Updating A Classic '57

Tom Stotts of Mena, Arkansas, acquired his '57 Chevy back in 1971 when he was a high school senior in Loveland, Colorado. Like many "Shoebox" enthusiasts of the time, performance was the first thing on his mind. Out came the original 283 V-8 and three-speed combination. The original engine was bored to 301 cubic inches and assembled with all of the right stuff for a respectable street machine. Then, a four-speed and a 4.56:1 differential were installed and it was good to go.

Over the next several years the car went through many transformations from 327s to 350s, four-speed to Turbo 400 and gears ranging from 3.08s to 5.36s. It had new paint on three occasions and interior twice. The last drivetrain combination was a 350/400 with 3.08 gears. The best gas mileage that Tom could attain was a meager 10-12 mpg. It was time for a major change.

Tom was already leaning toward fuel injection when he made a visit to Street & Performance in Mena. After a tour of the plant and a good look at the Corvette LT1 engine, Tom's mind was made up. He had to have one! A new crate engine and transmission would not fit Tom's budget, but a used one would. So Mark Campbell of Street & Performance supplied a low-mileage LT1/460E combination out of a '94 Corvette and the fun began. Tom enlisted the aid of Archie Speer, owner of Hot Rod Assembly Line, to transplant the new powertrain.

Additionally, the spare tire hole was removed and a large Rock Valley fuel tank, with internal high-pressure fuel pump was installed. With approximately 22 gallons of gas Tom would be able to cruise all day without stopping for anything but fun. The fuel is transported through stainless steel lines from Tube Tech of Mena. Power steering was added using a Mullins Steering 605 gearbox, and Lokar accessories rounded out the cabin and engine compartment. For better cooling this beauty also has a Griffin radiator.

Editor's Note: One of the hottest performance trends in lowrider circles is to pull out the OE engine and put a fuel-injected Corvette LT1 engine under the hood. While this may seem like a radical departure from the traditional Chevy small-block, it's actually a powerful and fuel-efficient alternative to building up the stock engine. Lifestyle Car Club member Tim Rodriguez, put an LT1 in his awesome '57 Bel Air convertible, featured in the Primedia booth at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas. And, it's is easier than ever, thanks to aftermarket companies like Street & Performance. Check out this example of a typical LT1 swap using the S&P Kit in another '57.

01 The Side Motor Mount Kit from Street & Performance bolts in, no welding is necessary. The mounts are positioned, drilled and tapped directly through the frame crossmember. Then, they are bolted into place. By locating the motor mounts and power steering first, the entire engine compartment can be cleaned, painted and detailed first.	02 Tom and Archie removed the hood, the front radiator housing and support framework. Bolts are hidden in a number of locations, including underneath the frame pan, so be patient.
03 The old 350 is now ready for removal, making way for the LT1, the final swap and the best yet.	04 The old engine and trans come away easily, and the cleaning and detailing of the engine compartment and firewall can begin. If you're using a computer, now is the time to locate the computer unit and make appropriate modifications to the firewall.
05 The old front motor mounts are removed in preparation for the new side mounts, which will reduce engine vibration. The original motor mounts interfere with new-style power steering pumps.	06 The new power steering is the 605 Gear Box Kit for '55-'57s from Mullins Steering Gear. The gearbox and column are fitted before detailing.
07 Most LT1 engines use an oil cooler, which was removed in this swap because it is not needed in the '55-'57 Chevy. In a Corvette or IROC however, the engine is set halfway under the cowl and the hood, which holds lots of heat in engine compartment.	08 This '95 LT1 uses the 4L60E transmission, which shifts with the computer. Both '92 and '93 Corvettes and the '93 IROC had a non-electric overdrive. All '94-up LT1s had the 4L60E transmission.
09 The LT1 factory bracket kit did not work in this installation, so we picked the Street & Performance alt, air, power steering kit in chrome--we chose chrome for its easy maintenance and good looks. We used the wide-style brackets (Corvette-style) because we moved the battery to the back. If the battery box on your '57 is in the stock location, you have to run street rod-style brackets. On a '55 or '56 you can run either because the battery is on the firewall.	10 After positioning the LT1 and finishing the installation of the motor mount kit, we were ready to build the rear transmission mount.
11 Hot Rod Assembly Line built the rear crossmember. This project will be running a Dakota electric speedometer and gauges, so the harness will supply a wire to run the speedometer.	13 A set of Street & Performance coated LT1 Pro Car headers for '55-'57s was installed. The LT1 Pro Car headers come with two O2 bungs, because on LT1s you must run one oxygen sensor on each side. The headers come complete with stainless steel bolts, gaskets and collectors.
12 The Tail Housing Kit from Street & Performance lets you add a manual a speedometer to your 4L60E transmission. You need to know your gear ratio and tire roll out dimension.	14 Hot Rod Assembly Line wanted to hide the fuel lines, so the fuel rails were sent to Tube Tech to be modified to flow into the passenger side, rear of the head. Corvette fuel rails are located over the passenger side rear. When installing injectors into the fuel rails, take care to use a lubricant on the injector O-rings.
15 A Street & Performance LT1 chrome dress-up cover plate was easily installed using small drops of silicone. It gives the LT1 a custom finished look and covers the unpolished portion of the intake. The rear-exit fuel rail hold-down brackets were also installed.	16 A Street & Performance LT1 chrome dress-up cover plate was easily installed using small drops of silicone. It gives the LT1 a custom finished look and covers the unpolished portion of the intake. The rear-exit fuel rail hold-down brackets were also installed.
17 Because this '57 had a V-8 mount radiator, Hot Rod Assembly Line made brackets to mount the V-8 radiator in the six-cylinder position. This allows the additional needed space for the LT1 and allows dual electric fans to be mounted behind the radiator for better cooling and looks.	18 With the radiator in six-cylinder position it's easy mount the dual electric fans. We wanted to put the fans behind the radiator to improve cooling performance and looks.
19 The stainless radiator overflow is mounted on the passenger side next to the polished dryer and bracket for air. The chrome aluminum power steering reservoir and bracket are mounted on the driver's side.	20 The new power steering was detailed with an Aeroquip high-pressure braided hose kit. The power steering lines are mounted using aluminum hose separators with a #6 high-pressure hose from the pump to the gearbox and from the gearbox back to reservoir.
21 From the reservoir back to the pump be sure to use at least a #8 power steering hose, rated for at least 20-27 inches of vacuum. If not rated for sufficient vacuum, the hose may collapse and starve the pump of its requisite fluid flow.	22 We used hard-line stainless steel fuel lines by James Miller of Tube Tech. Avoid rubber fuel lines.
23 The larger-size stainless steel fuel tank required removal of the spare tire mounting hole and relocation of the battery box to the trunk area. Be sure to ground the battery back to the engine/transmission, engine to frame and engine to body.	24 The Rock Valley tank comes complete with stainless steel mounting straps and a high-pressure fuel pump already installed in the tank. The in-tank pump is quieter, runs cooler, and is a "pusher," which reduces the opportunity for vapor lock in hot weather. If you decide on an external pump, planning pump location is very important in maintaining fuel flow.
25 A Lokar LT1 braided throttle cable was installed. On LT1s with a 4L60E transmission don't run detent cables like '93-and-earlier cars.	26 Here's the old factory harness and computer that came off the LT1 engine and transmission.
27 This new Street & Performance harness (PN 16188051), complete with a GM factory computer, came with the engine & transmission. On a '96 or '97 LT1 engine you need to go back to the '94 or '95 computer so you can get away from OBD-2. With the Street & Performance '94-later harness you don't have to run mass air flow. When running 700 R-4, 350 or 400 transmissions, use the '92 or '93 computer (PN 16159278), which employs a programmable chip.	28 Lokar pedals were used for the brake, accelerator and dimmer switch. Installing Lokar throttle and brake pedals improved the looks as well as the throttle cable pulls from the inside for a cleaner firewall. Lokar makes a bigger pad for non-power brake cars. This '57 was converted to power brakes.
29 For the finishing touch we used a Lokar engine oil dip stick--which is flexible and lets you route around your headers--and a Lokar 4L60E firewall mount transmission fill tube.