1958 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible Star of Mecum Auto Auction Austin
I’m a Corvette guy, plain and simple. I’ve been scouring the World Wide Web trying to find a suitable restomod Corvette for a bit. Until now, I have been unsuccessful. Granted, there are a lot of them out there. But I was looking for a 50s or 60s Vette that had certain options.
There was one other that fit, but the owner seemed…off. So, I went with this beautiful 1958 Chevrolet Corvette convertible instead. She’s like a tall glass of fine wine; drink up…
Photo Credit: Mecum
The corvette is the quintessential American muscle/sports car. Some automotive experts argue that the Corvette is what started it all here in America. I tend to agree.
The Corvette was first produced in 1953. The sporty looking little two seater came with a 105 horsepower V6. Notice how I said “sporty looking” – there was no sportiness in this thing. However, that would all soon change as the makers of America’s sports car eventually added a V8 to the lineup in 1955.
As you well know, things got better and better from there…
Fast forward to the mid-60s, and you can’t keep them going in straight line because there’s so much power.
The 1958 Corvette only came with one engine – the 283 cubic inch small block. However, without the VIN, we won’t know which 283 it came with because there were a few different options. But, none of that really matters, does it? I mean, this is a restomod – not a nut and bolt restoration.
Photo Credit: Mecum
Some gear heads, especially Corvette purists, call this type of restoration sacrilege. And, truth be told, I get it. I mean this is one of just over 9,000 Corvettes ever made in 1958. Most people will never even see one because there just aren’t many of them left today.
But, I’m over it…
Why, you may ask? Are we even looking at the same pictures?
Photo Credit: Mecum
This fiberglass princess is full of charm and go fast goodies. For example, check out the 430 horsepower LS3 engine. These babies were installed in 2008 and later Corvettes, and are more than capable of producing big numbers in any application. Furthermore, you don’t have to worry about how all those ponies hit the pavement with that strong 4L70E transmission.
Photo Credit: Mecum
Every part of this car has been touched in one way or another during the course of restoration. Although a lot of it was left as stock, some of it was also modified – as it should be. For example, the exhaust tips no longer exhale from the stock spot in the rear bumper. As you can see, all the post restoration fumes are now let out into the atmosphere from underneath the bumper.
Photo Credit: Mecum
Finally, this baby is an infant. She was just born in August of this year. So whoever buys this little lady is going to get a brand new car that hasn’t been enjoyed by anyone else.
How high will this auction go? There’s no telling. But don’t forget that this is one of only 9,168 Corvettes from this model year. How many are left? There’s no way to be certain, but I can all but guarantee that it’s not as high as production.
Photo Credit: Mecum
If you want to find out how much it goes for, or to buy it yourself, you may want to make your way over to the Mecum Auction that takes place in Austin this December.
So, what do you think? Is this Vette done up right, or should the owner have given her a nut and bolt restoration?
Photo Credit: Mecum
