![]() The West Coast unit in particular was of importance, as it allowed even more modifications to the cars. Two units within the group were formed, one for the East Coast NASCAR racing circuit, and the other for the West Coast NASCAR racing circuit. Known as Peter DePaolo Engineering, it was based in Long Beach, California. Ford set up an independent organization to handle its racing interests. A win would add prestige and draw people into the showrooms. It also eliminated the possibility of carburetor icing in cold weather.įord and Chevrolet began looking into entering the racing circuits late in 1955. Standard on the 1957 Corvette, Chevrolet stated that this system provided increased power, more instantaneous acceleration, faster cold starts, smoother engine warm up, and better overall fuel economy. It was designed in cooperation with Rochester. While the supercharger may seem exotic for the time, by 1957 Chevrolet had developed a fuel injection system it called Ramjet. The upper fan shroud was notched to provide clearance for an additional idler pulley to drive the supercharger. In addition to the supercharger and unique carburetor, this engine used a special camshaft and a dual point distributor. This was a different carburetor than those supplied with the other engine configurations. The model number of this supercharger was VR-57, and it featured a unique sealed intake housing that fit over a special Holley four barrel carburetor. If this wasn't enough, a limited number of 1957 Thunderbirds were built with a 312 cubic inch V-8 equipped with a McCulloch Variable Ratio Supercharger. A Racing Kit version was also offered, it featured a special Iskanderian E-2 camshaft with a longer duration and dual valve springs, and it brought the horsepower rating up to 285. This engine option was supplied with any of the three transmissions offered at the time. ![]() The 312 could also be ordered up with dual four barrel Holley carburetors, bringing horsepower up to 270. Since horsepower and performance were all the rage in 1957, additional engine options were offered on the 1957 Thunderbird to satisfy those with a desire for more performance. A Holley four barrel carburetor utilized the front two barrels for normal operation, and the additional rear two barrels kicked in for added performance, such as when passing or when additional power is needed going uphill. The optional 312 cubic inch V-8, introduced in 1956, was now rated at 245 horsepower, and was available with either the optional Overdrive or Fordomatic transmissions. In this form, the T-bird was a spirited performer, certainly not the fastest car on the road, but it wasn't far behind, either. A two barrel Holley carburetor supplied the fuel and air mixture. This represented an increase in horsepower from 202 in 1956. The standard 1957 Thunderbird engine was a 292 cubic inch V-8, rated at 212 horsepower and supplied only with the 3-speed manual transmission. ![]() 1957 Ford Thunderbird Engine Options | AUTOMOTIVE MILEPOSTSĮverything from a tame 212 horsepower up to 300 horses
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