Corvette Museum Update!
03-07-2014, 02:48 AM
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Le Mans Master
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Corvette Museum Update!
Sent out in email by Buzz of WSCC
Posted to Facebook via Wendell Strode, Exec Director National Corvette Museum:
“Well.....the unexpected happened yesterday.....not once but twice!
After the 10 ton concrete slab was lifted off the 1962 and after it was extracted Tuesday afternoon, the construction team had a better view of the 1 Millionth. You may remember from earlier videos, that it appeared to be wedged and was just hanging there. Upon closer inspection by folks in the man cage, they said it was just barely hanging there and then if someone blew on it, it would crash down.
John Spencer at the Corvette Assembly Plant has been working with us from the very beginning and was made available to our situation by Jeff Lamarche, Plant Manager. He was called and immediately came over to advise on how to properly hook up for extraction. John has helped with all of the cars, and we are thankful for the strong relationship and partnership we have with the Corvette Assembly Plant.
So the decision was made to extract the 1 Millionth, and the Team did so successfully! We were able to roll the car from the Skydome to the Exhibit Hall. That gave us 4 Corvettes rescued as part of Operation Corvette Plus+.
After the 1 Millionth was extracted, the PPG Pace Car (part of it) could be seen better through the dirt, etc. At an angle, they could hook to it. They did so, but the car barely moved when they tried to lift it. However, the dirt moved in a spot they determined indicated something was laying on the car. It turned out to be another huge slab of concrete. The crew drilled holes in the concrete and lifted it out. Now the crew had a much better view. They hooked the car up for extraction, and after a few times of lifting and positioning, the PPG car was lifted out!
The PPG car was the most damaged one that has been extracted. One of the workers said the concrete slab had “judo chopped” the PPG car.
One interesting tidbit that while it is not a total surprise, it is heartwarming-- in working with some of the workers back there, many of them have Corvette stories. I would call them Corvette enthusiasts. After the rescue of the Blue Devil, one of the workers with tears in his eyes explained how excited he was to see it out. He then told me about the Corvette his Dad had and how his Dad was the main one responsible for him loving Corvettes. He is from Utah I think and is here with Hayward Baker.
Unless some other unexpected things happen, the plan now is to stabilize the sinkhole walls, the red spire and whatever other measures are needed so that the dirt, concrete, rebar, safety barriers........and 3 more Corvettes can be extracted from the sinkhole.
I subscribe to a daily devotional from Love Worth Finding and Adrian Rogers. Today's was from Joel 2:25......it is about being restored. I will paraphrase to us and our situation. "And I will restore to you the Corvettes that the sinkhole hath eaten". Everything will be restored at some point in the future. Let's all use this as an opportunity to remember this situation as a reminder, and a request to be restored to the Lord individually, as a Corvette family and community and as a nation!
Thank you so much for your words of encouragement, your support and for the passion you!
God Bless and God Bless America!!
--Wendell Strode”
======================================== ======================================== ===================
NCM Skydome Sinkhole Info
Initial Sinkhole Release
Sinkhole Timeline
GM to Oversee Car Restoration
Viewing Window Now Offered
Feb. 27 Update, Car Extraction Plan
First Corvette Retrieved
Third Corvette Emerges from Sinkhole
View other news posts, images etc. on our Facebook (note: a Facebook account is not required to view the posts)
High-res images on Smug Mug
Video
Live Web Cams
These photos and video are available for use by Media with credit to the National Corvette Museum.
Thank you to everyone for your outpouring of love and support. Many of you have asked about making contributions to the Museum to help. You can make a tax-deductible donation anytime online here.
Thanks again for all your support!
Buzz Marston, WSCC/NCM Board Representative
buzz@wscc.ws
List Managed by WESTERN STATES CORVETTE COUNCIL, for problems with the list or questions contact: Click WSCC. To view the WSCC List Server Policy: Click here
Posted to Facebook via Wendell Strode, Exec Director National Corvette Museum:
“Well.....the unexpected happened yesterday.....not once but twice!
After the 10 ton concrete slab was lifted off the 1962 and after it was extracted Tuesday afternoon, the construction team had a better view of the 1 Millionth. You may remember from earlier videos, that it appeared to be wedged and was just hanging there. Upon closer inspection by folks in the man cage, they said it was just barely hanging there and then if someone blew on it, it would crash down.
John Spencer at the Corvette Assembly Plant has been working with us from the very beginning and was made available to our situation by Jeff Lamarche, Plant Manager. He was called and immediately came over to advise on how to properly hook up for extraction. John has helped with all of the cars, and we are thankful for the strong relationship and partnership we have with the Corvette Assembly Plant.
So the decision was made to extract the 1 Millionth, and the Team did so successfully! We were able to roll the car from the Skydome to the Exhibit Hall. That gave us 4 Corvettes rescued as part of Operation Corvette Plus+.
After the 1 Millionth was extracted, the PPG Pace Car (part of it) could be seen better through the dirt, etc. At an angle, they could hook to it. They did so, but the car barely moved when they tried to lift it. However, the dirt moved in a spot they determined indicated something was laying on the car. It turned out to be another huge slab of concrete. The crew drilled holes in the concrete and lifted it out. Now the crew had a much better view. They hooked the car up for extraction, and after a few times of lifting and positioning, the PPG car was lifted out!
The PPG car was the most damaged one that has been extracted. One of the workers said the concrete slab had “judo chopped” the PPG car.
One interesting tidbit that while it is not a total surprise, it is heartwarming-- in working with some of the workers back there, many of them have Corvette stories. I would call them Corvette enthusiasts. After the rescue of the Blue Devil, one of the workers with tears in his eyes explained how excited he was to see it out. He then told me about the Corvette his Dad had and how his Dad was the main one responsible for him loving Corvettes. He is from Utah I think and is here with Hayward Baker.
Unless some other unexpected things happen, the plan now is to stabilize the sinkhole walls, the red spire and whatever other measures are needed so that the dirt, concrete, rebar, safety barriers........and 3 more Corvettes can be extracted from the sinkhole.
I subscribe to a daily devotional from Love Worth Finding and Adrian Rogers. Today's was from Joel 2:25......it is about being restored. I will paraphrase to us and our situation. "And I will restore to you the Corvettes that the sinkhole hath eaten". Everything will be restored at some point in the future. Let's all use this as an opportunity to remember this situation as a reminder, and a request to be restored to the Lord individually, as a Corvette family and community and as a nation!
Thank you so much for your words of encouragement, your support and for the passion you!
God Bless and God Bless America!!
--Wendell Strode”
======================================== ======================================== ===================
NCM Skydome Sinkhole Info
Initial Sinkhole Release
Sinkhole Timeline
GM to Oversee Car Restoration
Viewing Window Now Offered
Feb. 27 Update, Car Extraction Plan
First Corvette Retrieved
Third Corvette Emerges from Sinkhole
View other news posts, images etc. on our Facebook (note: a Facebook account is not required to view the posts)
High-res images on Smug Mug
Video
Live Web Cams
These photos and video are available for use by Media with credit to the National Corvette Museum.
Thank you to everyone for your outpouring of love and support. Many of you have asked about making contributions to the Museum to help. You can make a tax-deductible donation anytime online here.
Thanks again for all your support!
Buzz Marston, WSCC/NCM Board Representative
buzz@wscc.ws
List Managed by WESTERN STATES CORVETTE COUNCIL, for problems with the list or questions contact: Click WSCC. To view the WSCC List Server Policy: Click here
03-10-2014, 05:25 PM
#2
Le Mans Master
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Member Since: Aug 2003
Location: American Canyon Lethal Injection
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Video Link
Here is the video to the removal of the one millionth Corvette from the sink hole.
Last edited by SLPRC5; 03-12-2014 at 01:03 AM.