Corvettes: Something for Everyone

[Geoff C.]

65 FI Tanker with Drum Brakes

Doesn't that top end collector Kevin S up in Washington/Oregon have this same drum brake model? ??? CRS ???

Geoffrey Coenen

[Loren L.]

As a general rule, you are correctt, but

in 1956 the Engineering Staff in Flint send an engineer to St Louis for 2 days - May 31 & June 1 - to show the St Louis line people how to assemble the Heavy Duty suspensions that had run at Sebring for the SIX "SR" 1956's - complete with Halibrands and rear scoops. He showed them how to build the first one......

[bill stephenson]

Re: WHAT THE...

Duke,

-------I know this tanker well as I bought a 66 425 convert from the same owner back in the late 70s. A friend of mine from Cape Cod bought this rare car and restored it. When the fella that he bought it from found it the car was incorrectly painted maroon. My friend returned the car to original. He never drove it as he has many other cars and ended up trading it for the framing out to be done on his new house. It is a very big house! The builder that got it at that point sold it and I lost track of it until I saw it in Larrys collection down in Fort Wayne. Prior to my loosing track of it the car posatively had the original engine in it. Since I havent looked the car over closely in many, many years I cant say what engine resides in it now, but the car was definetly a fuel injected car with a big tank and drum brakes brand new. My friend on Cape Cod is around, but never to my knowledge has touched a computer. If necessary he can verify my statements. Hope this helps........Bill S

[Duke W.]

Re: As a general rule, you are correctt, but

It's probably reasonable to assume that the HD brakes/suspension package was a planned RPO for release in '57, so those Sebring HD brake/suspension cars were probably the pilot build to teach the plant how to install the parts.

When I was a production engineer at Pontiac I spent a week at the Van Nuys plant teaching the crews how to build '69 Firebirds . The big change was the front grille/bumper assembly. We built it up/tore it down several times then did a complete pilot built of six cars.

If a major option is released, mid-year, that involves a lot of different parts and assembly procedures, at least one pilot car with the new option will usually be built.

Duke

[Loren L.]

No, it was to build six cars LIKE the ones

they had raced at Sebring, in case anybody asked them to prove those cars were "production".

[Chas Kingston]

Re: Raybestos-Manhattan

As a side note, the chief timer for USAC at Bonneville was James Petrillo. He had held a bike record from the times they were set at the beach at Daytona. At Indy, he was the Raybestos-Manhattan representative, in the last cubby-hole to the south under the main stands. He used to get us passes to Gasoline Alley during practice days, back when Gasoline Alley passes were highly restricted.

Ol Geezer

[Geoff C.]

Geeze you commited a mortal sin on the

pay for peep show.
Keep up the good work.
Merry Christmas too.

Geoffrey Coenen

[Loren Smith]

Re: 1977 & newer dealer invoices avail

There was a Blue 65 Fuelie Convertible with drum brakes featured in a two part article in the October 2002 (part one) and December 2002 (part two) Cars & Parts Corvette magazine. The articles were by Bob Stevens. The drum brake selection saved $64.50 (RPO J61). It came with KOs, 4speed, posi, goldwalls, and AM-FM.