Squirrel, I will check it out tomorrow if i don't forget. Butch, have fun. I sure am. Gasserlouie, don't worry. It probably won't have a radio. If it does, It will be the ancient Audiovox Rampage that i pulled out of a truck our shop class was gutting and sending to the crusher. Dad, I am glad you found me. Sorry to steal your heading for the vette. I can't wait to see it done, too. Ripsrides, thats a nice car. I wish I had a set of wheels like that for mine. It will probably be baby moons and beauty rings until the rest is finished. Oh well. It's all good. At least I have my smileys.
'58's Aren't so bad, they had 348's, cool tail lights and steering wheels, etc. Good Donor cars. (Im just playin' I like 58's too) keep up the good work building your '57. People that talk shit about 4drs are dumb.
Thank's dog dish, I am glad SOMEONE is pulling for the more doors. I thought I was on what amounted to be a one man campaign. I am glad to know it's not just me that's normal.
55 Hydramatic, I am glad I am not the only young feller into this stuff. This is for anyone to answer that knows anything more than nothing, because you know more than I do. Squirrel says my 327 was 250 hp stock with a 4bbl. It has PowerPack heads and a rochester 2bbl. It has a 3 on the tree tranny and I don't rod on my stuff. I was wondering what kind of hp it would be putting out now, and what kind of mileage I could expect to get with it. Thanks in advance.
I would say around 10-12 with that 2bbl if you tune it right and the motor doesn't have a million miles on it. My 72' GMC 4x4 with a 383 stroker and a three speed trans gets about that....unless I have my foot in it. Then it doesn't matter. As for HP I'd guess around what it was stock probably less, depending on whats in it, mileage etc...
Assuming the engine is in good condition, and you get it tuned right, and you drive sensibly, you should be able to get somewhere between 12 and 18 mpg with it. HP would be somewhere around 200 maybe with the 2bbl.
I was about 16 when I got my first '57, a four door Belair. Of course back then the junkyards were full of them. The one I have now I got in '75. Good luck on your project, it looks like you have a good body to start with.
Paint? Hell, I woulda drove it like it was! 4 doors are cool. If you decide that you want a 2 dr the conversion is pretty straight forward and on here. Remember, the important thing is to get it on the road!
Thanks for the info and encouragement. I probably don't need any more HP than that. As for the mileage, thats great. My blazer gets 13 and my dodge gets 24 hwy mpg, but diesel is way more expensive than gas so it evens out. It will make a nice cruiser that way. I can gather up the girlfriend and ride around on not much gas. Plus, it will be fun and people already stare at my dodge wheni roll by. I can't wait to see their faces when I am in this.
thanks i wish i still had the old cragers i have chrome reverse wheels on old girl now. I have been thinking about making a convertible out of her.I traded it off for 64 impala convert then went and traded my jeep for it back a few years later. I then gave it to my dad and he just gave her bak to me this year guess will have her till i m taking a dirt nap. get her running drive the hell out of it
Well kid... you'll DIG this post then! The GREAT 57 Chevy post! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=635978&highlight=great+57+chevy+post Sam
Sam, I am in love with your car. I love the tunnel ram and dual quads. Dad (masters9661) used to have that set up on his 57 B/A H/T. It has a fiberglass flip-forward hood and fenders. It looked TOUGH!!! Woody, thank you for the encouragement. I went and got the other motor that came with the car today. I ran the numbers and it's out of grandpa's 66 el camino that we bought from the same guy. He believes the engine in his el camino has been punched to a 301. I am not sure. It is a ground pounder. Anyway, thank you all for the encouragement. The 57 gets out of the bodyshop hopefully on friday. Last Monday he said it would be done sunday. On thursday he said it would be done tuesday. On Monday, today, he says friday. I hope he gets it done because it is going to Iowa as soon as it is done.
FWIW, I have a stock 400" SBC, with stock manifold, 4 bbl.carb and dual exhausts...and a T-400 tranny and a 3:35 rear...and I get a comfortable 20-21 mpg on the highway at 70 mph...the engine is in my '40 Stude coop...I'd post up a photo but don't want to hijack your thread... If the rear gears are stock 3:35's in your '57, you should get decent mileage with it... R-
Squirrel, you are so right. I have always dealt locally back in Chariton, a town of about 3000-4000 people. I know almost all of the bodyshop guys since dad has a used car lot. Grandpa has an older colored guy that runs a bodyshop. He quoted me a price I couldn't refuse to do all the bodywork, paint the trunk, doorjambs, all under the hood except the engine, and the whole outside. I figured that since I had a month left, he could get it done in that timeframe. I know you get what you pay for, but I can't afford much better. 40StudeDude, I am glad to know that. Maybe since mine is smaller displacement and stick it might do better? Do you have alockup converter and what kind of rpms are you doing a about 55mph and 70mph? How tall of rear tires are you running? Do you ever get into the 4bbl? What year is your engine out of and what compression is it and how many HP do you think it has? -Philroy
And don't be afraid to post a picture. The worst it can do is bump it to the top adn even more people can give me their opinions. Thanks -Philroy
Cool first car! I had a vega for my first car. I'm real happy to see a younger generation coming into the hobby. Keep us posted on your build.
Perhaps...depends on how you drive it. No lock-up converter...it's a stock T-400 and about 70 mph I'm turning about 2900-3000 rpm. I run radials - 225 x 75 R15 Diamondback whitewalls on the rear, 205's on the front. Will this pic answer your question...??? HAMB drags a few years ago... Drove it down - (13 1/2 hours one way from Denver), raced it and then drove it back home...(oh, btw, it's the green coupe in the pic). Runs about 15.5 to 15.7 in the quarter at 95-99 mph. On the streets-yes, all the time...I love to hear the carb gasping for air at a mile-hi altitude...!!! It's bone stock...a 1970 engine...didn't even change the cam and prolly no more than 9.5 to 1 compression...it has Sanderson cast iron headers, Flowmasters and that's it...and I doubt it has more than 250 horses... Some people hate 400" SBC's, say they are too temperamental and they run too hot, but they aren't really any different than any other SBC...mine has 140,000 miles on it since it was overhauled in 1983...!!! Still runs strong and would not hesitate to drive it to the HAMB drags and back home again. R-
73super and RC Kid, Thank you very much. 40StudeDude, I love to hear the pipes make a little chatter. I don't however do like the idiots in the parkinglot do such as doing brakestands and revving their engines sky high to see who has the loudest pipes. I don't peel around and rod on my stuff, especially my cummins. That engine and tranny have 328k on them and i want to run it to 1 million miles. I don't have to rev it up to be the loudest in the parking lot. The hum and whistle of the straightpipe drowns them all out at an idle. So, no, I don't rod on my vehicles. Only my 50cc 1988 yamaha dt50 50cc dirtbike. I think that my car has 3.55 gears? I havent got to drive it yet so we don't really know. Thank you for the tire info, also. That ain't bad at all on the times with your car, and by the picture, it looks purdy stout at the drags. Are you coming to the HAMB Drags this year? Thank you for the engine info. I hope mine will get that kind of mileage. But, probably all I will do with my car is go and pick up the girlfriend and cruise around town. Maybe a trip or two to Des Moines. I will keep yall notified on the car. As of now, it's setting in the bodyshop. Waiting to go to Iowa...
I agree,"brakestands" are for idiots...and there's nothing wrong with "rodding" a vehicle...stoplight to stoplight is just as hard on a car as going racing...and putting your foot in it once in a while keeps it "cleaned out"...it won't hurt it. It was built from the factory to take more than you can dish out in it. No, won't be at the HAMB drags this year...have other plans and yes, it's possible you have 3:55 gears...FYI, any third member (the center section in the rear end) can be interchanged with any Chevrolet third member from 1955 to 1964, including Posi-traction units. I do have three or four center sections in my shed and I'd bet one of them is a 3:35 but none of them are Posi if you are interested...they are getting harder to find. Best thing for you is simply to cruise around in the '57, attend a few events in it and show it off when you get it done... R-
Good for you Philroy! Always remember, NEVER SELL YOUR CAR!! You can use google to search for hamb threads that show you how to make a more desirable two door out of your car. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=350312
40StudeDude, I had never thought of it that way. The only racing I do is at the dragstrip in dad's 57. There are no stoplights in the county. Only them stopsigns. I know what you mean though. That's just to show how podunk Chariton is. I wouldn't have it any other way, though. 3000 people and over 1500 of them work fulltime at the Hy-Vee warehouse. I am so glad I am not one of them. It's too bad you can't come to the Drags this year. We went last year and don't plan on ever missing them if it can be helped. 6 of us went last year. There are close to 50 people coming this year. I video-ed the whole deal an put the vids and the pictures together and made an hour long movie of the whole deal. I am taking 3 cameras this year and am planning on making a video that's at least 2 hours long. If it turns out that my 3rd member is bad, I might well take you up on it. I am planning on cruising around and just having fun with it. If I want to go fast, I'll borrow dad's car. Manyolcars, thank you. I am not planning on selling my car unless a screaming good deal comes along. (i know where there is a 65 chevelle ss and if the 57 will bring enough to buy it, it's gone) I thought about making a 2 door, but it seemed like a lot of work to do it. Not that I'm against work, but the benefits just weren't worth the work it would take. Thank you for the ideas and input, though. -Philroy
I went to the bodyshop today. It appears as though I won't be able to see it painted before i go to Iowa. This angers me since i was paying to have it done a few days ago, on Sunday. My younger brother an I are flying back to Iowa Tuesday. Grandpa will hopefully be bringing it back on August 9th, if it's out of the bodyshop by then. I don't mean to be complaining, but i am slightly disponded, due to the fact that very little progress has been made in the last few weeks. I am sorry, but I need a place to vent. -Philroy
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