lifted out of the sinkhole nose first. The engineering team removed a four-post vehicle lift that had fallen on top of the Corvette, and installed anchors to stabilize the concrete slab the Corvette against which the Corvette was pinned.

Despite landing tail-down in the debris, the 1962 Corvette sustained minimal damage. The rear end has only a minor crack in the fascia; the bumpers, taillamps, and license plate appear unscathed. The worst damage is an eight-inch split in the right front fender, and golf-ball-size hole where the front fascia was resting against the concrete.

On Monday, engineers successfully extracted the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 "Blue Devil" and a 1993 40th anniversary model Corvette.

Based on initial inspection, the ZR-1 sustained minimal damage, despite falling nearly 30 feet when the hole opened beneath an exhibit area on Feb. 12. The 40th Anniversary Corvette had significant cosmetic damage to the hood, fenders and window glass. However, there appeared to be limited mechanical damage.

"The 40th Anniversary looks much worse than it really is," said Spencer. "Practically every body panel and piece of glass will need to be replaced. However, underneath the frame looks straight, the suspension seems to be intact, and the steering gear still works. It is definitely salvageable."

The recovered cars will be shipped to a small specialty shop within General Motors Design in Warren, Mich., where the best restoration approach will be determined.

For more information on the National Corvette Museum sinkhole, visit National Corvette Museum.

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world's largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4.9 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design, and high quality. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at Chevrolet Cars, Trucks, SUVs, Crossovers and Vans