Lead East 12 1958 Chevrolet
Aug 29, 2023 08:20:16 #
1958 cars were not my favorite designs. All seemed kind of bulky looking, no finesse.
Aug 29, 2023 09:10:10 #
mvetrano2 wrote:
1958 cars were not my favorite designs. All seemed kind of bulky looking, no finesse.
Agree, but this is a nice one.
Aug 29, 2023 09:22:09 #
Aug 29, 2023 10:19:52 #
mvetrano2 wrote:
1958 cars were not my favorite designs. All seemed kind of bulky looking, no finesse.
I liked the '58 Chev, and to a lesser degree the Pontiacs; but the Buicks and Oldsmobiles were chrome-laden and hideous, with seemingly no rhyme or reason to the styling. I like the lines and the flow of the Impala, especially the roofline of the two door hardtop and the rear deck. '58 was the introduction of the triple taillights for the Impalas and became a design staple for many years after that. Stylewise, the '58 was kind of an orphan, since it was a departure from the more boxy Tri-Five designs, and then gave way in '59 to the huge fins and bubble tops era. Virgil Exner's "Forward Look" Chrysler designs dominated in those days...
Aug 29, 2023 10:47:36 #
terryMc wrote:
I liked the '58 Chev, and to a lesser degree the P... (show quote)
That might be the best part of a 58 Impala.
Aug 29, 2023 10:50:00 #
Aug 29, 2023 10:53:05 #
StanMac
Loc: Tennessee
mvetrano2 wrote:
1958 cars were not my favorite designs. All seemed kind of bulky looking, no finesse.
I agree about the heavy look. That’s a nice looking example though. The lowered rear end is now called a Carolina Squat, I understand. Some of the yayhoos around here have applied it to their trucks in the extreme. It looks kinda goofy on a truck that already has a high profile.
Stan
Aug 29, 2023 11:16:54 #
mvetrano2 wrote:
1958 cars were not my favorite designs. All seemed kind of bulky looking, no finesse.
Aug 29, 2023 11:46:29 #
terryMc didn't like the '58 Oldsmobiles and Buicks, but at least they made the Edsel look good
Aug 29, 2023 13:33:53 #
terryMc wrote:
I liked the '58 Chev, and to a lesser degree the P... (show quote)
Your assertion concerning "chrome-laden and hideous" was very evident with Buicks and Olds. In those days Buicks and Oldsmobiles were the next step up to the Cadillac, top dog of the GM line-up. That explained the front grille-work. But the 58 Chevy was ordained well before it's delivery. The 58 Chevy was designed and practically built before the 57 car was even considered. The final 57 car was a rush-to-build special b/c no one was even thinking 57, all the attention was directed to the 58. Its hurried-up design was a simple up-date for the 56. Ironically, the most iconic Chevrolet was a last minute substitute. And the competition was trying to peddle a name-sake. The fun part of the American auto industry was just beginning.
Aug 29, 2023 13:45:36 #
Beautiful car nicely shot. I never liked cars lowered in back. In California we raked them, lower in front. It looked cool and also helped gas mileage because we were always going down hill. 
Aug 29, 2023 14:26:15 #
Curmudgeon wrote:
Beautiful car nicely shot. I never liked cars lowered in back. In California we raked them, lower in front. It looked cool and also helped gas mileage because we were always going down hill.
Minnesota in those years was always a couple of years behind the trends coming from California, but I remember cars lowered in the rear in the early fifties, and then lowered all around much like today's low riders but without the hydraulics, then they started to rake them maybe mid to late fifties. Always preferred that look, as long as they didn't jack the rear up too far.
Aug 29, 2023 14:31:39 #
davidrb wrote:
Your assertion concerning "chrome-laden and h... (show quote)
Yeah, those were Harley Earl's last days at GM, retiring I believe in '58. He had already overseen the designs for a few more years, but it was the Forward Look Chryslers that really put an end to Earl's over-chromed land yachts. Not that Earl was a bad designer, of course; it was he who brought us the Corvette after all...
Aug 29, 2023 14:35:02 #
StanMac wrote:
I agree about the heavy look. That’s a nice looking example though. The lowered rear end is now called a Carolina Squat, I understand. Some of the yayhoos around here have applied it to their trucks in the extreme. It looks kinda goofy on a truck that already has a high profile.
Stan
Stan
I’m not a Chevy guy, but I actually loved the ‘58 Impala convertible. This one looks as if somebody stuffed 3 or 4 bodies in the trunk… oh yeah; must be trying to sneak his buddies into th drive-in movies.
Aug 29, 2023 16:13:47 #
pete500
Loc: Southwest Ohio
I had a 58 Chevy Impala, 348, 3 deuces. Wish I still had it. Would rather have seen the white 58 in the background of this picture.
If you want to reply, then register here. Registration is free and your account is created instantly, so you can post right away.