Vehicle Description
SALE PENDING******* SERIOUS BUYERS CALL 715-709-0343. New arrival!
Great running and driving Delray has been with the same owner for
nearly 40 years! Upgraded turbo 350 three speed transmission behind
the original 283V8. Front disc brakes and dual master cylinder for
easier stopping. Newer interior upholstery. 40+ year repaint shows
age and there is rust in the driver's rocker but the rest of the
car is very solid. Restore or enjoy as is - the car is still very
presentable. CThe all-new 1958 Chevrolet Delray replaced the 150
series, and was a year behind archrival Ford's all-new car line.
Ford had actually outsold Chevy by over 170,000 units for 1957, so
the new car was considered to be vitally important to GM bean
counters and dealers alike. The new car was 209.1 inches long
versus 200 inches for the 1957 car, and was a full 185 pounds
heavier. It was also 77.7 inches wide, nearly four inches wider
than the year before. The wheelbase had gone up 2.5 inches to 117.5
inches. Simply put, the car was bigger and looked like it. The car
was so big, and the horsepower race was enjoined to the extent that
Chevrolet engineers were thanking their lucky stars that Corporate
had signed off on an all-new big-block Chevrolet heavy truck engine
in 1956. It did not take a lot of development to make a car engine
out of it, and so the new 348 cubic inch V-8 debuted with 250, 280
and 315 hp variants - optional in all Chevrolet car lines (except
the Corvette, in which it would not easily fit). The small-block
V-8s of 283 cubic inches were improved and carried over with 185,
230, 250 and 290 hp versions (still including the expensive option
of fuel injection), and the stalwart inline six was boosted 5 hp to
145 in order to help haul around the far bigger body. The big-block
"Turbo-Thrust" 348 V-8 was far less expensive to buy than the
fuel-injected small-blocks and so speed mavens began ticking off
that option when ordering. The well-entrenched and rightly famous
two-speed Powerglide automatic was optional at modest extra cost,
and carrying on from 1957 was the three-speed Turboglide automatic
transmission, optional at somewhat higher cost. While this
relatively new and highly advanced was improved since 1957, word
spread among Chevy buyers that the less expensive Powerglide gave
better service. Frankly, the new car appears to be what Chevrolet
buyers wanted, since even during this recession year Chevrolet was
the only car maker to exceed 1 million sales, handily out-doing
Ford's numbers. After all, the Delray was seven inches longer than
the Ford Custom 300, its primary competition, and big cars were
still what buyers wanted. Typically, it was frugal families,
boy-racer types with the new 348 V-8, police departments (often
also buying that new 348 V-8) and government or fleet buyers who
bought this car. The Delray was therefore sold in body styles to
suit. These included a Utility sedan, a two-door sedan and a
four-door sedan, which were all with standard six or standard V-8
(with a price upgrade, of course). Prices began at $2,013. Call or
text 715-709-0343!