1989 Corvette Z51 Coupe

[Bob Hempy]

I am willing to sell the following car for a fair market price. If the car doesn't sell at that price, I plan to try to keep it for the foreseeable future long term.

This is a 1989 Corvette Z51 Coupe without FX3. The car came from the factory with the RPO GH0 3.54 rear end gearing. I have a facsimile of the original window sticker and build sheet on the car. It has a tan leather interior, manal seat adjustments, and the factory radio. The car is factory stock with some subtle painted-on pin stripping added by the original owner. The only after market modification to the car is a NCRS sticker on the lower back hatch.

This car was a factory order from Green Motors in Bishop, CA. It spent its entire life in Bishop, CA up until shortly before I purchased it from an independent lot in Sherman Oaks, CA on November 1, 2007. The car had 22,900 original miles on the odometer at the time of purchase. It now has 53,200 miles on the odometer. When I ran a Carfax on it at purchase time, the information leads me to believe it sat in storage for appoximately eight years and was most likely sold as a result of an estate sale or something along those lines.

I will be picking up the car at Dick Guldstrand's shop tomorrow with eight new injectors and new spark plugs, etc. I don't want to sell this car, but in this depressed economy if someone gave me the right price for the car, I would be willing to do the same.

I paid $14,995 for the car two years ago. When I found the car, it had the original OEM from-the-factory tires, CAGS was still connected, and it still had all the shims in the camber adjustment locations. In other words, this car most likely had never seen an autocross event. When I purchased the car, it had Olympic personalized plates that bore the simple designation "Z51." In other words, the owner knew the car was a special car.

The car is in excellent condition. The most glaring need is new front driver seat leather.

Bob Hempy
nbmls1m6@yahoo.com

[Mako Koiwai]

This car is gorgeous! Bob gave me a ride in it and then let me drive it at the CA Spdwy Infield AX Practice earlier this year. I wish our Vette had bucket seat like this one ... and a push button seat belt cincher.

Any photos Bob?

I'll see if I have any from that day ....

[Bob Hempy]

Here is a picture.

[Bob Hempy]

Here is another.

[Mako Koiwai]

January '09 CA Spdwy Infield Practice:

[Mako Koiwai]

That first action shot of Bob is pretty cool if I have to say so myself. He really keeps that front windshield clean. Make a nice souvenir print. ... love the light UNDER the car

[Bob Hempy]

This car, i.e., my car, is still for sale to the right buyer for the right price. OTOH, I don't want to sell this car. Thus, offering the availability of this car is my way of fulfilling certain prerequisties of my own personal issues.

Two years ago last month, when I found this one owner factrory order car sitting on an independent dealer lot in the SFV, in Sherman Oaks, with less than 23K original miles on the odometer, I immediately wrote a check for the car on the spot, told the dealer the check was NOT good (before I wrote the check), and then immediately proceeded to take the car to a certain shop in Burbank. I then spent $1000 on fluid changes, plugs, etc, before I owned the car. An inspection of the car, and the expert opinion of Mr. Corvette, told me what I already knew was true.

About ten days later, after there was money in my checking account, I told the dealer he could cash the check. Because the car still had the factory OEM original tires mounted, I had the car towed home to Orange County where I had new tires mounted within the hour.

Through a somewhat convoluted set of circumstances, because the tow truck driver caused the emergency brake assembly to be broken (not the emergency brake cable), about six weeks after I purchased the car I sufficently fractured and dislocated my right wrist attempting to save the Vette from rolling backward into my daily driver work car that I spent the next seven weeks with several surgical pins screwed into my forearm and forehand. I believe it was before I broke my wrist saving my baby that I had Dick autograph the inside of the hood.

Interestingly enough, five years prior to finding my dream car '89 Z51, a fellow GRA member offered to sell me his '89 Z51. As providence would have it, I was not able to swing that purchase. However, I am very happy to say that the car in question has remained in the GRA family since my failure to swing that purchase. That car won A Stock at the SCCA Solo Nationals again this year. I wanted a red car. I settled for a white car.