Posted on 12/25/2012 12:31:05 PM PST by nickcarraway
A 1989 Chevrolet Corvette that was stolen from a Morena car dealership when new was for sale on an eBay Motors auction this week.
The Corvette was reportedly taken off the C&M Chevrolet lot and kept inside a nearby storage locker for 24 years. Still completely original, the car’s odometer reads 67 miles, and the original sales sticker remains affixed to the glass.
The thief recently came forward, reportedly through an attorney, and was cleared by the San Diego police to sell the car (whether this was due to a statute of limitations expiring is unclear). The thief allegedly paid an estimated $70,000 in storage costs over the years. Comparable used models of the same year vehicle are now valued at less than $10,000.
The “truly amazing find” is now owned by a Sherman Oaks dealer, Corky Rice. Following extensive detailing work to remove a quarter century's worth of dust, the red ragtop is in cherry condition once again and described as “a collector’s dream.”
The eBay no-reserve auction for the car closed at noon on Sunday, receiving over 70 bids. The winner’s closing bid of $39,471 was noted as equal to the car’s original retail sale price.
I rebuilt a 67 Camaro that spent most if its life in storage here in Indiana.
The engine actually was in very good shape internally - which was surprising.
Now the rubber parts were all over the place. The subframe to unibody mounts looked like a mass of shredded rubber bands. And some other rubber parts were like new. Must depend on the formulation and how affected by ozone, etc.
I will say, NOTHING comes apart easily after it’s been screwed together for 45 yrs, LOL.
C3s were the models produced from 1968-1982.
The C4s are definitely good looking cars, but my husband always preferred the curvy, hourglass shape of the C3....that was the model he saw as a little boy and fell in love with. C4s were more streamlined, and more technologically advanced, although one model-—I think the 1984-—had some pretty well-known problems with the crossfire injection.
Many of the C4s are pretty affordable now, I believe.
They also had to attempt to burn that lousy mandated oxygenated fuel.
When I buy a new vehicle, I spend a day lubing things I expect to have to deal with in later years. Then at intervals later when I'm doing something in the area.
When I popped the ball joints out of the spindles using a big hydraulic press, it sounded like an artillery round. I’m surprised the neighbors didn’t call 911. I think when these joints are in close communion for so many years you get molecular creep at the joint and it takes immense forces to separate them.
That's why a fork at the bottom to stretch the parts works better than pounding on the top to compress.
I had a friend in college whose brother was 6'8". The brother had bought some model of Sunbeam convertible that had a tiny rear seat, and few inches of leg space behind the front seats. He then had the rear seat removed, and the seat rails cut off and moved back, so that the back of the front seats rested directly against the the front of the trunk. I'm sure it was not comfortable, but it made it possible to cram his frame into the tiny car, and caused many a double take when a guy that tall got out of a car that small.
Hmmm.
Statute of limitations would refer to prosecution of the thief for the crime.
That does not mean he now owns the car. Back to dealer, or insurance if they paid dealer.
I'm partial to old. ;) Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you.
Yeah the pickle fork wouldn’t even touch these with a sledge hammer. Thankfully one of my neighbors has a 40 ton press.
Sounds like a rockin’ ride you had.
Mine is a convertible - 250 6cyl with Powerglide.
99% stock and I even have the Protect-o-plate from its original sale about 40 miles away.
To nice to modify IMHO.
My next one will be a hot rod.
Compare/contrast 36 'vettes kept in a NYC dungeon:
This has all the markings of a GOVERNMENT RUN operation..
Very astute observation.
5.56mm
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