1966 Owner's Guide and Owner Protection Plan Booklets - excluded from some cars?

[Henry J.]

In the 66 AIM (UPC 0, Sheet C1), I am puzzled by Note 6 that, depending on its true meaning, may have excluded some cars from being furnished with the Owner's Guide and Owner Protection Plan Booklet at St. Louis. In the AIM, Note 6 is presented as follows: "ALL EXC. CKD. BLOOMFIELD".

What exactly does "ALL EXC. CKD. BLOOMFIELD" mean?

[Jim S.]

Re: 1966 Owner's Guide and Owner Protection Plan Booklets - excluded from some cars?

Harry,

If memory serves , the "CKD Bloomfield" refers to cars that were prepared for export. I heard that CKD stands for "completely knocked down". What that means is that these cars were shipped overseas as a "kit" , or a partial car, for local assembly.

I just guessing at the Bloomfield part, but perhaps that was the plant that packaged or prepared these cars for exported shipment.

Jim

[Henry J.]

Re: 1966 Owner's Guide and Owner Protection Plan Booklets - excluded from some cars?

Jim:

Thank you for this insight.

Am I correct in thinking, then, that this note would not apply to cars exported to Canada, as these cars arrived here fully assembled.

[Mark H.]

Re: 1966 Owner's Guide and Owner Protection Plan Booklets - excluded from some cars?

There were also Corvettes (our '66 coupe is one example) that never left the states but were officially designated as an export car. In our case, the original owner ordered it through what he called "Saigon Chevy" while on duty in the Air Force in 1965.

[Henry J.]

Re: 1966 Owner's Guide and Owner Protection Plan Booklets - excluded from some cars?

Mark:

Yes, I am aware that such things happened.

Do you have the Owner's Guide and Owner Protection Plan Booklets that were original to your car? Are they the same as would be expected in a typical US-delivered car?

[Jim S.]

Re: 1966 Owner's Guide and Owner Protection Plan Booklets - excluded from some cars?

Jim:

Thank you for this insight.

Am I correct in thinking, then, that this note would not apply to cars exported to Canada, as these cars arrived here fully assembled.

Henry,

Good question ! More knowledgeable folks than I will have to answer that one for you .You just read everything I know about it.

Jim

[Mark H.]

Re: 1966 Owner's Guide and Owner Protection Plan Booklets - excluded from some cars?

Henry, in answer to your question, unfortunately I do not have the original owner's guide and owner protection plan booklets that came with the car. I have comprehensive history on our car, which we've owned 39 years, but do not have those docs; wish I did!

[Henry J.]

Re: 1966 Owner's Guide and Owner Protection Plan Booklets - excluded from some cars?

Mark:

Thank you for the reply.

As your car never left the US, I suspect that your car was furnished with the standard booklets, but that is just a guess based on logic.

[Keith B.]

Re: 1966 Owner's Guide and Owner Protection Plan Booklets - excluded from some cars?

I have a friend that ordered a 65 convertible while in the army in Vitamin. in fact he still owns it today. he has all the paper work when he ordered the car though the USO. the car was delivered to the local Chevy dealer in his home town. he still has the POP and owners manual

[Mark H.]

Re: 1966 Owner's Guide and Owner Protection Plan Booklets - excluded from some cars?

Keith, your friend's car is a cool story. We ought to work up a human interest story on him and that Corvette for The Corvette Restorer magazine. Do you think he would be amenable to such a thing? We'd also have to run this past Vinnie and the editorial board, but it could be a great story, especially with pictures.

[Keith B.]

Re: 1966 Owner's Guide and Owner Protection Plan Booklets - excluded from some cars?

here is his car at Corvettes At Carlisle last year


he was featured in Chips Choice. He was a NCRS member at one time but since then just enjoys other things.

[John H.]

Re: 1966 Owner's Guide and Owner Protection Plan Booklets - excluded from some cars?

Unlike passenger cars and trucks, Corvettes were NEVER furnished as CKD units for export with final assembly done in small operations overseas; all Corvettes left St. Louis as fully-assembled finished vehicles and were shipped to the Port of Baltimore, where Chevrolet's contractor (Mortenson's Warehouse) prepared them for shipment overseas and loaded them on ships. "CKD Bloomfield" referred to GM's "boxing plant" in Bloomfield, New Jersey, where the CKD "kits" were created and boxed for final assembly overseas.

[Henry J.]

Re: 1966 Owner's Guide and Owner Protection Plan Booklets - excluded from some cars?

John H:

Thank you for these details.

Your explanation implies that no Corvette for export ever left St. Louis in CKD form. Did some Corvettes for other than export leave St. Louis in CKD form for Bloomfield? Why was the note in the AIM excluding the booklets from some Corvettes necessary?

[John H.]

Re: 1966 Owner's Guide and Owner Protection Plan Booklets - excluded from some cars?

John H:

Thank you for these details.

Your explanation implies that no Corvette for export ever left St. Louis in CKD form. Did some Corvettes for other than export leave St. Louis in CKD form for Bloomfield? Why was the note in the AIM excluding the booklets from some Corvettes necessary?

Henry -

Don't over-think this - no Corvette ever left St. Louis as a CKD kit, period. Someone in Drafting apparently decided that since Export Corvettes were covered by unique warranties/owner protection plans issued by GM Overseas Operations in the importing country, they didn't need the U.S. pamphlet.

[Henry J.]

Re: 1966 Owner's Guide and Owner Protection Plan Booklets - excluded from some cars?

That's what I thought you were going to say. It's crystal clear to me now!

Many thanks. Your first hand insights are invaluable to us here on the TDB.