LS3 Swapped 1959 C1 Corvette

Near Miss

Here in Corvette Forum, we write a lot of stories that start with “They found the Corvette of their dreams, but the time wasn’t right, so...” The nice thing about stories like those is that they usually have a happy ending—this is one of those stories too, but with a twist at the end. The “they” in this story are David Fuller of Round Rock, Texas, and his wife Sylvia. The Corvette Fuller had his eye on at first, 30 years back, was his buddy’s ‘57. He and his friend wrenched on the C1 together, and when his friend unexpectedly passed away, Fuller really wanted to purchase the car. The “timing wasn’t right” part of this tale comes from the Fullers expecting their second child. A vintage two-seater just wasn’t their top priority—so the ‘57 slipped away. The thing about Corvette love is it never goes away, so 30 years later Fuller found himself at a Mecum auction in Austin. 

The ‘59

You put a man in the same room with his passion, and if he has the means, somethings gonna give. Of course, Fuller left the auction as the proud owner of a 1959 Corvette. The ‘59 wasn’t original—among other things, there was an injected 383 small-block powering it—but it was just what the doctor ordered since he wanted to LS-ify it and update the suspension to make it a capable driver.

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Call for Assistance

Fuller made the mistake of looking before he lept and, sensing he’d be in over his head, decided to call in help. Realizing that it wasn’t going to be a cheap build, so the money paid to a pro would pay dividends in both quality and speed, cemented that decision. Help, in this case, was New Braunfels, Texas outfit Cruzer’s Customs. With such high caliber assistance enlisted, the project expanded from creating a respectable driver into the shaping jewel you see here.

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Body

There’s an argument to be made that C1s look better in blue than any other generation of Corvette. Fuller’s ‘59 stands as exhibit number one. Finished in two-stage base/clear Spies Hecker by Axalta paint products, the convertible’s Frost Blue Metallic exterior with Inca Silver coves just fits. Cruzer’s also tweaked the bumper shapes before sending them to Alamo Plating in Converse, Texas for a mirror-finish chrome job. 

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Chassis

The rock-solid base the blue body now sits on is a full Fast Track chassis from the Roadster Shop, which includes all-new suspension components in addition to the frame itself. With Penske coilovers at all four corners, Fuller can adjust the ride of his C1 as needed, and braking is handled by Wilwood six-piston calipers and 14-inch rotors all around. Nothing ruins the looks of a classic ‘Vette faster than giant rims with an inch or less of tire sidewall showing. Fuller’s Corvette splits the difference between Foose-land and 1959 by going with classically styled Budnik Muroc III wheels (18-inch front and 19-inch rear), wrapped in Nitto rubber. 

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Engine

After 20+ inch wheels, another big potential letdown is opening the hood of a vintage ‘Vette only to see a bunch of LS-spec plastic covers. Here’s where Cruzer’s really knocked it out of the park–they went with an LS according to Fuller’s wishes—an LS376/480 crate engine—but there’s not a plastic cover in site. Instead, they hid those pesky coil packs out of site under Evod Industries coil covers and topped the LS3 with an Inglese Eight Stack EFI. The individual throttle bodies look half vintage injection, half Weber carb, and 100% boss. In the exhaust department, Ultimate Headers’ stainless 1-and-7/8-inch long-tubes feed into 2-and-1/2-inch MagnaFlow pipes and mufflers, before exiting a quartet of tips out back. 

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Driveline

Cruzer’s paired the LS with a GM 4L70E four-speed automatic equipped with a 2,800 rpm stall-speed converter, paired with an aluminum driveshaft leading to a Currie 9-inch rear end. The LSD rear end features 3.50:1 gears, which, combined with the 4-speed auto, gives acceptable acceleration without being wound-out at highway speeds. 

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Interior and Movin’ On

Fuller charged Gabriel and Son Upholstery, out of San Marcos, Texas, with bringing the interior up to snuff. In addition to the usual modern doodads, they upholstered the majority of the cabin, including the heated Wise Guys seats, in matching Frost Blue leather with grey suede accents. When the car was done Fuller was so delighted he decided to show the car a bit, and as expected he got great reactions throughout the next couple of years. One reaction, however, was key—it came with an offer he couldn’t refuse, so by the time you read this the ‘59 will be in the arms of another, and Fuller will be free to find another C1 to fall in love with. 

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