Export Preparation 1967 Corvette

[Jeff C.]

I have a 1967 Corvette, Zone 21 that was ordered by a GI in Vietnam. The tank sticker says Export Preparation ship to Friendly Chevrolet. Friendly Chevrolet is still in business in Springfield, IL (they don't have any paperwork...). I have been able to talk with the brother of the original owner and he says that his brother worked for GM in Vietnam, ordering cars for GI's in the PX in Long Binh (commissioned salesmen). Does anyone have any information on how the GM program worked - I understand that GI's could get Corvettes before regular citizens. The build date of my car is December 12, 1966 - any idea of when the order would have been placed for the car - November or October?

The guy who ordered the car is still alive and I have only been able to talk with him for a few minutes - not real friendly...I'm still hoping that he will share more with me...

Anybody have any information on how the GI program worked?

Thank you - Jeff Cornwell

[Wayne M.]

Re: Export Preparation 1967 Corvette

I have a 1967 Corvette, Zone 21 that was ordered by a GI in Vietnam.

Jeff -- Zone 21, Dealer 000 on an order copy MAY mean that the car was sent to Canada for further trans-shipment. Email me the last 5 digits of your VIN, and I'll check my (partial) list of 267 Corvettes sent to Canadian dealers (out of a total of 396 for that model year).

Just a long shot

[Rick A.]

Re: Export Preparation 1967 Corvette

don't know what you are really looking for - when I was in the military stationed overseas between 1969-1977, ordered several cars through the military PX system for delivery overseas - don't remember anything specific - just that order was placed through a dealership in States and car showed up at a port in the country I was stationed in and I picked the car up

[John H.]

Re: Export Preparation 1967 Corvette

The GI/PX ordering program was administered through GMODC (GM Overseas Distribution Corporation) as the link between the PX's and Chevrolet.

[Jeff C.]

Re: Export Preparation 1967 Corvette

Jeff -- Zone 21, Dealer 000 on an order copy MAY mean that the car was sent to Canada for further trans-shipment. Email me the last 5 digits of your VIN, and I'll check my (partial) list of 267 Corvettes sent to Canadian dealers (out of a total of 396 for that model year).

Just a long shot

Wayne - thank you for your reply. The VIN is 5841. The dealership (Friendly Chevrolet) was a few miles from his home town in the States. Any idea of the lead time from when he ordered to build or delivery? The original title is dated 12/23/66 and is stamped Friendly Chevrolet. Thanks again. Jeff

[Jeff C.]

Re: Export Preparation 1967 Corvette

don't know what you are really looking for - when I was in the military stationed overseas between 1969-1977, ordered several cars through the military PX system for delivery overseas - don't remember anything specific - just that order was placed through a dealership in States and car showed up at a port in the country I was stationed in and I picked the car up

Rick - thank you for your information. Do you have a sense of the lead time between when the car was ordered vs. delivered. He took delivery of my 1967 on 12/23/66. The car was built on about 12/12/66.

It seemed strange that the car was categorized as Export Preparation, yet never made it out of the state of Illinois...

Thanks again.

Jeff

[Dick C.]

Re: Export Preparation 1967 Corvette

Jeff,
It is my understanding that if a GI was being discharged and ordered a Corvette so it was waiting for him/her in the states was still considered "an export". I have copies of tank stickers that read:
8PROC 1 or 8PROC 2 export preparation ship to Mortensens Warehouse and some that have stateside Chev dealers as ship to. All have Zone 21 and either dealer 001 or 002.
I was also told that there was a GM overseas office in NY City. I tried to get some info on that office from GM but no luck.
Dick Capello

[Jimmy B.]

Re: Export Preparation 1967 Corvette

Jeff,

I know this is kindof off what you are looking for but here is the way it work(ed) in the UK. You go to the base and order your car, it was built and shipped to a warehouse depot in Germany, it was registered there and you had to go get it bring it into the UK with German papers on it. This was done to forego the UK 17.5% VAT duty. In the last 2 or 3 years this has changed, you now order a car and they (the new car PX system personnel) bring the car to the base for your delivery and you do not have to go to Germany anymore. When I purchased my new car I was able to bring it into the country in 1998 without paying VAT because I had registered it in the states and titled it and agreed not to sell it in the UK or VAT for the value at the time of purchase would have been collected. Furthermore I purchased a 67 Corvette in the USA and also brought that over without paying VAT directly into the UK. Of course I had to get the base jag to sign and notorize some official government documents stating that this car was for my personal use and I agreed to take it back with me when I left the UK. That car has more "ship/transport" miles than cruise miles since I have owned it.

[Terry M.]

Re: Export Preparation 1967 Corvette

During the time I was Restorer editor I published a story about a 1972 that was ordered from a hardware store in the Philippines, and delivered to the GI in the US as he mustered out. The build sheet shows Export Preparation, but the car never left the US -- Illinois also IIRC. The author was Ray Wolson, and if I had to guess I would put it at 2001 or 2002.

[Henry J.]

Re: Export Preparation 1967 Corvette

Dick:

Do you have some explanation for Zone 21/Dealer 001, Zone 21/Dealer 002? I am aware that (at least some) new mid-year Corvettes coming into Canada had documentation indictaing Zone 21/Dealer 000.

What does Zone 21 refer to? What does Dealer 000 refer to?

[Rick A.]

Re: Export Preparation 1967 Corvette

Jeff,

again not real sure on the process - ordered a car through PX for delivery to Italy, and car was delivered to the base and also two for delivery to Taiwan, and picked them up at port in Taipei - cars all remained in country

[Dick C.]

Re: Export Preparation 1967 Corvette

I have no explanation for Zone 21 or the dealer #s.
Al Grenning may have info as he has a ton of GM St Louis docs.
Here is a shot in the dark.
Zone 21 = GM Export Office
Dealer 001/002 = Area of the country Corvettes to be transported to.(East
Coast/West coast)
Dealer 000 = Canada

Dick

[Jeff C.]

Re: Export Preparation 1967 Corvette

Jeff,
It is my understanding that if a GI was being discharged and ordered a Corvette so it was waiting for him/her in the states was still considered "an export". I have copies of tank stickers that read:
8PROC 1 or 8PROC 2 export preparation ship to Mortensens Warehouse and some that have stateside Chev dealers as ship to. All have Zone 21 and either dealer 001 or 002.
I was also told that there was a GM overseas office in NY City. I tried to get some info on that office from GM but no luck.
Dick Capello

Thank you Dick for the additional information - very interesting. Any feel for how long between when an order was placed to delivery? Build date was 12/12/66 and delivery 12/23/66. Would he have ordered the car in October or November?

Thank you again. Jeff

[Dick C.]

Re: Export Preparation 1967 Corvette

Jeff, I will look at some of the docs I have to see if I can help with your question.
Dick

[Henry J.]

Re: Export Preparation 1967 Corvette

Dick:

Your thinking about the meaning of Zone 21 and Dealers 000/001/002 is logical. In fact, I thought similarly.

This may mean nothing but, I did check an old article in the Restorer on Zone numbers, authored by John Amgwert. In that article, Zone 21 appears to have covered the Wisconsin area, with the Zone office being in Janesville, WI at one time.