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Projects 1958 Corvette (I'm the new tire fryer)

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by LowKat, Aug 21, 2017.

  1. Trojan Horse
    Joined: Jun 16, 2014
    Posts: 101

    Trojan Horse

    Low Kat, that's a great looking '58! Love those flames and American Mags, not to mention the cool looking pictures that you post. I have a '57 that took me 4 years to restore and I'm still loving it.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Edit...Here is a before picture, not much to look at but $7000 is all I had at the time :eek:

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Nov 20, 2017
  2. Trojan, I love your car. 56-7 are my favorite body.
    The full coves, single headlight, and scoops do it for me.

    Vette went to a cruise-in last weekend. People recognized it including a mutual friend of previous owner which knew him in the 1970's. This friend inherited a brand new Corvette by my car's previous owner. I may be getting the trophies my car won in it's show life. My friend knows where they went. I have old pictures of the car and one is the 1981 Portland Roadster Show, also a good sized trophy. More history would be so cool.

    Did a few things on it.
    New ignition switch. (got stuck on "lock" and key was worn out)
    Cleaned more on engine compartment.
    Got rid of the Aeroquip radiator hose, went to stock.
    Made a drop base open air cleaner using a cut-down old Ford starburst top.

    Got the new tires mounted on the Americans and the old school center caps arrived. Gonna clean, polish and install tomorrow. Probably going to a show Saturday. Photos will follow.
     
    Last edited: Oct 10, 2017
    kiwijeff, Baron, Trojan Horse and 5 others like this.
  3. enloe
    Joined: May 10, 2006
    Posts: 9,534

    enloe
    Member
    from east , tn.

    Looking forward to pics when you get the wheels installed:)
     
  4. cowboyinachair
    Joined: Nov 17, 2010
    Posts: 352

    cowboyinachair
    Member
    from colorado

    page 1 or 2 has the wheels and the small tires
     
    els and loudbang like this.
  5. enloe
    Joined: May 10, 2006
    Posts: 9,534

    enloe
    Member
    from east , tn.

    Duh, I remember that.
    Brainfarts are painful
     
    els, loudbang and scotty t like this.
  6. Different air cleaner.
    BEFORE
    0 DSC09820.JPG

    AFTER
    The lid is painted black and made from old Ford parts.
    Dropped base with a K&N element.

    DSC00325.JPG
    Next:
    Replace Aeroquip fuel line.
    Change out grey convoluted wiring covers.
    Install black plug wires.
     
    Last edited: Sep 10, 2017
  7. OahuEli
    Joined: Dec 27, 2008
    Posts: 5,243

    OahuEli
    Member
    from Hawaii

    Much better! Plus, if I remember correctly, putting Ford parts on a Chevy is good for about 10 hp.:rolleyes::D
     
    Deuces, els, loudbang and 3 others like this.
  8. jaygryph
    Joined: Jun 13, 2009
    Posts: 76

    jaygryph
    Member
    from oregon

    Rock the heck on. Man I'm thrilled to see you get that car, I know you've been after one for years.

    I kinda dig the wires, they go with the interior and flames, but it's hard to argue with the more hotrod look. It's interesting how different "hotrod" was interpreted over the decades.

    Can't wait to see it in person!
     
    els and loudbang like this.
  9. Got the new tires and Americans back on with "old style" caps.
    Rear 275/60 on 7" wheel. Front 215/65 on 5.5". (Cooper Cobras)

    It drives very nice now.
    Went to a car show Saturday morning then cruised rest of the day.

    DSC00313.JPG

    DSC00329.JPG

    DSC00336.JPG

    DSC00342.JPG
     
    jnaki, Deuces, kidcampbell71 and 9 others like this.
  10. I didn't know you were on the HAMB.
    Drop by for a ride.
     
    els and loudbang like this.
  11. greaser
    Joined: Apr 30, 2006
    Posts: 866

    greaser
    Member

    Looking GOOD Mark! The only thing I didn't see is Mrs. LowKat in the drivers seat. HA!
     
    els and loudbang like this.
  12. Man, that is one beautiful car. It really makes me miss my old 59. Now you got me looking for a solid axle Corvette!
     
    els and loudbang like this.
  13. Baron
    Joined: Aug 13, 2004
    Posts: 3,636

    Baron
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Looks great. The only thing I would like to see is the rear "helper springs" removed and get the back end down a little.
     
    els and loudbang like this.
  14. OahuEli
    Joined: Dec 27, 2008
    Posts: 5,243

    OahuEli
    Member
    from Hawaii

    When did the Corvette go to an independent front suspension?
     
    els, Baron and loudbang like this.
  15. enloe
    Joined: May 10, 2006
    Posts: 9,534

    enloe
    Member
    from east , tn.

    53 for the front
    63 for the rear
    I think
     
    els, Baron and loudbang like this.
  16. RamJet1
    Joined: Apr 9, 2012
    Posts: 343

    RamJet1
    Member

    Enloe, you are correct. Great to see the improvements on this Vette!
     
    els, enloe and loudbang like this.
  17. jaygryph
    Joined: Jun 13, 2009
    Posts: 76

    jaygryph
    Member
    from oregon

    I got on when I had your old F1. I really miss that truck. What I know now could have sorted a lot of the stuff there. Alas, anyway. I'll swing by. I'm out at the farm every week now at least a day or two.
     
    els and loudbang like this.
  18. Yeah, like enloe said. When someone calls a Vette a solid axle, they are referring to the rear axle, 62 and older. They have always had independent front suspension.
    In the old days, I saw a few gasser style Vettes with an I beam front axle.
     
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  19. OahuEli
    Joined: Dec 27, 2008
    Posts: 5,243

    OahuEli
    Member
    from Hawaii

    Gotcha. For some reason I thought the earliest 'Vette had a straight axle up front. Uh D'er.:confused::D
     
    loudbang and els like this.
  20. My first Corvette was a 1958. Paid $800 for it. It was someones ex drag car. I remember that someone wanted to raise the front up so they took some real heavy duty channel iron about 4 inches or so tall and welded it between the frame and the front suspension assembly. Crappy job too. It also had a couple of inches thick bondo on both front fenders. A lot of extra weight on the front. No wonder he wasn't successful with it.
     

    Attached Files:

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  21. Baron
    Joined: Aug 13, 2004
    Posts: 3,636

    Baron
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I beams between the frame and front cross-member were quite common and an easy way to get the front end up and not affect the ride. Too bad they welded them in, where it is easy to blot them in. I had made these and installed them in my 57, but later in the build, decided I to go with a straight axle. Corvette frt I-beams 4 inch 1.JPG 014 (2) bw.jpg
     
  22. Yours looks a lot neater than the job they did on mine.
     
    els and loudbang like this.
  23. Got some stuff from Speedway so I'm headed out to the garage.
    Post some photos tomorrow.

    Looking for driver condition, 1956-62 non-FI ignition shielding and brackets.
    Need the top, also left and right vertical pieces.
    Don't need lower horizontals as they won't work with headers.
     
  24. Baron
    Joined: Aug 13, 2004
    Posts: 3,636

    Baron
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I might have one or two of the shields you need. I'll check Monday when I go to work and let you know.
    Baron
     
    els and loudbang like this.
  25. First I've seen of this thread- Glad you swapped that T handle.. never got those.
    Great car- congratulations
     
    els likes this.
  26. battersea boys
    Joined: Dec 29, 2005
    Posts: 717

    battersea boys
    Member
    from surrey

    Love the vettes, they just kill my lower back......enjoy
     
    els and loudbang like this.
  27. Many thanks Baron.
     
    els and loudbang like this.
  28. Worked on the engine compartment.

    Got rid of the grey convoluted tubing on the wiring harness.
    DSC00398.JPG

    Took off a large pile of these clunky clamps.
    DSC00424.JPG

    Bought some of this from Speedway.
    About $3 a foot but I can't say enough good about it.
    If it's from Painless you know the quality is there.
    DSC00401.JPG

    It's split lengthwise and wraps around itself. Comes in many sizes.

    I bought 1/2" inside diameter but it'll expand to about 3/4" over connectors.
    If you want a wires to leave the loom midway, it needs no clamp, zip tie or tape.
    Very flexible and easy to train where you want it to go.
    Cut with scissors, then burn the cut with a lighter a little to prevent fraying.
    You can twist it around until the seam doesn't show.

    Time consuming to install but the results were fantastic and looks vintage.

    DSC00402.JPG

    New nylon clamps from Home Depot electrical dept for $2 a bag.
    Got 2 sizes, 3/4" which are a little loose unless the loom is overfull.
    Also 1/2" which are good for most of it.
    Painted the original attaching screws with some black VHT.
    DSC00422.JPG
    The harness kind of disappears now.
    The white line on the tubing is reflection of the overhead lights.
    DSC00426.JPG

    This is day one when I got the car.
    0 DSC09820.JPG

    And now.
    DSC00429.JPG

    New air cleaner has a deeply dropped base.
    Going to work with the stock hood without changing the old C3B manifold.
    It's kind of "Corvette" looking and was only 39 bucks from Speedway.
    Probably crappy Chinese chrome but should last a couple three years.

    I polished on the valve covers. Cleaned up alternator.
    Replaced a bunch of rusty fasteners with stainless.
    Replaced the blue plug wires with black Autolite solid wire core.
    (that'll piss off the purists)
    Painted the blue Aeroquip fuel lines black.
    Can't find a black distributor cap for Accel distributor.

    Found a good 3:55 rear axle pumpkin.
    Now if I can talk the hoarder into selling.

    Had a pair of nice original Vette "Irving Air Chute" seatbelts in my parts stash.
    They're medium blue so now sitting in black dye.

    DSC00430.JPG

    DSC00346 2017-09-12 downtown OC 1.jpg

    THAT'S ALL FOLKS.
     
  29. I tried to get her to drive it the day we got it but she's short, car has a strong clutch and she couldn't get it to the floor without struggling. She'd rather sight see and adjust the radio anyway. She really likes reacting to the people that thumbs-up or hoot and holler at us.

    We had a '62 Vette about 25 years ago which was her daily driver for many years.
    That car is a lot of the reason we got the '58.... to relive our youth.

    AND IT'S WORKING

    OK, the secret is out...
    Solid axle Corvettes are the "Fountain of Youth".
    Corvette 1962 white 02.JPG
    .
     
    Last edited: Oct 3, 2017
  30. NashRodMan
    Joined: Jul 8, 2004
    Posts: 1,989

    NashRodMan
    Member

    Mark,
    That car is looking great! By the way, they sell paint for plastic these days (which you probably already knew) so you could scuff and paint the distributor cap black if you wanted to.
    Paul
     
    LowKat, els and porkshop like this.

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