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Rare factory"Options"

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Trichop, Mar 30, 2012.

  1. No, I have the Corvette 235 exhaust manifold, I think @flux capacitor has the intake.
    Chevrolet built the Corvette 235 exhaust manifold until 1959. Mine is an early 1954 production

    The 235 Corvette cam is the as the 261 a fair amount of lift not much duration.
     
  2. LAROKE
    Joined: Sep 5, 2007
    Posts: 2,086

    LAROKE
    Member

    Not sure, but I think it also had the higher compression 848 head and was called the Blue flame Special.
     
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  3. flux capacitor
    Joined: Sep 18, 2014
    Posts: 773

    flux capacitor
    Member

     
    Last edited: Nov 4, 2019
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  4. jnaki
    Joined: Jan 1, 2015
    Posts: 10,223

    jnaki

    Hello,

    In researching options that were offered back in fall of 1957, my brother had several to consider. But, in all fairness to him, he did not want to wait for weeks for the 315 hp 348 black Impala to arrive from a special order. There was a 280 hp model with a 3 speed stick sitting on the floor of the showroom.

    The sales guy knew my brother wanted to buy an Impala, so he did everything possible to get the sale done, without having to wait for that special order 315 hp model. Externally, it looked the same, but it was several weeks waiting for that model to roll in to the dealer.

    upload_2019-11-22_4-22-46.png A happy new owner of a 1958 black Impala, but with 280 H.P.
    My brother could not wait, but as an incentive, the dealer threw in a new 4:11 Positraction rear end instead of the stock one from the showroom. With that deal, plus black mats, front and rear, he signed the deal on the spot. He also liked that the 348 had 3 carbs for that extra kick when the throttle was pushed down. The center two barrel provided plenty of street driving power, but when the throttle was pushed down creating some powerful vacuum, the other two 2 barrel carbs kicked in and the Impala was gone in a flash.



    Jnaki

    The 280 hp black Impala with a red interior was relatively rare, but it sure looked good on the showroom floor. Three carburetors made the look of the motor very inticing. The 315 model would have the blue/green interior with the black paint. That choice also swayed my brother into getting the black model with the red interior. Over the years, the 315 hp model was very rare as the Lions Dragstrip class was full of different 58 Impalas with the 280 hp motor.

    We never saw another 58 Impala on the street, but there were a lot at Lions. A 348 with a four barrel for 300 hp? Another very rare bird as the waiting list was impossible. A 315? As rare as a white tiger wandering around So Cal looking for a friend. Higher compression heads, pistons, and a solid lifter cam kit was what made 315 hp for the top of the line option. Great, but the wait was not the best for an anxious teenager ready to get into the drag racing scene and cruise the Bixby Knolls streets with his friends.


    https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/rare-factory-options.685098/page-19 post 567

    A 283 cu in (4,640 cc) engine was the standard V8, with ratings that ranged from 185 to 290 horsepower.

    upload_2019-11-22_4-22-46.png
    A Super Turbo-Thrust featuring three, two-barrel carburetors upped the power output to 280 horsepower. A Special Turbo-Thrust was also available with a single, large four-barrel carburetor, and was listed with 305 Horsepower.

    OPTIONS:
    § 348 with a four barrel
    § 348 cubic inch three two-barrel V8: 280 hp
    § 348 cubic inch high compression 4 barrel V8: 300 hp
    § 348 cubic inch three two-barrel V8: 315 hp

    “Chevrolet’s largest engine in 1958 was their first big-block, the 348-cu.in. V-8; it used a 4.125 x 3.25-inch bore and stroke and came in four basic states of tune. The Super Turbo-Thrust 348 used a 4-bbl. Carter AFB carburetor to give 250hp at 4,400 rpm and 355 lbs.-ft. of torque at 2,800 rpm. Another carburetion option for the Super Turbo-Thrust combined 9.50 compression with three 2-bbl. carbs to make 280hp at 4,800 rpm and 355 lbs.-ft. of torque at 3,200 rpm."

    "Fitting a 4-bbl. carburetor and upping the ante to 11.0 compression allowed this 348-cu.in. V-8 to make 300 hp at 5,600 rpm and 350 lbs.-ft. of torque at 3,600 rpm. The top power option mated the solid-lifter, high-compression 348 with the triple two-barrel carb setup to produce 315hp at 5,600 rpm and 356 lbs.-ft. of torque at 3,600 rpm.”


    Note: since we put in a Racer Brown Cam and Kit, cleaned up the ports and heads would this have given us at least 315 hp? At least after 3 years of racing and cruising, a C&O Stick Hydro and that new Racer Brown Cam plus Kit was installed. It was now a powerful tow car for our 1941 Willys Coupe. But, it ruled the roost until I sold it to a friend in late 1964.
    upload_2019-11-22_4-23-44.png
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Mar 31, 2021
  5. The early street hemis in 1966 Belvidere IIs didn't have a gaudy HEMI badge on the side, but rather a very subtle HP2 badge that was just slightly larger than the V-eight badge designating a 318. Those of us in the know weren't fooled.
    Also, one of our family cars was a '53 Willys Aero Ace two-door hardtop with a 161 cu. in. F-head engine, a three speed and a Borg-Warner overdrive. The F-head had a lot of pep, and the overdrive made it cruise smoothly at 70. Those Willys' were unibodies, so lighter than the usual Chevies and Fords of their day.
     
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  6. Deuces
    Joined: Nov 3, 2009
    Posts: 25,301

    Deuces

    s-l400 - 2019-11-23T102808.818.jpg
    Just found this on ebay.....
     
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  7. loudbang likes this.
  8. DDDenny
    Joined: Feb 6, 2015
    Posts: 20,231

    DDDenny
    Member
    from oregon

    In the early 70's a friend of mine had a 66 Belvedere I (sedan) that was a later 66 production build and it did not have the HP2 badge, it proudly proclaimed 426 Hemi on the lower fender apron.
     
  9. slowmotion
    Joined: Nov 21, 2011
    Posts: 3,362

    slowmotion
    Member

    Same here Denny. Two brothers owned one, dark blue 2dr post. Their dad drag raced a '62 Chrysler 300 letter car in E/SA. It was in their blood..:D
     
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  10. cruzingratiot
    Joined: Oct 2, 2008
    Posts: 345

    cruzingratiot
    Member
    from Detroit MI

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  11. speedshifter
    Joined: Mar 3, 2008
    Posts: 312

    speedshifter
    Member

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  12. speedshifter
    Joined: Mar 3, 2008
    Posts: 312

    speedshifter
    Member

    A guy working at the Standard gas station had a beautiful black 62 Ford XL 4dr with red bucket seats & console.It was equipped with a 406 cu in 3x2's & factory under hood chrome dress up kit. What a cool car. Unfortunately it got demolished while his wife was driving it.
     
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  13. Spooky
    Joined: Mar 3, 2001
    Posts: 2,358

    Spooky
    Member

    At All American Classics right now we have a '56 Ford Fairlane Club Sedan2 door that had the 4
    bbl 292, auto trans, power steering, padded dash, Town and Country Radio and a RARE stainless option that is mounted above the ash tray to deflect cigarettes from burning/scarring the padded dash.
     
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  14. My 65 vette had a off road suspension , which was a set of special springs .
     
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  15. Spooky
    Joined: Mar 3, 2001
    Posts: 2,358

    Spooky
    Member

    Yep! Steering wheel was originally a '55 Mercury piece. I am using this set up on my latest '59 Edsel project.

    Speaking of my latest Edsel, it was ordered from the Louisville, Ky plant with a padded dash, Town and Country radio and it is 1 of 500 produced that is a 2 door hardtop with gold exterior with a green interior.
    According to those who keep track of Edsel data, the last Edsel with this colour combination was in a scrap yard in Montana in 1994.
     
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  16. donno
    Joined: Feb 28, 2015
    Posts: 426

    donno
    Member

    My Dad's '50 Dodge had the "flip-up" gas cap.
     
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  17. Hogbud
    Joined: Jan 12, 2021
    Posts: 13

    Hogbud

    I have pretty much same options minus the seat. I may have a couple of the original rims, they are 15". 235 with; hydromatic, not so many around that I can see, when completed, its for sale, I would rather be working with a LS3 engine and in something NOT original!
     
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