1958 Corvette Racer Has Lived Most of Its Life on the Track

This 1958 Corvette racer began life as a race car, and today, it carries that torch by competing in vintage events.

While many have transformed older Corvettes into race cars in the more modern era, every so often, we come across a true, original racer that has quite literally lived most or all of its life on the track. That’s true of this very special 1958 Corvette racer up for grabs at Bring a Trailer, which was converted into a track-focused machine very early in its life – in the 1960s – and subsequently raced until 1970 before it sat in storage for some time. After it was purchased back in 2001, this 1958 Corvette racer was refurbished and has since returned to where it all began – the race track.

This incredibly cool C1 certainly looks the part of a proper vintage racer thanks to its white paint job with blue coves and stripes, a roll bar, driving lights, low-profile windshield, ventilated hood, and number 8 roundels. There’s no top or bumpers, because that’s just extra weight we don’t need to race, while a plain set of white steel wheels do their job, holding a set of Hoosier tires to help it get around the track.

The suspension on this particular Corvette has reportedly received some period-correct updates, while drum brakes at all four corners are a true throwback to a different era. As one might imagine, the interior of this car is all business as well, with a pair of bucket seats adorned with five-point G-Force Racing Gear harnesses. There’s also a fire extinguisher in case things go wrong, but not much else to speak of.

Under the hood, this C1 is equipped with a Rochester fuel-injected 283 cubic-inch V8 that’s been bored 0.060 inches over and fitted with a Bill Thomas–modified intake plenum and air meter. It’s mated to a Muncie four-speed manual transmission that’s been rebuilt with M22 internals, as well as a limited-slip solid rear axle.

Over the years, this 1958 Corvette racer has competed at a number of notable events, including the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, Sonoma Speed Festival, Coronado Speed Festival, and Lime Rock Historic Festival. Now, it’s looking for a new owner to carry the torch and keep this cool piece of Corvette history going for many years to come.

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Photos: Bring a Trailer