Dawson Taylor Chevrolet

[Dino L.]

Re: Dawson Taylor Chevrolet

George....interesting now that you mention it, my 64 is an L76 365 hp convertible, 4 speed, 4:11 gear, PB, back up lights, tint, two tops radio in silver with black.

[George J.]

Re: Dawson Taylor Chevrolet

George....interesting now that you mention it, my 64 is an L76 365 hp convertible, 4 speed, 4:11 gear, PB, back up lights, tint, two tops radio in silver with black.

Dino,
The story from the other owner is that 10 were ordered by Tom Swindell with fuel injection and air conditioning in the fall of '64. The strike then started and went until the spring. When the orders started getting processed it came back that, obviously, you couldn't get both options. The owner that I know then picked air conditioning and the 365hp engine. His was delivered in March. Mine was made in early April and so probably delivered in the middle to end of April.

George
31887

[James R.]

Re: Dawson Taylor Chevrolet

Jim,
can you provide some details. I would be interested in the vin, date delivered, etc. You can pm me if you like. It seems that there were quite a few 365hp cars popping up that were delivered in March/April. Tom Swindell may have ordered 10 for delivery as soon as the strike ended. I am in touch with an original owner of one such car. Are you the original owner?

George
31887

George,

I am the fifth owner of the car. All owners have lived in the Chicagoland area. The car was ordered on March 15, 1965, built (completed) on April 9, 1965 and delivered on April 19, 1965. It is a coupe with the L76, 365 hp motor, 4 speed with a 4:11 rato rear end. Optioned with telescopic steering wheel, power windows, tinted glass, AM/FM, and Off Road exhaust.

On the sales receipt, Swindell was listed as the salesman, a C. Vanallo signed as the authorized agent for the dealership, and it was notarized by a Marlene Garko.

Jim

[George J.]

Re: Dawson Taylor Chevrolet

George,

I am the fifth owner of the car. All owners have lived in the Chicagoland area. The car was ordered on March 15, 1965, built (completed) on April 9, 1965 and delivered on April 19, 1965. It is a coupe with the L76, 365 hp motor, 4 speed with a 4:11 rato rear end. Optioned with telescopic steering wheel, power windows, tinted glass, AM/FM, and Off Road exhaust.

On the sales receipt, Swindell was listed as the salesman, a C. Vanallo signed as the authorized agent for the dealership, and it was notarized by a Marlene Garko.

Jim

Jim,
Mine was also completed on April 9th! 14713 - Fuel Injected coupe, green, black, leather interior, side pipes (original) and AM/FM.

George
31887

[James R.]

Re: Dawson Taylor Chevrolet

Jim,
Mine was also completed on April 9th! 14713 - Fuel Injected coupe, green, black, leather interior, side pipes (original) and AM/FM.

George
31887

George,

That's pretty cool. Mine was right behind yours, 14,724. Could you send me a copy of the add that you have?

Jim

[George J.]

Re: Dawson Taylor Chevrolet

George,

That's pretty cool. Mine was right behind yours, 14,724. Could you send me a copy of the add that you have?

Jim

Jim,
sure, but I need your email address as it is 10MB. Mine is ggjjr@aol.com

George
31887

[James G.]

Re: Dawson Taylor Chevrolet

George,

I have in the 65 fuel injection SURVEY Green / blk lea, GG 402, Mich. 313-331-xxxx Feb 2000 from DP 10-06. Drew Papsun spotted the car in 2000. I sent you a PM about the SURVEY.

In 1977, I and Carl Cruz began spotting 65 fuel injection cars as we each had one and loved them. In 2004, Drew Papsun from Norwalk, CT. and I merged our paperwork as he was doing likewise research in the East as Carl and I are from California.

Today 543 of the 771 cars have been logged by vin number. Entries are from just a stamped vin on a unit, an original engine, all the way to complete one owner histories with every number on a car and paperwork. It is a REGISTRY of sorts and is for pure enjoyment of owners.

We have had fun over the years especially when we have hooked up many fuel units with their original cars after they had been separated in the early years.

Love to hear more history about your car.

[Bob B.]

Re: Dawson Taylor Chevrolet

George,

I have in the 65 fuel injection SURVEY Green / blk lea, GG 402, Mich. 313-331-xxxx Feb 2000 from DP 10-06. Drew Papsun spotted the car in 2000. I sent you a PM about the SURVEY.

In 1977, I and Carl Cruz began spotting 65 fuel injection cars as we each had one and loved them. In 2004, Drew Papsun from Norwalk, CT. and I merged our paperwork as he was doing likewise research in the East as Carl and I are from California.

Today 543 of the 771 cars have been logged by vin number. Entries are from just a stamped vin on a unit, an original engine, all the way to complete one owner histories with every number on a car and paperwork. It is a REGISTRY of sorts and is for pure enjoyment of owners.

We have had fun over the years especially when we have hooked up many fuel units with their original cars after they had been separated in the early years.

Love to hear more history about your car.

Jim I have a buddy of mine that bought a 65 FI conv new and still has it. Let me know what kind of info you are looking for and I will get it for you because he dosn't belong to NCRS or even have a computer (dark ages) Bob

[Michael H.]

Re: Dawson Taylor Chevrolet -MI

I have come to find that there may have been a salesman at Dawson that may also have been a racer: Tom Swindell. Thanks for any help.

George

Tom Swindell raced a new red 67 big block coupe at Road America in summer of 67. Seemed like a big dollar operation. I'm pretty sure he was from Michigan so it's probably the same person.

I vaguely remember that he was killed in an auto accident??

[Jimmy B.]

Re: Dawson Taylor Chevrolet

Tom Swindell sold a f.i. swc to the original owner that I purchased the car from. The owner told me when he went to the dealership to order his car they had a separate showroom and building just for Corvette repairs and sales. I received the "doodle" sheet where they (owner and Swindell) worked on the price and both finally agreed. Swindell signed the purchase order with last name only. Oh by the way the car was black in/out fuel injected, metallic brakes, 4:11 posi, 4 speed and no radio. This was a special ordered car from Dawson taylor and was not just picked up at the lot.

The original owner told me that at the time he ordered his car there was a 63 Z06 tanker on the show room floor, he didn't like it because of limited space in the back.

Talking later to Mike Pillsbury (now deceased) he revealed to me that Swindell since he was the #1 salesman at the time was given a special 63 Styling car to drive around as his personal car, I mentioned this earlier on the Forum but got no response if memeory serves me.

I was also told (again unconfirmed) that Swindell was found with his "arms" cut off and I assume that was where the murdered story evolved. It was possibly a "mafia" hit. Again it would take further research to confirm this. But, I was told by a very good source.

[James G.]

Re: Dawson Taylor Chevrolet

Jim I have a buddy of mine that bought a 65 FI conv new and still has it. Let me know what kind of info you are looking for and I will get it for you because he dosn't belong to NCRS or even have a computer (dark ages) Bob

Sent you a PM.
JIM

[George J.]

Re: Dawson Taylor Chevrolet

Jimmy B,
Thank you very much for the information! What a place that dealership must have been. I will post more info. about the Corvette showroom when I get it. I am working on a few things. Can you contact the original owner of your car and ask for any more stories he may have? Does he still live in Michigan?
Also, I heard a similar story about Tom Swindell, but he had only "lost" his hands. He supposedly was found burned on a boat without them. I have not verified the story, so was not going to post it, but now that it is out there, I must say it is still hearsay, so take it with a grain of salt.

[Jimmy B.]

Re: Dawson Taylor Chevrolet

Memory jogged some more, I concur with the story about Swindell being found on a burned boay.

Does anybody know about the 63 "special" car he was given to drive around?

[George J.]

Re: Dawson Taylor Chevrolet

Memory jogged some more, I concur with the story about Swindell being found on a burned boay.

Does anybody know about the 63 "special" car he was given to drive around?

Jimmy,
are you able to answer my other questions? Thanks.

George

[James G.]

Re: Dawson Taylor Chevrolet

Tom Swindell sold a f.i. swc to the original owner that I purchased the car from. The owner told me when he went to the dealership to order his car they had a separate showroom and building just for Corvette repairs and sales. I received the "doodle" sheet where they (owner and Swindell) worked on the price and both finally agreed. Swindell signed the purchase order with last name only. Oh by the way the car was black in/out fuel injected, metallic brakes, 4:11 posi, 4 speed and no radio. This was a special ordered car from Dawson taylor and was not just picked up at the lot.

The original owner told me that at the time he ordered his car there was a 63 Z06 tanker on the show room floor, he didn't like it because of limited space in the back.

Talking later to Mike Pillsbury (now deceased) he revealed to me that Swindell since he was the #1 salesman at the time was given a special 63 Styling car to drive around as his personal car, I mentioned this earlier on the Forum but got no response if memeory serves me.

I was also told (again unconfirmed) that Swindell was found with his "arms" cut off and I assume that was where the murdered story evolved. It was possibly a "mafia" hit. Again it would take further research to confirm this. But, I was told by a very good source.

Tony DeLorenzo sent me this today:

"Dawson-Taylor was on the corner of Livernois and Grand River and did indeed have a separate Corvette showroom/building a block east of Liv. that Swindell headed.

As you recall he had a bad accident with a CanAm car at Elkhart Lake that around 67 or 8 left him badly disfigured from a fire. Sometime shortly thereafter his wife Mary divorced him.

Years later we heard he was found dead in Florida in a boat burned to the waterline with his hands and feet cut off. Everyone concluded it was a drug deal gone very bad."