AutoTalk is Zach Benedict’s new Beacon blog and radio program broadcast weekly on WCLH 90.7. Watch for it each week in the online Beacon and from 1-1:30 p.m. each Wednesday.
Recently, the last Corvette was pulled out of the sinkhole that opened up in the middle of February. I always mention to everyone how I am a Buick man all the way, but I do have a special connection to the Corvette.
My mom has always been a big fan of those luxurious sports cars from Chevrolet. Ever since she was 6 when she laid eyes on a brand new 1978 Corvette, she’s been in love.
Aside from Mom, I’ve been closely connected with this story. It hit home as soon as I heard about it. I felt a lot of sadness seeing those eight rare cars be swallowed up.
On my program, Auto Talk, I always make sure to give the updates on the progression of removing those cars. When I saw the 1,500,000th Corvette be pulled up and how flattened and mangled it was, I didn’t think it could get any worse. Unfortunately, I was wrong.
Looking at the latest pictures of the 2001 Mallett Hammer Corvette, you wouldn’t have any idea that it was once a Corvette. However, is this story really all bad?
Yes, it is sad, but in my own humble opinion, this could be a blessing in disguise. If a disaster like this was to happen 20 years ago, or even 10 for that matter, would the cars be able to be rebuilt or restored? Technology has come so far that we can rebuild and restore the cars to their once former glory.
Surely you’ve heard those stories of how someone took a car that was rusted beyond recognition, wrecked or what have you. Yes, those stories are indeed amazing.
My grandfather would buy cars for dirt cheap, restore them and sell them for a profit. He even once restored an old 1920s Model A, even though I wasn’t old enough to remember it, I have seen the pictures of it, and he clearly knew what he was doing.
However, do you honestly know of anyone who could take a car such as the Mallett Hammer Corvette and make it into a completely restored car? To this day, I don’t think even your most experienced automotive restorer could bring a car as badly damaged as that to its former glory.
That is why I’m happy to say that now automotive companies such as Chrysler, GM and Ford have the technology to rebuild the cars that are in existence today. That brings me to my final point: With today’s technology, the classic and antique automobiles will never die, as long as you have a dedicated enough team to take the financial and lengthy endeavor to rebuild any car.