1964 Rochester FI, not Corvette?

[Bruce B.]

Interesting Ebay listing #330521873008.

Claim is that this unit is made by Rochester for passenger cars?
I have never seen a 63 or newer FI on a passenger car.

Did I miss something?

[Matt L.]

Re: 1964 Rochester FI, not Corvette?

i saw that too bruce. interesting. i am watching it out of curiosity.

[Edward M.]

Re: 1964 Rochester FI, not Corvette?

Here is the link:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1964-Corvette-Fuel-Injection-Unit-/330521873008?pt=Vintage_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item4cf4a38a70

[Tom H.]

Re: 1964 Rochester FI, not Corvette?

I don't know anything about fuel units, but isn't this a regular 380 Corvette unit with a custom top ???

[Stuart F.]

Re: 1964 Rochester FI, not Corvette?

What years were the units available on Pontiacs? Although there are lots of Chevy fuelies (57 - 59), the Pontiac unit was different in appearance, but was made by Rochester and used the same basic features. I recall seeing a 57 fuelie Pontiac, but don't know how many years they had it or whether it was around for the second generation (doubt it).

Stu Fox

[Jack L.]

Re: 1964 Rochester FI, not Corvette?

I think somebody is pulling our leg. That's definitely a homemade top.

JL

[Bill W.]

Re: 1964 Rochester FI, not Corvette?

I think somebody is pulling our leg. That's definitely a homemade top.

JL

Jack,
I am not sure what the seller is smoking, but it must be good stuff. The last year Chevrolet installed a Rochester injector on a passenger car was 1959. He is selling a Corvette unit with a nice home made top. Bill

[Willard M.]

Re: 1964 Rochester FI, not Corvette?

The way he talked I was hoping to see a picture of a one ton truck with that elusive, and oh so rare fuel injection. I know that all 1957 Pontiac Bonnevilles had FI and I think that it could be had in 1958 as well.

[Steven B.]

Re: 1964 Rochester FI, not Corvette?

In the summer-early fall of '64 I was discussing the availability of a 375 HP FI in a Chevy II with my local Chevy salesman. He told me I could not order the car that way as an RPO BUT a kit was available over the parts counter to install that engine in a deuce. I checked with the parts guy, who was my neighbor, and sure enough after digging he found a notice of the kit. As I recall the kit included mounts, linkage, a small carb type air cleaner and some other pieces. The engine was a complete over the counter Corvette FI. I passed on the do-it-yourself deuce when the salesman told me about a '57 Corvette available immediately.

[Michael H.]

Re: 1964 Rochester FI, not Corvette?

a kit was available over the parts counter to install that engine in a deuce. .

That's correct. The 62 Corvette FI engine and a LOT of components were available from GM for 62 Nova's. New springs, sway bar, complete dual exhaust, radiator, metallic brake shoes etc etc. There were even GM part numbered traction bars, if I remember correctly.
I think all of the components were available separately.

[Tom P.]

Re: 1964 Rochester FI, not Corvette?

As already mentioned, the LAST year for Rochester FI on a Chevy pass car was 59. Up through 65, the only FI option was on the Vettes.

Rochester FI on Pontiacs was ONLY 57-58. A factory FI on the Pont was NOT as quickly recognizable as the Chevy/Vette units because the ENTIRE FI was enclosed in a sheetmetal housing (sometimes affectionally referred to as a turkey roaster).
Also, the 57 and 58 Pont FI units (plenums/ram tubes) were TOTALLY different from each other. The 57 Pont FI plenum/tubes were stamped/formed sheetmetal and welded together. Whereas, the 58 Pont units were an integrally cast plenum/tubes sorta kinda like the Chevy units.
Now, with all of that said, apparently there was a prototype FI unit installed on a 409. There have been pictures of the FI 409 floating around for years, but I've never seen the actual engine/unit.
In Ken Kaysers's book, there are also pictures of a prototype FI unit that was made for the big block engine, which of course never made production.
ALLLLLLLLLL 57 Pontiacs with FI were Bonneville convertibles ONLY.


But in 58, I believe Pont FI was available on any model.

Here is a 57 Pont FI, covered and uncovered. The fuel meter was positioned UNDER the plenum, rather than on the side like a Chevy unit.








This is a 58 Pont unit that one of the Okla NCRS chapter members brought for "show and tell" at an Okla Chapter meeting.








The hi-press pump is on the side of the fuel meter instead of the end as on Chevy FI fuel meters. Notice that all Chevy fuel meters have the bosses cast into the side for machining to install a pump on the side for Pont application (or Olds application, ya, that's right, there was a 57 Olds prototype FI unit, check the pictures in Ken's book).
Do any of you owners of 7380 units recognize that solenoid?


And here's the short Pont drive cable.

[John D.]

Re: 1964 Rochester FI, not Corvette?

Jack,
I am not sure what the seller is smoking, but it must be good stuff. The last year Chevrolet installed a Rochester injector on a passenger car was 1959. He is selling a Corvette unit with a nice home made top. Bill

DITTO Bill. The 7380 FI unit was reserved for St. Louis. Now it was available over the counter as you well know.

I have seen this particular FI unit before. I mean how could one forget the nice plenum lid. Looks like bubba did it at the foundry for low hood clearance. Now if the unit was on a passenger car there would be boo coo hood clearance don't u think.
Story: Nothing makes me cringe more than to get a customers unit in that has the plenum lid fins ground down or altered.
When you see that you can guess someone bolted the unit on a C1.
Then the seller on ebay makes fun of the FI guru's. Well you'll have that.
Ask for documentation to back up such statements when you see them.
In the old days Bill Thomas used a lot of midyear Fi's on Nova's. Compelte Corvette engines went in the Novas.(62 or 63) Bad Bascum or Bascam was one mean Nova.

Tom Parsons etal. Notice the high pressure pump on the Pontiac unit does not have the weep hole on the bottom of the pump. That's Pontiac only. Same pump as the Chevy/Corvette though sans the weap hole. Seems Pontiac with the turkey roaster didn't want gas floating around to catch on fire.
Appears that the Pontiac munit has zero clearance between the enrichment diaphragm and the backing plate. Manual says should have about .040". What do you think Hanson?

[Michael H.]

Re: 1964 Rochester FI, not Corvette?

The hi-press pump is on the side of the fuel meter instead of the end as on Chevy FI fuel meters. Notice that all Chevy fuel meters have the bosses cast into the side for machining to install a pump on the side for Pont application (or Olds application, ya, that's right, there was a 57 Olds prototype FI unit, check the pictures in Ken's book).



.

Notice the maroon paint/coating on the rich/lean stop nuts? Rochester put that there so if a unit was returned, they would know that it had been messed with by dealer/owner.
When I rebuilt the 7017380 FI unit from the 1500 mile 65 green/saddle conv., it had the same maroon coating on the nuts. I have closeup pic's of it somewhere around here.

[Stuart F.]

Re: 1964 Rochester FI, not Corvette?

Has anyone seen the post 65 unit? There was, I understand, a contract let for a developer in Cal. to design/construct, but it was cancelled when it was obvious the BB would make it obsolete. A noted Chevy Performance writer (who Tom P. knows well) bought up the prototypes and parts some time ago. Have no idea what he will do with them, or if perhaps he has disposed of them already (not his style). How about it Tom? Do you know the disposition?

Stu Fox

[John D.]

Re: 1964 Rochester FI, not Corvette?

Stu, Zora Duntov was pushing for the FI unit on the BB's and went ahead and had some prototype BB FI baseplates. But as you know the program was nixed.
Rumor has it the RP Fi unit was cancelled because it was far cheaper to put on a carb. That's what we have heard forever. But the biggie was the consumer complaints and poor dealer service on handling of these complaints. The mechanics just were not interested in learning about the old FI's.
When I took the FI course at GM an eon ago the old guys in class came dressed in their blue uniform and slept thru the class. Tru story as I sat in the back and observed this.
So it was the lack of service and high cost that threw in the wrench on fuel injections. Then there was a long time period from 65 till 82 till we saw them again. Nothing like a cross fire FI unit you know. My May 83 car used to scream. Threw that in for MH. JD