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Projects No Fuzzy Dice...Digging the History of my '57 Chevy Convertible Drag Racer

Discussion in 'Traditional Hot Rods' started by flamed34, May 19, 2022.

  1. flamed34
    Joined: Dec 30, 2009
    Posts: 819

    flamed34
    Member

    So, to start off some of you may have seen another post I made with some pics of this car. This is the "unofficial, if I build it, "restoration" of a cool piece of history" thread and I'll update as I go along.
    I would also appreciate any info along the way...I’m really interested in where I can find old footage, articles, timing slips....anything from any dragstrip where this car may have run. The car was out of Bound Brook, NJ...so may have run at Manville, Flemington, Old Bridge, Vargo, Langhorne....

    I bought this car sight unseen (well, I saw pics) from the mother of a friend/old co-worker. From the pics I knew:
    1. It appeared to be pretty solid
    2. There was a fuelie unit
    3. There were multiple carbs sitting on a shelf
    4. There were fuelie badge and script holes
    5. There were several boxes of NOS parts
    I went to my friend’s house the weekend after Easter to talk to his mother who was in town and finalize the deal. The car was several hours away...and still unseen. I paid very well based on what I knew, which was substantially higher than another family friend had offered.
    While talking to the mother, I learned the car was bought by her late husband new or close to it. He had it prior to them getting married, and used it as a daily and drag raced it on the weekends. He tore it down for a repaint, and shortly thereafter had an engine fire that blistered the newly painted hood. It was rolled into his parents barn/garage around 1963 where it remained until sometime between 2011 and 2015 when it was pulled out and moved to NC.
    I picked it up 5/14/22. I was amazed at all the "stuff" with it. There were numerous "race parts" he had bought when he was driving it that never got installed and at some point he started collecting NOS parts to restore it - even though most of the OEM stuff is in awesome shape. Some items he collected multiples. I loaded the car to over flowing, the bed of my truck to over flowing, and the back seat area of my crew cab to over flowing.
    And while loading only really saw a fraction of the parts.
    I got it home (actually to my father's as I'm in the middle of moving and don't have a garage built at the house yet) and started going through the car and parts.
    So...as I got into the car, I started uncovering the "drag racing" history. A lot of the stuff I didn't see when loading or took the time to dig into, but reinforces he was about speed:
    1. Tubular traction bars
    2. Battery relocated to the trunk
    3. Racing "harness" lap belt with eye hooks mounted to the back floor
    4. Blocked off 3-speed floor shifter location and BW T10 4 speed with a Palmini Engineering scatter shield
    5. Early headers with block off plates to uncork at the strip
    6. Early performance shocks (I have been told they may be Corvette Delco 411 shocks but can’t find pics to compare and haven’t been able to get a good pic of the stamping)
    7. 1950s Sun Tach
    8. SW accessory Gauges
    9. Additional dash switches - haven't traced but potentially to cut tail lights/brake lights (time will tell)

    And then I started going through the boxes and boxes of parts:

    1. Complete Latham Supercharger new in box (ok, I saw this when loading) with all hardware, pulleys, original belt, YH sidedraft carbs, modified fuelie intake, block off plates...and really cool "Supercharged by Latham" cast fender scripts
    2. What I believe is the original fuelie 4520 unit (cracked) with all parts but the "throttle body" and everything to rebuild it. I have to go back for a Model A I bought, so hopefully I'll find the missing part
    3. A bonus fuelie 4800 unit complete
    4. 1962 “Hi-Rev” R-266-BL Crane Cam with rollers and cast rev guides, and then-brand new Crane-worked Corvette “fuelie” 461X heads new in boxes (shipping value from Crane at $500 in 1962!)
    5. Segal fuel distribution block
    6. Hildebrandt fuel pump block off plate
    7. Marvel Mystery Oil Injection setup
    8. 2 other Fuelie intakes (3768233 dated 4.2.62 and another that I don’t have the numbers available)
    9. An early "Capacitive Discharge Electronic Ignition" - need to research more
    10. Never installed Stelling cast breathers
    11. Never installed early battery disconnect
    12. New never installed 2-pod SW Pressure gauges
    13. An add-on “race belt” with reinforced eye-bolts and latches to add a seatbelt while racing
    And so much more...
    And then there's the NOS stuff...2 pages I cataloged in a notebook and I didn't write down everything yet. From trim (I think everything but the outside door handles) to complete bumpers, grill bars, etc.. Some things there are 2 or 3 of...
    And then the car. It's essentially untouched other than the repaint. The top is original and salvageable. The seats are in great shape other than 1 hole on top of the driver's seat. The one rust hole on the whole car (on the passenger floor near the door sill) is about an inch long and 3/16 wide.
    As for the Fuelie...I've chatted with experts and did my share of sleuthing. It has the original 1/8" script/badge holes. Later holes were larger. I have the electrovac, the fuelie 4520 unit with a serial in alignment with production date, distributor, the 3/8" fuel line, original badges, vacuum wiper assembly...everything but the right engine (it's an auto application and this car was clearly always a manual). I think even the cracked fuelie/missing air valve and all the rebuild parts (including the small wiring harness) aligns with the fire under the hood...potentially a big backfire...

    I’m not a ‘57 guy. But a convertible is sort of cool. A potential fuelie is even cooler.
    But a 1957 Fuelie Convertible used as a weekend drag car...pretty damn awesome in my book!

    I’m still trying to figure out a few things...like the 8 plastic hoses in the trunk! They are cut off under the car so no idea. My initial reaction was air shocks...but 8 hoses! I haven’t checked out gear ratio in the rear...I’m working too much and being at my father’s is a little inconvenient when I want to sit in it and make zoom zoom noises...
    I’m guessing there’s some records out there somewhere. I’ve asked the family to keep an eye out for timing slips, news articles...anything to tie this car to its apparent short-lived racing history.

    So, while I initially was looking at this as a flip, I’ve pretty much decided I think I want to build this car. It won’t be a concours restoration. It’ll be built to preserve the history of what this car was and what he was planning. I’ll use the heads, the cam, the various bits and pieces...and crown it with that glorious Latham.

    20220514_162920.jpg IMG_6637.JPEG IMG_6641.JPEG IMG_6644.JPEG IMG_6645.JPEG 20220514_103153.jpg 20220514_154400.jpg 20220514_154422.jpg 20220514_222011.jpg 20220515_123923.jpg 20220515_132405.jpg 20220515_143107.jpg 20220515_155207.jpg 20220515_160249.jpg 20220515_160429.jpg 20220515_165617.jpg 20220515_170708.jpg 20220515_173951.jpg 20220515_173956.jpg 20220515_174115.jpg 20220515_174412.jpg 20220515_174815.jpg 20220515_174832.jpg 20220515_181657.jpg 20220515_221031.jpg 20220515_221038.jpg 20220517_205546.jpg 20220518_192458.jpg 20220518_192522.jpg 20220518_192744.jpg
    20220518_192744.jpg
     
    Last edited: May 19, 2022
    -Brent-, Deuces, aussie57wag and 28 others like this.
  2. flamed34
    Joined: Dec 30, 2009
    Posts: 819

    flamed34
    Member

  3. Squablow
    Joined: Apr 26, 2005
    Posts: 17,785

    Squablow
    Member

    I love this car, and I'm so happy to hear about your plans. The world already has a bunch of restored fuelie '57 convertibles, the world has exactly one of these. I don't know how bad the current paint is but I'd love to see a very careful and thorough buffing and detailing and a blend job on the hood and door just to see how it would turn out. Maybe it wouldn't go but it'd be amazing if it did.

    And all those parts! There are some really great treasures there. I don't know what you paid and I won't ask but you sure got a lot for your money, whatever the price was. I would imagine you'd keep the original fuel injection stuff with the car while running the Latham setup (I love that), but there's an awful lot of duplicates and extra stuff there that could be sold to help finance the build.

    I'm jealous.
     
    Stogy, chryslerfan55, -Brent- and 4 others like this.
  4. 302GMC
    Joined: Dec 15, 2005
    Posts: 8,135

    302GMC
    Member
    from Idaho

    Counted the white plastic tubes - how about outside vents for the 6 caps on a tar top battery ?
     
    deadbeat, Stogy, Utahvette and 10 others like this.
  5. Squablow
    Joined: Apr 26, 2005
    Posts: 17,785

    Squablow
    Member

    I think I would frame that Latham box and the Crane Cam packaging and hang them on the wall like high art. Those might be the only surviving examples of those packages left in the world.
     
    -Brent-, Stogy, VANDENPLAS and 11 others like this.
  6. Squablow
    Joined: Apr 26, 2005
    Posts: 17,785

    Squablow
    Member

    I think this is a solid theory.
     
    Stogy, AHotRod, mad mikey and 2 others like this.
  7. flamed34
    Joined: Dec 30, 2009
    Posts: 819

    flamed34
    Member

    You know...I thought I had counted 8! Perfect explanation! I'll have to look up setups! Thanks
     
    Stogy likes this.
  8. flamed34
    Joined: Dec 30, 2009
    Posts: 819

    flamed34
    Member

    I agree. I've had others ask me to reproduce these for the same reason when I posted on the Latham thread 20220514_222011.jpg
     
    -Brent-, Deuces, Stogy and 9 others like this.
  9. Anderson
    Joined: Jan 27, 2003
    Posts: 7,448

    Anderson
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

  10. Budget36
    Joined: Nov 29, 2014
    Posts: 14,443

    Budget36
    Member

    You win best post:)
     
  11. flamed34
    Joined: Dec 30, 2009
    Posts: 819

    flamed34
    Member

    I will take a buffer to it but there are some "micro" rust spots all over. They may buff off temporarily...we'll see. The door is a shadow...the only real area that needs paint if buffing brings it back is the hood.
    That was my thought on the Fuelie unit...set it up in a secure display in the trunk or some such thing. The only thing that would top it off is if I can find some "provenance" to it's racing past to display as well.
     
  12. flamed34
    Joined: Dec 30, 2009
    Posts: 819

    flamed34
    Member

    I don't know about that...but it's pretty cool to have been the guy to find this car and have the chance to resurrect it.
     
    Stogy, catdad49, quick85 and 4 others like this.
  13. Hollywood-East
    Joined: Mar 13, 2008
    Posts: 2,023

    Hollywood-East
    Member

    Just F'n Wow!
    Geezuzzz.... You sir struck Gold.. Damn!
     
    Stogy, AHotRod, hotrodjack33 and 4 others like this.
  14. overspray
    Joined: Jan 14, 2003
    Posts: 1,429

    overspray
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    No "ZIP" codes on any of the adresses on the boxes (pre 1964) Cool!
     
    Stogy, -Brent-, AHotRod and 4 others like this.
  15. SS327
    Joined: Sep 11, 2017
    Posts: 3,068

    SS327

    The MM oil injection is to keep the Latham vanes lubed so they don’t wear out early. Yes, you do win best post and best find of the year!
     
    Stogy, VANDENPLAS, Toms Dogs and 10 others like this.
  16. 41rodderz
    Joined: Sep 27, 2010
    Posts: 6,540

    41rodderz
    Member
    from Oregon

    Yeah , that’s a score and a list with a lot of boxes checked off . You must be living right and go to church twice on Sundays . :)
     
  17. All I can say is WOW!!!
     
    Stogy, AHotRod, SS327 and 3 others like this.
  18. If you play the lottery, stop and save your money. I don't think you could have any more luck left!!! Gene.
     
    Stogy, AHotRod, chevy57dude and 6 others like this.
  19. Perhaps the score of the decade.
     
    VANDENPLAS, Stogy, AHotRod and 7 others like this.
  20. Incredible . And now I am speechless.
     
    Stogy, -Brent-, AHotRod and 5 others like this.
  21. flamed34
    Joined: Dec 30, 2009
    Posts: 819

    flamed34
    Member

    A few more of the photos...these are mostly IMG_6661.JPEG IMG_6659.JPEG IMG_6658.JPEG IMG_6657.JPEG IMG_6656.JPEG IMG_6655.JPEG IMG_6653.JPEG IMG_6643.JPEG IMG_6641.JPEG IMG_6640.JPEG IMG_6639.JPEG IMG_6638.JPEG IMG_6637.JPEG IMG_6635.JPEG IMG_6631.JPEG IMG_6647.JPEG IMG_6646.JPEG IMG_6642.JPEG IMG_6633.JPEG what I used to buy it sight unseen
     
    Deuces, Toms Dogs, Stogy and 14 others like this.
  22. Jeff Norwell
    Joined: Aug 20, 2003
    Posts: 15,054

    Jeff Norwell
    MODERATOR
    Staff Member

    HOLY MOLY!!!!!!!
     
    Deuces, VANDENPLAS, Stogy and 7 others like this.
  23. neilswheels
    Joined: Aug 26, 2006
    Posts: 1,258

    neilswheels
    Member
    from England

    What a find! This has to go back together with all those parts.
     
    Stogy, AHotRod, SS327 and 2 others like this.
  24. ironandsteele
    Joined: Apr 25, 2006
    Posts: 6,009

    ironandsteele
    Member

    Wow, what an amazing find! This is every car-guy's dream.

    ironandsteele.com ​
     
    Stogy, AHotRod, SS327 and 4 others like this.
  25. Rickybop
    Joined: May 23, 2008
    Posts: 9,926

    Rickybop
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

  26. e1956v
    Joined: Sep 29, 2009
    Posts: 2,437

    e1956v
    Alliance Vendor

    Wow, if you’re looking for extra funds for the build I think @Moriarity was looking for a FI unit for his Vette.
     
    Stogy, 31hotrodguy, AHotRod and 2 others like this.
  27. Again, what a score!
     
    Stogy, AHotRod, SS327 and 2 others like this.
  28. SS327
    Joined: Sep 11, 2017
    Posts: 3,068

    SS327

    With every picture you post, every word you write it just gets better and better! I still want to know how you sit down with that lucky horseshoe stuck so far up your ass!
     
    Stogy, AHotRod, brady1929 and 3 others like this.

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