Joel Lauman '57 air box car
07-15-2013, 05:02 PM
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Joel Lauman '57 air box car
I saw the beautiful website on this car
http://www.1957corvetteairbox.com/19...irbox/THE_BARN
that Bill Connell and Joel Lauman got a lead on when it was parked inside a barn on a pig farm outside of Trenton, Ohio. The seller was Bill Howe, a local car dealer who had raced the car back in 1957. I'm a little hazy on the airbox cars, were they a far cry from the '56 SR race cars, in other words, a car ready to race or the air box air intake for the FI was their big claim to fame and they needed a lot more beefing up to race?
In other words trying to gauge the car's significance vis-a-vis '56SR racer.
Also was it ever printed what Howe was selling it for?
I am not sure whether Connell was co-owner f the car when it was found or the barn finder/intermediary (I tried to write him via the website address but it bounced).
http://www.1957corvetteairbox.com/19...irbox/THE_BARN
that Bill Connell and Joel Lauman got a lead on when it was parked inside a barn on a pig farm outside of Trenton, Ohio. The seller was Bill Howe, a local car dealer who had raced the car back in 1957. I'm a little hazy on the airbox cars, were they a far cry from the '56 SR race cars, in other words, a car ready to race or the air box air intake for the FI was their big claim to fame and they needed a lot more beefing up to race?
In other words trying to gauge the car's significance vis-a-vis '56SR racer.
Also was it ever printed what Howe was selling it for?
I am not sure whether Connell was co-owner f the car when it was found or the barn finder/intermediary (I tried to write him via the website address but it bounced).
07-15-2013, 06:08 PM
#2
Tech Contributor
Connell is/was a member here and posted from time to time. You may look him up in the member list and email him via the forum.
He also did series of shows on collector cars on the Velocity channel last year.
He also did series of shows on collector cars on the Velocity channel last year.
07-15-2013, 07:56 PM
#3
Tech Contributor
Another link, this one from Bill
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c1-a...n-auction.html
And this thread has pictures of several Airbox cars
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c1-a...hat-is-it.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c1-a...n-auction.html
And this thread has pictures of several Airbox cars
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c1-a...hat-is-it.html
07-15-2013, 11:48 PM
#4
Melting Slicks
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The person who sold the airbox car in Trenton ,Ohio was Bill King. He was a old drag racer and bought the airbox car in Cincinnati and had it in a dry barn for many years. It is about 6 miles from where I live.
Bill Howe (Howe Chevrolet in Middletown, Ohio) was the original owner and drove the car home from St. Louis assembly plant. He then raced it the following weekend at Cumberland, MD. and came in 3rd beating a number of big name racers.
I looked at the car before Bill Connell and Joel Lauman bought it, but Bill King would not sell it at the time.
Joel Lauman and Bill Connell did a fantastic job researching and restoring the car to it's original condition. It had a number of one off factory modifications.
Bill Howe (Howe Chevrolet in Middletown, Ohio) was the original owner and drove the car home from St. Louis assembly plant. He then raced it the following weekend at Cumberland, MD. and came in 3rd beating a number of big name racers.
I looked at the car before Bill Connell and Joel Lauman bought it, but Bill King would not sell it at the time.
Joel Lauman and Bill Connell did a fantastic job researching and restoring the car to it's original condition. It had a number of one off factory modifications.
Last edited by ohiovet; 07-15-2013 at 11:54 PM.
07-17-2013, 02:53 PM
#5
Connell / Lauman 57 air box
I saw the beautiful website on this car
http://www.1957corvetteairbox.com/19...irbox/THE_BARN
that Bill Connell and Joel Lauman got a lead on when it was parked inside a barn on a pig farm outside of Trenton, Ohio. The seller was Bill Howe, a local car dealer who had raced the car back in 1957. I'm a little hazy on the airbox cars, were they a far cry from the '56 SR race cars, in other words, a car ready to race or the air box air intake for the FI was their big claim to fame and they needed a lot more beefing up to race?
In other words trying to gauge the car's significance vis-a-vis '56SR racer.
Also was it ever printed what Howe was selling it for?
I am not sure whether Connell was co-owner f the car when it was found or the barn finder/intermediary (I tried to write him via the website address but it bounced).
http://www.1957corvetteairbox.com/19...irbox/THE_BARN
that Bill Connell and Joel Lauman got a lead on when it was parked inside a barn on a pig farm outside of Trenton, Ohio. The seller was Bill Howe, a local car dealer who had raced the car back in 1957. I'm a little hazy on the airbox cars, were they a far cry from the '56 SR race cars, in other words, a car ready to race or the air box air intake for the FI was their big claim to fame and they needed a lot more beefing up to race?
In other words trying to gauge the car's significance vis-a-vis '56SR racer.
Also was it ever printed what Howe was selling it for?
I am not sure whether Connell was co-owner f the car when it was found or the barn finder/intermediary (I tried to write him via the website address but it bounced).
Great car!!!
Bill and Joel recently sold it to another well known Corvette collector in California.
( The FI unit on the car came from me ) unit was restored from our man down south..who did a fabulous job.
07-17-2013, 06:41 PM
#6
Melting Slicks
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I believe the fuel unit was restored by the PA. fuel injection guy with some involvement and tech info from Ken Kayser.
I don't know who our man down south is but I do know that Bill King had the fuel unit for many years.
How did it come from Malibu Beach?
And again the seller was not Bill Howe but Bill King.
I don't know who our man down south is but I do know that Bill King had the fuel unit for many years.
How did it come from Malibu Beach?
And again the seller was not Bill Howe but Bill King.
Last edited by ohiovet; 07-17-2013 at 06:43 PM.
07-18-2013, 05:33 AM
#7
4007 air box 57
I believe the fuel unit was restored by the PA. fuel injection guy with some involvement and tech info from Ken Kayser.
I don't know who our man down south is but I do know that Bill King had the fuel unit for many years.
How did it come from Malibu Beach?
And again the seller was not Bill Howe but Bill King.
I don't know who our man down south is but I do know that Bill King had the fuel unit for many years.
How did it come from Malibu Beach?
And again the seller was not Bill Howe but Bill King.
4007 is likely the 1st or at least earliest known 57 production air box car and is different from the ( 6) 1956 SR1's which were carburated cars w/Halibrand wheels. Yes, Ken Kayser did provide Bill and Joel technical support on 4007. Want to know more PM me. The Nassau cars were used as mules for the air box development... But more history still needs to surface. The Bill Mitchell SR2 was converted to an airbox car.
07-21-2013, 08:26 AM
#8
Le Mans Master
Code speak
I believe the fuel unit was restored by the PA. fuel injection guy with some involvement and tech info from Ken Kayser.
I don't know who our man down south is but I do know that Bill King had the fuel unit for many years.
How did it come from Malibu Beach?
And again the seller was not Bill Howe but Bill King.
I don't know who our man down south is but I do know that Bill King had the fuel unit for many years.
How did it come from Malibu Beach?
And again the seller was not Bill Howe but Bill King.
John told me he restored a 4800 series unit for this '57 shortly after Bill bought it (~2006?). John believes that particular FI plenum came with the purchase from King, but it's very unlikely a 4800 unit was factory installed on this car. In 2008, Bill bought a 4520 unit from one of my customers. I had restored that unit in 2007. I don't know which unit is currently on the car.
Last edited by jerrybramlett; 07-21-2013 at 10:57 AM.
07-21-2013, 09:34 AM
#9
Melting Slicks
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Jerry,
Thanks for the information.
In a conversation with Joel I understood that John DeGregory rebuilt the original (??) fuel unit which I am told was modified. I don't know which one was on the car when it was sold.
Bruce B
Thanks for the information.
In a conversation with Joel I understood that John DeGregory rebuilt the original (??) fuel unit which I am told was modified. I don't know which one was on the car when it was sold.
Bruce B
07-21-2013, 03:14 PM
#10
Jerry informed me of the confusion on Bill and Joe's air box car.
What Jerry told you is basically correct.
I restored the unit that Bill King supplied in the early 2000's. Bill and I used to chat over the phone but he seldom bought anything from me as he was close with the bucks as I recall. Nice guy who told me he had a '57 FI car stashed but he never told me it was an air box car.
I knew that Gail Parsons also tried to buy the car as Gail told me that.
When Joel and Bill brought me the 4800 unit at Corvette Carlisle I immediately had suspicions that it was not correct for Air Box car #1.
Later that day my pal Ken Kayser came to my vendor trailer and I told him the most likely the unit was incorrect. He said to me to hold the phone as the FI unit had various parts on it that were not typical of a '4800 unit. At this particular show I am absolutely swamped with customers so I didn't tell Ken what I knew from experience and dropped the subject of the unit being incorrect and moved forward with the restoration.
Shortly after I restored the unit it was put on the air box car and it ran very nice. But then I got a call from Bill or Joel (I forget) informing me that they had found out that the race car should have a '4520 unit. They asked me if I had one and I said I did not. So later on I heard they had Jerry Bramlett either supply or restore a '4520 unit for the trace car. I didn't know which until I talked to Jerry yesterday.
I live near Pittsburgh, PA which I refer to as the SW corner of PA. Why not use our names instead of north and south???
Anyhow forgetting that tidbit.
Our Pittsburgh Tri-state Chapter of NCRS had a regional at Seven Springs Ski-resort In June of 2008.
Joel and Bill brought their gorgeous '57 air box car to that event. I looked at it several times. It had a '4520 unit and a prototype '57 distributor. Don Baker knows the details on the distributor.
I had my 63 FI car judged at the show.
Joel and Bill came over several times to talk to me while my car was getting judged.
Why did I think the '4800 was incorrect for the car you ask?.
The fact that I have been tinkering with FI's since 1961 I have seen my share of NOS service replacement units. The Bill King unit appeared to be one of those. The throttle shaft was typical of a '58 to 62. There were other differences but that was one part that stood out in the crowd.
NOS FI's units are built out of whatever RP had on the shelves. They are not typically 100% correct for NCRS type judging. But that's getting off the subject.
Back to work as CC is coming way to fast. Have fun.
John
What Jerry told you is basically correct.
I restored the unit that Bill King supplied in the early 2000's. Bill and I used to chat over the phone but he seldom bought anything from me as he was close with the bucks as I recall. Nice guy who told me he had a '57 FI car stashed but he never told me it was an air box car.
I knew that Gail Parsons also tried to buy the car as Gail told me that.
When Joel and Bill brought me the 4800 unit at Corvette Carlisle I immediately had suspicions that it was not correct for Air Box car #1.
Later that day my pal Ken Kayser came to my vendor trailer and I told him the most likely the unit was incorrect. He said to me to hold the phone as the FI unit had various parts on it that were not typical of a '4800 unit. At this particular show I am absolutely swamped with customers so I didn't tell Ken what I knew from experience and dropped the subject of the unit being incorrect and moved forward with the restoration.
Shortly after I restored the unit it was put on the air box car and it ran very nice. But then I got a call from Bill or Joel (I forget) informing me that they had found out that the race car should have a '4520 unit. They asked me if I had one and I said I did not. So later on I heard they had Jerry Bramlett either supply or restore a '4520 unit for the trace car. I didn't know which until I talked to Jerry yesterday.
I live near Pittsburgh, PA which I refer to as the SW corner of PA. Why not use our names instead of north and south???
Anyhow forgetting that tidbit.
Our Pittsburgh Tri-state Chapter of NCRS had a regional at Seven Springs Ski-resort In June of 2008.
Joel and Bill brought their gorgeous '57 air box car to that event. I looked at it several times. It had a '4520 unit and a prototype '57 distributor. Don Baker knows the details on the distributor.
I had my 63 FI car judged at the show.
Joel and Bill came over several times to talk to me while my car was getting judged.
Why did I think the '4800 was incorrect for the car you ask?.
The fact that I have been tinkering with FI's since 1961 I have seen my share of NOS service replacement units. The Bill King unit appeared to be one of those. The throttle shaft was typical of a '58 to 62. There were other differences but that was one part that stood out in the crowd.
NOS FI's units are built out of whatever RP had on the shelves. They are not typically 100% correct for NCRS type judging. But that's getting off the subject.
Back to work as CC is coming way to fast. Have fun.
John
07-22-2013, 09:51 AM
#12
4007
I must agree with John D. and Jerry B. that it is UNLIKELY a 4800 would have been installed on 4007, or any other solid lifter 283.
The 4800 units were specifically calibrated for use on the 250hp (hyd lifter) FI engines, PLUS the 4800 units came along later than the production time line for 4007. Thus, a 4520 is the MOST logical unit to have been installed on 4007.
The 4520 units were calibrated for BOTH hyd and solid lifter engines. If a 4520 unit was calibrated for a hyd lifter engine, the serial # on the plenum tag was 1XXX, whereas a solid lifter engine with a 4520 unit had a serial # beginning with 2XXX.
When the later 4800 and 4960 units came along, they were virtually identical in every way, EXCEPT for calibration. The 4800 was for hyd lifter engines and the 4960 was for solid lifter engines.
And that brings up the question of distributors. By the time 4007 was built, there were 3 different distributors, 905, 906 and 908. The 905 and 908 were for solid lifter engines only. The did NOT have a vac advance, whereas the 906 had vac adv for a hyd lifter engine. The MOST noticeable difference between a 905 and a 908 dist was that the 908 had a tach drive (FIRST dist for FI with tach drive). The 908 was of course intended for use with the column mounted tach used on Airbox cars, BUT, there were SOME NON-Airbox cars with the 283/283 engine that got a 908 dist. Those cars had the in-dash tach driven by the generator and a cap was installed on the tach drive end of the 908 dist.
The 4800 units were specifically calibrated for use on the 250hp (hyd lifter) FI engines, PLUS the 4800 units came along later than the production time line for 4007. Thus, a 4520 is the MOST logical unit to have been installed on 4007.
The 4520 units were calibrated for BOTH hyd and solid lifter engines. If a 4520 unit was calibrated for a hyd lifter engine, the serial # on the plenum tag was 1XXX, whereas a solid lifter engine with a 4520 unit had a serial # beginning with 2XXX.
When the later 4800 and 4960 units came along, they were virtually identical in every way, EXCEPT for calibration. The 4800 was for hyd lifter engines and the 4960 was for solid lifter engines.
And that brings up the question of distributors. By the time 4007 was built, there were 3 different distributors, 905, 906 and 908. The 905 and 908 were for solid lifter engines only. The did NOT have a vac advance, whereas the 906 had vac adv for a hyd lifter engine. The MOST noticeable difference between a 905 and a 908 dist was that the 908 had a tach drive (FIRST dist for FI with tach drive). The 908 was of course intended for use with the column mounted tach used on Airbox cars, BUT, there were SOME NON-Airbox cars with the 283/283 engine that got a 908 dist. Those cars had the in-dash tach driven by the generator and a cap was installed on the tach drive end of the 908 dist.
When the car was first shown at the Special Collection in 2007..this unit was on the car and it was spectacular. ( with one exception )...the t fitting on the fuel meter was replaced with a standard repacement. ( forget why..but Jerry had a good reason..flow rate as I recall ). It was pointed out to Bill & Joel at Bloomington and as fate would have it ( jerry returns all unused parts ) the original fitting was in a bag of returned original parts which I sent to Bill afterwards.
Now the car is in the hands of another friend Ed in California. I don't know what unit is on the car today but it would be as easy as asking bill or Ed.
Tom..you might find it interesting that the original 57 EK Black Widow engine that was transplanted from the 57 Sebring Corvette into the 1954 George Moore Special had a tach drive 889...as well as a pre production all cast iron T-10 4-speed.
Very special stuff from the day.
