1972 Steel Cities Gray Corvette Convertible Extreme Survivor
Hidden for 45 Years: What Happens When a New Corvette Is Almost Never Driven
In 1972, no one imagined a Corvette like John Sayers’ 1972 350/200 4-speed Corvette Convertible could survive nearly untouched for decades. In the ’60s and ’70s, Corvettes were driven hard, raced, customized, and worn out. Many ended up in junkyards. By the 1980s, frame-off restorations became common as enthusiasts rescued battered survivors.
What was rare—even back then—was a Corvette bought new and barely driven. Zora Arkus-Duntov urged owners to drive their cars, famously considering every Corvette buyer “his” customer. Still, some owners wanted nothing more than to have a Corvette—something to admire, sit in, and occasionally take out on perfect days.
John Sayers’ 1972 Corvette represents that rarest outcome—taken to an extreme.
This Is One of “Those Stories”… Only to the Extreme
Any car can be called a survivor, but survivor Corvettes are genuinely uncommon. Designed for performance, most lived active lives. John’s 1972 Corvette, however, is an extreme survivor with a story to match.
John, a Washington State Corvette enthusiast, already owned a 1963 C2 Corvette Sting Ray Split-Window Coupe, a 1965 C2 Corvette Sting Ray Coupe, and a 1966 C2 Corvette Sting Ray Convertible. Like many Corvette owners, he formed friendships across the country through the hobby. One of those friendships led to a trip to Corvettes at Carlisle, where John met Paul, a Corvette owner from West Virginia.
SPECIAL NOTE: You can learn all about the design and development of the C2 Corvette Sting Ray in Part 2 of our Corvette Design Series.
Later, during a phone call, Paul mentioned hearing about a 1972 Corvette Convertible with just 3,000 miles. Both laughed. “Yeah, right,” John told Paul to verify the story—and buy the car if it was true. Paul would have, but his CFO—also known as Mrs. Paul—said otherwise.
That’s when John said the magic words: “Then maybe I will.”
Looking for a great gift for your favorite Corvette person?
Shirts, Mugs, Caps, Hoodies & More
Paul inspected the car and took it for a drive. What he reported stunned John. The Corvette drove exactly like a brand-new early-’70s Stingray. The odometer read 3,255 miles—and everything about the car supported it.
Why This Was Obvious Is Where the Story Gets Quirky
The seller was Lloyd Wenger of Steubenville, Ohio, who inherited the car from his stepfather, Richard Crew. After numerous phone calls and a flood of photos—proof that smartphones have forever changed car buying—a deal was struck.
All that remained was for John to travel nearly twice the mileage shown on the Corvette’s odometer just to retrieve it.
Looking for great art for a Corvette Cave or Room?
Posters and Canvas Wraps from K. Scott Teeters.
In October 2017, John and his girlfriend Shelley borrowed a truck and enclosed trailer, hoping to beat winter weather. They didn’t. Near Bozeman, Montana, Old Man Winter delivered nearly a foot of unexpected snow.
What followed was a white-knuckle journey through sleet, rain, and winds approaching 75 mph—all while towing a trailer. Overturned tractor-trailers littered the roadside. The round trip totaled 5,506 miles.
Bringing Home a 1972 Steel Cities Gray Corvette Time Capsule
Paul handled the wire transfer and trailered the Corvette to his home. When John and Shelley finally saw the car in person, they were stunned.
“It was jaw-droppingly beautiful—basically untouched,” John recalls. “We just stared in disbelief. It even smelled new.”
The Corvette retained its original tires, hoses, belts, wiper blades, and water pump. The spare tire had never been removed.
Powered by the base 350/200 small-block, the car reflected a typical 1972 buyer’s choice. That year, Chevrolet offered only two small-blocks—the base engine or the LT-1. The 454 LS5 costs surprisingly little extra. This Corvette was built to be driven, not raced.
Meet Richard Crew, the Original Owner
Richard Crew ordered the Corvette from Riley Chevrolet in Steubenville, Ohio. A steel-mill worker, he selected the fitting color: Steel Cities Gray. Options included an auxiliary hardtop, AM/FM radio, power steering and brakes, tilt-telescopic column, tinted glass, and the Custom Interior with black leather seats and wood-grain trim. The sticker price was about $6,200.
Documentation included the Protect-O-Plate, order sheet, PDI, tank sticker, warranty materials, and service receipts from Lloyd Wenger’s gas station.
Richard was intensely private. He didn’t tell people about his Corvette. To hide it, he built a two-car garage with no windows and no side door—only garage doors. The garage was heated, never air-conditioned, and the hardtop hung untouched on the wall.
The car was driven only at night and never in rain or snow. With almost no UV exposure, the paint, interior, chrome, and trim remained pristine.
At 30 mph, it takes about 100 hours to drive 3,000 miles. That means this Corvette was outdoors—at night—for perhaps four or five days total over 45 years.
From Total Recluse to Award-Winning Survivor Corvette
John’s Corvette emerged from seclusion to become an award-winning survivor. It has earned NCRS Top Flight, a 4-Star Bowtie Award, Bloomington Gold Benchmark, and Bloomington Survivor honors.
Bowtie judging is unforgiving: eight judges scrutinize every component. Any evidence of repair disqualifies the car. The award can only be earned once.
To earn the Benchmark Award, John drove the Corvette around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway at 40 mph—on 45-year-old tires. Performance Verification would require redlining the engine, leading to the Duntov Award.
Since Paul’s original test drive, the odometer has gained just 20 miles. John himself has driven the car only 13 miles.
Many owners followed Duntov’s advice to drive their Corvettes. But when a car survives this untouched, this original, this pristine—you don’t drive it.
Someday, John plans to pass this remarkable time capsule to the next caretaker. – Scott
Corvette Generational History
Our 1953–1962 C1 Corvette Review: Engineering, Styling, Sales, and Legacy Story is now available.
The 1962–1967 C2 Corvette Review: Engineering, Styling, Sales, and Legacy Story is now available.
Also, 1968–1982 C3 Corvette Review: Engineering, Styling, Sales, and Legacy Story is now available.
Here’s your “Corvette FREE Public Library Downloadable PDF Articles” Library Card! NO LATE FEES! Click your Corvette Library Card and start downloading today!
PS – You should go to the Corvette Report FREE Public Library! We have stacks of PDF documents of old car magazine articles about Corvettes. There are never any Library Late Fees because you don’t have to return the PDFs! I add new PDFs weekly! CLICK HERE!
Great Corvette Owner Gift Ideas in our Etsy store, Man Cave Car Art.
Over 1,400 Corvette, Muscle Car, and Nostalgia Drag Racing art prints and posters.
We have 1953 to 2020 Corvette prints available.
Check out our Corvette art and swag in our Etsy store, HERE!
Check out our Corvette Gifts and Apparel in our Etsy store, HERE!
We also have Zip Pullovers and more with C1 to C8 Corvette art in our Car Guy Merch Etsy store, HERE.
PS – Additionally, be sure to check out our new line of Corvette Engine T-Shirts, “I Still Play With Blocks” in our Etsy store, HERE.
And, we have a very cool collection of old, defunct car magazine covers, featuring Corvettes, as posters and art prints in our Etsy store, HERE!
We have over 55 Corvette magazine covers available as art prints and posters in our Etsy store, HERE.
Check out our line of over 55 Corvette magazine covers available as art prints and posters in our Etsy store, HERE.
Our Etsy store has over 95 Corvette engine art prints and posters in our ManCaveCarArt Etsy store, HERE.
