Me and my 89 formula 350 at a friends house back in the day..

 

I remember the same stuff only probably back a bit further... pre Auto trader... we had the Recycler which was good for all kinds of stuff including cars..... the adds were free so it was a hopping little paper.

Pre that was the LA Times or Daily news..... You paid by the word so there wasn't all the hype....

I can still remember a Corvette, a 66 I think it was, one owner with low miles in the LA Times for like 8K... it sounded so nice but I just didn't have that much to spend..... I ended up buying a 65 Roadster for 4,500 ( probably all the money I had or could raise ) with 4 speed, 300hp, maroon with saddle interior and a luggage rack..... I didn't even have a garage and my rental house/ shack was about as big as a garage.

Good times....

 

This 1992 Camaro was my first new car, bought from Hamilton Chevrolet in Warren, Michigan. It's pictured here at the GM Tech Center in Warren, in front of the Chevrolet Central office building, with the sign recently re-christened World Headquarters.



It was a pretty plain car. L03, 5 spd., with the 16 wheels, rear window defog, a/c, casstte, and that was about it. I loved that car.

 

Me with an '87 Dk. Blue/Gold Z28. March 1987. I really liked this car and no I did not buy it.

 

This is where it all started for me. John Smith Chevrolet in Smyrna, GA November 1982.

 

ahhh raised white letter Eagle GTs miss those. I know they make repos just not in 16"s

 

My first IROC-Z. Picture taken Sept 87.

 

Why are all the centercaps missing on all the cars?

 

They were usually shipped with them in the car, and the dealer installed them.

 

Weird. Might be for wheel strap reasons? Don't think they'd be worried about them falling off in transport as they don't come off driving! haha

 

They disappeared from dealer lots, so they were put in the car to be installed at the time of sale. It had nothing to do with falling off in shipment. However, in 1982, the first design was very weak and they would fall off when driving. They had little tabs that would crack if installed incorrectly. When I bought my '83, the dealer offered me a second set for a discount knowing that I would need them. And I did!

 

There is an ongoing discussion on another board, about changes to the 15" aluminum rims over the years. My 89 has 5 "pins" on the center cap that go into small holes drilled into the rim. The attached pic shows the holes I am talking about. Did the early rims not have these holes? I assumed these rims, and thus the center caps, were the same over the years?

 

The early rims had these holes also, and those were what broke. They also had a metal tab that would lock onto the center of the rim, but they weren't very strong. The later years used a stronger spring steel clip that held better. Many dealers even put glue on the plastic tabs to keep them on.

Actually, David M do you remember if the early center caps had a plastic clip that held onto the rim center? I just remember that they could go flying off like a hubcap while driving.

 

No Scott I'm sorry I don't remember that. I became "hands on" with third-gens starting in 1988 when I started working at GM dealerships. So the most current design with the strong metal tangs is the only one I'm familiar with.

 

Along with the front ground effect, and the lower air deflector. Look how far forward these cars are parked against the curb. The lower air deflectors can't be installed or they'd be torn off.

 

 

look at those crowds!

 

 

My 91z28 and 87GTA. Wish i had an old pic of my 87Formula and my 82 z28 pace car

 

A load of '87 Firebirds and Camaros being delivered to Hardy Chevrolet Dallas, GA. Sept. 1986.

 

David M those pics are great. Nothing like seeing pics of new F bodies on the dealer lots. I always wonder the fate of all those cars.

 

Thanks! I wonder about that too. That's why I started collecting VIN's and doing a registry. People looked at me so strange while I took countless pics of third-gens on dealer lots, on carriers and whatnot, and they asked "why are you doing this?" Well here we are some 27 years later and you guys appreciate my work. That's why I do it. This is history on our cars and I am greatful that I had some foresight to capture it on film.

I have more pics, I just have to get them scanned and posted.

 

Thank's for the pic's David, their great. Glad you had the vision to take them. The carrier pic is really nice.. it's something we've all seen in person, but not in pictures very often.

Please post more.....

 

I always enjoy David M's pictures. He sent me a bunch and I still enjoy looking at them.

 

New '87's on the lot. John Smith Chevrolet Smyrna, GA January 1987.

 

That last picture is great. Love the Monte Carlo SS peeking in the corner.

 

'84 H.O. Z28 fresh off the truck. Berglund Chevrolet Roanoake, VA Feb. 1984. Photo courtesy Sinks Chevrolet collection.

 

1986 IROC's on the lot, John Smith Chevrolet Smyrna, GA March 1986.

 

More shots of John Smith Chevrolet Smyrna, GA July-Sept 1986.

 

David M, those are some awesome photos! Was that dealer located on Cobb Pkwy?

 

Yes it was, right on GM row just south of Windy Hill Rd.

 

Stills from '80's Chevrolet TV commercial. March 1987.

 

Just think of all the AIR Dams bent back buy the lot boys parking them...lol
look at the pic in post #55...ouch!!

 

Really cool to see these cars fresh out of the factory on the dealer lot. Thanks for the photos David

 

I think I remember reading those air dams were installed just before the owner took delivery. So those cars on the lots did not have them yet.

 

that would have been rare. they came off the truck w/o the airdams but they were on when on the dealer lot.. just imagine you wanted a test drive.. w/o one on would not look good to the public.
also I was a lot boy back then for a chevy dealer.... never scarfed one.

 

Can't argue with a genuine lot boy. My apologies.

 

Hardy Chevrolet Dallas, GA March 1987.

 

Where the cars in the 1st pic 86's? I see the high mount hatch brake light on at least 2 of them.

 

I would contend that the answer is not that simple. I too worked at a Chevrolet dealership "back in the day".

This spoiler would have been installed at PDI (Pre-Delivery Inspection). This was a specific process that Chevrolet (or Pontiac) would pay for. It was submitted to GM just like any other warranty repair, and is usually the first item to appear in the warranty history.

But when it was done was not regulated. At our store, which was fairly high volume, we had a full time employee (Lonnie) who did nothing but PDI. If he found a true defect outside of the scope of PDI, or if a defect was spotted during new vehicle check-in( receiving it off the truck), a ticket was written to send it to a line technician for warranty repair.

But during a busy selling season, with lots of sales, and lots of new cars coming in, Lonnie could not keep up.

So, off the truck (I did vehicle check-in...off-the-truck defect inspection), they would go straight onto the lot. It might be the back lot to await PDI, it might be the front lot when we had a "full house". As Lonnie needed work, units were brought to him and prepped. So some cars on the lot had been through PDI, some had not.

When things were busy up front (high sales) but slow in back (little service work), and when Lonnie could not keep up, if there were cars that still needed PDI, line techs would be assigned those cars, just to keep them busy flagging time.

So I think dealer policy, practice and volume probably had a lot to do with this. Thus you are seeing photos of some that have been PDI'd, and some that have not.

 

yours must have been a busy dealership. we had 20-30 f bodies on the front lot at a time and those that got off the truck stayed in the back till they were prepped. The back was fenced off. it was quality Chevrolet in columbus, OH. I also saw the same at Bobby Layman Chevy with none in front without the chins.

 

Yes they were "leftover" '86's, the window stickers were just about all gone on these two cars.

 

Tom Jumper Chevrolet, Atlanta, GA. March 1987.
Pic #2 is a good reference point of where the build sheet ended up from the assembly plant. Pass. side floorboard.

 

Very nice, love looking at the fresh interiors new.

 

so a 5.0 Z28 with a 5 speed. kinda rare these days...well even back then!

 

I was more surprised by the two Sport Coupe verts that were on the lot!

 

17 March 1988
Canyon Pontiac, Newhall, California
Me taking delivery. 1988 Pontiac GTA

Dealer would take your picture and have it turned into a calender

 

Good eye, I was hoping someone would comment on that!

 

I was only looking at the interior shot. yeah that is VERY rare.

 

Oct. 86. Just a few days after I picked it up-no front plate yet. Still patiently waiting in my garage to return it to new...