1958 Corvette Fuel Injected questions
10-22-2016, 07:26 PM
#1
Instructor
Thread Starter
1958 Corvette Fuel Injected questions
I have the opportunity to by a 1958 Corvette factory FI car. The car is black with silver coves and red interior. Does anyone know where to find the original build sheet? Is there any way to tell for sure if its a factory FI car? Size of fuel line, etc. The car has a 350 in it now but comes with the original FI engine per the owner.
Any help is greatly appreciated.
Any help is greatly appreciated.
10-22-2016, 07:32 PM
#2
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no build sheets. if its been correctly restored all the clues will be gone.
10-22-2016, 07:39 PM
#5
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well then there should be some clues. I don't know what they are so I can't help any further
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Urbanhick (10-22-2016)
10-22-2016, 07:39 PM
#6
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for starters whats on the stamp pad of the engine
10-22-2016, 07:44 PM
#7
Melting Slicks
You are basically buying a story and it will be difficult to prove. Look for the mounting plate for the FI air cleaner on the driver side inner fender, and look for the location of the washer reservoir on the passenger side inner fender and if there is evidence of the heat shield being there. If you don't know where to look for these 2 simple things, you probably ought to get somebody to look at the car that does know.
It seems 9 out of 10 C1 Corvette projects are ex fuel cars!!!
It seems 9 out of 10 C1 Corvette projects are ex fuel cars!!!
Last edited by jrm5657; 10-22-2016 at 07:45 PM.
10-22-2016, 10:24 PM
#9
Le Mans Master
Early '58 Corvettes with factory FI and solid lifters had a special vertical lever on the firewall accelerator linkage. I don't believe its ever been reproduced. You can find a drawing of it in Adams' Restoration Guide on page 290. Also, the back of the tach would be ink-stamped "Registers Twice Cable Speed". Most fakers don't bother with those two touches.
If a '58 was factory-equipped with windshield washers and FI, the underhood parts of the washer system were located on the passenger side. They were on the driver's side with all the carbureted engines.
P.S. The heads on that engine don't look like 290 hp '58 FI heads to me.
If a '58 was factory-equipped with windshield washers and FI, the underhood parts of the washer system were located on the passenger side. They were on the driver's side with all the carbureted engines.
P.S. The heads on that engine don't look like 290 hp '58 FI heads to me.
Last edited by jerrybramlett; 10-23-2016 at 11:35 AM.
10-23-2016, 10:11 AM
#10
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Great find even it's not the original engine. Black? It looks like it might be Charcoal which would be a nice color combo too. 
10-26-2016, 09:30 PM
#11
Racer
Hole in firewall for the FI high horse tach drive cable located behind the distributor area at mid seam of the firewall horizontal halves. Will be a horizontal oblong hole with the 290 HP engine. Many posts on this site with other clues to look for such as the radiator support on the drivers side having an opening with the grill installed on the bumper side of the support. This opening is for the fresh air supply for the air cleaner for the FI unit. Can't say for sure, but the crank damper doesn't look correct for a 58 FI engine. I'm thinking it should not have the holes drilled in it, but rather have a solid outer ring. Brackets might still be the driver's inner fender for the fresh air pipe to the FI. Or evidence that they were once there. Do a search for the FI tell-tell signs for other things like the correct locations of the Fuel Injection emblems on the front fenders.
10-28-2016, 12:25 AM
#12
There isn't much anyone can tell from the poor picture of the car. That picture coupled with the picture of a freshly repainted engine isn't exactly confidence inspiring. As a second to what's already been said, an easy disqualifier would be a lack of filled in holes for FI emblems under the front fenders.
10-28-2016, 03:51 AM
#13
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There isn't much anyone can tell from the poor picture of the car. That picture coupled with the picture of a freshly repainted engine isn't exactly confidence inspiring. As a second to what's already been said, an easy disqualifier would be a lack of filled in holes for FI emblems under the front fenders.
Does the owner have any owner history or other provenance on the car?
