Customs Pics of 58 Chevies

survivor ? probably not

 

In front of that ford, hell yeah....

 

So do any of you want parts for these 58's? I came across a few available cars to part out - and lots of extra random parts, chorme, etc. to save from the crusher. I found at least 6 hoods in one shed, just to give an example. email me if you're looking for something: [email protected]

 

All that one needs is to lower the rear a little bit!

 

This car is now on ebay

 

Still wondering what became of this 58 Chevy. Built and enjoyed it for several years then sold it about 10 years ago to Rick Rasha in Central New York. Last time I saw it was the day I delivered the car. Easy to identify with the 54 Grille, 50 Pontiac taillights, custom Pontiac style interior with Impala insert in the rear seat.

 

Stole this from the custom thread... I think GM missed by not making the from bumper smooth like this one.. Makes the whole front end look better....

 

FALL 1959 Long Beach, stock 3 speed +348

Hello,

In our group of teenage high school friends, there was a slightly lowered 53 Chevy Bel Air, two toned hardtop that got a cool greenish paint job. We also were going to put on a store-bought tubular grille in the place of his stock 53 Chevy grille. That would leave the stock grille available for someone else. Then another friend also wanted a tubular grille for his 59 Corvette. Those items were pre-made for just about any car and would take a day or two, to replace the stock grilles and put in the fancy tubular grilles for a custom look.

Some of my friends wanted me to change over the stock 58 Impala grille to a tubular one. I was all for that idea as it would give my 58 impala a definite change over. Money was still a factor, but these other grilles might be available. I had given it some deep thoughts and my mind started wandering about replacement grilles for the Impala. They both wanted a different look for their cars, but could not do it themselves.

It was a matter of time and availability, as the Impala was used daily from 7 am to 10pm. (Saturdays were always at Lions Dragstrip) I had to decide which change over would look the best. Also, how much work it would take to modify the 53 Chevy grille with additional vertical bars or adding to the 59 Corvette grille to fit the 58 Impala. Again, money came into the picture and time would be relegated to Sundays for the changeover or modifications.

Jnaki

With all of the things going on as a teenager in high school, social life, varsity sports, beach runs, gabbing with friends, there was little time, unless it was an "all-nighter" doing the changeover or mods. We active teens did need our 8 hour beauty sleep, after all… The changeover did not take place. I did not want to destroy the stock look of the 58 Impala, so we all kept our daily street rides stock in the grille sections. But, the tubes always looked good on just about any car, let alone my black 1958 Impala.

The money saved was used for small modifications that did not take long. The results were quick as well as making the car a little faster, despite being a fast drag racing street legal car and daily driver. So, the grille mods never happened as we all cruised happily in our So Cal zone. But, those grille modifications would have made our cars a lot different than most. Then those cars got sold as most of us were going to college and the next step as twenty somethings. Others chose the U.S. Military, full time jobs, and raising families, etc.

That black 1958 Chevy Impala is still out there somewhere, even after all of these years.

 

I've always liked the 58 Chevy body style.
My Dad bought a new, Biscayne, with a 348 in it. I remember he installed a Tri-power intake a short while later. I remember him making his own carburetor linkage.
My Mom bought a used, 348 powered Impala. It "almost" had floors in it..! Dad and I put fiberglass over the holes in both sides of the front floor. As I recall, rust and fiberglass don't mix well and even that...started falling apart after a time. It became another Flintstone Flier...foot power capability and all..!

One thing that I've seen over the years...It seems SO EASY to screw up a 1958 Chevy, and so difficult to build a nice one...obviously in my eyes. One body style that is either really nicely done...or...

I looked for years to find a nice 2dr wagon...that I could afford. Never did. Now, I'm too old, and have three other cars and a bike to finish.

Mike

 

Bel Air hardtop gets my vote

 

Mike, how about this one? It's almost stock. 350, 3 on the tree.

 

The missing “racy” look that was the goal of a teenager…

Hello,

Recently, I was looking for some photos of a black 1958 Chevy Impala. Up pops this classic photo of the full force of the cool 2 door hardtop. Since our 58 Impala did not have A/C, this look was popular as we cruised around the Bixby Knolls stomping grounds. Even for those in the back seat, behind the rear sloping roof line, the air circulated and made everything cool, as well as comfortable. I was 5’10” as a junior and close to topping 6 feet as a senior, so I had the front bench seat back a comfortable distance. But, I never heard any complaints coming from the rear seat passengers.

With our limited teenage budgets, all we could afford was basic upkeep and usually gas money was provided by those I took to/from school on a daily basis. Sometimes, I made the run to Bixby Knolls to pick up some others, if there was room, too. One of the ideas in 1962 was to put on some American Racing Company 5 spoke mag wheels all around. In the photo above, it made the overall look just racy and it looked fast. That was the number 1 goal.

We could not just go out and emulate those drag racing cars that were at Lions, with the cool American Mags. It was expensive and out of reach of the normal teen budget. So, out came the spray cans and all sorts of colors were tried to see which would look the coolest. Our friend with his 34 Ford, 5 window had red rims, small hubcaps and beauty rings on white walls. We tried all sorts of colors to see which one would satisfy. We even turned the whitewalls inward to create a new all black look, with red rims, black rims and finally silver rims looked the best.

This internet photo was the ½ way look prior to switching to blackwalls.

But, in real life, the silver rims looked great and gave the small hubcaps a good base for the final high school look.

silver vs. black on black, including rear Bruce Slicks.

In 1962, The last high school look of the black 1958 Impala, was with the silver rims underneath. The look was the small Chevy hubcaps and chrome beauty rings on the painted wheels.

High School newspaper photograph spread...

 

2015 GNRS courtesy of www.spotlitekustomaccessories.com

 

That's a nice looking 58 Pontiac, not a Chevy.

 

Does anyone have an extra set of parking light buckets or can u guide me on a part number for them?

I just need the buckets..
Also do the taillights lenses fit the parking light buckets?
Tia

 

Left 3751047 -Right 3751048. I have a pair of pretty nice ones if interested.

 

I have a pair on a parts car that I haven't looked at for awhile and don't recall how good they are, if you want I can check them out and let you know.