Pinkee’s Rod Shop Brings New Life to a 1958 Corvette as a Modern Custom Rod
Congratulations to Buck and Rose Writght for being named a Finalist for the Vintage Air Custom Rod of the Year with their stunning 1958 Corvette built by Pinkee’s Rod Shop.
While Corvettes had only been around for a few years at the time, the 1958 edition was significant for several reasons, especially for being the first model year to earn a profit. And sales for the 1958 Corvette were substantially higher than the previous year, at slightly more than 9,000.
Buck and Rose Wright’s 1958 Corvette stands out for another reason. In a world of extra-bright color schemes, their subtle two-tone ’Vette proves that a car doesn’t need to scream “look at me” to draw attention. With the right stance, wheel treatment, tasteful modifications, and craftsmanship, their 1958 Corvette easily stands out in a crowd.
Six years ago, the Wrights acquired the car from a friend in Colorado who didn’t have the time to rescue the rough survivor. Back at their home in Kansas, disassembly and initial work began, but the car eventually found its way to back to Colorado where Pinkee’s Rod Shop transformed it into a standout custom rod.
The foundation for the ’Vette’s new life is a Roadster Shop Spec 7 chassis featuring modern independent front and rear suspensions with C7 ’Vette control arms and spindles, rack-and-pinion steering, coil-over shocks, and big disc brakes. Schott 18- and 19-inch wheels wear Michelin Pilot tires for plenty of grip.
The 1958 Corvette was the first year for the quad headlights along with several other body changes like faux hood louvers and twin chrome trunk spears. The Pinkee’s crew left those design elements alone and focused on precision panel alignment and minor tucks and tweaks to refine the lines. Dan Murray used PPG Estate Green paint in the side coves and covered the rest of the body in a tasty PPG Ginger Ale.
Power comes from an LS3 V8 producing 600 horsepower, a huge improvement over the 283c.i. V8 installed at the factory. A Borla eight-stack induction system is paired with a Holley Terminator X ignition, while waste gases leave through a custom exhaust built using Borla components. A Vintage Air accessory drive system is mounted on the front of the engine, while a Tremec six-speed transmission feeds power to the rearend.
The interior work was handled by the team at Fast Al’s Upholstery, including custom seats by Aaron Lawrence stitched in Relicate leather, and door panels by Leading Edge Machine and Design wrapped in matching leather. Leading Edge also machined the steering wheel, sill plates, pedals, and handles. Dakota Digital RTX gauges fill the stock dash, Vintage Air keeps things cool, and a console-mounted video screen monitors additional functions.
The Wrights are more than happy with the work by Pinkee’s and the other contributors and are now looking forward to enjoying the drive in their cool and classy Corvette.
Photos: John Jackson, Terry Lysak
