While it may not be a true survivor (despite the seller’s characterization as such) with a 1958 engine and replaced carpets and upholstery, this is still a nice car if you are looking for a driver or Cars & Coffee vehicle. It’s listed for sale here on eBay and is located in Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada. While the buy it now price is a pretty steep $52,000 lower offers are welcomed.
There are few classic cars more iconic than a red C1 Corvette with white coves, especially when equipped with whitewall tires. This car only comes with the hardtop, so you’ll either need to plan trips well or come up with a soft top mechanism from somewhere. I did find an assembly complete with white top available here on eBay for a cool $3,275 (cough).
The seller tells us that the paint is past its prime but that the chrome is generally good apart from the front bumpers. They also mention no dings in the stainless steel trim — another good point.
Underneath the car looks surprisingly good for a driver. The front end, gas tank and fuel lines have been gone through already.
The pleasant-looking interior has a four-speed shifter rather than the usual automatic. The car is showing 41,400 miles which I’m guessing is on at least the second time around.
This is the 245 horsepower version of the 283 cubic inch V8. I wouldn’t recommend starting with this car if you want a numbers-perfect restoration, but not all folks want that. For a weekend driver to have fun with, I think this seller has the car for you — as long as you can agree on a price! Do you agree?
Jamie, that price translates to a number in the high $30Ks in U.S. dollars which, if it’s as good as it looks, doesn’t seem like a bad ask.
If I were in the market for a ‘Vette, this would be one to look at. You could drive it, right past all those overdone “numbers-matching” Trailer Queens sitting on the lawn at car shows. Usability adds value for me.
In fact, I might even go a step farther, and throw in a four-speed manual to replace the slushbox, something I wouldn’t do if it was all original.
Ray, agreed with all comments — but look closer, the four-speed is already there!
Oh, wait! You’re right!
Okay, I wouldn’t have to do anything to it except make sure the mechanical bits all work properly!
Have to say a lot of cars I see here don’t meet that standard — there’s almost always something I’d need to change to get my Dream Car. And, in most cases, it’s swapping out an automatic. Or, if it’s a Rambler American, Vega, or Gremlin, dropping in some V8 power. Don’t ask me why….
That’s way to high. I am thinking more like 25 to 30,000.00.
The price in the eBay advertisement states $52,000 USD not Canadian dollars, there is no way this car sells for anywhere near 30K USD.
Doubtful someone desperate or foolish will take a 40K offer.
The price is almost right where it belongs for a non- matching numbers C1.
It would definitely be a fun car to cruise around in and not worry to much about.
Sold a ‘58 with a 327. Ok. Not original because of the engine. Loved it. Stupid me! Great driver.
I haven’t kept up with the values of these early ‘Vettes, but this one looks pretty good from what I can see.
I road tested one of these (250 HP dual-quad) for NZ Classic Car magazine some years ago. On modern radials and with gas shocks, it was a ball to drive around the twisty roads near Rotorua, especially with its owner riding shotgun and egging me on to drive it at 10/10ths!
There are not many left in this good ” original ” condition and even with some parts updated, at least they are period.
It’s 40 grand from a show car, but I would use it as is. Try finding one in this family of original for the price.
My only problem is the usual color scheme. I call it the lipstick model. Even the unoptioned cove color would be an improvement for my taste.
Nice car and a reasonable ask. Driver quality C1s are getting scarce.. Bloomington Gold $100k+, or wrecks from beside the barn seem to be more common.
’56-’57, are the ne plus ultra of all Corvettes, don’t you agree?
And the color of the red, in the first picture is clearly wrong, in the others it is more like the orange/red that they were painted, so maybe it is the right color. I have seen them painted red and white, like I did my maroon and cream Rollfast bicycle, since they were the closest match at the local Woolworth’s 5 and 10 back then.
The colour is called Venetian red and there’s a word of caution passed onto restorers of these cars to never park beside another of the same colour. The shade seems to vary greatly from a vibrant red to a tomato-soup orange.
In my opinion they never got a real/true red nailed until Roman red in ‘58.
4 speeds were cool when I was young, but after driving double clutch big trucks for years I’m past all that. Give me an automatic at 71 years of age, one of the reasons I love my 64 Riviera so much.
Actually Andre its signet red for 58. I own one. I think roman red was 1959. Signet has a slight orange but more red hue to it.