What’s under the tarp: the Yard Find Story

Proof that nice guys don’t always finish last!

Kevin had always been a “car guy”- collecting and enjoying several classic Chevrolets over the years. In 2014, he learned that the father of a co-worker had an unusual car sitting in the back yard covered by a tarp. The fantastic detail was that the car was a 1958 Corvette stored in the back yard for FORTY YEARS! Despite higher offers- the family (wisely) sold to Kevin. This article is part 6 in the continuing story. Click here to read “The Yard Find Story” from the beginning.

His unique vision for the yard find 1958 Corvette #J58S100317

Kevin realizes that this car has quite a story to tell. His unusual concept for the vehicle is to leave parts of it unrestored- especially the exterior. The Corvette will be cleaned up, and everything will operate correctly because he plans to drive it. It will NOT become a “Trailer Queen.” Our last article covered Kevin’s work on the braking system.

Restoring the electrical system

Since this Corvette sat outside for over forty years, Kevin knew that there was much work to be done to make the car safe. The images below document the work completed in restoring the electrical system.

Pre-restoration

Headlight Bucket Assembly- Keen Parts #240157

Headlight Bulb- Keen Parts #240196

Headlamp assembly with trim completed

Fuse Panel

Yard Find

Dash cluster pre-restoration

Yard Find

Lighted and ready to go

Yard Find

Part of the new wiring harness

Yard Find

Testing…

Bye bye!

Keen’s Diagram-based Parts Search Option

When you are not sure of the exact part that you need, or the “official” name of the part- our 1,100 diagrams make your life so much easier! First-time visitors to KeenParts.com need to start by choosing a model year (1953 through 2017) or at least a Corvette generation (C1-C7). The reason should be apparent. It makes sense to drill down to the exact diagram you want instead of combing through 1,099 others! Once you choose a model year or generation, you can either go to our “Categories” to select between 71 different topics like “Generator” or “Electrical,” or you can choose the topics on the left side of the screen. A copy of our 1958 Generator diagram is shown below with the associated parts that we carry.

Who are Keen Parts?

Keen Parts is a leading manufacturer and retailer of Corvette parts and accessories. We have over thirty years of happy customers all over the world and look forward to helping you with all of your Corvette needs. Our five catalogs cover more than 26,000 Corvette parts and accessories. Our retail shop and warehouses are located in Cleves, Ohio, just north of Cincinnati. We are right off Interstate Highway I-74 and only six minutes from Cincinnati. We stock parts for Corvettes from 1953 to the present. If you own a Corvette- we have the parts and accessories that you need!