1957 Chevrolet Corvette - Bob Yoas - Dick Bertulocci

http://www.superchevy.com/features/1711-1957-chevrolet-corvette-national-roadster-show-winner/





That didn’t deter Bob. He took the car to Bertolucci’s Body Shop in his hometown of Sacramento, where he built a new front-end frame out of wire mesh. He and the shop then fabricated the reshaped nose in a mold before blending it into new front fenders. The grille opening retained the original ’57 chrome rim, but the stock toothy grille was replaced by rows and rows of square-shaped drawer pulls, flanked by Oldsmobile lights. The Vette’s headlights were recessed in chrome tunnels and covered with Plexiglas.

Compared to the front restyle, the rear of the Vette “received only minor treatment,” said Hot Rod. The decklid was shaved, more drawer pulls were set into two Lucite panels surrounded by nerf-bar-type tubing, and the taillights were swapped for bullet-shaped rear lenses from a ’59 Cadillac.



“Change those greasy Levi’s and take off your shoes before you enter,” warned the magazine, as Yoas redid the Vette’s interior in Pristine White naugahyde and carpet.


Hot Rod said Bertolucci’s painted the Vette in 35 coats of Candy Apple Red and Pearlescent White lacquer. Motor Trend, which also wrote about the Vette in its June 1960 issue, called the paint a “rust-and-pearl color scheme.” It’s impossible to tell the color from Eric Rickman’s black-and-white photos, though the dark tone of the paint makes it look more red than rust. However, there are color photos of Yoas’ Vette on the authoritative website kustomrama.com that make the car look coated in a dusty rose hue. Kustomrama describes the paint as Tingua Rust and Acrylic Pearl.

Whatever the color, it and the workmanship on the distinctive bodywork must have impressed the Oakland judges, as they gave Yoas the Sports Roadster Class win.

Photos by Eric Rickman and Petersen Publishing Co. Archive

https://kustomrama.com/wiki/Bob_Yoas%27_1957_Chevrolet


1957 Chevrolet Corvette owned by Bob Yoas of Sacramento, California. In 1959 Bob took the Corvette to his buddy Dick Bertulocci at Bertolucci's Body and Paint Shop. "It wasn't driveable, so I towed it to his shop," Bob told Sondre Kvipt of Kustomrama in February of 2018.[1] A new nose was designed, and a new front-end frame was built out of wire-mesh. A reshaped nose was fabricated from the mold and blended into the new fenders. The outer chrome rim of the original grille was retained and fit with two 1957 Oldsmobile directional lights and drawer hardware pulls. The headlights were cut out from the mold and chromed tunnels were used to carry the sealed beams' lights. These were capped with clear Plexiglas covers. The rear end was rolled into one piece and the ends were blended into the fenders with 1959 Cadillac taillights located in the stock light housings. Handmade tubular nerf bars wrapped around a red frosted lucite panel held three chromed drawer pulls. The reversed wheels were chromed and fit with knock-offs mounted on small caps. The interior was a white pleated air foam Naugahyde with plush white rugs by Cottles of Carmichael. Once the bodywork was done, it was painted in Tingua Rust and Acrylic Pearl.[2] "Under Dick's supervision and advice, I did nearly all the work except the final painting. Many painful hours," Bob remembers. The build was completed more or less in October of 1959.[1]



Shown All Over the US

February 22 - 28, 1960, the Corvette was shown at the 12th annual National Roadster Show in Oakland where it won the "Sports Roadster Class." "I belonged to the Sacramento club, and I took the car to the Oakland Roadster Show, the Sacramento Autorama, the Fresno Autorama and to a Autorama in Pittsburgh, Pennsylavania. I never trailered it. It was an interesting trip. No problems, except for rain on the drive home."[1]




Wrecked

Unfortunately Bob wrecked the car in 1960, after the shows; "I totaled it. Rolled over after hitting a cyclone fence. It totally burned, except for the frame, sorry to say. I was very lucky, and I only severed with minor bruises."[1]


Magazine Features

Hot Rod Magazine June 1960
Motor Trend June 1960
Car Craft July 1960
Trend Book 197 Custom Cars 1961 Annual