Searching 63 Conv history 30867S109048. Acme Chev, Robinson, IL

[Thomas B.]

Re: ACME Chevrolet Robinson Illinois

I recently found the obituary for Richard White who was the owner of my corvette from August of 1980 til late 1984. He was a life long time resident of Richmond Indiana in the Spring Grove area and very active in the community. Posting it here on the chance that someone remembers him or a surviving family member. It is not known when Richard bought the corvette. Could have been in 1979 when he retired. The obituary indicates no obvious ties to the Robinson Illinois area.

I also learned that Loren Williams who owned the car from 1984 to 2021 passed away last November. Lifetime resident of Richmond Indiana. Loren was an NCRS member in good standing and an avid corvette enthusiast. I spoke with him many times over the phone about the history of my car and whatever else was on our minds at the time. He died too young and I will miss our phone calls. I met him when he trailered a 62 fueling to Michigan last year to have some work done at Paragon Reproductions last year. Corvette guy to the end. He had a good friend who I believe is an NCRS member and is a Richmond resident who I would really like to talk with if he will respond to this post.

Thanks

[Thomas B.]

Re: ACME Chevrolet Robinson Illinois

I have done a pretty exhaustive search for previous owners of my car over the last year and a half and pretty much at a dead end. If the car was actually delivered by ACME Chevrolet in Robinson Illinois when new there is no hard evidence of that fact except for my Shipping Data Report. No Secretary of State records or memories of the car by all of the folks I have been in contact with in the area.

I do know that the car ended up in Richmond Indiana with 90,000 miles on the odometer when it was titled by the previous owner to me in February of 1985. I know the name of the guy he bought the car from but he passed away in 1989. His son and daughter are nowhere to be found. I know he owned it in 1980 from some info left in the car. Indiana BMV records don’t go back that far so no way to know when he bought the car.

The car was restored between 1985 and 1988 and although no records were kept I was able to get verbal info on the restoration from both the previous owner before me and the guy that did the restoration. Total frame off restoration including a rebuild of the original motor. The previous owner only put 1250 miles on the car up to 2021 when I bought it and it’s condition bears that out.

I’m happy with knowing 43 years of history of the car but of course would like to hear about those first 17 years of it’s life. Probably a lot of good stories there but they are most likely lost in time.