Need help to ID original 62 Fuelie.

[Mark B.]

I'm 90% sure my car was a fuelie as it has the following items for ID: inboard dimple in firewall next to tach drive hole; windshield washer hose clips attached to the firewall up and behind the wiper motor; open air intake hole on driver's side of radiator support; vertical shrouds on both sides of the sides of the radiator support; 2-1/2-inch exhaust with crossover; small holes drilled in driver's side fender where air intake hose straps were installed; re-located horn relay to vertical surface next to steering box; air cleaner mounting holes under the driver's side fender lip and evidence of previous bracket on tire side of fender corresponding to the holes location; plugged holes in driver's side fender where exterior Fuel Injection emblem was located below crossed flags emblem, and re-stamped block pad indicating RF (fuelie) block. Unfortunately, my car has had the passenger's side fender replaced in the past and the exterior Fuel Injection emblem holes and windshield washer box location holes are not there. The car does have the high horsepower tach redline and I believe it to be the original face as it is faded. Did I miss anything?

My car has the correct block and was sold to me as a 340 HP engine. It has the correct intake, carb, high-dome pistons and 461 double-hump heads for the 340 HP and fuelie engine applications. Before I shell out about $7,000 for a fuelie setup, distributor, and air cleaner assembly, I want to make certain that the car is TRULY a fuelie. Any further ID help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[Ed Jennings]

Re: Need help to ID original 62 Fuelie.

On a 62, the one feature that is very difficult to clone is the firewall dimple. I would almost say that that one feature alone is enough to ID the car as a fuelie. Look at the holes for the screws on the air inlet opening on the radiator support, they should have no threads. From what you describe, you appear to have an original FI car. Look under the firewall insulation in the area of the firewall dimple for any sign of fiberglass work. If it appears unmolested, go buy a unit.

There is an article in Corvette Enthusiast covering this very subject, which I wrote. It has lots of good pictures. I think it was in the April 04 issue.If you don't have access to it, email me and I'll try to email you a few pictures.

[Mike M.]

Re: Need help to ID original 62 Fuelie.

is the dimple on the pass. or drivers side of the tack cable hole in the firewall?mike

[Ed Jennings]

Addendum

Ooops! That was the JULY, '04 issue, not April.

[Mark B.]

Re: Addendum

Ed, I found my July 2004 issue of Corvette Enthusiast and read your article. Very informative and it confirmed what I had hoped to find. I most definitely have an ex-fuelie car. I never dreamed I could be this lucky and yet concerned that an additional $8,000 will put this car back to its original condition. I guess I'll have to bite the bullet. It's certainly worth it!! Thanks again for your comments.

[Ed Jennings]

Re: Addendum

Mark, congratulations. It will be worth the expense to put a unit back on your car. I sold my 62 FI cara few months ago, and the investment I made in a fuel unit, air cleaner, etc., was more than recouped. I suggest you contact John DeGregory (JohnDeGreg@aol.com) about a unit and distributor. He almost always has a nicely restored unit in stock, and it won't take an act of congress to get it installed and running on your car. The repo air cleaners sold (and manufactured) by Crane are virtually indistinguishable from the originals.

When you do install a FI setup, you'll probably find that everything bolts right up and lines up just like it was ment to. I suspect that a cloned car might not have everything line up nearly as well.