While this beautifully preserved 1958 Chevrolet Biscayne 2-door sedan is incorrectly characterized as a coupe in the ad, I don’t think you’ll find many better examples of this one-year-only body style! It’s listed for sale here on eBay and is located in Riverside, California — a nice dry climate for preserving classic cars! As I write the bidding has reached just over $10,000.
What’s there not to like about this car? Not only is it a one-year-only body style, in non-base trim, but it’s also wearing original paint, with nice, but not overwhelming patina for those that like it. The car has only had a single owner and it’s always been garaged. Unfortunately, that owner died last year so the family is letting the car go.
As you can see from this shot, the Anniversary Gold over Honey Beige paint (thanks for the correction, WD!) isn’t perfect but is certainly acceptable for show or driving use. We’re told that after new tires, brakes and exhaust that the car drives perfectly and that even the glove box light works.
I find the interior delightfully period and would enjoy driving the car exactly as it sits. Ok, maybe I’d add seat belts. While there were 256,182 two-door Biscayne sedans built in 1958, I’m sure there aren’t many of those left, and especially with 65,386 miles and this level of originality!
A good upholstery shop can tighten the appearance of those seats for you. The problem for me would be that I’d have to stop driving the car first. We still have some clear-ish days down here in North Carolina and I’ll bet the heater works just fine.
A nice day spent spiffing up under the huge hood and this baby would be ready to take to any classic car event. What do you think about this classic 2-door? Would it have a home with you?
Always loved the ’58 Chevy. This one could easily come to my place to live. I’m being somewhat skeptical in regard to the ‘original’ claim though. I’d swear that there has been some extensive bodywork done on the left side from the door on back; that paint doesn’t match the front fenders. It wouldn’t stop me from driving it around, but I am definitely curious as to what’s been done.
I wouldn’t be afraid to take this car anywhere either. The 283 will go anywhere for a long time; the cast-iron Powerglide will serve you well but leave it for a spell and the fluid will seep out of the torque converter and back into the sump until the level rises to the point where it runs out of the breather onto the floor. I strongly advise that you keep a catch pan underneath during the off-season…
Pat Boone and Dinah Shore made quite a hub bub about the ’58 Chevy. One of the many “See the USA, in your Chevrolet” cars Dinah Shore sang about. Despite a recession, I think the ’58 Chevy was the best seller, easily beating the ’58 Ford,( which was #1 in ’57) which was an awful style. I had a ’58 Delray, 4 door, 6 cylinder, column shift, again, as low as they come. It was the cheapest car Chevy offered in ’58. I took it on a trip to Minneapolis ( from Madison, Wis) and I think I used more oil than gas. Manual steering and brakes will make a person out of you, and could be easily updated. There’s no reason in this day and age, you should drive a vehicle without those. And if all the painters haven’t left the planet, I’d make it look nice again.
I had a white ’58 Biscayne, with a 6 cyl. 3-speed. That car was a tank! Not a very fast one, nbut it always started, ran and got me there and back..
This is a nice survivor, especially with the 283. This was the last year for the Delray, which was the lowest trim level. After that, the Biscayne won the spot.
This is one kind of patina I like- the patina of 62 years of constant polishing!
Sierra Gold over Arctic White is a not this Chevrolet’s color. This color is Anniversary Gold over Honey Beige. This 58 has its original one piece bumpers that came on California cars. Looks to have the “cheap” heater, defroster, not the deluxe heater. Tire white wall is not correct size, would probably had black walls or the period wide wall as a optional tire. The machine gun strait tail pipes are not correct. I bet this car is clean as all heck. I have liked 58 Chevy’s for over 50 years. I bought my 58 Chevrolet Convertible in 1976 in Redondo Beach CA and still have it to this day.
Corrected, thanks WD!
I’d have extreme difficulty finding things wrong about this car. I think it looks exceptional for its’ age.
I know of folks born in 1958 that don’t look nearly as good.
This is a nice car, period.
As is, I agree with you. But, for my needs, I would want an upgraded heater, a/c, power steering. Here in Maryland, they would be necessary. Check the suspension, fluids…all that necessary stuff. But, this car, as I have just read the listing, is now bid at $15,199.00!! Wow. Much more than I can afford. Best of everything to the seller and new owner.
I would really like to have this. I’m not able to, health wise, fly from FL to CA, it would be to much for me. I can’t bring myself to buy with out touching and paying in person, etc. My current house only has a small garage which this beast would not fit into. Alot of reasons not to buy, but would still like to. Never purchased anything on the other side of the country before, any suggestions?
This is a good, honest car, that you would have a hard time getting burned on. I bought my 70 Chevelle convertible off ebay without seeing the car. Don’t live life regretting the decisions you didn’t make. That’s my two cents. Good luck, Bob.
My suggestion is that you don’t buy an old car without seeing it first which has kept me in good stead during my car hunting searches.
Do a little work online, find a well reviewed inspector, may be the best $200 you’ll ever spend. Look for one that will take it to a shop and put it on a lift, give you pictures and video. I looked at a truck online and it was perfect in all the pictures. The inspector found the bed was cracked all the way down from the rail, haha, well worth the $150 it cost.
Hey Art I was born in 58 and I resemble that comment……..I mean ah er ah.
Anyway Merry Christmas everyone
I don’t have much to say about the car other than it looks good. But two things caught my attention: a one owner 62 year old car, can’t be too many of those around. And the “one year body style” comment, we sure don’t have that today…..
Even in the day, when the body style didn’t change, one could tell model years apart. An example is the 65-66-67 Galaxie; obviously the same body, but the styling was different enough that each year was distinctive. Today, it’s a “refresh” every 3-5 years. Or perhaps, today’s example is the proliferation of models, where the market seems to be splitting more and more into tiny segments (e.g. compact SUV’s, most manufacturers have several).
Bob, one year only, applies to the 58 Bowtie, the 57,58,59 Chevrolets were different enough, you could spot, from a block away. You didn’t need to see, a slightly different grille, or piece of trim, or different tailights in the fin.
The dual pipes, on the 283, looks like a Powerpack, with a WCFB four barrel carb. Sweet. Art
I’d like to take this opportunity to wish all my Barn Find friends and family the Best of the Season! Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Super Solstice, Bah Humbug, whatever you conceive it to be. It’s been a great year. Best wishes for the New Year and we continue to hope to have coffee together each day. Have a great time, guys! George & Mikenzie
Thank you back at you and your family. I really like your comments are barn finds I’m on this every day just to see what people are thinking. So I hope the new year is fantastic for you and your family and keep your comments going.
$5k on a 5 year old 58 Chevy? Are you sure it wasn’t $500? The car probably didn’t sell anywhere near $5k when new.
I had a ’58 Impala convertible, triple white, that I purchased from my uncle on my 18th birthday in 1963. Alas, I was too young and too stupid to own such a great car ….. it had less than 20,000 on the odometer and was maintained by the local Chevy dealer according to manufacturer’s specs. Had a V8, automatic, air, … loaded as they say. It was perfect when I got it, and perfect when I stupidly sold it ….. I have owned over 200 cars and this is the one that I miss the most. As I said, too young and too stupid …..still the best $3,000 I ever spent on a car …
I was expecting you to say that you beat the hell out of it. But hey, even if you did “stupidly” sell it in perfect condition, at least you took good care of it while you had it. You can be proud of that.
Bob…buy it and have it shipped by a car carrier. But be prepared. I bought a truck last summer off BAT for my grandson. Had it shipped from Seattle to Indiana. I got on the internet to find a carrier. They came out of the wood work. 40+ e-mails and 20 + phones calls. Fees very from $900 to $3000. The reviews varied excellent to terrible on almost all of them, [I think some wrote their own review]. Anyway I lucked out and got the truck in about seven days with no damage. I just didn’t like the 11:30 pm delivery checking it out with a flash light. I will say that I will move lawyers and used car salesman one rung up on the ladder and put moving BROKERS on the bottom rung.
Dennis, you should have used http://www.uship.com
I did once and was happy with the service and you can see the ratings for all the companies you might use.
In my humble opinion one of the best looking chevys made !
We have one in the collection same colour scheme on a 6 cyl. 3 speed Delray .Bought it off to the side of IH 35 W between Denton and Fort Worth back in the early eighties ….for either $18 or $20 …Only 235 I have seen come unraveled as this one did The driver had pulled over and removed the head there on the shoulder (try surviving that these days ) It had dropped a valve rattled it around and went out the cylinder wall after beating the head up pretty good Killed it right there I have seen 235s make it 50 miles home with a rod hanging out the side of the block.Learned early on to avoid the ones with the 348s they always seemed to have a weak front end Absolutely one of the best looking years for station wagon Ohhh what a good looking El Camino they would have made I wonder if the Aussies had a Ute that year I always felt 58 was General Motors pinnacle year for styling all across the line …..Those quad headlights showing the way
I’m glad these don’t bring the numbers of the tri 5’s cause maybe someday I’ll have one and in my opinion they are much cooler and have better lines!!!
I would need to see documentation for the original miles.
Maybe they have a work order from way back with the miles on it, not that would be proof of anything, but it might help.
My goodness, what a Beauty.
Not a spec of rust.
As usual if you cannot inspect car before buying then hire a local appraiser to give you a report.
200 bucks well spent. You do not want spend all money and have a piece of junk delivered to you.
When I was in high school, back in ’70, a ’58 was only a dozen years old. But back then, that was an ‘old car’. Now, is a 2007 THAT old? They last a lot longer now.
A friend of mine had a 58 he bought from the Civil Defense dept. 6 cylinder automatic, I don’t remember if it had a radio. It burned oil like there was no tomorrow, clouds of blue smoke. One day as a prank another kid switched the plug wires around. The kid who owned the car was too dumb to figure out what was wrong, thought the engine was gone and junked the car.