Due to the surging quantities of Corvettes being restored and restomodified, it becomes difficult to distinguish one from another, especially for us at Corvette Fever. Hundreds of letters, e-mails, and phone calls from loyal enthusiasts come in every month, making it hard to distinguish between a regular, though never plain, Corvette and a unique and regularly used one. Dick Louthan of Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, felt the same way. He's seen thousands of Corvettes, and not many stood out from the rest. Then he stumbled across this atypical paint-schemed '59 roadster in a trade paper over two years ago.
Because of his impending marriage, the previous owner sold the Corvette to Dick for a mere $4,800 in 1996; quieting those who say there are no deals anymore. The color combination and trim accents made the Corvette stand out among the rest. The phrase "stock is boring" is heresy for most Corvette enthusiasts who keep their drop tops and coupes nearly identical to factory specs. But Dick chose another route. He coated the slick speedster in rich Polo Green with white inserts, making it look like it could have come from the factory. The white and dark-green interior contrasts nicely, and the plush leather seats agree with its rider's posterior. With a predilection for "stock appearing" but slightly modified, Dick's Corvette has the original Wonderbar radio, but with updated electricals hidden behind the scenes.
While the body was being massaged and coerced into laser-like alignment over the course of a year by Barry Smith in Pennsylvania, the 327 small-block was wheeled off to Reliable Motors in Dick's hometown of Beaver Falls. The venerable Mouse motor was given the royal treatment, as it would be driven excessively. The block was bored .040 over and filled with 10.0:1-compression stock GM pistons. A hydraulic Crane cam and a Pete Jackson gear drive were installed with an Edelbrock aluminum intake manifold and dual four-barrels. Backing the powerplant is the stock GM manual stick with a Hurst shifter knocking out the gears. Funneling the fumes out the rear are Hooker headers and 211/42-inch stainless pipes.
The collaboration of several hands and shops helped bring this Vette back to the road from a life of minimal use and abuse. With the engine and transmission rebuilt, a Nova 10-bolt rear sporting a stout Posi and front discs, the car was ready for some good old-fashioned, open-road action. This little fiberglass wonder is seen all around Dick's neighborhood as he drives leisurely or gooses the pedal from light to light. And he doesn't keep this unique drop top locked up in an air-cooled garage, either. He admits to driving over 150 miles just to show it off at car shows, proving his little Corvette is driven and shown extensively.