1959 Chevy Corvette Has Been Modified in a Very Period-Correct Manner

After fully restoring this 1959 Chevy Corvette, the owner got the itch to relive his glory years of hot rodding. 

These days, the vast majority of first-generation Corvettes are either bone stock or have been transformed into pricey restomods. Rarely do you see period-correct builds, the sort of cars that enthusiasts in the earlier days of hot rodding would have cruised around town in and then drag raced on the weekend. But this 1959 Chevy Corvette, currently up for grabs at Bring a Trailer, is such a car, and it’s also one that’s had its fair share of magazine features as well.

The owner of this 1959 Chevy Corvette – Jay Van Order – grew up in car-crazed Southern California in the late 1950s and early 1960s, at which time his brother purchased a 1958 Corvette fuelie and street raced it, defeating pretty much everything he lined up against. Van Order spend his fair share of time behind the wheel of the C1 as well, which left a lasting impression. Decades later, after the kids grew up and the career was winding down, Van Order decided to recapture that magical portion of his youth.

Van Order’s brother bought another ’58, and he proceeded to buy this ’59. Originally a dual four-barrel car with a Duntov cam, high-compression heads, and a 4.11 Positraction rear end, Van Order performed an NCRS winning restoration on the car and enjoyed it for 6-7 years before he got the itch to beat his brother at the track. However, he wanted to use only bolt-on parts that could be easily reversed if desired, and he also wanted to keep it period-correct.

He began that process by adding an original Bill Thomas-modified Rochester fuel injection unit, a ported and polished intake, and a 283 block that’s been bored 0.060 over. Exhaust cutouts are great for street/strip duty, while the C1’s T-10 gearbox has been treated to a Centerforce clutch and aluminum flywheel, and the suspension has received a Dick Guldstrand “historic suspension package.” Add in the red #59 number decals, Mobil Pegasus fender decals, and silver center stripes, and you’ve got one seriously cool package.

It may seem crazy to take a perfectly restored 1959 Chevy Corvette and turn it into a period hot rod, but it’s clear that the previous owner enjoyed it far more that way. And truthfully, we can’t blame him, because who doesn’t want to relive their glory years, at least in terms of the cool cars we used to own and drive?

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Photos:Bring a Trailer

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