1957 Chevrolet Corvette 283/283 Fuelie

Cruisin Classics is excited to present to you today this very rare 1957 Chevrolet Corvette 283/283 “Fuelie” 4-speed. 1957 was the first year that GM added fuel injection to the Corvette and the first year a 4-speed was offered as an option on this American icon. The Ramjet Fuel Injection, an efficient constant flow system that eliminated the carburetor, delivered fuel directly to the cylinders for instantaneous accelerator response, greater overall fuel economy, higher low-speed torque and smoothness, ease of starting and overall improvement of engine performance. In one bold stroke the 57 Corvette provided a new dimension of driving pleasure. In addition, the optional 4-speed Borg Warner T-10 manual transmission that was made available as an option after April of '57 really took the Corvette to new heights in the sports car world. The 283ci/283hp Fuelie Corvettes also represented the first time an American car offered 1hp for every 1ci of engine displacement, giving GM some serious bragging rights. Of the 6,339 Corvettes built in '57 only 713 were ordered with the Ramjet fuel injected 283ci/283hp (RPO 579B) at an additional cost of $484.20 and only 664 were ordered with the 4-speed manual transmission (RPO 685) for $188.30. With these low production figures you can certainly see why these cars are so rare and sought after today!

The '57 Fuelie before us today is dressed in a good driver-quality respray of Cascade Green with Shoreline Beige coves – a beautiful color combination. This Corvette comes with both a white convertible soft top and a body-color removeable hard top. The soft top has a clear rear window and, aside from some light wrinkles from being stored in “down” position (these will go away as soon as it's left out in the hot sun for a few hours), it looks brand new. The Cascade Green hardtop is in generally good condition with a nice beige waffle-textured headliner and chrome trim. The hardtop also comes with a storage rack. If you've been looking at these, you'll know that it is tough to find a '57 Fuelie with both tops – this is a really nice extra! The overall look and aesthetic of this Corvette is stunning and stylish with elegant curves and just the right amount of brightwork to highlight the body. Up front, the “toothy” chrome grille grabs your attention and it's accented by gleaming horizontal and vertical bumperettes. Single headlights in bright bezels flank the grille and a “Chevrolet Corvette” cross-flags badge hovers above it in the center. The hood sports muscular bulges on both sides and atop both fenders are faux intakes with chrome trim that really add to the cool look. The wrap-around windshield is trimmed with sparkling chrome and bright wiper arms add to the show. Just ahead of the windshield is a wide cowl ventilator that is operated with a lever under the dash. Looking at this Corvette from the side you can enjoy the stunning contrast of the chrome-trimmed beige coves against the Cascade Green body. Inside the coves on both fenders are bright “Fuel Injection” and cross-flags badges that let everyone know that this is no ordinary Corvette. Adding to the bright sparkle on the sides are chrome door handles, locks, driver's side mirror, and window trim. Completing the stunning side view is a perfect wheel and tire combination – body-color 15” steel wheels with gleaming spinner-style hubcaps wrapped in Coker Classic white-wall bias-ply tires – simply gorgeous! It should come as no suprise that the rear of the car is just as shapely and stylish as the rest. Taillights sit atop the rear fenders, recessed in long chrome bezels and exhaust exits through vertical bumperettes just beneath. The rounded decklid wears another “Fuel Injection” badge and a “Chevrolet Corvette” crossflags badge that matches the one up front, both in great condition. Beneath the trunk are two more gleaming bumperettes to complete the look.

As beautiful as the body may be, it's under the forward lifting hood that the true magic of this car resides. You'll see many of these '57 Fuelies listed for sale with the proclamation that they're “numbers-matching” cars, but that is not how things work with this particular year of Corvette. There is no identifying stamp, plate, or casting under the hood that correlates to the VIN number of the car – making it impossible to be what car enthusiasts call “numbers-matching”. Instead, there are serial numbers, part numbers, and date codes that, when taken together, will shed light on the plausibility that the car was born with the drivetrain that is currently in it. The sequential production number of the VIN for this car is 105921, making it number 5,921 of 6,339 Corvettes produced for 1957 – roughly 400 cars before the end of the run. On the front tab of the head on the passenger side (where you would find the VIN-matching number in later years) is the stamping F802EL. The F=Flint plant, 802=August 2nd, and the EL specifically denotes a 283ci/283hp with manual transmission. The casting number of the block is 3731548 which is correct for 1957-only blocks. Sitting atop the engine is a Rochester fuel injection system with part number 7014960. There were 4 different iterations of this fuel injection system over the course of '57 production and the last 4 digits are the identifier. Number 4960 was specific to the 283ci/283hp cars and was only used in cars produced between July and October of '57. The Delco-Remy distributor is stamped with number 1110908, which was specific to only 283ci/283hp cars. The Delco-Remy generator is date stamped 7G24, which tells us it dates to July 24, 1957. As mentioned earlier, the Borg-Warner T-10 4-speed manual transmission was offered as an option starting in mid-April of '57. This is that same transmission (T-10-1) with a casting date of 4-26, a tailshaft (T-10-7) dated 5-20-1957, and an assembly date stamp of WE2872 which equates to May 28 1957 PM shift. As you can see, all of the date codes, serial numbers, and part numbers come together to show us that this car is a real-deal late-production 283ci/283hp fuel injected Corvette with a correct late-production 4-speed manual transmission. The engine bay is black, tidy, and stock in appearance with an orange block topped with finned aluminum “Corvette” valve covers, a chrome air cleaner and ignition shield, and cast exhaust manifolds. Brakes are manual drums on all four corners and steering is also manual.

Open the drivers door to find a very nice OEM-correct Shoreline Beige waffle interior that is in keeping with the elegant style of the exterior. The door panels are a combination of different textured beige vinyl sections with chrome accents and textured polished aluminum at the bottom. There is a crank for the window, an armrest with a pull handle, a switch lock, and a white ball that serves as the opener for the door latch. Both door panels are in good condition with only slight discoloration from wear. The beige waffle-textured vinyl continues from the doors down onto the kick panels and also serves as the insets for the bucket seats. Bright sill plates and good looking tan carpet invite you inside the well optioned interior. The beige seats are quite comfortable, manually adjustable, equipped with seat belts, and in very good condition with minimal imperfections. The body wraps around the seats with a nice chrome-trimmed border and comes down in the center to separate the buckets with a small but useful vertical glovebox just under the release button for the top storage area. Between the seats to the front on the floor is the shifter for the 4-speed transmission. The chrome shift plate looks great and offers a small ashtray, shift pattern diagram, and a chrome shift lever with a white ball. Focusing attention to the dash, the first thing you'll notice is that there are working courtesy lights illuminating the lower interior (a factory option). The beige dash has arches on each side that line up with and accent the muscular hood bulges. The arch to the left is the speedometer and to the right is the in-dash speaker. In between the arches on top of the dash is a center-mounted rear-view mirror. The 140 mph speedometer works as it should and the odometer reads 71,847 miles (though the title says "non-actual"). Just below the speedo is a bright red parking brake warning light (a cool option) that sits above the steering column. To the left of the speedometer are knobs for the lights and the working variable-speed wipers (another factory option). To the right of the speedometer you'll find a row of gauges with a row of knobs above. There are working gauges for fuel, temperature, battery, and oil as well as a tachometer that works but is "bouncy" and a non-working analog clock. Above the gauges are controls for heat and defrost that both work to the standard they were built to (50's cars generally don't heat up fast and the fans aren't what we're used to today). At the center of this top row is the original WonderBar AM radio. When you turn the radio on you can hear it pop on through the speaker but we have been unable to get it to pick up a station and put out sound. The scan feature of the radio still works and is pretty cool technology for its time. Also in the top row is a pull-knob for a fresh air vent and a non-working cigarette lighter. Ahead of the passenger is the ornate in-dash speaker with a pronounced Chevrolet "V" and Chevy crest. Ahead of the driver is an OEM-correct large white 3-spoke steering wheel with a "Chevrolet Corvette" logo on the working horn button. Under the dash you'll find the parking brake lever, a hood release pull, and the controller for the cowl ventilator. Around back in the immaculately clean trunk you'll find a fitted rubber mat, an OEM jack and jacking instructions, and what appears to be the original Firestone spare on a factory color-keyed wheel.

This 1957 Chevrolet 283/283 4-speed Fuelie Corvette is an amazing piece of American automotive history that would be a shining star in any car collection! Any collector or enthusiast knows that it's a special day when you find a real 283hp '57 Fuelie with a factory 4-speed, both tops in good condition, a number of cool factory options, and a stunning color combination! I must say that I've personally felt like a kid on Christmas morning while getting to spend time with this amazing car! Please give our friendly staff a call today and be the incredibly lucky person who gets to be the next caretaker of this genuine American Icon!

ENGINE
283ci/283hp Chevrolet V-8 (Casting#3731548)(Tab Stamp-F802EL)
Rochester Fuel Injection (Part#7014960)(Serial#1275)
Delco-Remy Distributor (#1110908)(Serial# 7E5)
Delco-Remy Generator (Model#1102043)(Serial #7G24)
Finned Aluminum "Corvette" Valve Covers
Chrome Air Cleaner
Chrome Ignition Shield
Cast Exhaust Manifolds and Dual Exhaust

TRANSMISSION
Borg-Warner T-10 4-Speed Manual (Case- 4-26)(Tail- 5-20-57)(Assembly-WE2872)
Rear Axle Stamp# 3707306GM10
Open Rear Gears

BRAKES
Manual Drums on all 4 Corners

SUSPENSION
Stock Suspension
Independent Front Suspension with Coil Springs
Semi-Elliptical Rear Leaf Springs
Newer Shocks

EXTERIOR
Cascade Green Body with Shorline Beige Coves
Like-New White Soft Top
Good Condition Body-Color Hardtop with Beige Waffle Headliner and Chrome Trim
Hardtop Stand
Gleaming Chrome Grill and Bumperettes
Bright Headlight and Turn Signal Bezels
"Fuel Injection" and Cross-Flags Badging
Wrap-Around Windshield with Gleaming Chrome Trim
Bright Wiper Arms
Chrome Trim around Windows and Coves
Wide Cowl Ventilator
Exhaust Exits Through Upright Rear Bumperettes
Taillights in Long Recessed Chrome Bezels
Body-Color Steel Wheels with Spinner-Style Hubcaps
Coker Classics White Wall Bias-Ply Tires

INTERIOR
Shoreline Beige Waffle Interior
Beige Bucket Seats with Waffle Texture Insets
OEM Door Panels with Bright Trim and Crank Windows
Bright Sill Plates
Nice Quality Tan Carpet
Small Drop-Down Glovebox Between the Seats
Chrome Shift Plate with Ashtray and Pattern Diagram
Chrome Shift Lever with White Ball
Working Variable-Speed Wipers
140mph Speedometer
Parking Brake Warning Light
OEM White Steering Wheel with Working Horn Button
Working Gauges for Fuel, Temp, Oil, and Battery
Non-Working Lighter and Analog Clock
Working Tachometer (though bouncy and a little inaccurate)
Factory WonderBar AM Radio (Powers Up, No Sound)
Working Heater and Fan
Interior Hood Release
Clean Trunk with Factory Jack and Spare Tire on a Factory Wheel

If you have any additional questions, please call one of our friendly sales staff. We will be glad to help in any way with questions on financing, shipping the vehicle, or perhaps an interest in our sell-your-car brokerage program. We've been in business since 1996 and have sold cars all over the world and we insist on giving the best personal service in the industry.
The sale is subject to the following conditions and representations. This vehicle is being sold as-is, where-is with no warranty in connection therewith. The seller shall not be responsible for the correct description, authenticity, genuineness, or defects herein, and make no warranty in connection therewith. No allowances or set aside will be made on account of any incorrectness, imperfection, defect, or damage. Any descriptions or representations are for identification purposes only and are not to be construed as a warranty of any type. It is the responsibility of the buyer to have thoroughly inspected the vehicle and to have satisfied oneself as to the condition and value based upon that judgment solely. The seller assumes no responsibility for any repairs regardless of any oral statements about the vehicle.
Thank you from all of us at Cruisin Classics.