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Immured "Corvette"
In 1953, Chevrolet is a brand new model Corvette - two-door coupe with a body made of fiberglass, mounted on a tubular frame. The car is equipped with in-line six-cylinder engine volume of 3.8 liters capacity of 152 liters. p. and a two-stage automatic transmission. In the first year it was built only 300 copies. All cars were painted white, and the assembly was carried out manually. Only the following year launched the conveyor.
13 photos.
In 1954, a resident of Maine, Richard Samson, bought a Chevrolet Corvette from this first batch, and 5 years later, having driven it all 2,331 mile, he decided firmly to wall up the car for the next 41 years old. For this, he drove the car to the site where it was building a new sporting goods store, drove into the basement and ordered the builders to build the car around a brick wall without openings and doors. On his orders, left only a small window width of 10 cm, through which it was possible to monitor the condition of the car. Corvette was prepared for preservation: the engine was treated with a special grease, poured a full tank of gas, put the body on a special stand that the wheels do not touch the ground, and the interior is treated protivomolnym composition. Inside the sarcophagus of the resulting installed two lamps, and next to the window was mounted switch. Over time one burns out and to replace it had to open the room. Therefore, many years later, only the dim light of a second could be seen covered with cobwebs and thick dust once snow-white Corvette. By order of the will and Samson car should not have to touch until 2000. After the Corvette was supposed to get the heirs Samson, who could sell the car to great advantage. Actually this was the idea of conservation and
In 1969, Richard Samson died and about his extravagant act and car forgotten. In 1976, the editors of one of the car magazines received a letter from the neighboring town of the store, which told of a bricked-up in the basement of the Corvette. Despite the fact that everything described sounded pretty unlikely, after a phone call to the store confirmed the story. The magazine sent a photographer and despite the fact that none of the foreign car did not show, he somehow managed to negotiate with the store manager, go down to the basement and do a couple of shots through the dirty glass.
Inside the small room was really Corvette 1953 issue
It has been seen that in some places the beginning of the bubbles go with the body paintwork, chrome but still was in excellent condition without any rust spots.
It took another 10 years and in 1986 the heirs of Samson (wife, son and daughter) decided to sell the store and start to think, what to do with walled Corvette. As a result, they agree that his wife and son transferred their shares in Corvette's daughter, and she decides to remove the car from the ground. Half a year she goes to battle with the new owners of the building, who did not want to give the Corvette on the grounds that they had bought the building and all its contents, but the court decides in favor of his daughter, and finally a team of workers break the wall and pulls the car to the surface. From time to time the paint is yellow and covered with small bubbles, lounge and roof are in fairly good condition and the tires hold air. Cynthia decides not to sell the car and keep it in memory of his father. Initially it was planned to put the Corvette in a rented store, but then changed her mind and decides to carry and install the Corvette in the living room of his house ... in Florida.
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07
After another 10 years, she sells it to a company that is engaged in the restoration of Corvettes. All the while, the car stood in the living room and is located exactly in the same condition as in the day when it was removed from the sarcophagus. The new owners decided not to touch the car, leaving it in its original condition and called "not to restore the oldest Corvette with the smallest city in the world."
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12
It takes another 18 years, and in January 2014 the car put up for auction, where it was sold for 80,000 dollars. What will make the new owner is still unknown. Hopefully, too, immure another 40 years :) Then the story will be a worthy sequel.
13 photos.
In 1954, a resident of Maine, Richard Samson, bought a Chevrolet Corvette from this first batch, and 5 years later, having driven it all 2,331 mile, he decided firmly to wall up the car for the next 41 years old. For this, he drove the car to the site where it was building a new sporting goods store, drove into the basement and ordered the builders to build the car around a brick wall without openings and doors. On his orders, left only a small window width of 10 cm, through which it was possible to monitor the condition of the car. Corvette was prepared for preservation: the engine was treated with a special grease, poured a full tank of gas, put the body on a special stand that the wheels do not touch the ground, and the interior is treated protivomolnym composition. Inside the sarcophagus of the resulting installed two lamps, and next to the window was mounted switch. Over time one burns out and to replace it had to open the room. Therefore, many years later, only the dim light of a second could be seen covered with cobwebs and thick dust once snow-white Corvette. By order of the will and Samson car should not have to touch until 2000. After the Corvette was supposed to get the heirs Samson, who could sell the car to great advantage. Actually this was the idea of conservation and
In 1969, Richard Samson died and about his extravagant act and car forgotten. In 1976, the editors of one of the car magazines received a letter from the neighboring town of the store, which told of a bricked-up in the basement of the Corvette. Despite the fact that everything described sounded pretty unlikely, after a phone call to the store confirmed the story. The magazine sent a photographer and despite the fact that none of the foreign car did not show, he somehow managed to negotiate with the store manager, go down to the basement and do a couple of shots through the dirty glass.
Inside the small room was really Corvette 1953 issue
It has been seen that in some places the beginning of the bubbles go with the body paintwork, chrome but still was in excellent condition without any rust spots.
It took another 10 years and in 1986 the heirs of Samson (wife, son and daughter) decided to sell the store and start to think, what to do with walled Corvette. As a result, they agree that his wife and son transferred their shares in Corvette's daughter, and she decides to remove the car from the ground. Half a year she goes to battle with the new owners of the building, who did not want to give the Corvette on the grounds that they had bought the building and all its contents, but the court decides in favor of his daughter, and finally a team of workers break the wall and pulls the car to the surface. From time to time the paint is yellow and covered with small bubbles, lounge and roof are in fairly good condition and the tires hold air. Cynthia decides not to sell the car and keep it in memory of his father. Initially it was planned to put the Corvette in a rented store, but then changed her mind and decides to carry and install the Corvette in the living room of his house ... in Florida.
06
07
After another 10 years, she sells it to a company that is engaged in the restoration of Corvettes. All the while, the car stood in the living room and is located exactly in the same condition as in the day when it was removed from the sarcophagus. The new owners decided not to touch the car, leaving it in its original condition and called "not to restore the oldest Corvette with the smallest city in the world."
09
10
11
12
It takes another 18 years, and in January 2014 the car put up for auction, where it was sold for 80,000 dollars. What will make the new owner is still unknown. Hopefully, too, immure another 40 years :) Then the story will be a worthy sequel.
