Saw an unusual 57 FI today

[Edward M.]

I went junkin up in southern Tennessee at an old Classic Chevy junk yard / body shop today.

Real nice owner, and I found a 56 block that is just over a month prior to my 56 Vette. Good price, so I brought the rusty POS home. It will work while I continue to search for a mid April 56 block.

The owner is fixing up a 67 Corvette convertible, 427 tri-power for himself.

Now here is the fascinating part.

He has a complete, but in pieces, 1957 Chevrolet V-8 Fuel Injected cut away display engine.

I saw most of the FI unit (in pieces), and a few of the engine parts. Owner told me that the generator was actually an electric motor that rotated the engine slowly. He said the crankshaft was chrome plated.

That was too cool.

[John H.]

Re: Saw an unusual 57 FI today

He has a complete, but in pieces, 1957 Chevrolet V-8 Fuel Injected cut away display engine.

I saw most of the FI unit (in pieces), and a few of the engine parts. Owner told me that the generator was actually an electric motor that rotated the engine slowly. He said the crankshaft was chrome plated.

That was too cool.

Ed -

When I was at the Chevrolet Pilot Line in Flint in the late 60's, we used to do some of the overflow work for Chevrolet Show & Display, usually for their cutaway projects; fa$cinating stuff indeed.

[Art A.]

Re: Saw an unusual 57 FI today

Sounds like a GM display/show engine to me.

When I was in HS, GM had "loaned" a complete 1956 4 dr HT Chevy to our auto shop class. Almost every portion, tranny,seats, dr plrs, engine, brakes, of the car was cut away and was either chromed or had painted edges painted.
Fast forward to the early 90's when I was working directly for Jim Perkins, the 56 cut away car came up in one of our conversations. Jim asked me to contact my old HS and see if GM could get it back. I did, and the current principle directed me to the last (auto shop had been dropped a few years prior) auto shop teacher. When I talked to him, he was very evasive and said the the car was cut up and put into a dumpster...................yeah right!!
I'll bet it's still sitting in his garage.

[Don H.]

Re: Saw an unusual 57 FI today

I have heard people speak of a cut away fuel injection unit in the locsl HS shop class in the late 60's. As I did not go to school here, I never saw it. Don H.

[Edward M.]

Re: Saw an unusual 57 FI today

Guy said he bought it at a swap meet in Ohio years ago.

[Jim T.]

Re: Saw an unusual 57 FI today

Where in southern TN can the engine be seen? When I read the first words of your post I thought you attended the annual "***** Run" car show in Jackson this week-end. Some "junk" is hauled in on trailors.

[Chuck S.]

Re: Saw an unusual 57 FI today

The engine was used in numerous fuel injection displays and training programs including the 1956 National Automobile Show. It was also part of the Featurama 1957 traveling display which visited Chevrolet dealers in major cities. The cut-away is shown in operation in the film "New Things.... New Profit Opportunities" produced by GM Photographic.
The generator was in fact and electric motor which powered the engine moving the pistons and valves. There was a narrative which I believe was called "Ronnie Ramjet" explaining function, operation and benefits for those viewing the display.
This engine is an important historical item and should be restored and made available for viewing by those interested in the Rochester Ram Jet fuel injection.

[John D.]

Re: Saw an unusual 57 FI today

I went to Manhattan College here in NY back in the eighties. There was a complete 65 fuelie cutaway engine and transmission on a display stand in the Mechanical Engineering lab. It was very well done and very similar in preparation to the modern cutaways I saw at the NY Auto show last night. The engine had a ceramic type coating on it, the valves were chrome and the M20 trans gears were chrome as well. No one knew anything about it it just sat in the corner......

[Edward M.]

Re: Saw an unusual 57 FI today

Where in southern TN can the engine be seen? When I read the first words of your post I thought you attended the annual "***** Run" car show in Jackson this week-end. Some "junk" is hauled in on trailors.

Can't be "seen". It is in pieces in this guy's shop.

[John D.]

Re: Saw an unusual 57 FI today

The only Real Deal cut away 57 FI unit I have ever seen is a '4520 unit. All in one piece. Engine and all.
On the other hand I have a cut away 56-7 engine with a '4360 louvred air cleaner FI unit sitting on my desk. I stare at it often. Course only paid 28.95 for it from the Mortimyers.

[Tom P.]

Re: Saw an unusual 57 FI today

I once had a "cutaway" 327 engine. It had been cutaway from the inside out when I missed a 2nd gear shift, reved it to the moon, then it "cutaway". I tossed everything but the pan. I tried to straighten the pan, had the holes welded, but it was still so distorted that it would never seal along one of the pan rails.