National Corvette Museum Sinkhole Update 4/1/2014 – Spyder and 1.5 Mil

From what I can see at this time the 1.5 millionth car is being uncovered as it was laying beneath the Spyder.  Here is an update from NCM:
“When we started digging around the Black Spyder, we found a piece of white fiberglass underneath it and we continued to expose that until we saw that it was the 1.5 Millionth car,” said Mike Murphy, CEO of Scott, Murphy and Daniel Construction. “We had no idea where it was, we just happened upon it. We hope when we move the white car we find the red car that way, because we’ve just not had any luck detecting where it is.” Murphy indicated that they have utilized metal detectors as well as probing rods, and that they remove layers of dirt as they probe but have not had a lot of luck so far.

On Monday, the team worked to continue removing dirt from around the Spyder, then in the early evening decided to carefully pull the car out of the remaining dirt.

“It was free everywhere except underneath there was a concrete slab wedged. We felt we had it in the best position, just like pulling a gun out of a holster. Everyone felt like it was best to take it so it wouldn’t bend and break if we’d had it exposed more,” Murphy said.

The team resumed recovery efforts early Tuesday morning, removing a large boulder that was lodged in the cabin of the Spyder and collecting bits and pieces of the car to help with any restoration or preservation efforts. The Spyder was removed from the depths of the hole around 9am CT, and is in worse shape than even the PPG Pace Car.

ZR1Spyder - The only ZR1 covertible...EVER!!!

ZR1Spyder – The only ZR1 convertible…EVER!!!

ZR1Spyder-1.5

ZR1 Spyder and the location of the 1.5 Mil

 

 

Current location of the 1.5 Mil Corvette

Current location of the 1.5 Mil Corvette

 

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

 

 

 

Auto Factoids for Week of March 30, 2014

Here is your weekly Auto Factoids for 3/30/2014.

 

April Fool’s Day back in 1964 the Plymouth Barracuda was introduced.

1964  Barracuda

1964 Barracuda

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The base price for a ’64 ‘Cuda was about $2,500.   The platform was the Valiant A-Body.  The engine choices were between two variations of the Chrysler I6 (slant 6), either the 170 (2.8L) rated at 101 hp or the 255 (3.7L) with 140 hp.  You could also get a V8, that was the 273 (4.5L) and with a two barrel carb it produced 180 hp.

 

Lot of Color Options!!!!

Lot of Color Options!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Same date back in 1970 the AMC proudly  debuted what was perhaps the homeliest car of the era – the Gremlin.

1970 Gremlin.  Fastback or 'no back"

1970 Gremlin. Fastback or ‘no back”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Again on April 1st, what was a innovated car for its time the Amphicar in 1961 was all car and part boat, was introduced.  These babies are sought after aggressively.

Love the fins!!!

Love the fins!!!

 Engine - 1147 cc straight-4 (Triumph)

Engine – 1147 cc straight-4 (Triumph)

The Quandt Group made only 4000 between '61-'68

The Quandt Group made only 4000 between ’61-’68

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Birthday to Walter P. Chrysler who was born in 1875, on April 2nd.  Wonder what he would have to say about government bailouts and Fiat?

Walter Chrysler

Walter Chrysler

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Regular production began of air-filled tires by Firestone on April 5, 1923.

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Auto Factoids for Week of March 23, 2014

Here are your Auto Factoids for the week.

Back in 1863 Mr. Henry Royce was born in Alwalton, England on March 27th.

 

Mr. Royce

Mr. Royce

The Royce 10

The Royce 10

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Royce 10 was a 10 horse powered car.  It was produced at the Trafford Park, Manchester plant in 1904 and sold fro 395 British pounds.  You could a variety of ‘power plants’ for this first offering.  Those included 15, 20 and 30 hp models.  (They were named the Royce 15, Royce 20 and Royce 30.

 

On March 29, 1980 Audi debuts the first all wheel drive (4 WD) Quattro.

1980 Quattro - Not a bad looking car at that!!!

1980 Quattro – Not a bad looking car at that!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

If you’d like to sponsor an Auto Factoid drop me a note and your ad appear weekly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

North Country Corvettes – NCoCC Plastic Fantastic XXXVII

NCoCC.

They have been holding this Plastic Fantastic  car show for 37 years (the oldest and largest Corvette show…ever!!!)

Looks like a blast!!!!!

Plastic Flyer 2014 - mailer 01-15-14

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The proceeds go to support the club charity, the San Diego USO.

Thanks for reading

Tim

 

Thanks To The International Viewers!!!

Greetings.

I was sorting through the data on the AGCRMR site and took a look at the viewers for today.

It was very cool to see that car lovers from all over the world take time out of their busy day to stop by my blog and read some of the posts. So here’s a SHOUT OUT  all the international car junkies that stopped by today.

So a HUGE “THANKS” to registered viewers:

Thanks/Merci – Canada!!

Graças – Portugal!!

Tack – Sweden!!

Merci – France!!

Gracias – Brazil!!

Thanks – England!!

Dzięki – Poland!!

Dank – Germany (where my son some born)!!!

Feel free to post up a note and just say “Hey” or find me on Facebook – Average Guys Car Restoration Mods and Racing (AGCRMR) and send me a few pics of your ride!!!! Doesn’t even have to be your ride (Pls NO JOY RIDING Innocent !!!)

Question of the Day:  Is it a Joy Ride if you don’t smile while you are driving it?

BTW – these are registered viewers, not spam and we NEVER every share names nor personal data.

Regards

Tim

 

1984 C4

1984 C4

2007 C6

2007 C6

1970 Mustang

1970 Mustang

 

Parkinglot Spot Light – 1980 Firebird TA 4.9

Head in to the store for my second time today (happens when you don’t  follow the list as close as you as should) and I spotted this iconic car, the one, the only Firebird Trans Am.

I’m not sure why I took the pics like this – maybe balancing the bag of groceries and my Android and an impact.

 

 

IMG_20140316_113144_404 IMG_20140316_113147_246 IMG_20140316_113155_988 IMG_20140316_113210_740

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clearly this car is a driver and that is perfect in my book.   Love the original honeycomb wheels and that hood scoop!!!  That 4.9 on the scoop indicates there might be a turbo under that bird sticker!!!!

Should look something like this:

4.9L T/A Pontiac V8

4.9L T/A Pontiac V8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The choices were the 4.9L T/A Pontiac V8, the Chevrolet 5.0L V8 and 1981 the highly desirable 4.9L Turbocharged Pontiac V8.

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

 

 

Corrections & Amplifications

The Pontiac Firebird Trans Am featured in the first “Smokey and the Bandit” movie was a 1977 model. An Arena article on Friday about car movies incorrectly said the car was a 1976 model. In the movie, it was intended to be a 1977, although car buffs
“Smokey and The Bandit” Fans, NASCAR Driver Tony Stewart Is Bringing It Back

The six-part web series has Stewart channeling his inner Burt Reynolds complete with an enormous mustache that would make any man jealous. He’s also got the iconic Pontiac Firebird Trans Am to play with and the hat to make the transformation complete.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amelia Island 2014 Preview | Mind over Motor

Amelia Island 2014 Preview | Mind over Motor.

 

A great car show with some excellent photo ops for cool cars!!

 

Amelia Island

BMW

Amelia Island

Lambo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

 

 

BMW displays Calder art car, racers and classics at Amelia Island

The first BMW art car — a 1975 3.0 CSL wearing a paint job designed by Alexander Calder — headlined a class of significant cars from the German automaker at the 2014 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. It was joined by a BMW M-powered McLaren F1 

 

Barrett-Jackson to Auction First 2015 Corvette Z06 in Palm Beach | Corvetteforum

 

Barrett-Jackson to Auction First 2015 Corvette Z06 in Palm Beach | Corvetteforum.

 

2015 Z06

2015 Z06

 

 

Corvette enthusiasts from around the world have been waiting for the reintroduction of the legendary model since production of the C6 Z06 ended, but the wait will soon be over. If you want to be the owner of the first 2015 Z06 produced, then you need to be at Barrett-Jackson’s second auction of the 2014 season, being held at the South Florida Fairgrounds in West Palm Beach, April 11 – 13. Gary Bennett, Vice President of Consignments, has once again struck a deal with GM to auction off the very first production model of a new Corvette. At this point, the Z06 is scheduled to cross the block on Saturday, April 12.

 

 

 

Check out the link above.

Thanks for reading

Tim

 

In-Depth with the 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06

If, however, you guessed the 2015 Corvette Z06, you are also correct. If you guessed anything else, you’re reading the wrong magazine. Because of the upcoming Z06’s striking similarities to the ZR1, we’ve taken to thinking of the new car as the “ZR06.”.

 

 

Video Clips of Resuced 84 PPG and the One Millionth Corvettes

Here is a quick clip of the 84 PPG Pace Car recovery.

 

 

1,000,000th Corvette Recovery.

This are great!!

Thanks for reading.

Tim

A Mini Documentary on the National Corvette Museum Sinkhole

Watch the video, you’ll see a good close up of the first three cars and seem them on display “as is”.

 

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

 

 

Five of eight Corvettes pulled from museum sinkhole; photos show heavy …

National Corvette Museum’s effort to remove the eight cars swallowed by a sinkhole last month got off to a triumphant start: The 2009 Corvette ZR1 “Blue Devil” pulled from the hole earlier this week drove away from the scene of the disaster under its