'59 Chevy Corvette Becomes Stylish Vintage Racer
Performance
Motorsports
Classics
Culture
Builders
American
GM debuted the Chevrolet Corvette in June 1953. Three years later, the 1956 model got the first significant restyling of the first-generation ‘Vette - opens in new window or tab.. The original slab-sided profile was enhanced by sculpted coves extending rearward from the front wheel wells. Those coves are used to full effect in the 1959 road-racer Corvette recently offered on eBay.
item 1 of 21
The coves are finished in contrasting silver that matches the pair of racing stripes extending the car’s length. It’s a great look, especially for this car used in vintage racing. The wide Minilite-style alloy wheels - opens in new window or tab. also look magnificently period-appropriate.
Qualifying for Vintage Racing
This Corvette lacks the visible battle scars typically found on a longtime race car. Usually, the fiberglass would show cracks and evidence of repairs. But this modified car went through a recent, thorough restoration. Plenty of work went into protecting the front end. Custom mesh grille inserts and a tubular frame keep the engine bay free of track debris.
The ’59 Corvette must be a blast on the track. A 283 small block breathes through a sonorous side-exit exhaust. Unfortunately, the seller doesn’t note any specific period race history, so the car probably won’t be accepted at the major vintage races such as the Monterey Historics - opens in new window or tab..
Major vintage races like Monterey Historics, among others, usually require significant provenance of race history when the car was new. On the other hand, street cars that builders later convert into race cars, like the eBay car, are kosher with many other historic racing events. For example, this car was raced at Vintage Sports Car Club of America (VSCCA) events.
The eBay listing shows a VSCCA logbook, which is essential when it comes time for pre-race inspection.
Return It to Street Use? Nah
This Corvette is street legal, according to the seller. That said, the tall roll bar and racing-focused bucket seats - opens in new window or tab. are not well-suited to comfort-oriented Sunday drives. Yes, the car does have a passenger seat, of sorts. But the bare aluminum tub with no padding is only suitable for short trips.
If you’re looking for a reasonable cruiser, that’s doable. You need new seats and matching carpeting—and to remove the roll bar. Other Corvette restoration parts - opens in new window or tab. will bring it closer to stock.
The seller refers to this ‘Vette as a restomod, but we respectfully disagree with that classification. Yes, it’s restored and modified. But the term restomod generally refers to a classic car that was updated with modern running gear to drive like a modern car.
That’s not the case with this 1959 Corvette. It has a classic 283 small block using a four-barrel carb. Driving through a Muncie four-speed - opens in new window or tab. is hardly modern. No large-diameter wheels to accommodate modern disc brakes are used here. Instead, drum brakes provide the stopping duties.
We love how the original red dash gives a splash of color to the interior, leaving only the easy stuff to sort out. The door panels aren’t necessarily original, but they look very right. Builders fitted the modern Auto Meter gauges - opens in new window or tab. on a matching red panel.
You could revert the dash and other track features to street duty. But we would prefer to leave this sweet Corvette race car as is. All the hard work to get the '59 'Vette ready for the track was done, including a big fuel cell - opens in new window or tab. to minimize the risk of fire on track. Just load up the trailer and get going.
About the author
Share your feedback
This article is meant to provide general guidance only. Automotive maintenance, repair, upgrade, and installation may depend on vehicle-specifics such as make and model. Always consult your owner's manual, repair guide for specific information for your particular vehicle and consider a licensed auto-care professional's help as well, particularly for advance repairs.