The local Chevy dealership has a secret upstairs storage room that has some
real treasures in it. A guy Terry Glines and I know bough a N.O.S. 409
long block from them. If you know the right people at the dealership you
might be allowed to prowle through it. Unfortunetly, I don't.
However, 10 or 12 years ago one of the guys at the local NAPA store
suggested that I try the Olds, GMC, Pontiac house in a Kermit, TX for tail
light lenses for my Panel truck. I waited until my next delivery run that
direction and stopped in. I told the parts guy what I needed and he simply
asked " Do you know what they look like when you see them?" A strange
question I thought until he lead me to the "small parts room". It was like
stepping into a time machine. There were parts dating back into the early
30's. Trim, electrical, lenses, small mechanical parts, you name it it was
there. He also showed me the "large parts room" that contained fenders and
hoods and bumpers and engine blocks and who knows what else also dating back
to the 30's.
After twenty minute of looking through neatly arranged boxes of lenses I
found a pair for the Panel. I took them back to the parts counter to
negotiate the price. Would you believe $10 for the pair.
The dealership closed about three years later and the building was cleaned
out. No telling what happened to that cache of great parts.
Robert Rogers
57 Belair Sport Coupe restored to original
55 -2 3105
55 -2 6400
55 -5 3100 Wife's project
57 3100
and a few others
|