Reproduction Parts for 1916-1964 Chevrolet Passenger Cars & 1918-1987 Chevrolet & GMC Trucks


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#436269 12/27/19 05:20 PM
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JimGrn Offline OP
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I have been trying to find the cost of the engine options on 1957 Chevrolets. In particularly the 270 gross HP, dual carb, solid lifter engine. This is going to sound stupid, but I have been looking at the performance statistics of 1957 Rambler Rebels. I don't understand why a four door hardtop Bel Air, with overdrive, power steering, power brakes, etc., and the 270 HP engine could not at least match the Rebel in acceleration. The Rebel was the fastest car to 60mph (7.5 sec.) in 1957, with the exception of the 1957 Corvette with fuel injection. The gross HP on the Rebel was 255, but I think they fibbing, and it was more like 275 gross HP.
I wonder if a Chevrolet, that is described above, even exists? It was not something someone would have normally ordered.
Thx for reading this.
Jim Greene

Wilwood Engineering1955-1957

Willwood Engineering

Wilwood Engineering designs and manufactures high-performance disc brake systems.
Wilwood Engineering, Inc. - 4700 Calle Bolero - Camarillo, CA 93012 - (805) 388-1188


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You could not get overdrive, power steering or brakes, on the 270 HP engine. It came with a 3 speed close ratio transmission only. For zero to 60 it would need a 4.56 rear end for best zero to 60 times with the close ratio transmission.
When I DRAG RACED IN 1957 NO ONE EVEN BOTHERED TO COME AROUND WITH A RAMBLER IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT THE DRAG STRIP WAS 10 MILES FROM THE RAMBLER PLANT.
THE ZERO TO 60 TIME MEANS VERY LITTLE AS IT WAS ELAPED TIME IN THE QUARTER MILE IS WHAT COUNTS FOR WHO IS GOING TO BE AHEAD.
MY 245 hp 283 1957 TRUNED ABOUT 15.5 SECONDS AND 90 MPH IN THE QUARTER AND THE 270 HP WOULD DO 95 AND 15 SECONDS AT AN AVERAGE. THERE WERE REALLY FEW CARS TAT COULD BEAT THAT UNLESS THEY WERE CHEATERS.

Last edited by Chev Nut; 12/27/19 06:23 PM.

Gene Schneider
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Gear ratios are everything when comparing performance times. A key factor in 0 to 60 times is how many times you need to shift the transmission before hitting 60. Every shift is lost time.

One trick that manufacturers use is to set the overall gearing so there is only one shift between 0 and 60. The engine will be close to or at red line at 60 and another shift will be needed immediately to keep accelerating.


Rusty

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The 157 Rebel had a 327 cubic inch engine and wasslightly tuned for better performance.


Gene Schneider
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If you are comparing "times" from magazine tests of the day, remember that Mark Twain probably did the best evaluation of these wink

His comment: "Figures don't lie, but liars figure"!

Jon.


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JimGrn Offline OP
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I found a road test online done by Motor Trend in January of 1957. It included the '57 Chevy, '57 Ford, and '57 Plymouth. Pete Molson, the writer of the article, said the combination of a Powerglide with the 270 HP engine, was an unusual setup. I wonder if the dealer changed it out for the road test, because both the Ford and the Plymouth had automatic transmissions. No doubt the factory was involved in the decision. The test shows the Chevy hitting 60 MPH in 9.9 seconds. I wonder what it do with a close ratio three speed, as Gene said above. This article does not quote the rear axle ratios, that I could find, on the three cars. We all know Powerglides have no bite to them off of the line, which is why the test was no big deal, though the Chevy was the fastest of the three (and the highest HP). Gene I assume your '57 with the 245 HP also had the close ratio three speed?
Thx for all of the input.
Jim Greene

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The 245 HP had the wide ratio 3 speed so that meant I was in high gear by 65 MPH with a 4.11 rear end. That is where the Gm cars with large displacement engines could catch me.
I am sure that the Motor Trend 1957 was a 245 HP as the 270 was not available with Power Glide and would probably been slower due to the cam shaft that reduced low speed power and would ot have been able to idle in drive with that cam. The 270 was more for
high speed racing rather than zero to 60 acceletration.
I subscribed to Motor Trend since 1950 and still have all the copies.Some of the cars they teated and hadshuch fast acceleration did not prove themselves at a drag strip.


Gene Schneider
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JimGrn Offline OP
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Gene look up the January 1957 Motor Trend and read the road test of the three makes. No doubt after those abusive road tests the cars, particularly with manual shifts, probably had to have new clutches installed, and maybe even shift linkages. Let me know when you want to unload those Motor Trends.
Thx
Jim Greene

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If driven properly it would have caused no undue wear on the cars. In racing almost every week except in the winter months for all of 1957 and 1958 and most of 1959 I had not problrms with clutch or transmission.
The car came with 3.55 gears and i installed 4.11 (also tried 4.56) and I installed overdrive which was not an option for a 245 HP engine.
With 4.56 was engine wasa way over gears in 1st and 2nd gear.


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Gene, you always surprise me with interesting stuff.

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JimGrn Offline OP
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Gene,
So the racing, competition (Duntov) cams were on the 270HP engine (2-4 barrels) and the 283 HP fuel injected engine? The "normal" cam was on the 250 HP engine (fuel injected) and the 245 HP (2-4 barrel) ? It doesn't seem to be completely clear in the literature I have. You made a comment about not being able to idle with an automatic transmission, and the competition cam. Since the automatics were available on the 245 HP, and the 250 HP FI engine, I am assuming they had a regular cam, and hydraulic lifters, so they could idle in drive?
Thank you
Jim Greene

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The 245 and 250 HP used the same cam as the 185 HP 2 Bbl and 220 HP 4 Bbl. engine. It was a good cam and used for over 12 years in 283 and 327 engines.


Gene Schneider
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I have a 57 250 HP powerglide vet that will idle at 500 RPM in neutral and drops to 450 RPM in drive and continues to idle. our other 57 vet is a 283 HP 4 sped . the 250 has the standard cam with hydraulic lifter while the 283 HP has Zora's cam with solid lifters. if one were to mate a power glide with a Duntov cam'd 283 HP engine, I doubt idles below 900 RPM in neutral would be possible. and if one were to drop such a PG into drive mode, with Duntov cm, the engine would stall. As is always the case with gene Schneider's comments, his Chevy knowledge is unbelievably vast. mike

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JimGrn Offline OP
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I agree Gene's knowledge is amazing on Chevrolets. In regard to the January 1957 Motor Trend article, I am just going by what I read. The writer does comment about the rough idle, and the fact that you would have never seen a Powerglide on the 270 HP setup. Maybe they turned the idle up 950 RPM, but I don't know, I wasn't there. I would have thought it could have gotten to 60 MPH quicker than 9.9 seconds with the 270 HP engine, and a Powerglide.
On the Rambler Rebel, I am learning it was the second fastest car in 1957, OF the cars tested in that year. It was second to a 1957 Corvette, with the 283 HP FI, and four speed setup, which sounds exactly like your car, Mike.
Thanks for all of the comments.
Jim Greene

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if the idle were turned up to 950 with a PG behind the 270 or 283 HP engine, when approaching a stop lite, u'd have to firmly depress the brake pedal till lite turned green. and with a cold start with one of the SHP engines in front of a PG, dropping the PG in gear would have loosened ones dentures as the car tried to move with brakes on or off. don't know about a 60 mph? 9.9 sec with 270HP/PG combo. guess it would depend on ratio of differential. as I recall from old mags, the best Zora could do with a 57 283/T-10 back in 1957 was 14.2 in 1/4 mile. with a little bit of cheating, I've got out 57 283HP-T10 turning 12.9 on street tires. as I said, there's little cheating going on. If u have a copy of Chevy High Perf mag from mid-90's, there was an invitational Legends meet at maple grove drag strip. our 57 along with what CHP mag considered were other chevy legends of the 50's and 60's had a shot out at maple grove. there was a 62 409, a a 66 425HP impala, a dual carb Z28, a COPO 70 chevy II with 370HP LT1 and a couple others I can't recall. the 57 vet had best ET of the event. still have and enjoy the old 57 corvette. it was my first, purchased in 1970, and will be the last to go when the ground hogs begin my mail delivery. mike

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JimGrn Offline OP
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Here is another question about 1957 Chevrolets, but this time it is pricing. The little brochure I got from Danchuk on suggested delivered prices, a four door Belair sedan, with a six, listed for $2663.75. The American Standard Catalog shows the list price as $2238 for a 4-door Belair with a six. Is this a HUGE price increase ($426)? Not sure what the correct price was.
Thx
Jim Greene

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My book shows $2290 for that model.
Tax and shipping would be extra....Probably would have been less than $300.


Gene Schneider

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