Corvette sinkhole recovery underway

The trio includes a classic 1962 roadster, 1993 40th Anniversary coupe and the 2009 ZR-1 "Blue Devil" concept which was on loan to the museum from General Motors.

Following Chevrolet's commitment to lead the restoration of the damaged vehicles (see article here), the recovered cars will be shipped to a small specialty shop within General Motors Design in Warren, Michigan, where the best restoration approach will be determined.

"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.

On Monday, engineers successfully extracted the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 "Blue Devil" coupe 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, guards and window glass, but 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."

On Tuesday, the 1962 Corvette was lifted out by the engineering team following the removal of a four-post vehicle lift that had fallen on top of the vehicle. They then installed anchors to stabilize the concrete slab against which it was pinned before lifting the car out nose first.

The '62 sustained minimal damage, with only a minor crack in the rear fascia; the bumpers, tail lamps, and license plate appear unscathed. The worst damage is an eight-inch (20cm) split in the right front fender, and golf-ball-size hole where the front fascia was resting against the concrete.

While the removal of these three cars went off without a hitch, the remaining five will present much more of a challenge, according to 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."

For more information on the National Corvette Museum sinkhole, visit http://corvettemuseum.org.