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1958 Chevrolet Corvette Project

 

The owner of this 1958 Chevrolet Corvette doesn’t give us a lot of information to work with, but he does say that this classic has great bones. When you look the car over, you find a Corvette that will require some significant restoration work. However, the inherent value of these cars means that it is one that deserves a closer look. It is located in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, and has been listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding has reached $21,527, but the reserve hasn’t been met. For those who can’t handle the hassles of an auction, they can always hit the BIN button at $35,000.

The owner describes the Corvette as having good bones. I would take that as meaning that the vehicle is structurally sound. Fixing potential problems with the frame is not difficult, but if the structural steel around the cockpit has rust, this can be difficult to repair. There is evidence in various locations that the Corvette has been pretty wet at some point, so a thorough inspection would be a wise move. However, it doesn’t matter how you cut it, the buyer of this car will need to dismantle it down to the last nut and bolt if the restoration is to be performed properly. The paint is beyond salvation, and it will need to be stripped before any surface preparation is attempted. The windshield appears to be cloudy, but the rest of the glass looks like it might okay. The factory hardtop is a bonus, but it isn’t clear whether there is a convertible top or frame. Several trim and chrome items are missing, so I suspect that the shopping list for this car is going to be pretty long before the vehicle is returned to its former glory.

Hope springs eternal. The owner describes the Corvette’s upholstery as being in good condition. He also states that it needs a good cleaning. Maybe I’m looking at a different interior because I can see quite a few problems. The seats look like they might have some splits in the upholstery, and the door trims have deteriorated badly. The dash looks like it will require a full restoration. However, my biggest concern is the fact that so many components are showing corrosion and oxidization. This further supports my contention that this is a Corvette that has been pretty wet. The problems go deeper because the owner provides no information about the Corvette’s mechanical condition. It isn’t clear whether there is an engine under the hood, or what sort of state it is in. It should be a 283ci V8, but which version is the great unknown. The story is the same with the transmission. We know that it’s manual, but is it a 3-speed or a 4-speed? As I said earlier, this is a car that I would want to inspect before I committed myself in any way.

The lack of information that the owner supplies about this Corvette is disconcerting. It is a classic that would be stunning if restored, but it is a listing that raises far more questions than it answers. However, this lack of information hasn’t been a deterrent to some people. There have already been 25 bids submitted, and there is plenty of time left before the listing ends. The reality is that if this is a numbers-matching car, and if the next owner performed a detailed and meticulous restoration, then it has the potential to be worth some respectable money when the work is complete. If the planets align, then its value could potentially threaten six-figure territory. With that thought in mind, is it a project that you would be willing to tackle?

Comments

  1. Avatar bobhess Member

    Did they say it was in Ocean Springs or in an ocean spring? When you have rust marks from water dripping out of an A pillar you have rust in the A pillar. I’d bet an underside shot would be an eye opener on this one.

    Like 16
    • Avatar 57Chevy

      A Great Recycle item to be used as Fiberglass Bondo for Worthy projects!!!!!

      Like 1
  2. Avatar bobhess Member

    Another note: was listening to the Weather Channel this morning and they said Ocean Springs was going to get a 6 to 9 foot salt water surge because it’s in such a flat area. What really got my attention was the comment that Ocean Springs got 9 to 16 feet of surge when Paula went through last month. You just don’t get rust running out from behind the left side door panels of a fiberglass bodied car unless the window and door latch mechanism got a good dose of salt water. ‘Nuff said.

    Like 11
    • Avatar Tom Farabee

      Not only that storm, but remember Katrina? A lot of that area was under 40 feet of water when she came in.

      Like 2
  3. Avatar JohnD

    And I don’t think Paula was the first dip for this one . . . Missing trunk spears are expensive, too. This one will need everything and then some.

    Like 5
  4. Avatar 70SUPERSPORT

    Definitely a scary restoration project. Agree with Bob’s observations. The mold on the underside of the hard top is also concerning. Pretty much a water/moisture car.

    Like 4
  5. Avatar 86_Vette_Convertible

    Come on folks, this is way out of line for the condition of this car IMO. Unless you love it, it’s going to be a money pit. IIRC the 58’s had chrome bars on the trunk, which I don’t see. To me that leave 3 reasons: 1) user removed them 2) Hit in the butt and used another years body parts or 3) it’s not a true 58.

    Like 3
    • Avatar Ralph

      It has the 58 hood ridges.

      Like 0
  6. Avatar 370zpp Member

    And yet somebody will buy it and blow a boatload of cash to make it nice.

    There is a 62 on ebay right now at 38K with one day left. Frame off restoration, etc. I would go after this one instead and never look back.

    Like 1
  7. Avatar bobhess Member

    Hurricane correction… it was Laura was last month.

    Like 1
  8. Avatar Wooky

    Either this car was flooded or someone left it outside with the doors open, look at all the mold and totted carpet, I’d hate to smell the inside

    Like 1
  9. Avatar 19sixty5 Member

    I noticed that there is an odometer in the speedometer cluster, but there appears to be another odometer in the tach. More parts from various years?

    Like 1
    • Avatar John smart

      The tach has a revolutions counter, similar to the odometer

      Like 1
    • Avatar Ralph

      Engine hour counter.

      Like 0
  10. Avatar Neal Cook

    love these cars. not knowing if it has a motor, it’s hard to bid. No drive train, thats a $3500 car, with an old stuck motor, assuming it’s still rebuildable and matching #’s, and the A-Pillars in that car are not rotted away, thats a good $20k project. It needs just from the pics, $75k of work

    Like 1
  11. Avatar Andy

    Those bones have a lot of arthritis. In addition to the structural concerns, lack of information on mechanical, missing trim pieces, the interior is not original, wrong gauges, wrong door panels, wrong style seats. Love is blind, that will help when bidding on this car.

    Like 1
  12. Avatar Bud

    If you have to ask how much it is going to cost to make it operational, you can not afford it!

    You will need to have Corvette Central on speed dial!

    Like 2
  13. Avatar Ken Edds

    Nope.

    Like 0
  14. Avatar Skip

    Why does the shift come out under the front seat

    Like 0
  15. Avatar Skip

    My mistake. Short shifter

    Like 0
  16. Avatar bob carroll

    i love the old vettes. had a 62. but how can anybody bid 21,5 + when they know nothing about this car. if the info we are looking for was any good, he would have shown it.

    Like 1
  17. Avatar Jerry

    In the ebay specs readout it lists it as a four cylinder engine. Don’t recall ever seeing a four cylinder vette. Course…it could be an indication that it needs four more to repair it.

    I live in Ocean Springs and was surprised to see one from our little town. The owner may have hoped to catch some of the ‘Crusin the Coast’ spirit. Lotta old iron in town and a lot of really nice looking rat rods etc. this week. In the Beau Rivage Casino is black Chevelle convertable SS 396 that I get a nut just looking at. lotta events tomorrow. Not as big this year because of the pandemic and the storms but still fun.

    Like 1
  18. Avatar DayDreamBeliever

    Oh. My.

    What in the heck… This is ABSOLUTELY a flood car, probably multiple times! Anyone really bidding on this has to be a total masochist!

    Beat me! Flog me! Punch me! Kick me!

    This car will do all of those things and more to whoever takes it on.

    NO THANKS!

    Like 1
  19. Avatar CraigR

    Someone’s going to get upside down in a hurry at that ask price. What a hulk.

    Like 2
  20. Avatar Turbo

    I would rather have this than the 90,000 dollar seats that were for sale.

    Like 0

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