Los Angeles Classic Chevy Club

Welcome to our Classic Chevy Tales Page!

Frequently we get e-mails and letters from enthusiasts around the world sharing stories about classic chevys. We'll be sharing these stories with you. We encourage you to join in and tell us YOUR classic Chevy story!

Here's our first submission (sniff sniff):

Probably the pic that I'm sending bellow will make you feel a bit bad. For each beautifuly restored Chevy, several of them went to the Great Chevy Haven. The image that you are about to see is pretty sad. It's an old picture of the Rio de Janeiro port, taken in the late fifties. The cars were imported brand new and the Custom Authority charged taxes so steep that the owners decided to leave them to rust. It's just a partial view, there was much more. I recall, when I was a kid, in 1963, that the cars were so rusted out that the doors simply fell from the hinges and rested against the bodies. The cars never touched a Brazilian street or road. They just sat there until die. Perfect engines, trans, suspensions, etc. went to junkyards without ever running on the streets. Among a majority of 55-57 (can you spot the convertible 56?), there was some Cadillacs, Plymouths, few older cars and even a Renault Dauphine. Recently a collector bought a 57 Chevy convertible that was lucky enough to be kept for all those years in one of the port buildings, away from salty air and rain. There was no rust worth of talking about, but the upholstery and the top were trash. If you touched the vinyl top with your finger it would tear apart like paper. This Chevy is already restored. The suspension, engine and drivetrain were virgin and the body straight as an arrow. Now it's black (original color) with red and silver interior. What bothers me most about the pic is knowing that those so desired cars were made carefuly at their several factories (the ones in the picture probably were assembled in Tarrytown, New York. The great majority of the "Brazilian"'55-'57 were assembled there) just to sit and rust in a distant port. No owner ever felt the pleasure of driving them. Nobody felt the great smell of their brand new interior, the fresh vinyl... They didn't have the chance, of after several years of good service, be pampered by some collector or street rodder. No kidding, it makes feel like crying... The place was safe against vandals but not against the salty air, sun and rain. Tri-Chevys enthusiasts think about the '55-'57s that didn't made it as cars that were destroyed in crashes or just driven until render useless. They don't even dream of something like that. Even with the Custom Authority charging so high taxes, a awful lot of 55-57 Chevys managed to enter here. Some legaly and some not. My '57 Bel Air Sport Coupe survived! Thanks Lord that more than 3 million of them were made during the 3 year production span.:-)

My best,

Luiz Augusto Tinoco
Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

Maybe you find these pics interesting. They show two covers of an old Brazilian automotive magazine. The cars were brand new at the time and the models were always young ladies of the Rio de Janeiro high society.

Luiz Augusto Tinoco
Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

We never know what we will get in our Club e-mails! These photos are of a unique '56 Chevy. That is, a Sedan Delivery with rear side windows. They are very rare. Note that unlike regular wagons, the tailgate and rear window open as one piece. And unlike most Sedan Deliveries, the metal panels were replaced at the factory by glass. The Government AND florists were the prime purchasers of these special Sedan Deliveries. This particular one has "Department Of The Interior" lettering on the doors. Sorry folks, no idea of where this car is located, but we do know these were taken recently and the lucky finder is trying to figure out how to save this piece of Chevy history. We wish him good luck and he promises to keep us informed about it's retrieval.

Chevrolet's engineering team that produced the classic 1955 Motoramic design.

HELLO!

I live in FINLAND, of cource you know where is it. We have here many beautiful Chevys, but this Chevy has different story. This car has been "sleeping" 30 years. She was in thousands of parts all over that old farm when I found her. It was a great day and feeling when I drove to the first meeting of my chevy. It was a "Pick-Nick" -meeting in Forssa, Finland. The biggest happening of the northen countries of europe. I think that 3000-4000 old car was there. Here is a few photos of my chevy. Do you know where I can find master cylinder of power?

Greetings to all Classic Chevy -people!

Jari Pohjankylä, e-mail: polarheims@kolumbus.fi

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