By Henry Kelsall
YouTuber Samcrac has a flood-damaged Chevrolet C4 Corvette that may have to go for spare parts, thanks to its 'flood damage' past.
Key Takeaways
- Florida officials want to dismantle a 1995 Chevrolet Corvette owned by YouTuber Samcrac, despite its good condition and potential for restoration.
- The car is labeled as flood-ruined and given a junk certificate by insurance companies, but it shows little damage and can actually run.
- Samcrac plans to sell the Corvette, but strict restrictions may limit potential buyers, and it may need to be taken outside the US for restoration.
The state of Florida wants to dismantle this 1995 Chevrolet Corvette that belongs to YouTuber Samcrac. It was first bought as junk from a car auction, but it's a spotless example with just 4,500 miles on the clock. With some work on the motor, the sports car fired right up, suggesting there is a lot of potential.
Yet, Florida authorities would rather scrap this Corvette and recycle it into something else. Here's why.
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Why Florida Wants To Scrap This Corvette
The idea of State officials wanting to scrap a car might sound crazy, but that is exactly what is going on here. The YouTuber says he was planning on sending this car to a dismantler because of which he received a lot of angry e-mails and comments. But the problem is that this car is a flood-ruined survivor. It sold dirt cheap at auction despite it actually surviving in good condition. The issue is that cars like this receive blanket-issued junk certificates by insurance companies.
When the State officials and insurance companies certify it as junk, they rip up the original title and issue a new document to owners. The new documents states that the car can now only become a part's donor, after which, it must be scrapped. That seems insane, as this car has little to no damage from the flood, and the video is proof that it runs. A lot of work has gone into this car to get it to start up and run again, showing it could become road worthy.
It's clear from this video that the Corvette pictured is not junk. It has just 4,500 miles, and cleaned up very well after Samcrac bought it. With further work and fixing of the fuel tank, it could become a brilliant sports car for any Chevrolet enthusiast or Corvette collector. Most flood-damaged cars need a lot of work, but this Corvette isn’t one of them.
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What Will Happen To This Near Mint Chevrolet Corvette?
Samcrac says there is some validity to what the insurance companies are doing. Some totaled cars could then have their VINs wiped off and they are then sold to consumers. But someone trying to pass off a flood-damaged car as one that isn’t is bad enough. Those people should become the ones taking the fall and not the car itself. The other issue is that these companies don’t have the staff to go and individually inspect these cars, to see if they are a write-off or, like this Corvette, and just require some work to make them road worthy again.
That blanket ban on these cars clearly isn’t fair when it sees cars like this Corvette fall under it. Specialty insurance companies are usually the exception to this rule. Meaning some cars can slip through the net, or are legally allowed to become road legal again. Think of Tavarish and his flood-damaged McLaren P1 rebuild, which is currently under restoration. So, with all this in mind, Samcrac was looking to simply do some work on the car and then have no choice but to send the C4 Corvette to the breaker's yard. But he has now had a change of heart.
A plethora of e-mails and comments on YouTube by his viewers will see him put the C4 up for sale. There are, though, specific restrictions that he has to follow the Corvette. Restrictions he says may well eliminate up to 95 percent of potential buyers for the sports car. Where this Corvette could really see use again is outside the United States. So someone out there could buy the car, ship it to say the United Kingdom or Germany, and bring it back up to health over there. Sadly, it doesn’t look like this C4 Corvette can run again in the United States. Not legally anyway.
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C4 Corvettes Are Not The Rarest Breed Of Sports Car
There is, of course, an emotional attachment to this Corvette. Having so few miles on the clock, and in good condition, it seems unfair to scrap it. But there is little that Samcrac can do, other than offer it for sale to someone outside the United States. But as Samcrac points out, the C4 Corvette is not the rarest version of the sports car, and they are common across the globe. So there is a high chance its demise won’t be missed.
However, as the car and its components are still in good condition, the Corvette could serve up great spare parts for a major project. The engine works, as does the transmission. So while this Corvette is going to struggle to have its own post-restoration life, it might help another one. That does not take away from the fact it is sad this mint sports car has to become spare parts. Something just doesn't feel right.
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The C4 Corvette Is A Classic Generation Of The Sports Car
The fate of this Corvette is a shame as the C4 generation that marked the return of big, high-performance engines to the Corvette range. The C4 saw the debut of the “cross-fire injection” V8 engine, with 205 hp, and the LT4 version would have a remarkable 400 hp. The C4 Corvette would spawn the incredible C4 ZR-1 with its big 5.7-liter V8 LT5 engine.
The C4 would serve as the blueprint for the “Corvettes of Now”, as it had a striking and modern design much more advanced than the C3 before it. It was as good-looking as the Porsche 944, Ferrari 308 and the later models of the Lotus Esprit. Fingers crossed that this low-mileage example can find a savior somewhere else in the world.
Source: Samcrac YouTube Channel
