airboc corvettes

[mcrews]

some 1957 information concerning cold air induction increasing horsepower

1957 Airbox Corvette
http://www.remarkablecars.com/for-sa...7-31-13709.jpg

All fuel injected 57 Vettes have an air cleaner attached directly to the air meter. Fuel injection units do not like heat, and all of the 57 FI engines (except 43 'race' cars) drew in hot air coming directly from the HOT engine compartment. The 43 Fuel Injected cars which were built with an "Airbox" in 1957 had a somewhat crude, practically hand laid up, fiberglass duct work attached to the left inner fender and a hole was cut into the left side of the radiator support to allow air into the duct work. All of these 43 cars were built with heavy duty everything (translate factory built race car), brakes, suspension, special steering, NO radio, NO heater, wide wheels, tachometer mounted (clamped) on the steering column, fuel injection, HD shocks and that about covers it. Somewhere along the line, the term "Airbox" was tagged to these 43 cars, and it stuck.



These cars were equipped with both (Regular Production Option) RPO684 which included the heavy duty brakes and suspension, and RPO579E, which included an airbox which increased horsepower by capturing cooler, higher density air, forcing it to the fuel injectors; and additional hosing ducts to cool the rear brakes to restrain the performance when necessary.

1957 Airbox Corvette



Only 43 Corvettes equipped with the airbox equipped solid lifter 283 fuel injection engine were produced, of which 23 are known to exist. Most but not all went racing. For six known Corvette racers, Zora added extra performance equipment. One of them was Bob Mouat, a pal of Zora's group at the Marlboro race track which included Dick Thompson and Bark Henry. Mouat received one of these specially prepared cars as a replacement for his 1956 Corvette. Extra equipment included electric fuel pumps and traction control bars. Mouat's car also had hood and trunk straps and had the generator moved from the left side of the engine to the right (although the conversion kit may have been provided at delivery). Long time Chevrolet engineer and Corvette historian Ken Kayser has noted that these special Corvette race cars are relatively unknown as Chevrolet wanted to keep them out of the public eye, except when they won races.



These cars were substantially upgraded with heavy duty components and included the following: heater and radio delete, a new four-speed transmission and the Rochester fuel injection with aggressive "Duntov" cam, an "Airbox" that funneled cold air from behind the grille to the fuel injection unit (Corvettes equipped with the new fuel injection unit and Airbox developed 283 horsepower - one horsepower per cubic inch - RPO 579B was the same package without the airbox), beefed up suspension with heavy duty shocks, roll bars and springs and a quicker steering ratio, finned brake drums, sintered metallic heat resistant brake linings, vented backing plates, wide rim wheels, a little known rear brake cooling duct system consisting of front vents connected to special tunnels through the rocker panels to the rear brakes, large scoops, nicknamed "elephant ears," to direct cooling air to the front brakes, and a mechanical 8000 RPM tachometer mounted on the steering column in front of the driver.

[mcrews]