Turbo LSX-Powered 1957 Corvette Lays Down 700 HP on the Dyno
In a world obsessed with originality, this 1957 Corvette is anything but, and we love it all the same, if not more.
These days, C1 Corvettes are worth a pretty penny, making them a popular target among collectors and enthusiasts. In the world of the Corvette in general, modifications are generally frowned upon, and tend to hurt the value in a realm where folks are obsessive about things like proper markings, documentation, and original components. However, none of this matters to the owner of this wild 1957 Corvette, who recently took it to Sloppy Mechanics for a tune.
There, Matt Happel gave us a closer look at both this special 1957 Corvette and the process he went through extracting as much power from it. A far cry from the stock, underpowered classic that it once was, this C1 is now powered by a 6.0-liter LSX that’s been fitted with a host of go-fast goodies including an S475 turbocharger, LS2 intake, Brian Tooley Racing (BTR) Stage 2 camshaft, and Snake Eater Performance (SEP) 1000 cc injectors.
The beefy powerplant is mated to a 4L80E four-speed automatic transmission and a 9-inch rear end, which combine to form a rather enticing drivetrain – particularly when it’s powering a car that tips the scales at a mere 2,600 pounds, which makes it a featherweight compared to today’s bulky, tech-heavy vehicles, and it also has a set of Wilwood disc brakes to help slow it down.
Aside from being gorgeous, that combination of mechanicals also makes this 1957 Corvette a real performer on the dyno, as Happel quickly finds out. After tinkering around with it, he manages to extract 526 horsepower and 476 pound-feet of torque on the dyno with around eight pounds of boost and 10 percent ethanol, which is enough to have quite a bit of fun on the street. Of course, he also wanted to see just what this combination was capable of, so he kept going.
With 17 pounds of boost flowing into the LSX and 44 percent ethanol fuel feeding it, the car responded by laying down 704 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque – impressive figures, indeed. Lappel didn’t bother messing around with full-blown E85, as it’s not common in the owner’s hometown, but we imagine that there’s even more power lurking here if he ever wants to unleash it. Regardless, as-is, this classic Corvette looks like one heck of a fun street machine – even if it figures to anger some purists.
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