Shipping Data Report/ Felix Chevrolet

[Bill C.]

Hello:
Here is another shipping data report question for you guys!

I received the Shipping Data report Information on my 1965 Corvette on Saturday. This opened up some questions for me. The shipping data report information that I received from the NCRS was the GM official production date of 7/27/1965, which I already knew. The original dealer was dealer code 171 in zone 20. The name and address for the dealer was Felix Chevrolet in Los Angles, CA. This information is contrary to the information I received from the original owner. He stated that the car was purchased in early September from De Anza Chevrolet in Riverside, Ca which is about 50 miles from Felix Chevrolet. Supporting the owners claim I have a warranty book that has the name of the Riverside dealer on it. So I am just trying to figure out this puzzle, I was wondering if it could have been some sort of a dealer trade or some kind of connection between the two dealerships? How would this car end up being delivered to Felix Chevrolet in Los Angeles, but the original owner took delivery in Riverside at De Anza Chevrolet? I was hoping that there might be a member that may have worked at one of these two dealerships that could shed some light or if anyone else may have had a similar story? Thanks, Bill

[Roger P.]

Re: Shipping Data Report/ Felix Chevrolet

Bill,
I have a very similar story for my '65 as the selling dealer was located about 2.5 hours away from the delivery dealer in PA. From the explanation I received from other members, it appears that a dealer trade was made to fill the needs of a buyer at the selling dealership. The window sticker would have the name & address and zone & dealer # of the delivery dealer, but the warranty book would have the name, address, etc. of the selling dealer. I would have never known about the delivery dealer without the Shipping Data Report. Thumbs up to the NCRS!

Roger (50141)

[Joe L.]

Re: Shipping Data Report/ Felix Chevrolet

Hello:
Here is another shipping data report question for you guys!

I received the Shipping Data report Information on my 1965 Corvette on Saturday. This opened up some questions for me. The shipping data report information that I received from the NCRS was the GM official production date of 7/27/1965, which I already knew. The original dealer was dealer code 171 in zone 20. The name and address for the dealer was Felix Chevrolet in Los Angles, CA. This information is contrary to the information I received from the original owner. He stated that the car was purchased in early September from De Anza Chevrolet in Riverside, Ca which is about 50 miles from Felix Chevrolet. Supporting the owners claim I have a warranty book that has the name of the Riverside dealer on it. So I am just trying to figure out this puzzle, I was wondering if it could have been some sort of a dealer trade or some kind of connection between the two dealerships? How would this car end up being delivered to Felix Chevrolet in Los Angeles, but the original owner took delivery in Riverside at De Anza Chevrolet? I was hoping that there might be a member that may have worked at one of these two dealerships that could shed some light or if anyone else may have had a similar story? Thanks, Bill

Bill-----


It's just as simple as Roger describes. This was the case of a car that was originally ordered by and delivered to Felix Chevrolet. Then, it was "dealer traded" or otherwise transferred to De Anza Chevrolet for sale to a customer of that dealership. This was very common practice during that period. Generally, though, a dealership at that time would want a trade for a Corvette (i.e. a Corvette from the selling dealer back to the dealer the car was obtained from). Corvettes were then on dealer allocation and a dealer would not want to give up a car from their allocation without receiving another Corvette in the "dealer trade". Felix Chevrolet would have been a good source of a car on a dealer trade since they were a very large dealer and stocked a lot of Corvettes, maybe even more than the now highly regarded Harry Mann Chevrolet of Los Angeles. De Anza Chevrolet probably stocked very few Corvettes and, consequently, might very likely not have a car that a particular buyer wanted. So, they "looked west" for pretty large pool of new Corvettes in dealer inventory.

The last time I checked, Felix Chevrolet was still in business in Los Angeles. However, I doubt they would still have any records on your car.

[Ronald L.]

Re: Shipping Data Report/ Felix Chevrolet

Ditto, I have the same thing going. Mason Chevy and Reedman in Pennsylvanian separated by 50 miles.

[Don H.]

Re: Shipping Data Report/ Felix Chevrolet

Sure thing,
Felix is still there, corner of Jefferson and Figueroa, almost directly across the street from USC.
The store has one of the iconic neon signs in CAL, if not the whole country.

http://horsepowersports.com/felix-chevrolet-sign-declared-historical-monument/

Good quality Felix license plate frames are reproduced and widely available online.

[Michael G.]

Re: Shipping Data Report/ Felix Chevrolet

My blue 63 car also was delivered to Felix Chevrolet, but sold at Bud Eyre Chevrolet in Ridge Crest, CA, about 150 miles away. Both Dealerships are still around.

Has anyone approached either of these dealers and asked about old records?

Thanks,

[Bill C.]

Re: Shipping Data Report/ Felix Chevrolet

Michael,

I have not made contact with Felix Chevrolet yet. De Anza Chevrolet in Riverside has been a dead end for me, It closed its doors many years ago. I was hoping some one on this form had worked at Felix Chevrolet in the mid 60's or knows a person to contact now at the dealership. I get sale or service left messages No call backs.. Its was a large dealer of Corvettes in the day. It would be great to find some paper work from the 60's.

[Joe L.]

Re: Shipping Data Report/ Felix Chevrolet

Michael,

I have not made contact with Felix Chevrolet yet. De Anza Chevrolet in Riverside has been a dead end for me, It closed its doors many years ago. I was hoping some one on this form had worked at Felix Chevrolet in the mid 60's or knows a person to contact now at the dealership. I get sale or service left messages No call backs.. Its was a large dealer of Corvettes in the day. It would be great to find some paper work from the 60's.

Bill------


As I've said many times before, the chances that a salesperson or other dealership personnel would remember a particular car that passed through the dealership 45 years ago are about as great as the people in hell getting icewater.

[Michael G.]

Re: Shipping Data Report/ Felix Chevrolet

Joe,

I think you're probably right on that, 45 years is a long time ago, the kids washing the cars would be retired by now. Most businesses don't keep records even a fraction of that long.

On the other hand, there are a heck of a lot of pack rats out there, so, you never know what might be in somebody's storage somewhere.

From my perspective, in late 1962 the 63's were pretty special, they weren't your run-of-the-mill Biscayne, so somebody out there might remember the first 63 fuelie they ever saw.

Its worth a try, can't hurt much....

Thanks,

[Don H.]

Re: Shipping Data Report/ Felix Chevrolet

You're right Mike, they were pretty hot news to car guys in 1963 I'm sure, but to the dealers, they were a "unit", just like all the other units on the lot. How many units could a salesman move was the question.
And, by 1964 guys were sawing that blessed divider out of the back window to make the car "more up to date". And in the 70s the fuel injection units were mostly going in the trash because no one knew how to make them function right. If anyone was moved by a particular car in 1963, I'm thinking by 1973 he had forgotten about it. And, no one had any good reason to hold on to sales records that were 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 ,,,,,,, 50? years old. Not likely.
I actually found a retired salesman from my selling dealership (long long out of business) back in MASS. His son is a sales manager at a Chevy store a couple towns over. My guy knew of the sales manager still living and said he never threw anything away. He contacted him, and the guy told him, "aw, I threw all that old crap away 20 years ago when I cleaned out the garage." My guy found a key fob and a business card from back in the day and sent them to me. I was very happy just to get that.
Good luck

[Michael G.]

Re: Shipping Data Report/ Felix Chevrolet

I agree Don, the odds are very, very long.

Thanks,

[Mark P.]

Re: Shipping Data Report/ Felix Chevrolet

I just put in a dealership informtaion request and found out that my 66 was delivered to Felix Chevrolet in Los Angeles around late June of 1966. I put in a request of Felix Chevrolet to see if they would be able to provide anything or any information at all that would be useful. We'll see what say or if they respond. Who knows, I might get extremently lucky. Since I have no original data on my car, any information would be helpful. It was at least nice to find out that my 427 390 hp original K19 A.I.R. convertible was originally a California car (it was always rumored to be....the key word is...rumored). At least that part sounds true.

Anyway, I'm hopeful
Mark

[Deborah B.]

Re: Shipping Data Report/ Felix Chevrolet

Bill,

Check out this site: raincrosssquare.com

It shows a photo of the side of a bridge at 3633 Market St and has a
De Anza Chevrolet advertisement on it. About half way down the page is a short notation about 3633 Market Street - De Anza Chevrolet. It mentions that it was the site of the former car dealership.

Deb

[Bill C.]

Re: Shipping Data Report/ Felix Chevrolet

Deb,
Thanks for the info . My car was purchased at De Anza second location at Riverside auto center. Who would of thought Riverside would have the first mega auto center in 1965.

Bill