1959 Chevrolet Corvette

1959 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible With each annual change, Zora Arkus-Duntov, the Corvette's godfather, has emphasized performance improvements. His theory is that to sell, the Corvette must first go. Styling has had its innings too, but they have acted with more restraint than one expects from Detroit. Perhaps in acknowledgement to the discriminatory taste of the sports car market, external changes for '59 were of a customizing nature only. Car and Driver, March 1959 For consignment, a 1959 Chevrolet Corvette convertible showing 54,900 miles, but the true miles are unknown. This is a pro street version of one of the most iconic classic cars in American history and with side pipes, ladder bars, and a raked stance, this little red Corvette has a big presence!   Exterior Roman Red is the color coverage here and covers not only the body of the car, but the aftermarket hood with its enormous power bulge and what's lurking underneath, we'll soon learn about. A Snowcrest White cove offers the most dramatic exterior feature among a long list of special features and houses the straked faux fender vent that gives this artful expression motion when standing still. The glorious curves of the rear section are augmented but not interrupted by the flush bullet shaped tail lights leading the eye to the split chrome bumper and then the outstretched ladder bars trailing behind. The toothed grille is also flanked by chrome bumpers under dual headlights that send a streak of stainless trim back over the fender and bookend the crossed flag emblem on the nose. The curved glass of the windshield fronts the cabin, while a red painted roll bar resides behind it. 15-inch Cragar SS wheels spice things up and a white canvas top closes the interior and marks the only place we find an imperfection with some loose covering of the support bows of the top.     Interior Red vinyl serves as the door panel with a wave of textured aluminum adding visual interest and housing the silver knobbed door opener. Disconnect the roll cage brace and enter red vinyl buckets that seem to melt into the bodywork in dual coves, and both are found in good condition. The three spoke red steering wheel leads to a symmetrical gauge arrangement, now with AutoMeter units in glossy lipstick colored housing and topped by an arching speedometer expressing a top speed of 160 mph. In the center stack, additional gauges are added, some knobs for ventilation and an analogue clock, while a grab handle is afforded the passenger with a rounded nameplate to remind them what the thrill is all about. A polished Hurst shifter is on the floor over a low pile red carpet in fine condition. The trunk is a showy workplace with polished stainless dressing up the floor, tubbed inner fender wells, and a fuel cell.  Drivetrain More show worthy visuals are noted in the engine bay where a 454ci V8 with polished Moroso valve covers flank a Holley 4-barrel carb over and Edelbrock Victor intake. Behind it, a Tremec TR3550 5-speed manual transmission that routes power the Dana 60 in back with 4.10 gears. Wilwood front disc brakes are on hand and drums are in back to support the effort.  Undercarriage Fantastically clean underneath where polished ladder bars lead to a polished rear differential cover and the bottom side of the fuel cell. Everything is basically black or red or polished underneath and rust free. Headers lead directly to the side pipes and suspension consists of coil springs up front and coil overs with the aforementioned ladder bars in back.   Drive-Ability We knew that short wide exhaust would produce some decibels and both sides delivered in every way. They will hear you coming from the next county and we might be able to get the attention of Maple Grove Raceway, about 10 miles up the road. The Vette puts out obvious power and straight away handling is solid. A few key elements are not working on this pro streeter, including the speedometer, odometer, tachom