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Missing Corvette Recovered From Lake After 20 Years: Video

It’s not often that people attempt to go sailing with their car, but for one Chevrolet Corvette owner, that proved to be the case in this story. Officials in Portland, Oregon have now recovered this yellow Corvette C3, which was allegedly stolen over 20 years ago, and subjected to some joyriding before meeting its final destination at the bottom of a lake. This is, perhaps, the most unusual method to prove the superiority of the Chevrolet Corvette’s fiberglass composite bodywork, but it certainly has worked. Or did it?

Amusingly, the diver leading the show, who happens to be the host of the Adventures with Purpose YouTube channel, has some insight into this Chevrolet calamity. According to him, the stolen Corvette may not have been stolen at all, but instead may have been a quick insurance cash out for its owner, who reportedly fled the country shortly after the alleged theft.

Seeing that the Corvette’s composite bodywork wouldn’t rust underwater, the fact that the car is missing its front clip is a bit of a mystery. But that is resolved when the diving team notes that someone discovered this Corvette C3 several years ago and tore off the front end when attempting to recover it.

The particular diving team in this video specializes in underwater recoveries, and the process of doing so is rather fascinating. The team uses a combination of heavy-duty chains and large inflatable devices that help lift the vehicle closer to the surface, where the team can then maneuver the lost Corvette closer to land and then extract it from the lake. Interestingly, the team also tears off a good chunk of the rear when pulling the car from the shores.

That video also includes an equally-submerged and very rusty Jaguar, Volkswagen Beetle as well as the raw carcass of another indistinguishable vehicle. Apparently, this lake holds some sort of a record for automotive insurance fraud, and we get to see cool underwater perspectives of it all.

So, hit the play button, sit back and watch this underwater exploration unfold in interesting and crystal clear ways… but beware of a bunch of product placement ads at various points in the video.

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Jake is a Los Angeles-based car enthusiast with a background in track day driving and drifting.

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Comments

  1. That Corvette may hold enough chassis stability to be rebuilt. But the poor engine will probably be scrapped since the dirty water will damage it beyond repair.

    Reply
  2. Put it back in the lake!

    Reply
  3. Must of cost more than what it cost new or value of it today.

    Reply
  4. There is a house in the background and when the car hit the water twenty years ago, there had to be a good amount of oil leaking to the surface, and no one noticed? ?, makes you wonder.

    Reply

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