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It's a link to an NCRS thread discussing the preparation of this car for Amelia Island. I have to assume you need to be a member to sign in?? If that's the case, I wasn't aware. Great write-up, though
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (track prepared))
2019 C1 of Year Finalist (track prepared)
I don't want to split hairs, but the car actually started it's life as a 56, not a 57 or 58. I believe the writer of the excellent NCRS thread is here as well. Rich, are you there? Could you post some info about the car for those who are not in the NCRS?
I don't want to split hairs, but the car actually started it's life as a 56, not a 57 or 58. I believe the writer of the excellent NCRS thread is here as well. Rich, are you there? Could you post some info about the car for those who are not in the NCRS?
Hi Todd, I don't visit here very often any longer for IB corporate related reasons, but I won't let that get in the way this time. Enough said on that topic.
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In January John called me and told me the car got invited to Amelia. John is a good friend so I volunteered my time to help him when he asked. I've know about the car for a long time and have been quite close to it for many years. It was held up from being seen by the public for the last 11 years over what I'll call a discomforting legal situation for him. I will not get into that and won't answer questions about it as it is now past history. The time is now to enjoy the car and it's lineage.
The last time the car was seen by the public was 60 years ago. John acquired it 20 years ago and restored the car himself then. He has about 55 years of Corvette repair and restoration experience and also acquired and restored the Sebring #1 1956 Corvette, The Real McCoy. He has quite a background restoring Corvettes.
The Super Sport started life as a 1956 Display car used at the GM Building in 1956. This information came from a very knowledgeable fellow CF member here from Arizona. It was vin #1589, the 589th '56 made. It was red inside and out, had 2 tops, power top, 265ci v8 with 2x4 carbs, and power windows.
After late June of '56, it then went to the Styling Department, which we can probably assume was directed by Harley Earl. The Shop Order number assigned to it was 90181. There they did a major "Customization" on it.
They removed the windshield and door glass and associated mechanisms. A special cowl was fabricated with 2 complex curved windscreens, a special dash and instrument cluster, special tach, map lights and clipboard like console. All of the dash pieces were made of brass, even the clipboard console. The details of their fabrication efforts are amazing.
The doors were cut open on the inside and made special panels with lamps that light up when the doors opened. Special tunnel cover made of brass with black and chrome ribs. Blue leather seats and door panels and dash. The floor carpets were removed. 3/8" plywood was set on the floor and ribbed anodized aluminum floor pans were created. Between each rib are thin wooden slats to support the raised flats. The steering wheel is a stock 17" wheel but no holes in the spokes, wood rimmed, and special plates at each spoke held in with screws.
Outside, all side cove trim was removed and replaced with one-piece chromed brass pieces. The fender and door coves were not painted. Anodized aluminum panels were made, with simulated air scoops at the door cove ends along with special spears. The scoops are not functional.
The 265 v8 was removed and replaced with a 1957 283ci engine setup for fuel injection and 283hp. It has a special louvered air cleaner and the first type FI uniit with dual spiders. The valve covers were chromed, a feat of engineering in 1956. The car was likely used to debut fuel injection for the production cars, which had it available around November of '56.
When the custom work was done in late 1956, it then went to the International Auto Show at the Coliseum in NY in January 1957, then to the Chicago show later that month. Then it went back to GM. Some time later, which we think was 1958, it was sold to Dick Doane Chevrolet. A Used Car Dealer in Albuquerque named Ralph Poole bought the car. He sent his son Larry up to Illinois where it was displayed at the airport to pick it up and drive it home. Larry drove the car home to NM, with a helmet and goggles on to keep bugs off of his face. He stopped at the Indy 500 on the way home.
Then the car got sold to a local resident. Some time later, 2 kids took the car for a ride and went to a illegal drag strip, (Eubank Blvd) in Albuquerque to race. On one run when they went up the street/track, a Hudson was coming back from his run. The Super Sport swerved to avoid it, and got wrecked when it hit a telephone pole. The driver was okay and still in the car but the passenger got thrown out of it. He was okay but had some sore body parts. The car then went to a junkyard for quite some time. It then was bought by a local man, along with another 57 Corvette to use as a parts car. He never did the work. It sat from 1958 to 1996 in his garage, nearly 40 years.
All of this has come from research I've done over the last 10 years, much from a local resident of Albuquerque named Dale Shaffer. Dale and I spoke often, and many times recently since the rebirth of the car. He was a great help to both John and I. There's much more but too much to type at one sitting.
I'll just blast a bunch of photos of some of the details so you can see it up close. The Amelia showing was its' 3rd ever car show. I doubt it will see another show for some time, but one never knows.
Also some videos I did on the way to the show field and at the show. Lance Miller of Carlisle Productions caught us coming in the field Saturday morning and also did a nice interview with John and the car. I'll post links to those too, albeit on his Facebook page. You can still see them without a FB Login.
Rich
Before you see it entering the field in Lance's video in daylight, here is the video I did while driving in. It was still before dawn so it's a bit dark.
Thank you Rich and John for sharing this great car. The history is just fantastic. I was at the show with my Mom and Dad. I remember. It was my 14th birthday [January 6 ] present to go to the show. Dad and I went even January thru 1959.
Last edited by jimgessner; 03-15-2017 at 10:49 AM.
I had never read anything or heard of Betty Skelton before, her name appears in the signage in the 7th B&W photo. Being curious I had to to find out who she was. Turns out she was not just another pretty face. I don't think Chevrolet could have chosen a better person to not only represent the Super Sport at the auto show but Corvette in general. Wow! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_Skelton
03-02-2017, 08:23 PM
'58 Corvette resurfaces
