Rair67

One of the original 4 Gran Sports is now located in Naples, Fl. I toured a private collection of extremely expensive sports and racing cars this morning while site surveying a renovation project, and talked with the director about it.

Just my luck- the car is out of state being restored, to the condition it was in racing at Sebring in 64-65.

I don't know what no. it is- but am sure someone out there would know where the other 3 are.

I will get back some day to check it out. The restoration shop at this facility must have 10-15 mechanics working there. It looked like a operating room suite.

Viet Nam Vett

Man, I loved to see some pic's of that car...

achapman

ditto.... :D

7vettes

That doesn't surprise me......Naples, Lighthouse Point, Hobe Sound, Vero Beach and a few other places in the state have some unbelievable car collections. When my neighbor had his Rolls delivered last year there were three of the New Shelby's inside the Carrier (from Vegas) and when I asked the driver where they were going, he said all were staying right here in Vero.

Get us some pics of the GS when it gets back. :cheers:

SWCDuke

There were five original Grand Sports, and they are all accounted for. All five were originally built as coupes, but 001 and 002 were cut down to roadsters before being released by GM circa 1966.

Duke

Viet Nam Vett

Quote
There were five original Grand Sports, and they are all accounted for. All five were originally built as coupes, but 001 and 002 were cut down to roadsters before being released by GM circa 1966.

Duke, Why did GM cut the cp's down to roadster's? When you say released, do you mean sold to the racer's? Were they cut down to further reduce there weight for performance?

Andy B

Rair67,

Even without the gs on location it must have been great to tour a private collection of that caliber. The closest thing I have gotten to that was a fellow car guy friend of mine was once house sitting for a neighbor of his with an original bb cobra with extensive race history. The car had never been restored and was pretty beat up but it was real monster. It was a hell of a treat to look a car like that over in private, there were tons of high dollar extra parts on the shelves around the car, even an extra set of huge Halibrand’s in the corner. I must have spent 2.5 hours looking that car over and I loved every minute of it. I have never seen it myself but I was told the guy also owns a real GT40 that was out of state at the time.

Please post if your hear that they may be looking for help over there, I would love to work on a GS in a white lab coat!

Andy





[Modified by Andy B, 6:42 PM 9/24/2002]

SebringBill

GM cut the roofs off of numbers one and two in the hopes of achieving better aerodynamics along with the lighter weight. It didn't work.

BTW, number 5 is in Plant City, FL (east of Tampa). I've been friends with the owner since he bought it in late 70s. :cool:

SWCDuke

I'm not sure why GM held on to them as long as they did. Could be that Zora finally figured he better get rid of them lest they get sent to the crusher.

One of the roadsters when to Roger Penske and one to George Wintersteen. I said "released" because I don't know what the financial arrangements were.

Which brings me to a thought. I wonder how many of the five Grand Sports have titles as apposed to bills of sale? Anyone know?

Duke



[Modified by SWCDuke, 9:26 PM 9/24/2002]

Dave's '67

That Grand Sport was the one Delmo Johnson and Dave Morgan drove in '63 & '64. Unfortunately, I don't think that one will be campaigned in vintage races like the two at Laguna Seca this past August.


Dave

Classicvette63

That is an interesting question SWCDuke. Imagine spending upwards of a million dollars for a vehicle that doesn't have a title. :rolleyes:

I know the cars were designed to be racecars, but can they legally be driven on the street? Not that that would be likely, but just curious. Classic

JohnZ

That's #004 - Jamey Mazzotta sold it a couple of years ago to the Miles Collier collection (the collection you saw), and they are having it restored.

Rair67

Yes, Miles Collier is the owner of CH Motorcars LLC.

Thanks for the info. If I can, I will get some pictures of GS #4 when it returns.

JameyZ28

Man, would I love to see that collection. It's right down the road from my office. I had an invitation to the Grand Opening when they first finished the facility and it was open to the public (back in probably 1989). I had no idea that it wouldn't always be accessible, so I didn't think it was a big deal missing the Grand Opening event. Then they closed it, and I've been kicking myself in the butt ever since. One of the guys in my office got a personal tour from Miles back then. He said it's unbelievable. Every so often, they bring a piece out of the museum and do laps around the business park in some old restored race car. Really cool. They drive right past my window, which just makes me want to get in there even more.

Jamey

Rair67

My office is just a block from the facility. I have been driving past it for 8 years, and finally got a chance to go in. It was a great experience.

They are adding on a few thousand sq ft, so there's a good chance they will have another grand re-opening.

joevette57

Rair,
I know the collection you're talking about. Several years ago they had it open to the public. I was living in Charlotte County at the time and the Corvette club went down and they gave us a personal tour. At the end, they took the GS out to the parking lot and ran it through some paces for us. One of the members still has it on video.
If I remember correctly, the collection was formerly owned by the Cunninghams of Briggs/Cunningham racing. The have a NICE selection of Porshes as well.


[Modified by joevette57, 8:26 PM 9/27/2002]

JameyZ28

Tell them to call me if they need any site engineering / permitting. Maybe I can get a tour out of the deal too!

jimgessner

John is absolutely correct. The #4 car, restored in 1986-87 by Jamey Mazotta raced against Bob Patterson's GS # 3 ( now owned and raced by Tom Armstrong) at the 75th Anniversary Chevrolet celebration at Laguna Seca's 14th Monterey Historic race in 1987. The car was sold to Miles Collier after the race and has been stored since.

Last fall it was shipped to Atlanta, Ga for an extensive restoration so it could compete in the recent 50th Anniversay Corvette celebration at this years Monterey Historic. Unfortunately, it did not make the show.

The #2 Grand Sport roadster is now owned by Jim Jaeger of Indian Hill, Ohio. It was extensively restored two years ago by the same company that is restoring the #4 Miles Collier car. #2's original body was saved on a stand and an exact copy made so the car can be vintage raced with no "fear."

The #1 GS ( the other roadster) is the old Penske car that Dick Guldstrand and Dr. Dick Thompson raced at Sebring in 66 with a 427 driveline. Jim Pervis from Kansas restored the car in 85 and it was displayed at Bloomington Gold with the #4, #3 and #2 cars. It was later sold to Gene Schiavone of Essex, Ct. Gene hired Doug Hooper from California (who won the LA Times GP in 62 with an original 63 Mickey Thompson ZO-6) to vintage race the car across the country. Doug ran at Willow Springs, Road America and Lime Rock in 1993-94 era, and let America see what a beast the car was and still is. In late 1998, Rob Walton bought the car and he raced it and won the Group 7 event this August at the Monterey Historic. The car was sold to Harry Yeaggy of Cincinatti, Ohio after the races in late August.

Tom Armstrong from Issaquah, WA owns the # 3 coupe. This GS was originally raced by Dick Doan, John Mecom, Alen Sevadjian, Auggie Pabst, Jim Hall and John Cannon . Bob Petterson from Woodside, CA bought and restored the car in 1973. He vintage raced the car extensively from 1978 till 1988 . Tom has continued on racing the car across the country . In 2001, the car was shipped to Europe and raced at the famous Goodwood Historic race . It competed in 1963 Nassau Speed Week with the #4 GS and is the only GS to compete overseas.

Grand Sport #5 is owned by Bill Tower of Plant City, Florida. The car has been restored to Sebring 64 era when Jim Hall raced it when he and Roger Penske owned and campaigned the car.

It is rummored that the Grand Sports are in the $4m range for value, so consider yourself real lucky to see one race at a major vintage event in your area. Dick Guldstrand told me in that in late 66 he could have bought the # 1 car for $1500. I had a chance to buy the same car in 1983 for $20000. Richard Buxbaum beat me to it. Oh well , more fish stories of the ones that got away!!

125 Grand Sports were originally planned. That way, they would have been FIA recognized as a "production" car and compete regularily against the Cobra's. GM management said ' NO WAY' and stopped Zora from any further production. The five cars that survived, showed America that Chevrolet could build a winner if it wanted to.

The book "CORVETTE GRAND SPORT" by Dave Friedman and Lowell Paddock is an excellent 176 page story and picture history of the Grand Sport History. Motorbook International has just re printed it.

Next March 2003, the Amelia Island Concour in Florida will honor Corvette. Bill Warner is working to get all five Grand Sports to attend.

Save the Wave, and race your Vette. You will love the experience.
Jim


[Modified by jimgessner, 12:21 PM 9/27/2002]

Rair67

JameyZ28-

If we get this job, I will get you in for a little tour. As far as permits go, I think they have permits in hand or will shortly. The construction drawings are all finished.

Bob

Rair67

Jim-

Thank you for the update and history on the Grand Sports. They are about the most unique Corvettes out there, and it is great they have all managed to survive.
I figured the Grand Sports were worth several million, but There must be some other cars in Miles collection that are worth more.
I will post here if They have a grand-reopening for the public to attend after the renovation/addition project is complete

Bob