This Stunning 1957 Corvette Is Pure Restomod Perfection

To make the perfect restomod, this 1957 Corvette follows a simple formula of enhancing what’s already there.

In the wide world of restomods, Corvette folks tend to do it better than pretty much anyone else. We assume this is because we have superior taste, but the truth is, we’re also starting out with much cooler vehicles as well. Take this 1957 Corvette currently for sale at RK Motors, for example. The 1957 Corvette is one of the most beautiful cars ever produced, so how hard can it really be to make a cool restomod out of one?

Regardless, as we’ve seen time and time again, messing with automotive perfection often results in disaster. But thankfully, that isn’t the case with this amazing C1. The builder made just enough changes to the car to enhance it, not detract from it. And the result of those efforts is perhaps the nicest restomod Corvette we’ve ever seen.

Much of that success can be attributed to leaving well enough alone. The exterior retains all of its original charm, though it’s now covered in PPG Organic Orange with Wimbleton White coves. It may be hard to spot, but the quarter panels have been widened 1.5 inches, however. The whole thing is capped off with a set of retro-styled Budnik Muroc III wheels measuring in at 17 inches up front and 18 inches in the rear.

Peek underneath the fiberglass, however, and nearly everything about this 1957 Corvette has changed. That includes a brand new frame with a Newman Car Creations suspension, which meshes C4 parts with the original chassis. Brakes are also sourced from a C4, and now wear cross-drilled and slotted rotors.

This supreme classic is powered by a modern drivetrain as well – GM’s 6.0-liter LS2, which in this case was built by Lingenfelter Performance Engineering. The mighty small block features goodies including ported and polished heads, Kooks headers, an LPE cam, and the crown jewel – a Magnuson MP122 supercharger up top.

On the dyno, this combo laid down 565 horsepower and 448 pound-feet of torque. All of that juice flows through a Tremec T56 six-speed manual transmission to a 3.54-geared Dana 44 third-member with an Eaton Truetrac differential. Even better, the driver can enjoy everything this powerful modern drivetrain has to offer in the comfort of one heck of a nice interior.

After 3,000 hours of massaging this 1957 Corvette to perfection, the result is easily one of the nicest, if not the nicest, restomod we’ve ever seen. But it’s also proof that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel to modernize a classic Corvette – you only have to enhance what’s already there.

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Photos:RK Motors

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