Last 1957 FI car?

[Edward M.]

I think we know that the first 1957 FI car is serial # 10. Just wondering if we know the serial number of the last 1957 FI car?

[Loren L.]

Re: Last 1957 FI car?

I'm not sure that we "know" the "first" FI is VIN #10. I think we "know" that VIN #10 has an early FI unit installed now.......

[Gary C.]

Re: Last 1957 FI car?

Ed,

#10 started its life out as a production 2x4 IIRC and was an engineering retrofit to FI.

Gary
....

[Loren L.]

Re: Last 1957 FI car?

An "engineering retrofit"? - when and by what WO #?

[Richard M.]

Re: Last 1957 FI car?

Hmmm....... Me thinks the First Fuelie was the 1956 that was converted shortly after June into the 1957 Super Sport.

(be nice, now)

[Gary C.]

Re: Last 1957 FI car?

Mr. Lundberg,

You have to ask that question to John Ames who restored '57 #10. There were several written about #10 and it was at several Florida Regionals. The info about an engineering retrofit, IIRC came from John Ames.

Gary
....

[Gary C.]

Re: Last 1957 FI car?

Rich,

First 4 speed was once owned by J.D. Purvis many moons ago. It was a very unusual looking 4 speed. J.D. displayed this in a frame and somewhere I have 35mm photos of it. J.D. displayed the 4 speed in chassis at Bloomington Gold in the mid to late 80's IIRC.

Gary
....

[Michael J.]

Re: Last 1957 FI car?

Interesting, not long ago #10 was being marketed as the "first" fuelie..........

https://classics.autotrader.com/classic-cars/1957/chevrolet/corvette/100846059

[Todd H.]

Re: Last 1957 FI car?

Back to the original question.

It would appear that the last '57 FI built would have been Art Saylor's #6338 racer, though it left the factory as a 270hp. The story courtesy of Jim Gessner's Registry of Corvette Race Cars...

"This Corvette was special ordered on Father's Day Saturday June 15, 1957 by Art Saylor from Nuggent Chevrolet, 400 South LaBrea Ave., Los Angeles as a "SPECIAL ORDER" 469C engine 283/270hp, but with RPO684 heavy suspension and special brakes. Zora and the factory were reluctant to make the car even though it was advertised in factory literature as available. It appeared the St. Louis factory finally removed the Fuel Injection unit and 579E Air Box and converted it to 270hp Corvette. History from Bob Bondurant, Dick Guldstrand and Doug Hooper, all California races who knew and raced with Art regularily in late 57 and 58. say Art insisted on "Heavy brakes with 270hp, and NOT FUEL INJECTION". The paperwork with the car today, show it was finally delivered September 25, 1957. The car is the second from last 1957 manfactured, or vin #6338 of the 6339 made."

I'm not sure if leaving the factory with dual fours still makes it an FI car, but it was first built as a 579D.

I'm also not sure of the configuration of #6339, though I believe that car still exists.

[James G.]

Re: Last 1957 FI car?

Hmmm....... Me thinks the First Fuelie was the 1956 that was converted shortly after June into the 1957 Super Sport.

(be nice, now)

I have ENGINEERING REPORT dated JULY 27. 1956 from Mauri Rose to Mr. H.F. Barr about a test at FLAT ROCK, MICHIGAN race track where car engineering number 6203 had fuel starvation problem on the FI unit on right hand turns. Left hand turns all was good. So FI testing was going on during the summer and fall of 1956.

At the NASSAU SPEED WEEK RACES December 7, 1956, the new Rochester FI 57 CORVETTE production race cars appeared. DICK THOMPSON, JIM JEFFORDS, FRED WINDRIDGE were among drivers in their new 57 fuel Injection race car.

I have seen vin # 6331 in So Cal many years ago. It is a ''real Fuel Injected air box'' race car sold new at C.S. Mead Chevy, Pasadena. The same current owner bought it from Jack Bates who raced the car for C.S. Mead in 1959.

[David B.]

Re: Last 1957 FI car?

Jim,
Are you aware car #6203 was a passenger car not a corvette? D

[James G.]

Re: Last 1957 FI car?

All good, but they were ''testing'' the ROCHESTER FI unit then. I would love to get the vin numbers of all the NASSAU race cars from Dec 7, 1956.

[Darryl D.]

Re: Last 1957 FI car?

I know that Jim and other here have more updated info than my old first hand info on V.I.N. #834 which was an airbox car that myself and my partner once owned. We had Mike Hunt inspect the car back in about 1977 at an NCRS meet. Mike at that time thought it was a "mule car" for the race cars discussed above and AT THAT TIME was thought to be the first 57 built FI and airbox car. However I believe that since then there has been another airbox FI car with a lower V.I.N. uncovered. I think it is highly unlikely that the #10 was built as an FI car. I think the early FI units were all going to the Chevrolet racing effort, not the general public but certainly there are others here that know much more than I do.