Stock Looking 1957 Corvette Is All Brand New Underneath

This gorgeous 1957 Corvette may look pretty original, but it’s completely modern from its bones to the powertrain.

Restomods are a hot thing in the world of Corvettes these days, and most follow a similar recipe – combine modern mechanicals with classic looks, and most likely, flashier paint or a large set of modern wheels and tires. But this 1957 Corvette up for grabs at Bring a Trailer is a bit different than most cars employing a newer powertrain because it looks pretty much bone stock on the outside even though it’s far from that.

The Metallic Red beauty sports a beige soft top and side coves, making for one tasty combination. The steel 15-inch wheels are also finished the same red as the body with polished covers, which are wrapped with 215/75 American Classic wide whitewall tires for a classic, timeless look. Nothing to see here but a nice original C1, right?

The interior gives a couple of clues that there’s something different going on here, as it’s fitted with beige leather and carpeting, an aftermarket HVAC system, a modern stereo system, and an aftermarket steering wheel that frames stock gauges, while some extra VDO units are present in the middle of the dash.

Pop the hood, and you won’t find some vintage carbureted or fuel-injected small block, but rather, a newer 5.7-liter LT1 V8 that was snagged from a 1996 model year C4 Corvette. The modern mill is essentially stock save for the fact that it breathes through tubular headers and a dual exhaust, and is mated to a Borg Warner T56 manual gearbox.

Peek underneath, and you’ll find more modern goodies in the form of a tubular frame, four-wheel independent suspension with adjustable coilovers, four-wheel power disc brakes, and rack and pinion steering. All of which upgrades the driveability of this gorgeous 1957 Corvette without taking away anything that makes it one of the coolest cars in history.

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Photos:Bring a Trailer

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