1959 Restomod C1 with an LS3 Crate Engine

Priorities

This is the story of a man who, after having found Corvette restomod happiness in a C2, went back for seconds, this time in C1 form. When RPL Customs built a ‘64 ‘Vette for Paul Wolf he couldn’t have been happier, except that is if he had another perfect restomod Corvette to tool around in. Wolf had his sights on a C1 as his next built car because he had been in the process of restoring a ‘59 some 25 years ago when he and his wife found out they were expecting a child. New priorities meant the Corvette would be sold uncompleted and unassembled with any Corvette dreams shelved for the foreseeable future. However, the future does come, and sometimes it brings a Corvette with it… 

Square Two

Wolf knew that he wanted RPL to attack his second Corvette resto, but first, they had to find a donor C1, more specifically, a ‘59. In a bit of universe coming together, Wolf ran across a ‘59 on eBay that was for sale in sanded down and stripped failed-project form. Wolf snapped the Corvette up and put a call to Roger Lynskey, head honcho at RPL Customs in Royse City, Texas. The plan was to keep the classic style of the C1 intact while elevating its performance and luxury to modern levels. 

>>Join the conversation about this C1 Vette with a crate LS3 right here in the LS1Tech Forum.

Body and Paint

Prior to painting the C1, RPL tubbed the rear wheel wells to enable generous tire size they knew they’d be running. Next up was selecting a paint scheme. Lynskey floated the idea of green for the Corvette, but Wolf sunk it straight away—he was picturing something much livelier. Lynskey showed Wolf the green he had in mind, Silver Green Effect, and then that thing happened where a subtle choice looks stronger after you let it sink in. Soon Wolf was won over and the Corvette was sent to Vastine’s Paint Garage, also in Royse City, Texas, for the remainder of the bodywork and paint. A key feature that really makes the custom Standox paintwork is the decision to go with the same color, only matte, for the coves, rather than something like white that would draw attention away from the awesome green. 

>>Join the conversation about this C1 Vette with a crate LS3 right here in the LS1Tech Forum.

Chassis

To support all the planned upgrades, RPL sourced a superb complete Art Morrison GT Sport chassis. The chassis features 2-inch drop spindles up front, and Strange Engineering adjustable coilovers and Wilwood 14-inch brakes at all four corners. The ‘Vette’s rear end is a limited-slip Ford 9-inch running 3.70:1 gears, upgraded with a Strange S-Series center section. 

>>Join the conversation about this C1 Vette with a crate LS3 right here in the LS1Tech Forum.

Wheels

Wolf hand-picked the vintage-look Schott Accelerator wheels for the ‘59, 19x8s in front and fat 20x10s filling the tubs out back. The painted and polished Schotts are wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires, 245/35R19 front, and 295/30R20 rear. 

>>Join the conversation about this C1 Vette with a crate LS3 right here in the LS1Tech Forum.

Drivetrain

RPL sent the Chevrolet Performance LS3 crate motor they procured for the ‘59 out to Henderson Performance Technologies in New Braunfels, Texas for a dyno tune. With the addition of a set of Art Morrison headers, Henderson squeezed 487 hp out of the LS3, 57 hp over its rated output. RPL bolted a 4L65E automatic transmission to the LS and fitted it with a Vintage Air A/C set-up and Front Runner accessory drive system. An AutoRad aluminum radiator was also installed, as were the slick custom engine and valve covers from Greening Auto Company. RPL also custom-fabbed the exhaust system using a MagnaFlow muffler and the stock bumper exits. 

>>Join the conversation about this C1 Vette with a crate LS3 right here in the LS1Tech Forum.

Inside Again

The first thing you notice, peering into the Corvette’s interior, is the stunning leather work and stitching that seems to cover every square inch of the cabin. In fact, the upholstery is a generous coating of curry-colored intelligent Ultraleather. The warm and cozy effect was enhanced by painting the instrument panel and console to match the upholstery. Dakota Digital VHX gauges replace the stock items, and the C1 now boasts power windows, power door locks, and electric RainGear windshield wipers. To budget for the build, Wolf paid RPL over time, with more progress accompanying each installment. After four and a half years Wolf finally brought home the ‘59 he’d been pining after for so many years. His favorite part? The paint. As he told Hot Rod, “The color is the bomb. The first question that comes out of everyone’s mouth is ‘What color is that car?!’”

>>Join the conversation about this C1 Vette with a crate LS3 right here in the LS1Tech Forum.

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