UPDATE: National Corvette Museum Sinkhole Buries 8 Rare Corvettes - Museum Accepting Donations

by Andrea L. Algar

News broke Wednesday about the 8 valuable Corvettes that were swallowed up and buried when a giant sinkhole opened up right in the middle of the National Corvette Museum in Kentucky. News was swift, and many enthusiasts were in sorrow to think that these legendary cars were lost forever. But are they?

Photo Credit: National Corvette Museum

General Motors announced yesterday that it will make efforts to restore all eight collector Corvettes. This won't be an easy task, since most are buried in the rubble at the bottom of a gigantic sinkhole that is 40 feet wide and estimated to be between 25 and 30 feet deep!

Structural engineers have reportedly been brought in to assess the site for safety and whether the vehicles can be retrieved from the Sky Dome. If any of the vehicles can be retrieved from the cavern that was created, they will be sent to the Mechanical Assembly facility at GM Design for restoration.

As reported in a General Motors press release, "The vehicles at the National Corvette Museum are some of the most significant in automotive history," said Mark Reuss, executive vice president of General Motors Global Product Development. "There can only be one 1-millionth Corvette ever built. We want to ensure as many of the damaged cars are restored as possible so fans from around the world can enjoy them when the Museum reopens." At least two of the cars have been valued at $1 Million apiece. Values of the other six vehicles have not yet been released.

Since the National Corvette Museum is privately owned and relies on fund raising and private contributions, they're going to need help restoring the facility and the attempts to retrieve the damaged cars. Most contributions come from private individuals and Corvette enthusiasts. The Museum is currently accepting donations on its website to assist in raising funds. Donations are tax-deductible.

As previously reported, the cars missing are:

• 1962 Corvette
• 1984 PPG Pace Car
• 1992 1 Millionth Corvette
• 1993 ZR-1 Spyder
• 1993 40th Anniversary Corvette
• 2001 Mallett Hammer Z06 Corvette
• 2009 1.5 Millionth Corvette
• 2009 ZR1 "Blue Devil"

LS9 Time Lapse Video Provides A Look At The ZR1 Corvette And The Wonders Of The Incredibly Versatile LS Engine Block (Videos)

by Andrea L. Algar
Motorheads Performance

There has been much fanfare about the LS engine block. Because it is so versatile, the LS block has quickly become the go-to for custom builds. Nothing demonstrates this better than the fact that the new Chevy ZR1 Corvette's power base is a supercharged LS9.


GM Performance Build Center
Photo Credit: lsxtv.com

While Corvettes have traditionally rolled out of the Bowling Green plant, LS9 engines are assembled in a special plant called the GM Performance Build Center, a $10 million dollar, 100,000 sf facility located in Wixon, Michigan. When you stop to consider that engines coming out of this plant are not mass produced, but rather made to order, it's easier to understand the costs associated with the cars that come out of this state-of-the-art manufacturing facility.

Salvatore Alaimo, author of the article Time Lapse Video Captures The Genesis Of An LS9, describes the significance of the engine as, "the LS9 is to the General (General Motors) what an AMG motor is to Mercedes; each individual unit is assembled by an assigned engineer in an environment that is specific to the motor assembly process."

The following video, provided by CarsInDimension, offers a time-lapse 3 minute build of an LS9!



Lucky buyers of the new ZR1 Corvette have an option of visiting the PBC to watch their engine being assembled. If you have a few minutes, watch the interesting video. It might be your least expensive chance of seeing a professional LS build from the GM Performance Build Center, and probably your only chance of seeing it done from start to finish!

Contrary to what the article states, however, if you've got the extra cash, you can arrange a visit to the GM Performance Build Center, and even to do your own custom build at their facility! Tours are available by appointment only to enthusiasts, clubs and current model Corvette owners. But what is really unique is the Corvette experience that is offered to every Z06 and ZR1 buyer. The Corvette Engine Build Experience.



As described on the GM Performance Build Center website, "Every Z06 and ZR1 production engine is hand built. Now, those hands could be yours! All Corvette Z06 and ZR1 buyers can take advantage of this new once in-a-lifetime opportunity to travel to the GM Performance Build Center to help build their own LS7 or LS9 engine. With the guidance of the world-class craftsmen who assemble these engines every day, Z06 and ZR1 buyers can enjoy the experience of a lifetime."



All part of owning a new Corvette!

RESOURCES FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Chevrolet - Chevy Corvette
Corvette Assembly Plant - Bowling Green
GM Performance Build Center - GM PBC Website 
GM Performance Build Center - Corvette Engine Build Experience
LSXTV - Time Lapse Video Captures The Genesis Of An LS9
Museum - National Corvette Museum
YouTube - CarsInDimension

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Andrea L. Algar is co-owner of a classic car performance and restoration design shop in Leesville, Texas. Motorheads Performance specializes in repairs, maintenance, performance upgrades and restorative work on cars and trucks from the 1920’s through 1970’s. Her husband Guy L. Algar is a Mechanical Engineer with over 25 years experience. He holds 5 ASE Certifications from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence and has been working on old cars and trucks for over 37 years. Together they share their passion for old cars and trucks with other enthusiasts from around the country.