Misty Davis’ dad would no doubt be proud to see what she and the Corvette community in the Carolinas are doing with his 1975 Stingray.

Claude Mathis Jr., died unexpectedly last August at age 61, leaving an unexpected legacy to his 34-year-old daughter. She inherited his white on blue Corvette, which was in pieces while it was being restored by her father. She asked for a few suggestions about what to do on a Corvette forum on the Web but got much more than she expected.

“I didn’t want to get rid of it because it was my dad’s baby,”? she said, adding that she “really wasn’t expecting anything”? from her online request. But Carolina Classic Corvettes and its nearly 30 members responded to her request in grand fashion, taking on the restoration as a club project and offering to provide free labor. VettePros owner Gary McQueen is a member of the club and offered to store the car at his business while the project is being done. “We’re trying to do everything at cost,”? he said, “and some of the guys are donating parts for me to sell to raise money.”?

Already, they have replaced the back end, removed the interior and steam-cleaned the upholstery. Still to be done are some body work on the front, new tires, paint, installation of the interior, and a few mechanical repairs.

They say good deeds come back to you, and in this case, the heartfelt project has helped the club draw in new members and other folks willing to help. Indeed, Davis’ thread on the online forum has more than 11,000 views nationwide.

Davis has been overwhelmed by the hard work put in by the club. “They didn’t even have to do that,” she said. “The car isn’t worth anything. There’s nothing special about that year; it’s not worth fixing it up.”

Sentimental Corvette lovers would disagree. They know that all Corvettes are special, especially this one that will serve as a tangible reminder of the good times she spent with her father. When the work is done, Misty says she’s “not trying to sell it or get anything out of it. I just want it put together to have that memory… to have that piece of my father I can keep forever.”?

Check out the photo gallery of the restoration at www.carolina-classic-corvettes.com.

Source:
charlotteobserver.com