Most, if not all of you, know about what happened during the wee hours of the morning on February 12th this year. The security cam video went viral on the internet showing eight (8) Corvettes fall, one after another, into an ever enlarging HOLE that developed in the floor under where these cars were parked on display in the museum’s “Sky Dome.” No one was there, fortunately, since it was early in the morning before the Museum opened, so no one was hurt. That can’t be said for the cars however.
The list consisted of the following cars:
1962 Corvette
1984 PPG Pace Car
1992 1 Millionth Corvette produced
1993 ZR-1 Spyder
1993 40th Anniversary Ruby Red Coupe
2001 “Mallet Hammer” Z-06
2009 1.5 Millionth Corvette Produced
2009 ZR-1 Prototype “Blue Devil”
Looking into the gaping hole you can see some of the cars and while damaged, those don’t look too bad. The others are buried under the ones you see and tons of concrete and dirt. Those cars got the worst of the damage. It’s surprising to me that they were found and recovered at all.
Early on, GM said they would help with restoration of the cars. The Museum said they would restore them but then many on lookers said “No,” leave them as they are and display them as found. I submitted my two cents worth in this regard, suggesting that a ‘to scale’ graphic be created and applied to the floor once the hole was filled and the floor repaired, so that future visitors could experience the scope of the damage but, without the danger and the dust. Others had expressed this idea and the Museum entertained and discussed all the ideas that were submitted. This one was considered too expensive both initially and to maintain. I was told that they are discussing, at a minimum, putting the outline of the hole in actual size on the newly repaired floor but a decision hasn’t been finalized. I think that’s a great idea.
The construction crew arrived back at the Museum this week to begin re-filling the hole. The plan is to fill it entirely with rock and then re-enforce the fill by drilling and filling with columns of concrete to support the floor.
Many of the cars that were recovered were displayed in the months since the sinkhole happened. The curiosity factor created a significant boost in attendance since the sinkhole in February. Since some of the cars were literally destroyed and in consideration of the idea that displaying them as recovered would be a historical display, the Museum’s current plans are just that. Create a permanent display of badly damaged cars showing what happened to them.
The “Blue Devil” ZR-1 prototype was sent to GM in Michigan for restoration. Two weeks later it was as good as new. It was transported to SEMA for display and it arrived back at the Museum on November 14th, looking as spectacular as ever. The White 1 Millionth Corvette and the Black 1962 Corvette will be restored as well. The remaining five cars will be in the future “Sinkhole” display.
My wife and I are members and we visited the Museum in 2003 during the 50th Anniversary celebration. Celebrating the first Corvette’s birthdate, June 30th 1953. Since I’m a lifelong Corvette nut, it was cool to go there and see the displays and we look forward to going back again soon, but I think we should wait until the Skydome floor is finished and the damaged Corvettes are displayed again. I’d like to see that since we couldn’t go this year.
The Corvette Assembly Plant is across the freeway from the Museum too. They offer tours of the assembly plant which are fascinating to any car nut. When you plan your trip to the Museum and the Assembly Plant, I recommend that you contact the plant for tour info BEFORE you book your trip. They have certain black out times and dates where you will not be able to tour the plant. Don’t plan and book your trip without checking for their schedules.