Here is a letter from the previous owners about their time with the Corvette: "We bought 15390 in December of 1986 from a small Corvette dealer in Leicester, NY.Here are some interesting things we can share about our time as owners and stewards of the car, We joined National Corvette Restorers Society (NCRS) in 1985, and had done both National and Regional level judging, so we were somewhat knowledgeable (but far from experts) about what to check for with respect to purchasing a "numbers matching" Corvette. We knew that the car had an incorrect carburetor and that the original telescopic steering wheel had been removed. Also, and this was a tough one to change, the car when we bought it had sidepipes and knock off wheels that we knew were not original to the car. How did we know that those items were not correct? We were very fortunate that the car came with the original paperwork items that Nate has to show you. The "carbon copies" of the original dealer order and shipping paperwork are invaluable to have - they match exactly how the car is currently presented. The ultimate, and extremely rare, piece of documentation is the "IBM card / aka data card" that accompanied the car as it was assembled in St. Louis (with a body from A. O. Smith and a 427 Big Block from the Tonawanda NY GM engine plant). The data card matches the order # on the paperwork and the options ordered with the car. There is no VIN # on the data card because there was no Vin # associated with the car when it began assembly, just an order #. It is also worth noting that when we showed the data card to a member of our Western NY NCRS Chapter, who is now THE authority on mid year Corvette paperwork and numbers, he mentioned that he had never seen a real data card before. So, you have something that is very rare, possibly 1 of a kind. The first time we had the car judged at our 1991 WNY NCRS Chapter meet it received a 2nd Flight award. The 2nd time we had the car judged, at our 1992 WNY NCRS Regional meet, we earned an NCRS Top Flight award. Between 1991 and 1992, we obtained a correct 3370 carburetor, found a correct telescoping steering wheel, did a lot of engine compartment clean up and painting, and obtained a pristine set of correct wheel covers. We also installed a new correctly dated LOF Safety Plate Soft Ray windshield. Once we received the Top Flight in 1992, the car continued to receive Top Flight awards each and every time we had the car judged. However, we did not stop improving the condition and correctness of the car. We did a body off restoration in 1998 and 1999 and basically did everything except repaint the Milano Maroon exterior. The car had been painted just before we bought it in 1986, and it has held up very well since then.The majority of the restoration work was done by a now 400-level NCRS Master Judge. This included stripping and painting the chassis (where we found the correct stamping in the top of the right side rear frame rail), rebuilding or replacing the exhaust, brakes, brake cylinders, all new stainless brake lines, master cylinder, alternator, window regulators, and rebuilding the original numbers matching engine and transmission. We cleaned up and repainted the engine compartment, cleaned the bottom of the body, replaced the seat foams and vinyl covers, carpets, dash pads, gauges, clock, main wiring harness, and had the radio refurbished. We had the convertible top replaced by a local expert seat covering shop, including the addition of the correct tips on both sides of the top (which were provided by the 85 year old owner of the seat covering business). The engine does not and never has run hot. It has it own built in air conditioning if you put the top down and enjoy the open air. The car with us was never exposed to road salt and was garaged each winter and stored in a moisture resistant OMNI bag. After 30 years with the car, we decided that it was time to pass it on to a new steward who can enjoy and care for it - hopefully for many years to come. " |