1957 VIN #834 Photographed at NCRS meeting 1977...were any of you there?
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Re: Was this the first 1957 airbox car?
Joe--
I was in attendance--my first NCRS meet--Clocktower Inn in Rockford, IL. -
Re: Was this the first 1957 airbox car?
Joe--
It was on an open trailer over on the edge of the parking lot, at a distance from where the judging was taking place. I was not fully appreciative of the significance of an airbox car at that time, and was a bit mystified by all the attention paid to this rough car sitting on a trailer.Comment
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Re: Was this the first 1957 airbox car?
We are trying to get a better handle on what this car was. Why would VIN # 834 have an airbox..when the earliest known production air box is VIN 4007 5 months later.
The history of what cars were used for airbox testing is unclear..and could be part of the story.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and memory of that long ago meet.
JoeComment
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Re: Was this the first 1957 airbox car?
As I recall, and this is 32 years ago, Mike Hunt was all over that car (no surprise). For some reason it strikes me that Tim Partridge was somehow involved in it/with it. FWIWComment
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Re: Was this the first 1957 airbox car?
Mike's RP56-7 report shows 57 VIN 834 white. Unfortunate that Mike's archives probably didn't survive. Gary....
NCRS Texas Chapter
https://www.ncrstexas.org/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565408483631Comment
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Re: Was this the first 1957 airbox car?
Gary
I talked to mike prior to his fatal accident and he said he had a friend that had all of his reports so they do exist. I just don't remember the guys name.
Mike E...yes Tim restored #834 as the #4 1957 Sebring car.
The 1957 Sebring cars did not race with airbox's so it is curious that 834 would sport an airbox in 1977 unless it was added afterwards. All things are possible.
My curiosity is when and what cars were used for the development of the air box cars and why have we not seen any progress photo's.
Certainly someone involved with the development took pictures. A process must have taken place before all the pieces and parts were designed, authorized and ordered for delivery to the St.Louis Plant for ordered cars.
JoeComment
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Re: Was this the first 1957 airbox car?
Joe, I'd been talking with Mike for about 6 months prior trying to work out the details to get his data collection for the NCRS archives. Negotiated with his friend Ruth after his unfortunate motorcycle accident, but got elbowed out of the way by others. Bottom line is Mike's data is probably lost. Gary....
NCRS Texas Chapter
https://www.ncrstexas.org/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565408483631Comment
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Re: Was this the first 1957 airbox car?
GaryJoe, I'd been talking with Mike for about 6 months prior trying to work out the details to get his data collection for the NCRS archives. Negotiated with his friend Ruth after his unfortunate motorcycle accident, but got elbowed out of the way by others. Bottom line is Mike's data is probably lost. Gary....
Mike specifically told me that a guy whose name he mentioned but was not important to me at the time and I have now forgotten...had a complete printed copy of all his files.
I might have the guys name in written correspondance from Mike as he also had a friend that had a couple very important cars stashed away that he was leading me to. I just did not take the initiative to go see them.
No doubt the cars are still there.
JoeComment
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Re: Was this the first 1957 airbox car?
I think that the only airbox car at 1957 Sebring would have been Bill Mitchell's SR-2. I think there are open hood pictures of it in the pits. I cannot remember any open hood shots of it in Nassau in December '56, but there might have been - might be a clue as to the timelineComment
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Re: Was this the first 1957 airbox car?
it is funny that the 57 corvette FI did not have a cold air intake to the FI unit as our 57 FI 150 business coupe we ran at the beach in 57 had a cold air intake from the factoryComment
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Re: Was this the first 1957 airbox car?
Loren
The Bill Mitchell SR2 did run Sebring 57 with a custom molded air box set up. The #3 and #4 production bodies ran with a dual pancake airfilter.
What I would like to learn is when the mocks ups for production body production inner fender, production style air boxes were done and on what cars.
Lets make this clear..I am not declaring my Nassau car to having been an air box car or test bed..although there are some filled in holes on the drivers inner fender..but there is some speculation that the Nassau cars may have been the test cars for the production airbox. Is so fine if not fine. If not what car or cars were used and where was this done? Styling, Engineering, SEDCO, Doane, Smokey's shop. Considering all the requirements of AIM's, blueprints, part numbers etc..one would think there would be a clear trail of info.
I think John in Florida has the blueprints.
JoeComment
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