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Refurbished Fuelie: 1957 Chevrolet Corvette

The owner of this 1957 Corvette Fuelie decided back in 2009 to treat the car to a comprehensive refurbishment. It is starting to show a few minor flaws, but it still presents exceptionally well. Sadly, he recently passed away. His wife has decided that she needs to part with the Fuelie, so she has listed it for sale here on Bring A Trailer. It is located in Ipswich, Massachusetts, and the bidding currently sits at $60,000. I have to say a big thank you to Barn Finder Larry D for spotting the Corvette for us.

According to the report attached to the listing, the Corvette underwent a frame-off restoration in 2009. It has done little work since and has always been garage-kept. As a result, the underside of the vehicle is spotlessly clean. There is no evidence of any pitting or prior accident repairs. The body is close to perfect, and the only signs of any prior problems are a couple of small mat patches on the underside of both front fenders. The specialist who assessed the car believes that this may have resulted from a tree branch or other object falling across the vehicle in this area due to the matching location on both sides of the car. The rest of the body is flawless, and the Polo White and Inca Silver paint hold an impressive shine. There is some slight checking on both fender tops, but otherwise, it has survived remarkably well. The Corvette features a hardtop and a new soft-top, while the trim, chrome, and glass all look free from problems.

There is no other word to describe the Corvette’s interior but “stunning.” The carpet and upholstery were replaced in 2009, and it looks as good today as it would have looked then. The painted surfaces are crisp and clean, there is no damage or wear on the wheel, and no stains or marks on the upholstery. The gauges show no evidence of fading or cloudiness, while the attached report indicates that all of the wiring and components under the dash have either been refurbished or replaced. The Fuelie comes equipped with a Wonderbar radio and power windows, which should make life quite pleasant on the road.

When the original owner ordered the Corvette, he chose to equip it with something pretty special. The 283ci fuel-injected V8 achieved that magic power figure of one horsepower per cubic inch, giving the owner 283hp at their disposal. Those horses are fed through a manual transmission to a 3.70 rear end. When it was new, that gave the Corvette the potential to cover the ¼ mile in 15.2 seconds before winding its way to 137mph. It isn’t clear whether the V8 in this car is original, but a few changes are worth noting. The plenum has been replaced at some point with one from a ’58 or’59 model. Apparently, this was due to a problem with the original ’57 fuel meter. The transmission also isn’t original, with the vehicle now featuring a 4-speed Muncie unit from a 1963 Corvette. The engine bay presents just as superbly as the rest of the car, with no issues or problems to note. The specialist report suggests that the 57,000 miles showing on the odometer could be original, although it appears that there is no evidence to verify this. Frustratingly, the seller doesn’t provide any information on how well this classic runs or drives, but if appearances count for anything, there’s good reason to be optimistic about this beauty.

The 1957 model year marked one of the lowest production totals in the badge’s history. A mere 6,339 buyers chose to park one in their driveway, and the cost of the fuel-injection option meant that only 1,040 buyers could justify the money required to slot one of those magic little V8s under the hood. Today, Corvette Fuelies are highly sought, and good ones can fetch some amazing prices. This isn’t the first time that the owner has listed this one for sale, but it appears that they might have generated more interest this time around. Previously, the car was passed in at $53,007, so the current bid of $60,000 easily eclipses that figure. If this were a spotless, numbers-matching vehicle, I would expect to see the auction easily climb into six-figure territory. I don’t think that it will get that far, but a figure of around $80,000 is a definite possibility. There are a few days left on the listing, so this one might be worth watching closely. Of course, you might want to do more than merely observe. So, if you choose to submit a bid, I wouldn’t blame you.

Comments

  1. Avatar PRA4SNW

    Did anyone see the twin ’58 Corvettes that passed through Barrett-Jackson last weekend?

    They were both in a similar color scheme as this. One was an original fuelie and the other was a resto-mod with a custom frame.

    One to look at and one to drive, I suppose.

    Like 4
  2. Avatar jokacz

    Looks like someone ran amok with the fuel injection emblems. I think it should only have one, in the cove. Those white walls are way too narrow. A good running 57 fuelie is a low 14 second car, not 15.2 as stated.

    Like 3
  3. Avatar angliagt Member

    I wonder if it also comes with a license plate frame that says –
    “Fuel Injection”?

    Like 0
  4. HoA Howard A Member

    This is another of the auction buzzwords of late,,”Fuelie”, like “Hemi”, or “CJ”. Never saw’r them, fact is, I heard, they were so troublesome, many went back to carburettors. Every vintage ‘Vette like this coming down the line should, nay, must have fuel injection, when it just wasn’t so. My favorite Corvettes, when it really was a 2 seat sports car, as intended with a REAL trunk. The F.I. adds nothing to me.

    Like 7
  5. Avatar Tort Member

    Whether it be color with the silver coves or just the color of the coves and the red wheels really takes away from the appearance of what was the best styled Corvette ever made. Nice car but the not the color combination. Owned three C-1’s over the years and my 57 is the one looking back I regret selling the most.

    Like 3
  6. Avatar Chris Munn

    Wonderful car. I guess as an older chap, the question is, “who will drive my car, sleep with my wife and drink my wine when I’ve passed”. The answer is, who cares…I won’t be there. Great that the deceased chap kept this until the very end and didn’t go through the heartbreak of parting from his wonderful car.

    Like 6
  7. Avatar DRV

    A few simple known details are wrong here. It makes you wonder. There is no way to tell if this was originally a fuelly without documentation. With a few wrong numbers and parts it is suspect.
    I like the colors less the wrong wheel color.

    Like 2
    • Avatar jokacz

      Yeah, there’s a lot of weirdness here. Muncie out of a 63 when Vettes didn’t get Muncies till 64. If this is a real fuelie I’m betting it was built with a 3 speed. Probably not a numbers matching engine, nice car but not a high dollar collectable imho.

      Like 1
  8. Avatar chrlsful

    1956/60 is the only ones to have for me. May B the C-7, but don’t like the style for others. So thumbs up here, esp w/FI. I like the Blue Flame best (2 or 3 YH side drafts). The nice dash (cove-in on pass’s side, not this yr) & binnacle for all the gauges (not this yr but close). Did I watch too much “Rt 66”? No, musta been the Italian like styling, the i6 (luv them & i8) and the lill models I had asa kid… (MB 300SL also in my kit).

    Like 0
  9. Avatar 86_Vette_Convertible

    Good looking C1 IMO. Not numbers matching so it’s open to any mods the buyer feels appropriate. I’ve read and know of some early Rochester FI units that ended up on a shelf and a carb went down in their place. If it was mine, I’d drive it and enjoy it.

    Like 2
  10. Avatar Nomader55

    I spy nine fin valve covers with offset bolt holes, like a pair I have for sale. Never seen another pair. I’ve been told they were 55 / 56 only. Can someone enlighten me?

    Like 1
  11. Avatar B.A. Schoen

    Remove the Rochester, sell it or “pickle” it to re-install when you sell the car.
    Put a Qudrajet on it and drive it joyously, stylishly and politely.
    This looks like a great car. One that can be enjoyed without stress or guilt.
    It’s not numbers matching or historical so a little improvement won’t hurt.
    Don’t hot rod it because there’s a world of Asian cars that would embarrass you in every way from stoplight to stoplight, braking, handling curves and mpg.

    Like 2

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