Chevrolet Corvette 1957

1957 Corvette

The 1957 Corvette included a larger V-8 and, as mid-year, in addition to the list of options, a four-speed manual gearbox that has long been requested by the fans. The appearance of the Corvette has not changed - it is not necessary that - unless the bodyside "coves" now might be finished in a contrasting color as an option for $ 19.40.

The 283-cid V-8 has become one of the most revered Chevy engines - the final small block embodied by a generation of car enthusiasts and collectors all that followed. It is essentially the current engine 265 that had been bored with 1/8-inch (3875 inches; stroke remains a short 3.00 inches). Chevrolet passenger cars in the 283 delivered 185 hp in base form, but the standard version Corvette with a four-barrel carburetor developed 220 hp at 4800 rpm. Dual four barrels meant to 245 and 270 hp, and the redevelopment of the GM "Ramjet" fuel injection system yielded 250 or 283 hp. The last one was the magic "of a horsepower per cubic inch" threshold, and Chevy ads blared the news. (This was not the first, though, Chrysler has actually exceeded that goal last year with its 355-hp 354-cid V-8 hemi in the 300B.)

The fuel injection is an alien concept - literally - to the automobile manufacturers in Detroit in 1950. Chevrolet resorted to technology as a way of gleaning added performance of its two years of the V-8 while their competitors were preparing the new eight-cylinder their own power. Engineers provided a page from the European car manufacturers carrying out books and settled in obtaining more horsepower through a more precise measurement of the fuel system carburetor allowed, ie the fuel injection . Year 1957 is closing fast, so that a development team is formed - and citizens.

In a relatively short period of time, the engineers develop a fuel injection system that appeared to be relatively inexpensive to manufacture and promised significant power gains. However, the evidence showed the initial test "fuelie" not to be more powerful than a motorcycle double V-8. So it was back to the laboratory for further research.

Ultimately Chevrolet and GM's Rochester carburetor division emerged with a workable system that not only increased production of high-end, but the spread of energy in a wide range rpm. Reliability problems emerged quickly, which together with the option of high price - $ 500 - the fuel injection, making a scarce commodity. Facilities ran just 240 in a total of 6339 Corvettes los'57 production. Estatorreactor fuel injection was reduced from Chevy other lines of cars after 1958, but remained as an option through Corvette 1965.

Despite its problems, fuel injection provided the necessary implementation capacity. "Fantastic!" It began with an announcement that a photo Corvette being unloaded from a freighter, an average that includes Ferrari only visible in the background. "Even in Turin, nobody has fuel injection!" Ironically, in view of the hubbub about "1 hp per cu. Pulg," the top fuelie actually delivered about 290 hp - more than the advertised 283. This was achieved in the 10.5:1 compression, shared with the dual carbohydrate 270 hp engine. The slightest of 250 hp fuelie ran a lighter 9.5:1 squeeze, the same as that of the CV-245 dual unit carbohydrates. Some historians believe that, in their eagerness to promote Ramjet, Chevrolet deliberately underestimated the power of the engines twice carbohydrates.

The engine 283-cid/283-bhp was sold as an option for $ 484.20, which led the order and the code should not be confused with the version SL career, which in 726.30 dollars, to be sold as a package complete with column-mounted tachometer and a soda-air induction system. Chevy warned potential buyers that the option was not MT of the street and, in fact, he refused to include in heaters cars equipped with the package career.

In the long run, four option of manual gearbox speed is probably more important than the fuel injection for the Corvette's overall performance aura. A price of only $ 188.30, regulate production Option (RPO) 685 was essentially to triple transmission speed Borg-Warner and reversing tailshaft moved to the house to make room for a fourth forward speed. Relations were again closely spaced: 2.20:1 (1 st), 1.66 (2 °), 1.31 (3 meetings), and 1.00 (4 meetings). "Positraction," Chevy's new limited-slip differential, it was an option available with four different end of the unit to assist ratios make the most of the new engine and gearbox in every driving situation or the competition.

For the 1957 Corvette - to respond to previous generations' complaints about handling and braking deficiencies - Chevrolet also issued RPO 684. This was a $ 780.10 "heavy racing suspension" package that includes heavy-duty springs, a front anti-thick bar of influence, Positraction, most piston with valveing firmer shock absorbers, a direction faster that the reduction of turns lock to lock 3.7 to 2.9, ceramic and metal brake linings finned drums ventilated. Add fuelie the 283-hp V-8, and he had a car that was ready to go racing right off the showroom floor.

In almost any form, el'57 Corvette issued certifiably amazing performance. Motor Trend clocked 250-hp fuelie in just 7.2 seconds in the 0-60-mph sprint. The 283-hp version is even more formidable, Road & Track running the same test on a four-speeds with the short end of 4.11:1 transmission in just 5.7 seconds, which breezed through the quarter-mile in 14.3 seconds to more than 90 Mph and sailed on more than 132 mph. Motor Trend took a version of the engine with 283-hp, dual exhaust, live special, strong and lifting all the way up to 134 mph.

Here are the specifications for the Corvette 1957:

Vehicle Specifications
Convertible
Among axes, 102.0 inches
Length, in.
168.0
Width, in.
70.5
Track inches
Front: 57.0 rear: 59.0
Height, in.
51.1
Stopping weight, pounds
2,985

Mechanical Specifications (2-door convertible)

Suspension
Front: Independent; unequal-length A-arms, coil springs, antiroll bar, tubular hydraulic shock absorbers
Rear: Live axle semi-elliptical leaf springs, antiroll bar, tubular hydraulic shock absorbers

Wheels / tires
6.70x15

Brakes
Front: 11 inch drum
Rear: drum 11 inches

Transmission
3-speed manual (std)
4-speed manual (opt)
2-speed Powerglide (opt)

Standard axle ratio
3.70:1

Specifications Engine

Ohv Type V-8 ohv V-8 ohv V-8 ohv V-8 ohv V-8
Scrolling, liters / cu inch 4.6/283
4.6/283 4.6/283 4.6/283 4.6/283
Bore x stroke, 3875 inches x 3.00 3875 x 3.00 3875 x 3.00 3875 x 3.00 x 3.00 3875
Fuel Management 1 x 4-bbl. 2 x 4-bbl. The fuel injection of 2 x 4-bbl. Fuel Injection
Horses force of 220 rpm @ @ 4800 245 @ 5800 250 @ 4800 250 @ 4800 283 @ 6200
Par @ rpm, 300 lb-ft @ 3000 300 @ 3000 305 @ 3800 305 @ 3800 290 @ 4400

Published performance numbers

Acceleration
250 hp, 4-sp man.
0-60 mph, SEC
5.7
0-100 km / h sec
NA
1/4-mile SEC
14.3

Type Car
Production
Price
2-door convertible
6,339
$ 3,176.32