Restored Iowa Corvette Crashes During Test Drive

MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) — After a 15-year restoration, a mechanic was taking a classic 1961 Chevrolet Corvette for a final test drive in Mason City before shipping the car to its owner in Florida.

Then came the crash.

Ray Shimak says he was checking on a shifter adjustment when another car swerved into the Corvette.

No one was hurt, but the crash damaged the Corvette's right rear and front.

Shimak had been restoring the Corvette since 2006 for retired Mason City businessman Lee Snell, who bought the car in the 1970s and had worked on it for years.

Shimak says the latest repairs should be done by Jan. 1.

He says Snell accepted the news of the crash well, noting "He's a patient man."