Plastic Pig

I don't know why I keep getting involved with these projects cars but I just could not pass this one up. Its a a 57 Big brake fuelie :cool: It is completely disassembled :eek: ,but all the parts are there.( Think big model kit)
The really cool part is that it is an airbox car. I have documentation going back to 64, but nothing to prove it is one of the original 43 Airbox cars. It has a nice racing history too. Even if I can't prove its not a real airbox this is going to be a great project, that will be driven. How many cruise nights or shows have a 57 Airbox driven to them.

I have my work cut out for me, but I really want to drive this and the tube frame car to the 50th in Nashville/ Bowling Green with my father in 03
After that a little SVRA vintage racing.

I finally ordered a digital camera so I will be posting pics of both cars soon!

I really love the tube frame in the other 57. I wonder how the NCRS would feel about a tube frame airbox car? :p: :p: :p:

67HEAVEN

Exxxxxxxxxxxxcellent! :cheers:

67's

Ahhhhhhh now I see why you want to sell the other one.

Congrats on the new purchase.

Tom

7vettes

Funny you would say that.....I was in the garage messing-around under the hood of The 64 awhile ago and was just thinking to myself......thank Goodness I don't have to worry about what a bunch of Judges think of all this :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :smash:

DZAUTO

Sometimes they just scratch their heads when they look at my 56 FI with an airbox and HD brakes.

00fxd

Congrats on the rare piece. I'm assuming that an 'airbox' is some type of tunned intake system? Still can't wait for pics of the tube frame car!

Vette60

Sounds like an awesome project...should be great fun to put back together and get it on the road! Good luck and can't wait to see the pics!

MassVette

Hurry up with those pics!
:yesnod: :yesnod: :yesnod:

a63vette

May I ask where/how you found it?

Congrats!

Jordan

DZAUTO

An "Airbox" is a very rare and unique part to a 57 Vette ONLY. Except for about 43 cars, ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL 57 Vettes with FI had an open element air cleaner attached directly to the air meter and took in hot, under hood air. About 43 of the 57s with FI, HD brakes/suspension, and a special column mounted 8000rpm tach (read factory race car in their time), were fitted with a more or less hand formed air duct to supply cool, fresh, outside air to the FI unit. The duct was made of fiberglass and had the air filter element mounted inside and a flexible hose, similar to the fresh air hose for the heater, routed the air to the FI unit. Somewhere through the years this air duct was nicknamed "airbox", and thus, these 43 cars have become known as "airbox" cars. Only a few cars in history have become specifically identified by their nickname, and when the name is mentioned, it denotes ONLY one kind of car. So, now you know that airbox specifically refers to a 57 Vette with ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL (at that time) the goodies. And a "split window" also refers to ONLY one car, etc.
Since these amounted to factory race cars, as with most race cars, their life span was generally short. They were run hard, abused, misused and in time, for the most part neglected after their usefulness had been served. It is not clear just how many airbox cars have survived, but I think there are about 10-12 known to exist. In the past 10 or so years, I have maybe seen 3-4.
One last thing. As I mentioned, ALL 57 Vettes with FI, except 43 cars, had the air cleaner mounted to the FI unit taking in hot air. In 58, all FI cars received a fender mounted, metal air cleaner, which, I'm sure, resulted from the 57 airbox design. This fender mounted air cleaner design was in use up until the last FI car in 65.
Today, as we all know, all cars, whether they be Vettes, Chevy pickups, Hondas or Mercedes, have a duct which provides outside cooler air to the engine. Yesterday's high performance stuff is now today's standard equipment.


[Modified by DZAUTO, 9:14 AM 9/17/2002]

desertpilgrim

What's the VIN?

itza56

man, thats some exciting stuff... enjoy that......
I sure would like to know the history of mine....

GregP

DZAUTO - Great History. I never knew that. Thanks.

-Greg

Milehigh66

Great history lesson DZauto, I appreciate you telling us about it, I could only guess what an airbox was.

Plastic Pig

Thanks for the congrats ! I pick it up on the 30th. I can't hardly sleep.

This is like fulfilling a lifelong dream. Getting a car like the is very exciting. I remember when I got my first 57 fuelie thinking it was my holy grail. I never thought I could duplicate that feeling or own a car like this. :D

I've been tracking the "Airbox" 57's that pop up for sale from time to time, but could never dream of affording the 150K+ asking price. One recently sold for 185K. :eek: :eek: The car I bought was even to rich for my blood , but I figured it was now or never.( Thanks Dad for making this possible!) You just can't beat the rates and terms of BOD (Bank of Dad) Even though all the parts are there I never in my wildest dreams imagined paying this much for a completely disassembled broke down old race car.

As of last week I was looking for a 54 to make another tube frame car and saying I would never drive another stocker. :crazy: Who knew ? At Watkins Glen I mentioned half in jest and mostly dreaming that I would like to go vintage racing , and then a phone call from a friend who knew a guy who knew a guy started this whole thing in motion sending me on a 4500 mile trip to pick up the remains of a once proud warrior.

I will post pics as soon as possible. If I can figure out how to use this stupid scanner I will post a couple of pics tomorrow. If not the camera should be here any day.

DZ great description. Your 56 sounds like my kind of car !!
Desert the VIN is between 4800-5500 if you have any useful info IM'me as I do not want to post full VIN here :cheers:

This car was called the outhouse car and was supposed to be in the back of a road and track magazine going through an outhouse during an off track excursion in 67-68 at Laguna Seca :lol: :lol: If anybody has a collection of road and tracks and knows about this or could verify it for me that would be very :cool:

:cheers:
Bob


[Modified by Duntov-097, 8:28 PM 9/17/2002]