Agreed. C4s didn’t do much for me when I was a kid but they look so clean and sleek by today’s standards, and the chassis is damn solid. Plus by 1990 like most GM cars had the bugs of the earlier examples worked out.
Actually a high school shop student saved it from the crusher at the very last second, unfortunately, it ultimately suffered a fate worse than death since that picture was taken.
I read once the C-2 Corvette used as much steel as a Chevette of the same era, so there’s a lot of metal to salvage.
Since the early seventies, the total percentage of plastic has been climbing on all vehicles, so the recycle process has to have methods in place to separate the dis-similar materials.
According to the web, “Large-scale metal recycling of mixed materials is accomplished best by pre-shredding the items to reduce the size of the pieces.” I’m guessing they just shred the Corvette whole, extract the metal, and pitch the fiberglass.
It probably depends on a yard to yard basis, I have heard that they pick the body apart using the forklifts, and throw the remaining metal chassis in the crusher with another car or two. But really other than projectile splinters there’s no reason they couldn’t be crushed whole, the materials get separated after that process usually at a different site. Crushing is only a thing to save site space and/or load as many cars onto trailers as possible.
Rust in the cross-member and frame structure here in the northeast consigned more than one Corvette to the salvage yard. By the numbers for sale of all model years, there is no shortage of them in general.
If there WAS a ‘vette that could be crushed, that one would certainly qualify. Sad.
My online car locator found 6 ‘Vettes spread through 11 local junkyards (All C3s), including this very clean looking ’90.
It’s a 90?
Crush that Deadly Sin!
You obviously have never owned or driven a C4. They were extremely advanced for their time and are still undervalued and underappreciated.
The ’90 convertible 6-speed Corvette parked in my drive agrees with you.
Agreed. C4s didn’t do much for me when I was a kid but they look so clean and sleek by today’s standards, and the chassis is damn solid. Plus by 1990 like most GM cars had the bugs of the earlier examples worked out.
Actually a high school shop student saved it from the crusher at the very last second, unfortunately, it ultimately suffered a fate worse than death since that picture was taken.
Dude, not only was the engine supercharged AND turbocharged, putting the steering wheel on the right hand side let you talk to curbside ladies.
The Corvette Summer ‘Vette was every bit as excellent as the movie!
My question is what do they actually do with fiberglass bodied cars like the Corvette when they’re junked?
LOL
I knew that was your question!
Lotta help we are, eh?
I think they grind them up and form the resulting paste into those “USA-1” license plates. 🙂
Seriously, there has to be a market for plastic trinkets made from old Corvettes.
I read once the C-2 Corvette used as much steel as a Chevette of the same era, so there’s a lot of metal to salvage.
Since the early seventies, the total percentage of plastic has been climbing on all vehicles, so the recycle process has to have methods in place to separate the dis-similar materials.
According to the web, “Large-scale metal recycling of mixed materials is accomplished best by pre-shredding the items to reduce the size of the pieces.” I’m guessing they just shred the Corvette whole, extract the metal, and pitch the fiberglass.
It probably depends on a yard to yard basis, I have heard that they pick the body apart using the forklifts, and throw the remaining metal chassis in the crusher with another car or two. But really other than projectile splinters there’s no reason they couldn’t be crushed whole, the materials get separated after that process usually at a different site. Crushing is only a thing to save site space and/or load as many cars onto trailers as possible.
Easily one of the most depressing pictures I’ve ever seen here at Curbside! Count me as a fan of the “malaise”-era C3s.
Desirable, but not rare. This one’s toast. Pull the usable parts and say good bye to the rest.
Looks like a failed and forgotten restro project that sat out in all weathers.
Is it one of the low power Cal Corvettes ?.
Probably like old RVs there is a lot of “other” material which makes it less desirable for a crushing perspective.
I’m just thinking I hope Edward doesn’t see this.
I think the coffee table the Vette is sitting on used to be a Taurus or Sable in a previous life!
“Ran when parked. No lowballers, I know what I got”
Rust in the cross-member and frame structure here in the northeast consigned more than one Corvette to the salvage yard. By the numbers for sale of all model years, there is no shortage of them in general.