I was reading my June issue of Muscle Machines and noticed an interesting article about shipment data on '65-72 Chevelles, Camaros and Novas. Evidentially, information that has not been previously available is being sold through NCRS regarding when and to whom GM vehicles were shipped from the factory. Being somewhat of a history buff about my car, I drank the "cool aid" and sent my hard earned dollars to NCRS for whatever history they could provide on my car. I received a very official letter from them stating, "The GM official production date was 6/5/1969 and the original delivery dealer was dealer code 343 in zone 3". That was kind of a let down but, fortunately the NCRS website allowed me to decode the dealer information to Hauss Chevrolet in East St. Louis, Il. Through the wonder of the internet, I was able to learn a great deal about Hauss Chevrolet. The good news is I had a starting point of a trail for more information about the birth information on my car. The bad news is that Hauss Chevrolet closed it's doors in the early 1980's. I have been able to track down about 10 relatives of Frank Hauss who opened the dealership, operated it for 60 some years and eventually died in 1995 at the ripe old age of 102. It seems the trail has once again grown cold. I have been trying to contact one of Hauss' granddaughters still living in the area to see if there might be a custodian of records of the old dealership but I am not holding my breath. While doing an internet search I found an old "thank you" letter to a Chevy dealer in St. Louis that was signed and had a phone number on it. Being inquisitive I called the number and talked to an 80 year old retired police officer from East St. Louis. During his early years he built 348 and 409 engines for racing. He knew the Hauss family personally. He said Frank Hauss had a great Chevy dealership until about 1980 when GM can t town and wanted him to expand to carry a full line of GM vehicles. He told GM he wasn't interested, and closed his dealership so he didn't have to comply with GM's orders. (One big set there!). I also spoke with one of the record keepers at Allied Vaughn who handles records for the GM Heritage Center regarding these shipping records. He acknowledged they were in fact legitimate but he is still in the dark as to why his company, the "official" record custodian for GM did not get these records from GM and the National Corvette Restores Society did. Maybe the NSA knows the whole story.
My question is... Has anyone else gone ahead and gotten the shipping records for their cars from NCRS and if so has it lead to any great historical discoveries about their cars?
stldrgn said
May 28, 2014
I specifically asked gm heritage for shipping document's a year ago they told me no such info exists. I had to laugh we these appeared I am waiting for the rest of them to appear. Mine was sold at downtown Chevrolet in Minneapolis that has been closed for a long ass time so that helps me none. Unless one of you have the records from there or happened to buy a 57B L78 from there in 69 sold it around 71-72 to a guy in Stillwater and have the protecto plate. But I do know more than I did
Jon H said
May 28, 2014
I have been told that more documentation "may" exist but it is too costly to categorize to the point of being able to disseminate it so it may never happen, at least in my lifetime.
66 RAT said
May 29, 2014
I shouldn't date myself, but I bought a new 1973 Monte Carlo at Downtown Chevrolet. I don't remember how long after that it closed, but for some younger guys it was "a long ass time" ago.
jim larson said
May 29, 2014
66 RAT wrote:
I shouldn't date myself, but I bought a new 1973 Monte Carlo at Downtown Chevrolet. I don't remember how long after that it closed, but for some younger guys it was "a long ass time" ago.
Got you beat Ron. I bought a new 66 chevelle in September of 1965 @ Christensen's Chevrolet in Buffalo, MN.
stldrgn said
May 29, 2014
Yeah lol I'm trying to remember if I ever saw it open I remember seeing it closed. I remember Midway being open.
stldrgn said
May 29, 2014
Jon H wrote:
I have been told that more documentation "may" exist but it is too costly to categorize to the point of being able to disseminate it so it may never happen, at least in my lifetime.
Really? What have you heard?
bowtie said
May 30, 2014
stldrgn wrote:
Yeah lol I'm trying to remember if I ever saw it open I remember seeing it closed. I remember Midway being open.
The guy who was the parts manager at Midway is my night parts guy. Has been since around 06-07ish.
I have been told that more documentation "may" exist but it is too costly to categorize to the point of being able to disseminate it so it may never happen, at least in my lifetime.
Really? What have you heard?
Just what is said above, it may all be stored somewhere but too costly to retrieve.
Lost in the 60s said
May 30, 2014
Jon H wrote:
stldrgn wrote:
Jon H wrote:
I have been told that more documentation "may" exist but it is too costly to categorize to the point of being able to disseminate it so it may never happen, at least in my lifetime.
Really? What have you heard?
Just what is said above, it may all be stored somewhere but too costly to retrieve.
Been rumors for years on the Camaro site about documents left in one of the empty buildings in LA where the Camaros were built. That would be fun to have documented proof for all the '69 Z28's that were built. There are now more Z28 badged '69 Camaros on the road than Chevrolet originally built...and they're ALL real....
Lost in the 60s said
May 31, 2014
I went to the muscledocs website. $50 to find out a dealer name is a bit too steep for me. I already know when and where the '66 was built and have Canadian docs on the '70. Think I'll use that money to buy 2 wipers for the '66 instead.
stldrgn said
May 31, 2014
Lost in the 60s wrote:
Jon H wrote:
stldrgn wrote:
Jon H wrote:
I have been told that more documentation "may" exist but it is too costly to categorize to the point of being able to disseminate it so it may never happen, at least in my lifetime.
Really? What have you heard?
Just what is said above, it may all be stored somewhere but too costly to retrieve.
Been rumors for years on the Camaro site about documents left in one of the empty buildings in LA where the Camaros were built. That would be fun to have documented proof for all the '69 Z28's that were built. There are now more Z28 badged '69 Camaros on the road than Chevrolet originally built...and they're ALL real....
Yeah it kind of makes me wonder if everything is not released because of all the lawsuits
Jon H said
May 31, 2014
stldrgn wrote:
Lost in the 60s wrote:
Jon H wrote:
stldrgn wrote:
Jon H wrote:
I have been told that more documentation "may" exist but it is too costly to categorize to the point of being able to disseminate it so it may never happen, at least in my lifetime.
Really? What have you heard?
Just what is said above, it may all be stored somewhere but too costly to retrieve.
Been rumors for years on the Camaro site about documents left in one of the empty buildings in LA where the Camaros were built. That would be fun to have documented proof for all the '69 Z28's that were built. There are now more Z28 badged '69 Camaros on the road than Chevrolet originally built...and they're ALL real....
Yeah it kind of makes me wonder if everything is not released because of all the lawsuits
Law suits?
Lost in the 60s said
May 31, 2014
Potential lawsuits.
bowtie said
May 31, 2014
Nah, I would bet that if there is all that info, it's going to be such a big clusterF that to properly organize it, maintain it, and so on wouldn't be worth the hassle. GM is big on it's heritage including the museum they have that isn't really open to the public even. They have pretty much all the important vehicles they made including most of the prototypes that were brought fully to assembly. If they thought there was good business in it, they would make it available. Not their problem if someone else has deemed their clone real or not. GM Canada did a good job maintaining records and making them available.
I was reading my June issue of Muscle Machines and noticed an interesting article about shipment data on '65-72 Chevelles, Camaros and Novas. Evidentially, information that has not been previously available is being sold through NCRS regarding when and to whom GM vehicles were shipped from the factory. Being somewhat of a history buff about my car, I drank the "cool aid" and sent my hard earned dollars to NCRS for whatever history they could provide on my car. I received a very official letter from them stating, "The GM official production date was 6/5/1969 and the original delivery dealer was dealer code 343 in zone 3". That was kind of a let down but, fortunately the NCRS website allowed me to decode the dealer information to Hauss Chevrolet in East St. Louis, Il. Through the wonder of the internet, I was able to learn a great deal about Hauss Chevrolet. The good news is I had a starting point of a trail for more information about the birth information on my car. The bad news is that Hauss Chevrolet closed it's doors in the early 1980's. I have been able to track down about 10 relatives of Frank Hauss who opened the dealership, operated it for 60 some years and eventually died in 1995 at the ripe old age of 102. It seems the trail has once again grown cold. I have been trying to contact one of Hauss' granddaughters still living in the area to see if there might be a custodian of records of the old dealership but I am not holding my breath. While doing an internet search I found an old "thank you" letter to a Chevy dealer in St. Louis that was signed and had a phone number on it. Being inquisitive I called the number and talked to an 80 year old retired police officer from East St. Louis. During his early years he built 348 and 409 engines for racing. He knew the Hauss family personally. He said Frank Hauss had a great Chevy dealership until about 1980 when GM can t town and wanted him to expand to carry a full line of GM vehicles. He told GM he wasn't interested, and closed his dealership so he didn't have to comply with GM's orders. (One big set there!). I also spoke with one of the record keepers at Allied Vaughn who handles records for the GM Heritage Center regarding these shipping records. He acknowledged they were in fact legitimate but he is still in the dark as to why his company, the "official" record custodian for GM did not get these records from GM and the National Corvette Restores Society did. Maybe the NSA knows the whole story.
My question is... Has anyone else gone ahead and gotten the shipping records for their cars from NCRS and if so has it lead to any great historical discoveries about their cars?
I shouldn't date myself, but I bought a new 1973 Monte Carlo at Downtown Chevrolet. I don't remember how long after that it closed, but for some younger guys it was "a long ass time" ago.
Got you beat Ron. I bought a new 66 chevelle in September of 1965 @ Christensen's Chevrolet in Buffalo, MN.
Yeah lol I'm trying to remember if I ever saw it open I remember seeing it closed. I remember Midway being open.
Really? What have you heard?
The guy who was the parts manager at Midway is my night parts guy. Has been since around 06-07ish.
Link to a past newsletter with some pictures from old local dealerships and history: http://northstarchevelles.com/NonSecure/NewsLetters/11apr.pdf
Just what is said above, it may all be stored somewhere but too costly to retrieve.
Been rumors for years on the Camaro site about documents left in one of the empty buildings in LA where the Camaros were built. That would be fun to have documented proof for all the '69 Z28's that were built. There are now more Z28 badged '69 Camaros on the road than Chevrolet originally built...and they're ALL real....
Yeah it kind of makes me wonder if everything is not released because of all the lawsuits
Law suits?