This story was originally published on 3/2/14 at 9:36 a.m. It has been subsequently revised to update progress.
Update 3/3, 1:09 p.m.: The first car—the Blue Devil ZR1 prototype seen here—is out! And IT STARTED!
Update 3/3, 4:23 p.m: A second Corvette, the 1993 40th Anniversary C4 coupe, is also out of the hole.
Update 3/4, 3:01 p.m: The museum's 1962 C1 is now above ground.
To quote a clichéd golf term, the National Corvette Museum wanted to get in the hole—and extract the Chevrolet Corvettes swallowed up by a sinkhole last month. After working to stabilize the wing of the museum that suffered the massive floor collapse, the museum and construction teams have now snatched three of the eight lost cars from the depths via "Operation Corvette Plus." (If you're curious, here's how much the cars are actually worth.)
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First up? The 2009 ZR1 Blue Devil prototype, which was hauled out and subsequently fired up and driven out of the museum under its own power. You can watch that incredible event here, as well as footage of the car being pulled from the sinkhole.
via NCM Insurance Agency Facebook page
The second car out of the hole didn't fare as well. That model, the 1993 40th Anniversary Edition coupe, ended up very badly damaged.
via NCM Insurance Agency Facebook page
One day after beginning the operation, the museum pulled its 1962 C1 Vette from the dirty, dirty hole by removing the hood and looping a strap through the engine bay. Initial reports are that it suffered mostly body damage.
There's no telling how tricky the extraction of the rest of the cars will be—or what state they'll be in. The museum director released a statement on March 4, however, that included an expected timeline. Now that the 1962 is free, teams will spend three weeks stabilizing the red spire in the middle of the hall and the walls of the sinkhole. After that, efforts will focus on removing the building materials, a vehicle lift, a hell of a lot of dirt, and, yes, the final five cars.
Once they're all out, GM will lead the restoration of all eight sinkhole Corvettes, but not before the museum puts them on display in as-is condition through August 3. The museum also plans to create a special exhibit this spring that details the sinkhole incident, provides geological information, and features photos and videos of the entire affair.
Is it just us, or is this one of the most bizarrely entrancing treasure hunts ever? Watch the balance of the operation unfold via the embedded Skydome camera feed below—and be sure to check out other views of the National Corvette Museum via the facility's many other lenses.
from Car and Driver Blog http://ift.tt/nSHy27
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