When the man behind so much of the Corvette’s storied history finally retired from General Motors in the mid-1970s, what did he do to mark the occasion?
Well, like so many other enthusiasts, engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov went out and bought his very first – and only – personal Corvette, a ’74 that marked the last year of the big-block 454 engine. But unlike some new owners who keep their cars hidden away in a garage, Zora put his to good use on the road, using it as his daily driver until the mid-1980s when he sold it to a couple who donated it to the National Corvette Museum in 1995 with 100,831 miles on the odometer.
There it would remain until 2023 when the NCM realized that the car needed some attention. After nearly two years of preservation efforts, the finished product made its debut at the Museum’s 31st Anniversary Celebration held August 28–30.
“This car represents Corvette history in its purest form,” said Robert Maxhimer, Director of Curatorial Affairs and Education at the National Corvette Museum. “Preserving Zora’s personal Corvette is the first of many in-depth preservation projects that will ensure our collection lasts for generations.”
Originally silver, then a year later painted bright green, the car eventually received its iconic two-tone blue livery after Zora asked a friend for a new paint job. Zora loved the new look so much that his wife, Elfi, marked the occasion with a painting of Zora standing beside the car. His initials “ZAD” remain on the doors, as well as a decal reading “Zora Arkus-Duntov Engineering Center” on the rear deck.
But nearly 50 years after being built at the factory, then in St. Louis, the car was looking a little ragged.
“We were redesigning the area and that’s when we discovered how much damage the car had to it with sitting there and how much rust was on it,” says Dan Garrett, vehicle collections supervisor at the Museum.
“This was Zora’s daily driver and he drove it no matter what, in rain, snow … so the fuel lines were rotted away, the gasoline line was rotted…so that was when we started talking about doing a preservation of the car.”
The Museum’s Collections and Preservation team went to work. Carefully separating the body from the chassis allowed complete access to the frame, suspension, and underbody. Each component was then documented, cleaned, stabilized, and reinstalled to ensure its authenticity. They installed new brake and fuel systems and rebuilt the engine and power steering, with $20,000 spent on parts alone, not including the 964 man-hours of labor.
“The body and the interior were pretty nice and had a lot of Zora’s history in it so we left that alone,” Garrett said. The team even intentionally left the creased leather armrest on the driver’s side – worn from years of Zora’s elbow resting there as he drove.
This weekend, visitors to the NCM are getting their first look at the preservation efforts, and the reviews have been overwhelmingly positive.
“For the museum and the Corvette community this car is priceless. It’s one of a kind. It’s like finding the number one 1953 Corvette,” Garrett says. “For Corvette lovers, they come to see this car because they remember Zora and his wife Elfi in that car.”
Source:
National Corvette Museum
Related:
The National Corvette Museum is Refreshing Zora Arkus-Duntov’s Personal 1974 Corvette
[VIDEO] Zora’s ‘Turning Points’ Letter to Ed Cole Shown First Time in Public at the NCM Bash
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So, why is it now sitting 2” too high all the way around?
Restored? Why is the ride height so high all ’round???????
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