Recently, on ebay, I saw a 56 Corvette with a 4bbl and a 4 speed. I thought that the 4 speed was unavailable in 1956! Am I incorrect?
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Um, yeah...
But if it were originally a 3 speed car, swapping in a 4 speed would be no challenge. I'd question the 4v, too, since so many 56's were 8v. Pity there is no factory record to check. -
Re: C1 1956 Tranny Options
Yeah, single four 1956 Corvettes are pretty rare. I did an article a while back about 1956 single four intake manifolds. I could only identify three cars that I believed to be known original single four cars. All of them were late cars, which makes sense, since the single four engine did not become available until April of 1956. Cars build before that had to be dual four cars, since it was the only engine available.Comment
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Re: C1 1956 Tranny Options
I believe GM sold a "kit" to convert three speeds to four speeds, which included a new tail housing and various internal parts, though this kit was probably not available until the four-speed became available as a factory RPO sometime into the '57 MY.
DukeComment
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Re: C1 1956 Tranny Options
4-speeds didn't show up in production until May of '57, around #4200 or thereabouts. GM did issue an over-the-counter dealer conversion kit to upgrade 3-speeds to 4-speeds later in the year, which included a T-10 transmission, shifter, linkage rods, and shift pattern plate. I'm sure LOTS of Saginaw 3-speeds hit the dumpsters in those days.Comment
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Re: C1 1956 Tranny Options
Steve, if that was the same '56 that I saw that was represented as "all original" from some autorama show in europe somewhere, there were more things incorrect with that car than I can count....including the four speed. They even published the "original engine" casting number as #999 as further proof that it was a real car. Sorry, but even a typo isn't likely from #999 to #991 which is correct.
GarryComment
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Re: C1 1956 Tranny Options
G.M sold a three speed kit for the 55 Corvette also , that is the reason various number 55's , early and late had three speeds.Most were added by the dealer.Comment
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Re: C1 1956 Tranny Options
John, I bet that a lot of 3 sppeds hit the can!! I have an older brother who is a famous sprint car motor manufacturer who tells me that when he was growing up as a gearhead in the late fiftie's and early sixtie's, if he had 5 dollars for every Corvette fuel injection unit that he tossed in the garbage and replaced with carbs he would be a rich man!!! Wish I had a couple of those units. He told me that a fella came to him once with a '57 FI car with less than 800 miles on it and he wanted that damn FI unit "outta there"! WOWIE!!!!!Comment
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