1958 Chevrolet Corvette for Sale

Body style and how many were built

There was one body: a two-seat convertible built in St. Louis. Production reached 9,168, up from 6,339 for 1957. A removable hardtop (RPO 419) was ordered on 5,607 of them.

• 1958 only: the "washboard" hood with 18 simulated louvers and the twin chrome trunk spears. Both were gone for 1959.
• New for 1958: four headlamps and a grille with nine teeth where the 1957 had thirteen.

Engines and transmissions

All five engines are 283 cubic inch V8s. Ratings are gross horsepower.

• 230 hp, one four-barrel carburetor: the base engine, in the remaining 4,200 or so cars.
• 245 hp (RPO 469), two four-barrels: 2,436 built.
• 270 hp (RPO 469C), two four-barrels and the Duntov camshaft: 978 built.
• 250 hp (RPO 579), Rochester fuel injection: 504 built.
• 290 hp (RPO 579D), fuel injection and the Duntov camshaft: 1,007 built.

A three-speed manual was standard. The four-speed (RPO 685) went into 3,764 cars and Powerglide (RPO 313) into 2,057. Only 144 cars got RPO 684, the heavy-duty brake and suspension package.

How to verify a 1958 and its engine

The serial number reads J58S followed by six digits, from 100001 to 109168. J is the Corvette series, 58 the model year and S the St. Louis plant. The plate is on the driver's door post. It says nothing about the engine, the color or the options.

The engine is identified by the stamp pad on the front passenger side of the block, which carries the assembly plant, the assembly date and a two-letter suffix for the engine version. Chevrolet began stamping the car's serial number on Corvette engines in 1960, so a 1958 block cannot be tied to one car by number. Check that the suffix fits the engine being claimed and that the casting dates come before the car was built.

Treat fuel injection with care. Every part of the system has been reproduced and many "fuelie" claims come with no paperwork, so ask for ownership history and judging sheets. See what a fuel-injected C1 is worth for how much the option changes the price.

What to inspect before you buy

• Frame: the boxed rails rust from the inside. Put the car on a lift. Rot at the rails or kick-ups means lifting the body off to repair it.
• Trim mounting points: the hood louvers and trunk spears fasten through the fiberglass. Look for cracks and old repairs there, at the headlamp bezels and along the cove edges.
• Stress cracks: check around the windshield posts, panel cut-outs and wheel-opening lips.
• Accident repair: uneven gaps at the doors, hood and trunk, or disturbed bonding strips under the panels.
• Identity: 1958 to 1960 bodies are popular restomod donors. Confirm that the body, frame and serial plate belong together.
• Brakes: the 11-inch drums are the weak point of a car without RPO 684.

Related listings

• 1957 and 1959 Corvette for sale, or every C1 Corvette, 1953 to 1962.
• The last of the line: 1962 Corvette for sale.
• Which year to choose: best year C1 Corvette to buy.
• Guides: Corvette buyer's guide and Corvette history by generation.
• Its period rival: Corvette vs Thunderbird.
• From the magazine: the 1958 quad-headlight restyle and the C1 Corvette story.