40ft Sink hole opens under Corvette Museum, swallows 8 cars

[Danoff]

GM to oversee restoration on Corvettes damaged from the sinkhole.

Good on 'em. 👍

What did I tell ya 👍

I called this as well.

The thing is, I imagine most (all?) of those cars are valuable enough to be repaired. I doubt a single car was actually "lost".

 

[FoolKiller]

But I still think people responsible should be sued and Gitmo'ed.

Huh? It's a natural event. Who is responsible? God? Gaia? The Spaghetti Monster? Thor? Poseidon?

 

[lGNAl]

Huh? It's a natural event. Who is responsible? God? Gaia? The Spaghetti Monster? Thor? Poseidon?

A Tsunami is a natural event. An earthquake is mostly a natural event (sometimes triggered by man-made activities). Hurricanes an Typhoons are also natural events. But when you build something over an area that has a vast subterrain coal mine tunnel system, or caves, or water systems (natural underground water), then your responsible.

Any project study looks at the history of the land. Then you have a geological study of the site. That includes soil and sub-terrain.

So, a Geo-technical site investigation is the process of collecting information and evaluating the conditions of the site for the purpose of designing and constructing the foundation of a structure, such as a building or a plant.

 

[JHB434]

Gitmo'd? A few cars fell into a hole. No one died. They'll fix it. Big deal.

 

[niky]

So, a Geo-technical site investigation is the process of collecting information and evaluating the conditions of the site for the purpose of designing and constructing the foundation of a structure, such as a building or a plant.

It'd be strange to think that the ground was unstable twenty years ago, when they first built the museum. Otherwise, the simple act of digging the foundation could have triggered a collapse.

It's more likely this one formed under the museum over time.

Erosion doesn't happen overnight.

 

[turdhat]

I live 50 miles north of this area. Sink holes happen a lot on private property so you don't hear about it. So many underground springs and caves in this area. This was probably caused by water.

 

[TRLWNC7396]

Man, GM is having a bad week. First they have a sinkhole, then they have modern day "Pinto" pace car. Were they bump drafted? ....

And, yes, I hate GM....

 

[CAMAROBOY69]

I'd like to know how they can determine this for the cars that can't be seen, i.e the ones that are buried.

Doesn't matter. As @Slash said several times in here, cars can be brought back from just about any amount of damage. Even if the cars fell, were crushed like a pancake, and exploded, they could still be repaired.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Doesn't matter. As @Slash said several times in here, cars can be brought back from just about any amount of damage. Even if the cars fell, were crushed like a pancake, and exploded, they could still be repaired.

Yeah but then they would be about 2% original, which in my opinion makes them worth less. But what do I know.

 

[Slash]

Yeah but then they would be about 2% original, which in my opinion makes them worth less. But what do I know.

Would you rather they just melted them down for scrap or would you rather have at least something to look at? Pretty sure I know the answer most people would give to that.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Would you rather they just melted them down for scrap or would you rather have at least something to look at? Pretty sure I know the answer most people would give to that.

I'd rather have them around, but I'm just saying there's a point when so many parts are replaced on a car that it's really no longer anything close to what is was.

 

[Slash]

I'd rather have them around, but I'm just saying there's a point when so many parts are replaced on a car that it's really no longer anything close to what is was.

Don't get me wrong, I get that but right now we really don't know the extent of the damage on any of them, and a lot of the body work can be ironed out with some time consuming hand work. Remember, these cars are going to professionals, and they are going to do everything in their power to salvage what they can. You are forgetting that a car is made up of more than 1 fender. If 4% of the car isn't original, does it really matter all that much?

 

[Youngun]

Its worth alot when the numbers match. If things are picked and chosen at random then its worth something but not close to the original.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Don't get me wrong, I get that but right now we really don't know the extent of the damage on any of them, and a lot of the body work can be ironed out with some time consuming hand work. Remember, these cars are going to professionals, and they are going to do everything in their power to salvage what they can. You are forgetting that a car is made up of more than 1 fender. If 4% of the car isn't original, does it really matter all that much?

You make it sound like all they need to replace is a fender.

 

[Slash]

Its worth alot when the numbers match. If things are picked and chosen at random then its worth something but not close to the original.

Body panels don't have stamped cast numbers on them. There's no such thing as "numbers matching" body parts. "Numbers matching" is strictly mechanical on GM's and Mopar's. Ford's don't have that...for the most part. It boils doing to the casting numberson the physical part. Ford for example casts blocks via year and some applications but that can change. For example, the Ford number C9AE could refer to heads, engine block, axle or something else....it's the number after that (6015 for an engine block) that matters. GM's will tell you directly.

You won't find those on a body part. In fact if GM swapped a whole clip from a C4 onto the one in this incident I doubt anyone here would even know. Why? They look EXACTLY the same. They were produce EXACTLY the same. They came from the same assembly line. There is no difference other than the order it was made. That's why restores do body swaps.

I'll let you in on a little secret. they number these cars by car completion in assembly. Not by part creation or installation. You might have an engine produced from a cast made 5 years prior to this car and the car was just built on that particular day.

You make it sound like all they need to replace is a fender.

I was using it as an example of what will probably be very little needing to be replaced out of the entire car. Though as I previously said, we don't know the extent of the damage so no one can say for sure. Like I said, professional restorers are taking these cars on, and they will do all they can to straighten parts out and replace mechanical parts as necessary.

 

[BKGlover]

As is the case with anything else, it comes down to who you talk to. If you read what I've said so far, pro collectors would be having fits talking to me.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Numbers_matching

And where is....damn. Anyway, normally in the US the Most agreed "Numbers Matching" is done with the VINs, placed in various spots but commonly found on the windshield, engine, and driver door to my limited knowledge. I'm certain many of you know this, but it never hurts to put it in writing.

 

[Slash]

Never even heard of a vehicle VIN being stamped on a block. I have heard of them being stamped on firewalls however because that is the technical chassis of a unibody vehicle. But that's only done on newer vehicles.

 

[Youngun]

Never even heard of a vehicle VIN being stamped on a block. I have heard of them being stamped on firewalls however because that is the technical chassis of a unibody vehicle. But that's only done on newer vehicles.

My car may be bewer but do have alot of numbers around so it shows its not cut and shut job. VINs i find are easy ways to checks its original. My engine Vin is on the block and on a plack at the front, chassis vin in 3 places and even window Vins (these can shiw if its been damaged previously) simple body panels don't as there designed to be replaced but basis backbone and heart (plus brain) should all use a set of Vins

 

[Slash]

My car may be bewer but do have alot of numbers around so it shows its not cut and shut job. VINs i find are easy ways to checks its original. My engine Vin is on the block and on a plack at the front, chassis vin in 3 places and even window Vins (these can shiw if its been damaged previously) simple body panels don't as there designed to be replaced but basis backbone and heart (plus brain) should all use a set of Vins

Of every car I have ever torn down I have never spotted a VIN anywhere other than the 3 locations already spoken about.

 

[Badasp5.0]

Of every car I have ever torn down I have never spotted a VIN anywhere other than the 3 locations already spoken about.

The only time I have seen another vin is on my Cobra behind the headlight is a tag that has vin and COBRA stamped on it. The GTs and V6s dont have this tag.

 

[BKGlover]

That's an easy explanation, some cars get an extra tag or two, usually to point out that this isn't just another car. Some Cobras, I've heard Saleen Mustangs are given one, and others as well.

Back to Topic: Any real updates? Have they moved anything yet, or still planning?

 

[Adamgp]

That's an easy explanation, some cars get an extra tag or two, usually to point out that this isn't just another car. Some Cobras, I've heard Saleen Mustangs are given one, and others as well.

Back to Topic: Any real updates? Have they moved anything yet, or still planning?

Last I read they were reinforcing the floor and taking out a wall or two in order so they can get a crane in and start pulling the cars up.

 

[CAMAROBOY69]

Would be awesome if the architects suspended the cars from the ceiling via a cable system. Not only would it look awesome, it would be a comforting ongoing joke against the sinkhole that ate the cars. Plus if it happened again, the cars would not get damaged.

Could look something like this.

 

[Slash]

And now someone thinks this was a conspiracy.

 

[CodeRedR51]

And now someone thinks this was a conspiracy.

Did you read the comments on that video? Wow, those people are really nuts. I posted a comment on there saying we should fly them out to the sink hole so they can see it in person, then push them in for being stupid.

 

[Badasp5.0]

And now someone thinks this was a conspiracy.

I wonder if its because of the internet that there is tons of tin foil hat people or now they just have place to spew there insanity.

 

[TenEightyOne]

I wonder if its because of the internet that there is tons of tin foil hat people or now they just have place to spew there insanity.

Haha, too true. Sadly they're not aware that the tin-foil itself is a conspiracy! The government want you to wear them...

Back on topic... are the cars recoverable? I'd presumed they'd been taken down pretty deep?

 

[Slash]

Anything is recoverable. How much of it stays original to the car remains unseen. We may never know the extent of the damage.

 

[Robin]

And now someone thinks this was a conspiracy.

From the YouTube vid "Car in pit is matte and the showroom car is shiny"

Yeah.... its called dust..... from the collapse of 40 feet worth of floor!

 

[TenEightyOne]

Anything is recoverable. How much of it stays original to the car remains unseen. We may never know the extent of the damage.

Depends on the depth of the hole. At 300ft no insurance company on earth is going to bother... I just wasn't sure how deep they'd gone. I suppose that if they can be pulled out then they can be visually restored.