Rhonda's Ride

She wanted a Corvette that she could drive the wheels off of.

- Dale Moreau 

Corvettes have been a big part of guys’ lives since 1953, but we don’t often see mention of women and America’s sports car. Rhonda Ralph and her husband, David, already have a stock 1962 convertible and have put many miles on the car.

However, a couple of seasons ago they attended the Goodguys event in Puyallup, Washington, and saw a wild, yellow, custom 1957 roadster. That’s right a true roadster, no roll-up windows. It was the product of Steve’s Auto Restorations (SAR) in Portland, Oregon.

They inquired about buying the car on the spot but it was not for sale. So David suggested that SAR build Rhonda her own custom 1957 Corvette. She wanted hers at the same level of build as the yellow car, but with design and mechanical changes of her choosing, including a custom paint mix. Rhonda wanted a Corvette to drive the wheels off of and SAR was the place to get it. Her plan was to be able to pull away from her husband’s ’62 Corvette and do it with style and flash to boot.

SAR started with a donor body and chassis, with the wrong engine, no transmission or top assembly.