Need ballpark value - 1957 fuelie sitting 25+ years

[Kevin D.]

I am very close to purchasing a 1957 fuelie that has been sitting for 25+ years in a barn. I need to know what to pay for it from the following description:

Not an air box car
Front passenger fender damaged back to firewall
Original engine block - casting is 3731548
Head casting 3740997
4 speed manual - original not verified
Rear end - original not verified
Fuel injection unit is missing
99% sure it is a fuelie
Surface rust on frame and chrome is slightly pitted
Optional hardtop
95-98% of the car is there
Vin#2839

Any help to put me in the ballpark would be great
Kevin - member 49129

[Steven B.]

Re: Need ballpark value - 1957 fuelie sitting 25+ years

I am very close to purchasing a 1957 fuelie that has been sitting for 25+ years in a barn. I need to know what to pay for it from the following description:

Not an air box car
Front passenger fender damaged back to firewall
Original engine block - casting is 3731548
Head casting 3740997
4 speed manual - original not verified
Rear end - original not verified
Fuel injection unit is missing
99% sure it is a fuelie
Surface rust on frame and chrome is slightly pitted
Optional hardtop
95-98% of the car is there
Vin#2839

Any help to put me in the ballpark would be great
Kevin - member 49129

Kevin, 997's or 539's?---is it a 250 HP or 283 HP? Does it have the round throttle rod? VIN too low for a factory 4 speed. What is stamped on engine pad? What are head casting dates? Is distributor there and if so numbers? Does it have FI emblems & flags? How bad is the fender damage?

It is nearly impossible to estimate without seeing the car and checking numbers/stamps, body, identifying the parts that are missing, etc. Do you have pics?

I would suggest finding an NCRS member nearby who knows '57's and taking them with you to give it a good look.

Steve

[Kevin D.]

Re: Need ballpark value - 1957 fuelie sitting 25+ years

Steve,

Thanks for the reply. I will be inspecting it again tomorrow.

Do you know anybody in the central California area that would inspect the car for me. The owner of the car needs to make the deal fast and I have the first right of refusal.

I do not believe it is a 283 horse because the heads have a rectangle tower and not the pyramid, however, I have not obtained the casting date yet. The engine has been rebuilt and when they decked it the numbers went with it. The generator has a tach drive on it. It does have the round throttle rod. It also has the fuel injection badging but not too sure of the flags. Do the flags represent a certain horspower.

The fender damage is bad enough to cause major damage around the heater core.

Sorry, I am more of a C3 guy and just happened to come across this.

Kevin

I will post some picture's tomorrow.

[Steven B.]

Re: Need ballpark value - 1957 fuelie sitting 25+ years

Steve,

Thanks for the reply. I will be inspecting it again tomorrow.

Do you know anybody in the central California area that would inspect the car for me. The owner of the car needs to make the deal fast and I have the first right of refusal.

I do not believe it is a 283 horse because the heads have a rectangle tower and not the pyramid, however, I have not obtained the casting date yet. The engine has been rebuilt and when they decked it the numbers went with it. The generator has a tach drive on it. It does have the round throttle rod. It also has the fuel injection badging but not too sure of the flags. Do the flags represent a certain horspower.

The fender damage is bad enough to cause major damage around the heater core.

Sorry, I am more of a C3 guy and just happened to come across this.

Kevin

I will post some picture's tomorrow.

Hi Kevin. I suggest looking in the Driveline for a Calif. member and contact John St. Peter, '56-7 judging team leader, or Gary Chesnut who led the recent manual revision. John and Gary can be contacted through this site. Region IX (includes CA.) is Ed Vignone who can also be contacted through this site. (Click on Member List in blue line above and search by first name.)

The flags were on the front fenders along with the FI emblems but did not distinguish either the 250 or 283 HP.

Check posts within the past month as there is an explanation of Flint (Corvette) cast heads vs. Tonawanda heads.

Check any Corvette books, JM, AIM, etc. you may have.

Let me know what you find! Good Luck!

Steve

[Joseph T.]

Re: Need ballpark value - 1957 fuelie sitting 25+ years

Steve,

Thanks for the reply. I will be inspecting it again tomorrow.

Do you know anybody in the central California area that would inspect the car for me. The owner of the car needs to make the deal fast and I have the first right of refusal.

I do not believe it is a 283 horse because the heads have a rectangle tower and not the pyramid, however, I have not obtained the casting date yet. The engine has been rebuilt and when they decked it the numbers went with it. The generator has a tach drive on it. It does have the round throttle rod. It also has the fuel injection badging but not too sure of the flags. Do the flags represent a certain horspower.

The fender damage is bad enough to cause major damage around the heater core.

Sorry, I am more of a C3 guy and just happened to come across this.

Kevin

I will post some picture's tomorrow.

What part of Central California?

[Tom P.]

Re: Need ballpark value - 1957 fuelie sitting 25+ years

Kevin, 997's or 539's?---is it a 250 HP or 283 HP? Does it have the round throttle rod? VIN too low for a factory 4 speed. What is stamped on engine pad? What are head casting dates? Is distributor there and if so numbers? Does it have FI emblems & flags? How bad is the fender damage?

It is nearly impossible to estimate without seeing the car and checking numbers/stamps, body, identifying the parts that are missing, etc. Do you have pics?

I would suggest finding an NCRS member nearby who knows '57's and taking them with you to give it a good look.

Steve

Kevin,
Based on your preliminary information (which is all very good), I must concur with Steve's comments, and say, It probably isn't an FI car!
IF, IF, IF everything that is on the car now are the original parts, the 997 heads were the FIRST thing to get my attention because 57 FI cars ONLY had 539 heads (pyramid symbols on each end of heads).
Also, as Steve pointed out, the VIN is too low for a 4sp car (but of course, swapping a 4sp for a 3sp was quite common).
The presence (or absence) of the round accelerator rod on the firewall as well as FI emblems (or holes for emblems) on the front fender coves and trunk lid will be very quick indicators of whether or not it was originally an FI car.

[Kevin D.]

Re: Need ballpark value - 1957 fuelie sitting 25+ years

The car is in the San Joaquin Valley.

Tom,

I am inspecting the car for a second time in a few hours and will post what I find.

Again, thanks for everyone's help.

[Joseph T.]

Re: Need ballpark value - 1957 fuelie sitting 25+ years

The car is in the San Joaquin Valley.

Tom,

I am inspecting the car for a second time in a few hours and will post what I find.

Again, thanks for everyone's help.

That covers Bakersfield to Fresno..which is a big territory..but you can try Roy Braatz..who owned a 57.

Joe

[Kevin D.]

Re: Need ballpark value - 1957 fuelie sitting 25+ years

Thanks for the information. I just left the car and have some pic's to post.

[Kevin D.]

Re: Need ballpark value - 1957 fuelie sitting 25+ years

Ok, here is what I collected:

Confirmed - Date code on head H197
Distributor 1110883
6 M27
Tranny GM4 3845122 D186

I cleaned off the pad and no numbers existed - most likely machined off during the rebuild. Could not obtain date code on block due to too much debris.

I will upload pic's tonight.

[Steven B.]

Re: Need ballpark value - 1957 fuelie sitting 25+ years

Kevin, a real mixture of PN's and dates. Did the car have FI emblems on the fenders and trunk, or traces of the holes filled in? The trunk lid may have been replaced but both fenders replaced with correct spacing FI emblems and flags is suspect. Did you get any diff. castings?

Steve

[Kevin D.]

Re: Need ballpark value - 1957 fuelie sitting 25+ years

Here is a link to view the pic's.

http://s784.photobucket.com/albums/yy130/KD8888/

[Steven B.]

Re: Need ballpark value - 1957 fuelie sitting 25+ years

Here is a link to view the pic's.

http://s784.photobucket.com/albums/yy130/KD8888/

Kevin, it looks like the car was a FI, round rod and emblems. It will require alot of $$$ to restore it with correct engine, transmission, all mechanicals, body, interior, etc. if you do most of the work yourself. It appears to be originally Polo White with red interior. You can probably buy a good '57 FI for alot less. On the up side it looks like you may have the original windshield wiper and '997 heads can be resold for $$$.

Steve

[Kevin D.]

Re: Need ballpark value - 1957 fuelie sitting 25+ years

Steve,

Do you think 20K is too much?

[Steven B.]

Re: Need ballpark value - 1957 fuelie sitting 25+ years

Steve,

Do you think 20K is too much?

Kevin, my perspective is how much will it cost to bring it to the condition you want it. Do you want Top Flight or driver? Either way, I would offer in the $12,000-$14,000 IF I decided to buy it based upon its needs and a couple of I have seen lately in similiar condition, but that is just my opinion. If you have the money to restore it I would buy one restored.

Steve