The 1958 model year brought the second major facelift for the Chevy Corvette. Four headlights, two per side arranged horizontally, replaced the previous year’s single light per side. Two chrome strips were added to the trunk lid, running vertically from the top of the rear deck to near the rear bumpers. The previous thirteen heavy chrome “teeth” in the grille were reduced to nine, but were beefier in appearance. The side coves grew false vents with cross-flag emblems, three horizontal chrome spears running rearward, and the hood had washboard-style ridges that were initially intended to be functional, but were faux by the time of production. This extensive revamp required all new body panels, instruments, and upholstery.
The 1958 Chevy Corvette had a revised interior as well, with an all-new 160 mph speedometer positioned in an arc behind the large, flat three-spoke steering wheel. The tachometer was placed just above the steering column, inside the large-radius speedo. Also within the speedometer were the parking brake and high beam warning lights, along with the odometer. To the right of the steering column were the battery and oil pressure gauges, and to the left were the gas and temp gauges. The parking brake was just under the dash on the left side, just beneath the hood release. In the center stack, you could find the radio, heat and defrost controls, and the clock, with the radio speaker centered on the top of the dash. The passenger side of the dash featured a padded grab bar in front of a brushed aluminum crescent imprinted with CORVETTE script. The following year would see the addition of an angled and painted parcel tray between the crescent and the bar. For the first time ever, seat belts were factory installed.
Though all of the engine options for the 1958 Chevy Corvette displaced 283 cubic inches, there were a variety of power and induction choices. Engines could be had with a single or pair of four-barrel carbs, or with Rochester mechanical fuel injection, with power outputs of 230, 245, or 270 horsepower for carbed engines, or 250 or 290 horsepower for the fuel-injected variants. The 230-, 245-, and 250-horsepower engines had tachometers with 1,000 rpm increments and read up to 6,000 rpm, while the 270- and 290-horsepower engines had tachometers that read up to 8,000 rpm. Base engines received painted valve covers with Chevrolet script. All other engines had seven fin aluminum valve covers. The base transmission was a three-speed manual unit, with optional four-speed manual or two-speed Powerglide automatic.
The Chevy Corvette for 1959 was a cleaner design than the previous year, as the chrome trunk spears and the hood washboard were eliminated. Inside the car, the door panels were redesigned, morphing into a single piece affair with the armrests relocated for better comfort and the door releases moved further forward. On the dash, instruments were revised for better legibility. Lenses were concave in an effort to reflect less light. All tachometers had a 7,000 rpm redline with 1,000 rpm increments. Pale green indicated the upper end of the safe rev range, with orange and red indicating caution and danger zones respectively. A new manual shift handle was introduced with a T-handle reverse lockout.
Beneath the Chevy Corvette passenger grab bar, a new parcel tray was added. Additional padding wrapped the grab bar. The anodized metal trim about the parcel tray wore white CORVETTE lettering early in the production run, but changed to black lettering later in production. Vinyl seat covers were smoother in 1959, with a faux leather grain replacing the “pebbled” texture of the 1958. Seat pleats ran horizontally, as opposed to the vertical pattern of the previous year.
Five different engines were available for the 1959 Chevy Corvette, all displacing 283 cubic inches. These included the base 283 cubic-inch, 230-horsepower engine fed by a single four-barrel carb, 245- or 270-horsepower, dual four-barrel carb variants, or fuel-injected versions with either 250 or 290 horsepower. Available transmissions were the base three-speed manual, optional four-speed manual, or Powerglide automatic. Adding Positraction required a manual transmission.
Our feature 1959 Chevy Corvette is finished in Tuxedo Black with a black vinyl top over a black vinyl interior. It was the subject of an extensive five-year restoration that was completed in 2018. This Corvette is powered by the 283 cubic-inch, 290-horsepower fuel-injected engine, one of only 745 built for 1959. It is backed by a four-speed manual transmission. It is equipped with numerous New Old Stock parts, radial wide whitewall tires, the factory quick steering option, and an NOS spare tire. Included in the sale is a collection of NOS parts and original steering wheel.
This triple black 1959 Chevy Corvette Fuelie will cross the Mecum Auctions block at their Kansas City event in December.
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A classic!