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

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.

 

Jesus….

 

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.

 

Counted the white plastic tubes - how about outside vents for the 6 caps on a tar top battery ?

 

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.

 

I think this is a solid theory.

 

You know...I thought I had counted 8! Perfect explanation! I'll have to look up setups! Thanks

 

I agree. I've had others ask me to reproduce these for the same reason when I posted on the Latham thread

 

Holy shit.

 

You win best post

 

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.

 

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.

 

Just F'n Wow!
Geezuzzz.... You sir struck Gold.. Damn!

 

No "ZIP" codes on any of the adresses on the boxes (pre 1964) Cool!

 

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!

 

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 .

 

All I can say is WOW!!!

 

If you play the lottery, stop and save your money. I don't think you could have any more luck left!!! Gene.

 

Perhaps the score of the decade.

 

Incredible . And now I am speechless.

 

A few more of the photos...these are mostly what I used to buy it sight unseen

 

TITS!!!

 

What a find! This has to go back together with all those parts.

 

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

ironandsteele.com ​

 

Wow, if you’re looking for extra funds for the build I think @Moriarity was looking for a FI unit for his Vette.

 

Again, what a score!

 

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!