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The Last Corvette: Restored, reborn and ready to aid charity
Last ’67 off the line will benefit amyloidosis research
CARLISLE,
Pa. – In 1967, Corvette built its last second-generation models. Known
as the C-2, and the StingRay, the marquee was succeeded in 1968 by
production of the “Shark” model, which many Vettophiles believe marked
the end of Corvette power, as the following generation of America’s
sports car was largely under-powered.
The last 1967 ’Vette off
the assembly line in St. Louis, was No. 22940, a Silver Pearl Corvette
with black trim. The car housed an L-36 engine – a 427 V-8 that
stampeded out 390 bhp at 5400 rpm, and 460 lbs-ft of torque at 3600
rpm.
This silver bullet is fondly known as the “Caboose” and now
sits in the world-class Corvette collection of nearly 200 cars owned by
Fred and Terry Michaelis. This ’67 Corvette was acquired from Corvette
collector Bill Mock on June 2, 2005 and is currently being restored and
refurbished back to its original condition by Nabors Restoration in
Houston, Texas, under the auspices of ProTeam Corvette Sales of
Napoleon, Ohio. Upon completion of this extensive, full-blown
restoration, it will be campaigned, shown, and displayed throughout the
United States and will be available for display upon invitation. The
campaigning culminates with the car going up for auction at Bloomington
Gold, June 16-18, where it could well become a million-dollar car.
In
tribute to the late-Chip Miller, a lifelong Corvette enthusiast and an
inspiration to the team at ProTeam Corvette, in conjunction with “The
Last Corvette” project, a donation will be made in Miller’s honor to
the foundation begun to research amyloidosis, the disease that took
Miller from us, March 25, 2004. Chip’s son, Lance Miller is a firm
supporter of this project and stated: “It’s nice to see a lot of the
Corvette community come together and help such a project. I applaud Pro
Team and Terry Michaelis for allowing us to be a part of this wonderful
project. My father died from a very rare disease, it’s ironic because
nearly everything he owned was rare. As this car is significantly rare
as well, we’re very pleased to be a part of the project.”
To
further honor Chip Miller, The Last Corvette organization and Pro Team
Corvette Sales has designated the Chip Miller Foundation as its
official charity and has pledged to match donations earmarked for the
Foundation in its fight against amyloidosis. That pledged amount has
reached $40,000 as of this release, and ProTeam's dollar-for-dollar
pledge will match donations made to the Foundation as part of "the Last
Corvette" project..
Back to the car at hand, the original base
price of 1967 Corvette was $4388 for the silver-pearl coupe, outfitted
with a 327 engine that thundered out 300 hp. But for performance fans,
there were four versions of the 427 available. The first version, the
L36, which No. 22940 had, cost $200 more and featured a single
four-barrel carb, 10.25:1 compression and hydraulic lifters. The L36
stampeded out 390 horses. The L36’s transmission, an M-21 close-ratio
tranny, increased the base price by an additional $184. With extras,
this last of the line cost $4772.
Bill Mock bought the car
from its original owner, for $22,940 and ProTeam bought the ’67 silver
bullet from Mock for a reported $229,400. Some $80,000 to $100,000 will
be spent on restoring the car, and thousands more will be used in the
form of donated parts, supplies and work to bring The Last Corvette up
to show car quality, before it appears at Bloomington Gold.
Some additional information about the 1967 C-2 includes the following:
- 1967 was the first year to have three hoods: the small block hood, the big block hood, and the L-88 hood.
- The "GM Mark of Excellence" sticker appeared in one year only- 1967.
-
Federal law mandated the removal of spinners from wheels in 1967, so
the knock off wheel of 1963-66 was replaced with a bolt on wheel.
- 1967 was the first year "Vinyl" was offered as an optional exterior covering for the hardtop.
- The '67 model was the first to have the "tank sticker", or the build sheet, attached to the gas tank.
-
1967 Corvettes got additional engine cooling vents, and 427s got a
different "power bulge" hood and more top horsepower. The new hood had
a large, forward facing air scoop, usually with engine call-outs on
both sides.
- The shortest-lived generation of Corvettes, the C2
lasted only five years (’63 to ’67), and afterward, the Stingray became
a Mako Shark in ’68
- Production saw 22,940 Corvettes come off the line in 1967, of which only 8,504 were coupes.
Brian
Topp, General manager at ProTeam Corvette Sales explained the
importance or “The Last Corvette,” he said, “This was the very last car
off the line in 1967, so the car we are restoring is the last of the
last. Following 1967, the body style changed and lost its pure sports
car appeal, and the power diminished. We picked up THIS car with no
paint. We are taking it back to its beginnings, and when finished, it
will be Concours-worthy.
Topp said ProTeam Corvette undertook
this project to build awareness. “We want people to become aware of
ProTeam Corvettes, of course, but also understand what early Corvettes
were all about. We also want to pay tribute to a very good man and very
good friend to all Corvette enthusiasts, Chip Miller. And in doing so,
make people aware of the disease that took him from us, and how we can
help eradicate the illness.
“We wanted to bring everyone in
Corvette community together as a whole. The entire production and
marketing aspect of this project has now taken on a life of its own,
and we have gotten support from companies in all areas.
“Lance
Miller, who runs the great ‘Vette show, Corvettes at Carlisle for
Carlisle Events, and who oversees the Chip Miller Foundation, has given
us his support.
“Others who have contributed include: Naber's
Motors, Restoration Battery, Eastern Corvettes, Lonestar Calipers,
Ikerd's, Inc., The Illustrated Corvette Series, Paragon Reproductions,
Lectric Limited, Triple A Enterprises, Auto Etc. Neon, Contemporary
Motorcar Ltd., MF Dobbins Restoration & Publishing, Inc., Joe Ray
Parts Co., Kustom Enterprises, DeMoise Trk-ing, J&P Custom Plating,
A&B Investments, Al Knoch Interiors, Corvette Clocks by Roger, Gary
Kosier Machine, Dana Forrester Watercolors, and Goat Hill Classics.
Items and parts necessary for completion of “The Last Corvette” include:
Interior
and installations; rally wheels, rings and caps; hood surround panel;
chrome plating; aluminum and stainless polishing; brakes and lines;
battery tray and gas lines; late block and heads; gauges and /or
restoration/ four bumpers and all brackets; five red-stripe Firestone
Super Sport tires; paint and materials; carburetor restoration;
transmission, power steering unit; charity contributions to the Chip
Miller Foundation, and scores of other parts of the project.
The
first leg of the "Last"™ Corvette's journey begins with a trip to Texas
where it will be treated to a rotisserie body-off Naber's restoration.
To be part of this venture with contribution of parts, services, or
cash you can contact Terry Michaelis at terry@proteamcorvette.com. For
more information, or to be part of the project, visit their web site at
www.TheLastCorvette.com.
The car will be ready for Concourse competition in January and will be auctioned off at Bloomington Gold June 16-18.
Chip Miller Side bar
Chip
Miller, the co-founder of Carlisle Events, and a Corvette devotee since
the marquee first was offered to the public in 1953, was diagnosed with
primary Amyloidosis in December of 2003 and passed away on March 25,
2004. The rare plasma cell disorder affects the primary organs.
Currently, there is no cure.
Chip wrote in his CaringBridge.org site when he was first diagnosed:
“First
a little history as to why it took so long to diagnose. Actually, I’m
not even sure where and when it started. The doctors say there is also
no known reason some people are singled out with the Amyloid disease,
but only 1,200-3,200 cases are reported worldwide per year. Others
certainly perish undiagnosed.”
Chip first noticed that he was
always tired and felt out of shape, even though he was “always in high
gear,” as he put it, and had been in excellent shape. He would become
short of breath easily, he said, and he seemed to be retaining fluid.
He
went to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., on March 3 to begin
preparing to receive stem cell treatment. Shortly after arrival, he was
diagnosed with blood clots in his arm and heart. He underwent surgery
to remove the blood clot in his arm, and the doctors chose to treat the
blood clot in his heart through drug treatment. The stem cell treatment
was delayed until the clot in his heart dissolved.
Complications
from steroid treatment resulted in Chip being readmitted to the
hospital on March 17. At that point, the doctors ruled out the stem
cell treatment option out of concern for Chip's ability to handle the
treatment. The family began planning a trip home where Chip would
receive Hospice care.
Sadly, Chip’s health deteriorated, and
he was not able to return home. He died in the early morning hours of
Thursday, March 25. Brave and thoughtful to the end, he asked the
medical staff to remove intravenous treatment while his family was out
of the room to spare his family from making that decision. His body was
cremated in Minnesota.
Chip Miller is missed by those who knew
him or knew of him. He lived by the motto: Life is good,” and that
slogan is often spoken when Chip’s memory is recalled.
Amyloidosis side bar
Signs and Symptoms of Amyloidosis
Amyloidosis
is a disease caused by the abnormal accumulation of protein molecules
in body tissues. Signs and symptoms depend on the organs that are
affected. The wide range of signs and symptoms makes it difficult to
diagnose, and there may even be no symptoms.
Some of the signs and symptoms of Amyloidosis may include:
- Swelling of ankles and legs
- Shortness of breath
- Numbness/tingling in hands or feet
- Abnormal protein in urine
- Severe fatigue
- Enlarged tongue
- Irregular heartbeat
- Difficulty swallowing
- Weakness
- Weight loss
- Diarrhea
- Skin changes
For
information, or to donate to the Chip Miller Foundation, write to: The
Chip Miller Charitable Foundation, 1000 Bryn Mawr Road, Carlisle, PA
17013, or call (717) 243-7855, or visit the web site:
www.ChipMiller.org.
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