The final chapter of the National Corvette Museum’s sinkhole saga has closed four years to the day that the earth opened up beneath the Bowling Green attraction. Eight vintage vehicles were swallowed up when the sinkhole collapsed in 2014. The museum unveiled a restored version of the 1962 Corvette that was damaged that day.
David Donoho of Zionsville, Indiana, was the proud owner of the ‘62 black Corvette with a red interior. His friend Beth Sease was at the unveiling on behalf of Donoho, who passed away in 2013. She remembered Donoho as a quiet and unassuming man who loved two things, trains and his Corvettes.
His nickname was ‘the weatherman’ because if he had an inkling of rain or bad weather he would take his Corvette home where it would be safe and dry. Sease said every car has a story and this one was more than just a car to Donoho.
“His car was almost like his friend because it had such history with him, through high school, though all of the things of life,” she said.
Sease said Donaho told her he would rather have the car destroyed or buried with him rather than be neglected. She said he got a little bit of everything he wanted--the car was partially destroyed when it was temporarily buried in the sinkhole, and has now been restored to its former glory.
The reveal pic.twitter.com/oyrimqloC9
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Derek Moore is a curator with the museum who worked to restore the final car. He says the goal of restoring a vintage car isn’t trying to make it look brand new.
“In the museum world versus the automotive restoration world for car shows and things like that is really more capturing the story,” he said.
Moore said those working on the restoration found an old sugar packet inside the car. When the interior was put back in, he said they made sure to put that same sugar packet in the same spot where it was found. Moore said paying attention to little details provides an everlasting memory of the owner enjoying the car.
