POST OLD PICTURES of CORVETTES HERE - NOSTALGIA

[James G.]

Re: POST OLD PICTURES of CORVETTES HERE - NOSTALGIA

Just posted this pic on Corvette Forum, to do with a KO topic. Thought it might fit in here as well.

Original red/black leather delivered to Noranda Quebec (that's the owner (with the mustache) of the business and his car, . I have the 5 KO's in my basement.

65 or 66 Wayne? Hard to tell due to quality of photo. Neat to see small block with side pipes and knock offs ''FROM THE FACTORY''. Today we think they all came that way, but in reality ONLY 759 N14 Sides and 1159 P48 K-Off's were made in 1965, and a few more in 66. They were a rare factory option.

[Wayne M.]

Re: POST OLD PICTURES of CORVETTES HERE - NOSTALGIA

Jim -- Forgot to say it was a '66 (VIN 13162). One of two 1966 tankers ordered by Canadian dealers. According to a (J&B 2012 ?) magazine article, really loaded: L79, posi, tint, leather, headrests, K66, U69, hazard flasher, N14, N03, teak, tele, side exh. KO's, whitewalls (article says goldlines), PS, and PB,

[James G.]

Re: POST OLD PICTURES of CORVETTES HERE - NOSTALGIA

Jim -- Forgot to say it was a '66 (VIN 13162). One of two 1966 tankers ordered by Canadian dealers. According to a (J&B 2012 ?) magazine article, really loaded: L79, posi, tint, leather, headrests, K66, U69, hazard flasher, N14, N03, teak, tele, side exh. KO's, whitewalls (article says goldlines), PS, and PB,

What a neat rare car. I assume it still exits from your reference to magazine articles.

[Dana B.]

Re: POST OLD PICTURES of CORVETTES HERE - NOSTALGIA

More 4909 [ATTACH]86587

[Dana B.]

Re: POST OLD PICTURES of CORVETTES HERE - NOSTALGIA

4909 resurrection

4909 2.pdf

[Dan A.]

Re: POST OLD PICTURES of CORVETTES HERE - NOSTALGIA

I'm assuming 4909 is the sequential pat of this cars VIN and that the car is a 1957 and not a '56?

The earliest photo in the first set of pictures show a silver car. Do you know if the original color was silver?

[Dana B.]

Re: POST OLD PICTURES of CORVETTES HERE - NOSTALGIA

Yep, '57
Previous owner bought it in used in '64 as silver , later painted red , when he did the frame off restoration and joined NCRS he found oil markings from factory ... BLACK was the original color as it is today.

[Dan A.]

Re: POST OLD PICTURES of CORVETTES HERE - NOSTALGIA

These pictures are from Bloomington back in 1976. Before it was called Bloomington Gold. Although I took these photos in '76 at Bloomington I used them for the front and back covers of an Ontario (Canada) Chapter newsletter in the early to mid 1980's. NCRS Ontario Chapter has Big Turn-out For Spring Meet! was the front cover. 'Til Next Time... was the back cover.

The first photo is the Fairgrounds where the event was first held. You can see one of the Fairgrounds buildings on the right photo border on the horizon line. Further evidence of the location is the State Farm building on the horizon in the background.

The second picture is a '59 or '60 we followed on the highway just after leaving the Fairgrounds on our way home. That was back when we drove our Corvettes. Even to events hundreds of miles away.

Those were the days.

[Carl N.]

Re: POST OLD PICTURES of CORVETTES HERE - NOSTALGIA

Bloomington '78

[Dan A.]

Re: POST OLD PICTURES of CORVETTES HERE - NOSTALGIA

1966s rail freight.

[Dan A.]

Re: POST OLD PICTURES of CORVETTES HERE - NOSTALGIA

I can add a little something in the way of background to this picture.





The gentleman in the photo is Gilles Bureau, Dealer Principal of the GM dealership behind him. The dealership was a Chevrolet and may have had Pontiac at that time. If not they acquired Pontiac at a later date. My sources memory is fading and I'm finding research feedback slow. Gilles ordered the car with every option available with the exception of C60. Air conditioning has little demand in the great white north. Rouyn Noranda Quebec is a mining town about 400 miles north and a little east of Montreal.They mine copper and precious metals (gold) are smelted out. Rouyn and Noranda are actually two towns that have grown together. Each had a GM dealer, one Chevrolet Pontiac and the other Chevrolet Cadillac. The name Noranda was derived from the words North and Canada when Noranda Mines was formed in 1922.


Gilles would from time to time drive his Corvette to Montreal and sometimes due to road conditions find himself off road. The 400 mile trip through the bush made the tank useful.Under Gilles ownership a ducktail type rear spoiler was added to the rear. Made from a steel frame draped with fiberglass mat, resin and lots of bondo. A front spoiler was also added. The hood received a '67 style hood scoop grafted on with lots of rivets and bondo. These methods were used to form small flares for the rear wheel openings. It is not clear when he sold the car.


The second owner worked for the Canadian National Railway. He made no changes to the car. At some point the CN (as it is known here) worker traded Dennis who became the third owner. Dennis traded a '69 GTO even money for the Corvette. Dennis then made CN guy buy the wheels from the GTO. Of note Dennis was looking for $1800.00 for the GTO. At the same time there was a cash buyer who had $2500.00 price in hand for the Tanker. Enter Raymond who had worked for Gilles Bureau at the Chevy Dealership. But Raymond backed out at the last minute because at that time locals knew little of these rear ends and the word on the street was all the U-joints were shot, stay away.


Raymond had left the dealership and built a new house and garage. He opened his own general service and automotive machining shop.Third owner Dennis turned out to be a friend of Raymond's.


I forget the sequence of events of things Dennis did with the car. By this time the steel in the duck tail and flares were rusting and the bondo bubbling. Dennis didn't like the rear spoiler so he cut it off with an axe. He also replaced the KO's for new Torque Thrust Ds. He took the car to friend Raymond and wanted a brand new engine. Raymond advised Dennis to let him rebuild the engine. No, he wanted a new engine. So Raymond replaces the original short block with a brand new 350 partial engine and rebuildt the top end. Raymond kept the original short block.


One winter morning Dennis puts the car into a concrete wall at the base of a hill. Dennis apparently made the comment that it was so icy that morning that he couldn't walk to the car. An Ecklers front clip was used to repair the damage. It was not press molded both sides. The hood was not damaged.


Some years later Dennis traded the Tanker to prominent Montreal dealer John Scotti. He traded the Corvette for a Pantera that had belonged to an NHL hockey player.


How do I know of these things? Raymond is a friend of mine. He moved to the Niagara Peninsula 30 some years ago to get away from the long winters and short summers. He also wanted his children to learn English. Because we are both car guys with a pronounce interest in Corvettes it wasn't long before we met. We did some horse trading and when I learned of the L79 short block I tried to buy it. He would never sell. He said "one day I'm going to find that car". I kept trying for years.


Long story short the block finally did find it's way back to Montreal and the car it came from.


Car was sold into the States. I think it was Texas. Someone will correct me if I'm wrong.


Wayne surprised me when he posted the picture. I had never seen that one. I know Wayne and I knew he had a set of '66 KO's. He has even mentioned the sequential number of the VIN. But I never put the two together.


Coincidentally Raymond had just stopped here on one of his Harley cruises.

[Tim G.]

Re: POST OLD PICTURES of CORVETTES HERE - NOSTALGIA

Great story, Dan. Thank you.

[Joseph T.]

Re: POST OLD PICTURES of CORVETTES HERE - NOSTALGIA

John Evans the Chief Inspector tried to teach the beauty queen to drive the 4 Speed in the St.Louis Corvette plant lot to no avail. Per John Evans.

[Wayne M.]

Re: POST OLD PICTURES of CORVETTES HERE - NOSTALGIA

Hope I haven't already posted --- 35mm film strip (for a screen projector) by GM Communications to dealers, as sales aids. This one is 1965.

[Dana B.]

Re: POST OLD PICTURES of CORVETTES HERE - NOSTALGIA

mike ; yes ,from 1964 to date , you have flight judged 4909 in 2010, email me for more info . dana