This 1958 Chevrolet Corvette recently surfaced on Facebook Marketplace, and it reads like the kind of story Barn Finds readers never get tired of. According to the seller, this Corvette spent roughly 35 years sitting dormant in a backyard and hasn’t changed hands in about 45 years, making it a genuine long-term storage find rather than a car that’s been passed around or repeatedly revived. Thanks for the tip, T.J.!
The car is described as a 1958 Corvette Convertible with just over 42,000 miles showing. It’s equipped with an automatic transmission and is said to have a non-matching engine and transmission, so originality purists should take note of that upfront. Still, many enthusiasts will see this as an honest survivor project rather than a numbers-correct showpiece, which opens the door to a wider range of restoration or preservation paths.
One of the more encouraging details is the seller’s comment about the chassis. Despite decades of outdoor storage, it’s described as being in good condition and not rusty for how the car was kept. For early Corvettes, structural condition is often the biggest hurdle, so that alone makes this example worth a closer look. The black soft top is included along with its framework, which is said to be in fair condition. Even having those pieces present can be a plus when dealing with a car that’s been off the road for so long.
The seller is clear about their intentions and expectations. This isn’t being pitched as a turnkey driver or a finished restoration. It’s a project, and the tone of the listing suggests the seller knows exactly what they have and isn’t interested in debating it. They also note that they’re not in a rush to sell and plan to get the car running and driving in the spring if it doesn’t sell within a short window. That adds an interesting wrinkle for potential buyers who may be weighing whether to jump now or wait and see how far the seller goes with recommissioning it.
Early C1 Corvettes have always held a special place in the hobby, and cars with this kind of long-term ownership and storage story tend to draw strong interest. Whether someone chooses to restore it, preserve its survivor character, or simply bring it back to reliable driving condition, this 1958 Corvette offers a solid foundation and a compelling backstory. Finds like this don’t come along every day, especially when they’ve been out of circulation for decades and are only just re-emerging now.
Looks like everything on it needs to be replaced or repaired. Most of the orifices in the engine compartment being wide open should tell anybody that this is going to one expensive project.
Bet the neighbors were glad to see this thing go, wonder what went the rest of the stuff?
Anyone who is a buyer is likely looking at this for the body and interior. Being non matching, a true restoration isn’t realistic. More likely the following scenario: $20 – $25K as is, another $30K for paint, interior and cosmetics. $70K for modern frame, engine, drive train, brakes, suspension, labor, etc. $$’s add up fast. Worth maybe $200K finished, so not an astronomical profit.
The sellers comment, “The chassis is good & isn’t rusty for how long it was stored” is a huge red flag. That’s a huge red flag, it’s the sort of language someone uses then they are hedging, either to protect themselves or because they don’t want to outright lie. I dealt with the public with most of my jobs, when someone uses that sort of language you need to dig deeper by either asking more questions or take a harder look. Based on the amount of visible rust and as Bob Hess says the open orifices the worst thing any potential buyer could do is interpret the sellers words as reflecting its true condition rather than relying on what their eyes see.
Steve R
“Running and driving by spring.” Hoooo. That’s one heck of a goal. 35 years dormant… in a backyard? If that’s what indeed ends up happening rather than the car being sold I would not only be impressed, but I’d love to see the results.
You and me both !
It’s in California, southeast of Sacramento, so MAYBE the frame has a fighting chance. That is if the tires held air and it didn’t sink into the ground. Given its’ location, my GUESS is the birdcage may be OK. But the condition of the motor (lots of open stuff) doesn’t give me the feeling that the owner was motivated to air the tires up or block it up.
The frame replacement is moderately expensive. In the good ‘ol days I was around two friends’ C-3 frame replacements. It wasn’t cheap or easy, but it happens in the snow belt south of Lake Erie. If the birdcage is a problem, run away . . . don’t walk. I wouldn’t go near this one without (at the very least) somebody knowledgeable looking at it in person.
The asking price in the ad is $34K. If the seller is asking that kind of money, it should be on a lift with frame pictures and video of somebody tapping on the frame with a pick hammer. The “Chassis isn’t rusty for how long it was stored” comment is the biggest red flag I’ve seen in a while.
It’s listed as having an automatic transmission when it obviously has a manual trans that’s unsupported at the rear.
Panama Yellow is a beautiful and rare paint color. This car has some other good attributes, such as… uh… well, maybe not. No amount of additional photos would make me think it’s worth over $20,000. And that value is only if the CA title is truly clear.
Full disclosure: personally, I wouldn’t pay even $20,000 for it. Life’s just too short for a project this extreme.
What city does it list? FB shows Campo Seco wihich is very rural. I am 5 minutes from there. That looks like a tract home for sure which is not around here. Looks like Stockton
I would love to meet the owner, and pimp slap him…
The opportunity to do a resto-mod without angering the Corvette purists adds value here.
I’d rather have this than the recent Bronco for $85K. I can do a whole lot with the $51K left over after purchase.
The easiest way to get $100k for this car is to invest $200k. This is a car for someone with deep pockets and big dreams. $34k for this disaster is like handing over your money and getting kicked in the balls after. I guaranty when this car is stripped down, the buyer is going to get a nauseating feeling.
Pile of scrap. I found one here with the same exact story, body so rotten my finger went right through, top framework rotted beyond repair, upper a arm mounts rotted off the frame with the top of the tires hanging 24″ outside the wheelwell openings. “I’m going to fix it up” You are 30 years to late bubba. Couple of grand in parts is all that’s there
Looks like one of those guys that can get away with having a bunch of cars and brick a brack in his back yard. With the high fence and weeds I suspect that most of his neighbors and township don’t even know what’s in there. I was never that lucky where I lived. Well at least he doesn’t have much grass to cut!
looks like whatever ends up in that yard dies a miserable death. real shame they let that happen to that vette. should have sold it 40yrs ago
I’ve always liked the old adage of “buy the best one you can afford”. If this is it…………well, at least it would make yard art.
Everything about this car is wrong. No trunk moldings, early 70s 350 engine, looks like a TH350 trans from what can be seen through the cut open tunnel. Where is the end of the list? Better to go buy almost anything else.
I agree ACZ! Also, I can’t get a good look at the hood, but it doesn’t appear correct either. Plus the factory steering wheel is gone. And since it is tight with the factory “non-dished” wheel. It just got tighter. A 1958 pushes all my buttons as far as memories go. Dad and I restored a 1955 Vette, sold it and bought a 1958 that needed restoring. We did that car and since Dad never got the Avanti he ordered. He kept the Vette as his daily driver. This car says 1959 to me, not 1958.
the hole is actually a removable panel . in one of the pictures you can just make out the shift lever with the reverse t handle
I agree with all comments. And how does this happen to a Corvette even back in the day. What about all the other cars there. Some people out there just don’t make sense when it comes to the car business. They just need to be slapped in the head if that does anything at all. What a shame about this Corvette here.
Seeing daylight through the floors doesn’t give one a good feeling about that frame. But…he knows what he’s got!
Ok, now looking at Facebook. I can see that it is a,’58 hood..And I think I see the rear deck lid chrome pieces on that XKE “”Bonnet”! Still missing the door cards, ignition shield, steering wheel and the transmission tunnel cover. The hard top is a plus. But not enough to get to the asking price!
I bet even the fiberglass is rotted. Baking for that long in hot sun. Yikes !
I restored a 58 in the mid-eighties when there were not too many shops selling restoration parts. The main thing with the 58 is that it is a one-year interior. By that, I mean it has a pebble-grained steering wheel, dash pad, and seats. Trying to match that in 1986 was impossible. In addition, for some reason, the 58 had one-year seat frames. The seat frames I found came from California ($800 in 86!) and the dash came from Just Dashes (I think). So, I started out with a body in very good shape and a rolling frame – that was it. It was an original FI car, but that was long gone so it received a stock 283 with a 4-barrel, swap meet valve covers, and a 66 GTO air cleaner. New 59 interior and dash pad (smooth) and rear trunk spears that were seconds, which I had rechromed. No top since it would always be inside. Turned out to be a very nice driver when done, but stayed in a 150 car collection. (Lots of Corvettes) No idea what it cost to restore it, but the guy I worked for had deep pockets, so all I had to do was tell him what I needed. The Corvette here is in much worse shape than the one I did. I can’t see any holes in the trunk for the spears, and I have looked, but I can’t make out those pieces in the pics. The hood looks like it might be the right one, but since there is no good picture of it, it is hard to tell. It needs to have louvers. Since it does not have the correct engine and probably the wrong trans, $34,000 seems like a lot of money. Fortunately, there is a good supply of restoration parts for Corvettes. I have not checked to see what is available for 58 interiors. The guy doesn’t want to argue so, somebody can take it from there. BTY, is the title mentioned?
A couple decades of sitting on the ground with all the seasons on it would never produce rust. A money pit would never produce a headache either.
Full disclosure, I have owned a Corvette in one form or another for 55 years, so to say I’m a fan would be a gross understatement. That being said, this thing is not worth the time, much less the money. I have absolutely no clue as to how the seller arrived at the asking price, but I absolutely know that it is a fantasy number. I wouldn’t touch it even if I were 30 years younger and had more money than I needed.
It could be a cool rat rod! You don’t need any of those EXPENSIVE original parts. And properly done it would still get alot of attention at any show or C&C.
I know, all my screws are loose! SORRY to all the Corvette fans! (But I’m one also. Having helped my Dad restore a ’55 and a ’58. But I really like all ‘Vetts except C5s.)
Not liking C5s borders on blasphemy.