58 Corvette

A 1958 Fuely. (Photo by Dan Lyons.)

—The February 2018 entry in my Tide-mark “Cars of the Fab ‘50s” calendar is a 1958 Corvette, fuel-injection no less.
Corvettes were still rudimentary at that time, a fiberglass sportscar body on an antediluvian chassis.
What made ‘em attractive was their motor, the fabulous SmallBlock introduced in the 1955 model-year at 265 cubic inches. (It wasn’t called “the SmallBlock” until after “Big-Block” motors were introduced by Chevrolet in 1958.)
For Chevrolet the SmallBlock was revolutionary; it turned droll Chevrolet around. That motor is still being produced, sorta. About all that’s left are the bore-center measurements. It’s still two valves per cylinder activated by pushrods activated by a single camshaft down in the block.
The SmallBlock was a major leap forward. It put Old Henry’s FlatHead V8 of 1932 out to pasture. Ford’s FlatHead was the foundation of hot-rodding, but Chevy’s SmallBlock was much more desirable.
It responded well to souping, it was cheap and available, and would rev to the moon. It was still cast-iron like most Detroit motors, but its light-weight valve-gear allowed it to rev. It was European in character, almost a Ferrari motor.
Pretty soon all Detroit was making their own versions of the SmallBlock, light-weight valve-gear with ball-stud rockers.

Ed Cole.

Ed Cole can take credit. Were it not for Cole, Chevrolet would have developed a V8 much like Ford’s turgid Y-Block.
Cole drove his engineers crazy. Short deadlines galore. They had to think outta-the-box, and they did.
The SmallBlock attracted hot-rodder Zora Arkus-Duntov. Corvette was only a sportscar wannabee at that time. The SmallBlock would make it exceptionally attractive.

Zora Arkus-Duntov.

Not until 1955 did Corvette get the SmallBlock — the original Corvette body with the SmallBlock available. Although I’m not sure of that. SmallBlock ‘55s may only be experimental.

A ’56.

A ’57 Fuely.

Most desirable of these early ‘Vettes were the ’56 and’57. Great to look at, plus that fantastic motor. But the chassis was still terrible.
And for 1958, Corvette fell for the four-headlight craze.
About the only thing desirable about these early ‘Vettes was that SmallBlock motor, and in 1957 fuel-injection was introduced. 290 or so horsepower out of 283 cubic-inches; one horsepower per cubic-inch, phenomenal for a Detroit V8 at that time.

A “Black Widow” ’57 Fuely.

265 two four-barrels.

The FI SmallBlock was also available in the ’57 Chevrolet; such cars raced NASCAR.
Fuel-injection wasn’t electronic as it is now. It relied more on mechanical air-flow sensing. It wasn’t very popular. Auto mechanics were more accustomed to carburetion. FIs were often swapped to multiple carbs. Early ‘Vettes often had two four-barrels.
That SmallBlock motor was a siren-song. All through high-school and college I lusted after a ’55 Chevy hardtop with Corvette motor and four-speed.
A guy in a small department-store near where we lived in northern DE had one, the car pictured below. A ’55 210 hardtop converted from six-inline to 283 SmallBlock with four-on-the-floor.
He traded to a ’58 Corvette, a SmallBlock devoté.


Lust! (Long ago photo by BobbaLew.)


Moons, baby! (Long ago photo by BobbaLew.)

I was crushed. A ’58 ‘Vette wasn’t as attractive as his ’55 hardtop.
And his wasn’t the only one. Somebody at my high-school had one, a teacher mayhap. It was a navy-blue ’55 Bel Air hardtop with 283 four-on-the-floor.
Early ‘Vettes were attractive, but after 1958 I lost interest. Not until 1963 did ‘Vettes become interesting again. Zora triumphant: make the ‘Vette a true sportscar. Independent rear-suspension and great styling.
That’s the C-2, the ‘Vette that makes early ‘Vettes unattractive. My hairdresser got one after his wife died; ’67 with a four-barrel 327 and four-on-the-floor. Remarried he had to sell it. I was interested. If I had any idea my wife was gonna die too, I’d-a bought it. A classic ‘Vette, not what Corvettes became later, but the Corvette I always dreamed of.

My hairdresser’s ‘Vette.

Looking at that blowsy old ’55 hardtop I think what did I ever see in that? Buick styling, faux fins, and that silly wraparound windshield. All it has is that grill = ersatz Ferrari. Plus that fabulous SmallBlock motor, preferably with four-on-the-floor, a layout that found fruition with Ford’s Mustang.
A ‘Vette, by comparison, was more a toy. Not good to hit the supermarket.
In 1958, age-14, I pedaled my junky balloon-tire RollFast into the parking-lot of a shopping-center near where we lived. Parked in front of the bowling-alley were three ‘Vettes, two ‘57s and a ’56. One ’57 was fuel-injection.
Suddenly three dudes burst from the bowling-alley toward the ‘Vettes. I quickly pedaled my bicycle to the exit onto the highway. I knew I was about to witness an event.
Sure enough the ‘Vettes cranked onto the highway, each revved to-the-moon; 6-7,000 rpm, maybe 8. Spinning drive-tires laid long stripes of rubber, and generated towering plumes of smoke.
I will never forget it! That’s goin’ to my grave.

• My wife died of cancer April 17th, 2012. I miss her immensely. Best friend I ever had, and after my childhood I sure needed one. She actually liked me.