A Stunning Split Window Corvette from Steve’s Auto Restoration Completes a Couple’s Collection
When one thinks of Portland, Oregon, rainy days and Sasquatch sightings might come to mind. Yet, one of the nation’s powerhouses of custom car fabrication quietly churns out bespoke machines from this misty corner of the Pacific Northwest – Steve’s Auto Restoration. SAR was founded 50 years ago by namesake Steve Frisbie, and has become famous for turning automotive dreams into reality. Recently, they’ve also become one of the top custom Corvette builders in America.
One notable example is Rhonda Ralph’s ’57 Corvette roadster, which earned the Classic Instruments Trophy Dash Crown award in 2019. Fast forward to today, and this ’63 Corvette was built as a companion car for Rhonda’s husband, Dave Ralph. It made the coveted Great 8 in Ridler Award competition this year in Detroit before becoming a West Coast d’Elegance finalist in Del Mar.
Dave’s direction to the Steve’s Auto Restoration team was simple: “Improve it in every way, but don’t take the Corvette out of it.” SAR designer Dave Brost told us they followed that guidance by “combing the ethos of European Grand Tourers with styling details from early C2 prototypes.”
The car was found in Nevada and originally had a 327c.i. V8 and a four-speed. At some point in the 1960s, it received a custom paint job from the famed Larry Watson, but the previous owner sanded away the painter’s brush strokes long ago. The ‘Vette now rides on an Art Morrison GT Sport chassis with customized front and rear independent suspensions. It touches down on the tarmac with SAR-designed 18- and 19-inch wheels machined by EVOD, Wilwood disc brakes, and General G-Max rubber.
Under the hood resides a brawny, 6.6-liter 550hp L8T GM V8 built by Mast Motorsports. Backed up with a Tremec five-speed transmission, it brutalizes the Strange rearend with 3:54 gears.
The body received hours of refinement from Steve’s Auto Restoration. All panels were modified, and the exterior trim was hand crafted to create a coach-built GT. The fiberglass was ultimately sprayed out in rich Glasurit Iridescent Black Cherry paint. 
Inside, the guys at SAR reimagined the cabin for the 21st century. The dash was tilted rearward, fitted with custom trim and gauges, and covered in buttery leather from pillar to pillar. There is even custom luggage in the rear. SAR designed flat-bottom steering wheel as a hat tip to the OEM teakwood yokes offered by Chevrolet in the ’60s.
Dave and Rhonda Ralph might have the coolest garage in the country with one caveat. With the ’63 ‘Vette in the stable next to the ’57, the couple will have to negotiate if the spouses can drive each other’s cars or if it’s strictly a his-and-hers arrangement.
Photos by Michael Christensen and Damon Lee
