Six tail lights

[Tom M.]

Re: California RPO?

No, the Wingate car they are talking about was built as a FSO I believe the info stated, there is a real good website also, but couldn't seem to find the adress right now.

Tom McCabe

[Steve G.]

Re: California RPO?

See Gary? I've talked to people who really, really believe this. I considered they might be kidding, but I knew somebody wasn't...

[Paul L.]

Here is the Site

This is the site.

http://www.67fso.com

[Tom M.]

Thats the one thanks Paul *NM*

[Gary H.]

Re: Six tail lights

according to this, the lyric is "six tail lights"

http://www.snopes.com/music/songs/deadman.htm

[Steve G.]

OK, but....

...this site states that this car is the only "factory shop order" one of its kind. Let's assume that is true. I'm not asking about the 1 car on the planet that was from the factory... I'm asking about about other cars, however rare, that were supposedly "available" with 6 taillights from GM. California, dealer, whatever. True or not true??

[Patrick H.]

Re: OK, but....

Steve,

The answer is the same as above. Dealers added taillights, GM did not. It was never even a bona fide dealer option like a luggage rack. Many people had the modification done, some by themselves and some by the dealer. The fact that it may have been done by the dealer does not "legitimatize" it.

Dealers have done plenty of "illegitimate" things to cars.

Did Gm add 2 extra taiilights to a couple of Styling cars? Probably. That still didn't make it "factory correct."

Patrick

[Bill Stephenson]

Re: OK, but....

-------I have always heard that the extra two lights were actually a dealer installed option at Harry Mann back in the day. Dont know how much the option might have been. Maybe some of you Cal-guys can give us some more info on that.
-------Somewhere back up in this thread it was stated that Bob Wingate bought this car. I believe that this 67 was given to him. Im halfway sure that the current owner told me this in Monterey. Bob had a lot of pull back then within GM as he sold a BUNCH of Corvettes for Chevrolet...........Bill S

[Mark #28455]

Wingate was given a new car every year *NM*

[Bob Radke]

Re: OK, but....

Clippinger Chevrolet, Harry Mann Chevrolet, and many other big dealers would install the extra tail lights. You could also get American Torque Thrust D wheels, Goodyear Blue Streak tires, headers, and special paint treatments if you wanted to pay for them at Clippinger's, and more than likely Harry Mann and others. It was just another way for the dealer to make more profit and generate more business, and it certainly worked well in Bob Wingate's case.

Clippinger and Harry Mann were cross town rivals in Los Angeles, and anything that set the dealership apart or one-upped the others in a lucrative and car crazy market like Southern California lead to big financial rewards. Bob Wingate told me about one bright orange Camaro he had special ordered (a 67 Z-28 as I recall), and then displayed prominently at the dealership. Guys would come in asking about it and saying they could get a better deal at such and such dealership down the road. The guy who ended up buying it shopped around and found he couldn't find that color anywhere else, and he had to have this orange car. All sales tricks that worked.....

Yes, Bob was given a car each year, you can see his 68 L89 in the link below.

http://www.airl88.com/