Vehicle Description
Tuned GM Crate 6.2L LS3 - 525 Horsepower - Full Borla Exhaust
System - Tremec 6-Speed Transmission - Custom Tube Chassis -
Matching Hardtop (Please note: If you happen to be viewing this
vehicle on a website other than our main website, it's possible
that only some of our many photographs of this car are presented
due to website limitations. To be sure you access all the
photographs, please go to our main website: Garage Kept Motors.)
The remarkable black-and-silver 1958 Corvette Restomod offered here
could be seen as a powerful retort to Car and Driver's review of
the new (at the time) '58 Corvette. Car and Driver felt that there
were not too important changes on the surface, and a few rather
interesting ones underneath. Had those somewhat snarky reviewers
ever been able to assess this beautiful example in 2020, it's safe
to say they would've been blown away. And left completely
speechless. Awesome details and high quality components abound on
this special '58. This car, true to the many great barn find
stories, was actually discovered in a barn where it had been
sitting for quite some time. Upon first sight in the barn the car
was dusty, multi-colored, and a little beat up - possibly from a
past life of hot lapping at a racetrack. The car was purchased
as-is, which also meant no drivetrain came with it. The restoration
goal was to have a 1958 Corvette Restomod that is accurate to the
Harley Earl-influenced body as it might have when it came from the
factory. But in truth, its 4 layers of PPG black paint shrouded in
5 layers of PPG clear coat shines with a gloss and consistency that
could never have been duplicated with painting technology available
in 1958. In the same way, the silver side coves are a perfect color
complement to black. All of the details that mark the '58 Corvette
body are faithfully present and in like-new (or in many instances,
better) condition: the more aggressive 9-vertical-bar grille, the
washboard hood louvers, the two handsome thin chrome spears on the
trunk, the artistic taillights blended perfectly into the rear
fenders, and the beautifully complex-and-clear Corvette emblems
front and rear. The few, well integrated exterior changes from
stock suited the taste of the builder. An obvious example of an
exterior change are the Billet Specialties Heritage-style wheels in
18 and 20 wrapped in red-stripe Nitto performance tires. Another
custom change to the exterior that we would like to mention is that
the rear bumpers were tucked into the body and have integrated
reverse lights. The body work was masterfully completed by Ron Sall
Bodywerx of Hudsonville Michigan. Ron has decades of experience and
has produced multiple magazine cover featured and/or award winning
cars. One of the big decisions at the start of the restoration
process was which chassis to use. To meet the expectation of a
strong chassis that used modern Corvette parts, and that would
support an independent rear end, an SRIII Motorsports chassis was
chosen. It is a rigid setup that utilizes C5 front and C4 rear
suspension components, along with Corvette front and rear sway
bars. A Dana differential with 3.73 gears and posi-traction is
mounted at the rear of the car near the new stainless steel fuel
tank. Under the washboard hood louvers is a new, crate Hot Cam LS3
V8 engine mated to a Tremec 6-speed T56 Magnum manual transmission.
The LS3 pumps out approximately 525 horsepower, which is another
great reason for the rigid, tube frame chassis. The torque and
power output of the new engine could've twisted the car's original
frame. The LS3 fits perfectly in a simple, well ordered engine bay.
Custom components like engine covers, valve covers, and an air
intake help keep the engine bay tidy. Stainless steel headers from
Speed Engineering along with a billet aluminum serpentine belt
system, and an aluminum radiator are other highlights in the engine
bay. As it sits now, the engine produces 440 horsepower to
