2 x 4 carbs, intake, heads and exhaust questions/suggestions for 327 in 57 Corvette

[Darryl D.]

[Mike M.]

Re: 2 x 4 carbs, intake, heads and exhaust questions/suggestions for 327 in 57 Corvet

i'd use 2.02 camel hump heads, 2 1/2" cast iron exh manifolds and the 350 hyd cam. stock tailpipes will handle the exhaust flow and still fit the exhaust bezels. tell us more about the air box you took to a chapter meet. still with you? last 4 #'s of vin? got photos of its unique pieces? still have any rare parts off it? who ended up with it if you parted with it? trying to lear more about the 579E/684 57's. thanks,mike

[Darryl D.]

Re: 2 x 4 carbs, intake, heads and exhaust questions/suggestions for 327 in 57 Corvet

i'd use 2.02 camel hump heads, 2 1/2" cast iron exh manifolds and the 350 hyd cam. stock tailpipes will handle the exhaust flow and still fit the exhaust bezels. tell us more about the air box you took to a chapter meet. still with you? last 4 #'s of vin? got photos of its unique pieces? still have any rare parts off it? who ended up with it if you parted with it? trying to lear more about the 579E/684 57's. thanks,mike

I sold my interest in the car to my partner Jerry Gendreau shortly after that meet. He collected nearly all of the rare missing parts for the car and sold it to Tim Partridge who restored the car. The last that I knew of the car it belonged to a reclusive collector in Ohio. I was told that 5 years ago or more it was valued north of $750K. At the time of that Rockford meet Mike Hunt that used to write the ongoing "56/57 research project" articles for NCRS said it was the earliest air box car known. It was later proven to have raced at Nassua and Sebring as well as many others. Several years ago I had many phone conversation with a guy from the Washington DC area (can't remember his name) that was researching those cars. He would have all of the info on the car. Noland Adams was at the Rockford meet at that time as well as many other well known early members and they were swarming all over the car. When Noland's first book came out there was a picture of the engine bay of the car in his book with a caption that says "would you buy this mess? If you are up on your old Corvette you would" and went on to describe what it was. The car is a tribute to the early days of factory sponsored race just before GM's ban on it.

[Mike M.]

Re: 2 x 4 carbs, intake, heads and exhaust questions/suggestions for 327 in 57 Corvet

thanks for the info darryl. historical info such as this needs documented before all us old-timers check outta here. thanks again, mike

[Duke W.]

Re: 2 x 4 carbs, intake, heads and exhaust questions/suggestions for 327 in 57 Corvet

The 327/275 engine is a good starting point as long as it still has big port heads, and I would not enlarge the valves from the original 1.94/1.50" sizes. If you want to replicate a 245 HP engine use the base engine cam, or if you want more power and revs from this config. massage the heads and install a McCagh Special cam. (Search the Web, my name, tale of two camshafts for the complete story.) If you want to replicate a 270 HP config. install a LT-1 or L-46 cam, retarded four degrees. Head massaging with these cams is optional if you want maximum top end power and a useable rev range to 7200. Two inch manifolds will integrate into the OE exhaust system without mods. Headers won't do that much good due to exhaust back pressure, and I never recommend them for a road engine, especially if you want to maintain original appearance.

[Mike E.]

Re: 2 x 4 carbs, intake, heads and exhaust questions/suggestions for 327 in 57 Corvet

Darryl,
welcome back. I met you at Rockford. I remember your car sitting on a trailer at the edge of the parking lot at the Clock Tower Inn. I was initially surprised by all the interest shown in your car, and then realized what it was. That started my quest for a big brake 62. The one I found later turned out to be the Gulf Oil 62. I remember 57 #1 was also at that meet.
Mike Ernst #211

[Darryl D.]

Re: 2 x 4 carbs, intake, heads and exhaust questions/suggestions for 327 in 57 Corvet

Darryl,
welcome back. I met you at Rockford. I remember your car sitting on a trailer at the edge of the parking lot at the Clock Tower Inn. I was initially surprised by all the interest shown in your car, and then realized what it was. That started my quest for a big brake 62. The one I found later turned out to be the Gulf Oil 62. I remember 57 #1 was also at that meet.
Mike Ernst #211

Yes, that was many years ago and a lot of cars have passed through my hands since then.

[James G.]

Re: 2 x 4 carbs, intake, heads and exhaust questions/suggestions for 327 in 57 Corvet

thanks for the info darryl. historical info such as this needs documented before all us old-timers check outta here. thanks again, mike

WELCOME Daryl. I was one of those visitors 5 years ago. I wish I and Mike were at Rockford that day in 1978. He owns an AIR BOX car. Your help back 5 years ago helped us all track history on these old great cars.

[Darryl D.]

Re: 2 x 4 carbs, intake, heads and exhaust questions/suggestions for 327 in 57 Corvet

WOW! A lot of names from the past.

Jim, what is the guys name in the Washington D.C./Maryland area that has been collection all the info on these old air box/brake/suspension cars?

Back to my original post. What is the largest tailpipe you can get through the rear bumpers on the 57s? I just bought this car out of Las Vegas and don't have it home yet so I can't just go to the garage and look at it. Hope to have it here mid need week.

I think initially all I am going to do to this car's engine is put the dual quads on it as I have been thinking thee is no reason to go 1/2 way and then spend more later and wasting the time and money on this existing engine. My plan is to build a 327/383 stroker engine with the dual quads on it. I will either use OEM pocket ported/port matched 202 heads or an aftermarket aluminum heads with 2 1/2" rams horns and 2 1/2" exhaust with an LT-1 cam. I want to keep it stealth/original looking to the first glance. NCRS does a great job of being the flame keeps and historians of these cars but I have to think that Zora would be smiling and approve of what I am doing with this car. It will never be a top flight car or judge. I will have another engine built from scratch, balanced and blueprinted so one day I can just do a quick engine swap. I plan on driving this car about 4 days a week and enjoy it. I need to get on this as I am not getting any younger.

[Duke W.]

Re: 2 x 4 carbs, intake, heads and exhaust questions/suggestions for 327 in 57 Corvet

A "383 LT-1" is an excellent configuration. Contact Joe Randolph as he has done much research on stroker small blocks, written articles on the subject, and can get you headed down the right path, but for now start looking for a '67 3892657 block.

[Duke W.]

Re: 2 x 4 carbs, intake, heads and exhaust questions/suggestions for 327 in 57 Corvet

The attached EA 3.0 simulation results compare a Flint-built '70 LT-1 to a "383 LT-1" stroker with massaged OE heads. Everything else is OE. CR for both was set at 10.5, which is closer to the typical as-built Flint LT-1 than the advertised 11:1. Data is SAE net at the flywheel. SAE corrected rear wheel data can be estimated by mulitplying the data by 0.85. For estimated SAE gross divide the production engine data by 0.89 and 0.85 for the 383 LT-1 due to higher exhaust back pressure from the increased flow. The graph may be poor quality as the original was a tif file that the TDB will not accept, so I have to convert it to a jpg, which looses resolution.

[Gene M.]

Re: 2 x 4 carbs, intake, heads and exhaust questions/suggestions for 327 in 57 Corvet

What's wrong with saving all the money and just go with a blue printed and ported heads 350 horse L79 327? Dual quads will be over carburated on a street car. The money saved goes for a five speed tranny. Much more fun and long distances will be easier on the car and you.

If you want big power go with an LS or big block.