[J GLASGO]

Had to go downtown today to check out a 62 Catalina for a friend,and thought i would grab my camera and take a couple of pics of Bill Knafels old place.The actual showroom burned down in the 80,s? I used to ride my bike down there in the late 70,s when Bill had sold it to Pace.There were tons of new TA,S in the gate in the back,and they were unlocked.It was a great place to dream as a young kid.There were some really neat cars that rolled out of this parking lot.They have refaced the building,with the exception of the back side which is pretty much the same with the one garage being blocked up.Definetely a shaky neighborhood.Dont ask for any night shots!

[muscle_collector]

Originally Posted by MikeCio1

Here are some pics of the old Al Gallman Pontiac Inc, located at 3621 Cleveland Ave, Fort Myers, FL.
I think they were there from the 60's thru to 90's. Then the franchise was sold to Galeana who moved it out of the building to a further south location. Then Galeana became a Kia/Crysler/Dodge store. And Dixie Buick GMC became the BPGMC dealership for the area and still is.

Today, Gallmanvillle (as it used to say on their logo) is Heritage Auto Group. Its owned by a doctor that dabbles in old cars, sells used cars, mechanic shop and body shop. (its a Carstar bodyshop). I actually had them do the metal work on my car and paint it. They do a lot of restoration work. The place is still pretty big, all the original buildings are still standng and have never been remodled. If you "google earth" it you can see the lay out.

Here is a pic of the dealership, the old service entrance and one of the old paint booths that they still use. The only reminace of Pontiac being there is a Rallye II wheel which is bolted to the wall behind the bodyshop which is used as a hose reel.

that is the dealer that my 69 ra4 t/a sold new at.

[MikeCio1]

Originally Posted by muscle_collector

that is the dealer that my 69 ra4 t/a sold new at.

That is cool. I have been trying to find some stuff from them. But nobody has come forward with any tag frames or trunk "stick 'ems".
My dad had the detail shop for them from 75-77. So when I was a kids I had kinds of Al Gallman stuff. Pencil Sharpeners, Key chains... When I moved out my mom liquidated all of it All I have left is a 77 GP postcard.

If you would like to see more of it let me know, I can easily get more pics.

[muscle_collector]

that would be great. any pics of it back in the late 60's to early 70's?? thanks

[MikeCio1]

Here are some pics of Cooper Chevrolet. I am not sure what year they are from. I am sure the vehicles can date the pics. I think they were located in Marianna Florida.
Sorry I dont know why they came out so small?

[MikeCio1]

Here is a pic of a guy taking delivery of a 63(?) Pontiac. I dont know the dealer. Another of Harrison Chevy. A pic of some kids on their muscle cars at a HS in Florida 1969-70. The last is the Jacksonville Florida Chevy Parts Distrubution Center in 1960.

[muscle_collector]

cool pics. did you ever find any more of al gallman pontiac??

[MikeCio1]

Originally Posted by muscle_collector

cool pics. did you ever find any more of al gallman pontiac??

I have not found any old pics of Gallman. I can get more of the existing place if you would like. Let me know.

I did find this

Al Gallman Pontiac, Inc.
Incorporated by Dean L Brand, Jennifer Jackson, Al Gallman Pontiac, Inc. was incorporated on Wednesday, January 25, 1956 in the State of FL and is currently not active. Jay A Brett represents Al Gallman Pontiac, Inc. as their registered agent.

Source: Public Record data - Department of State - Division of Corporations

[muscle_collector]

have you ever seen any pics of what the dealer badge on the 69 era cars looked like?

[MikeCio1]

Yes, It was orginally chrome and drilled in the trunk, by the mid 70' it was plastic and stuck on the trunk. It was worded like this:

Al Gallman Pontiac
Gallmanville Fl.

It never said Ft. Myers. The Gallmanville was actually smaller lettering and aligned to the right.
My dad had their detail shop so I saw a million of them.

[muscle_collector]

none around anymore??

[MikeCio1]

Originally Posted by muscle_collector

none around anymore??

I will keep looking for you.

[Gach]

Originally Posted by geogolfx

1968 GTO Markings with "350" designation.....Interesting. !

Funny you bring this up, bought my GTO new in 1968, had the same markings.
It was the only GTO I every saw with those makring until that picture. It was
a 400 rated at 350 hp.

[goatman65]

I took these pics back in 1995.I had just finished the restoration on my 65,it was Blue Charcoal back then.The 66 is my dads unrestored,original owner car.He passed away in 1999.Anyway,the building was built in the 19-teens by my great grandfather,Andy E.Newman.It was a repair shop and also a Gulf station,then he operated it as a Ford dealership in the '30s.By the '50s it was sold out of the family and was a pool hall and a barbershop.Around back there is a lower level.My grandfather who passed away 4 years ago at 94 worked there as a kid until his teens.He would tell me many stories about the place,even at 94 he had an AMAZING memory.The road in front of the station was the main highway up until about 1953 when the new 4 lane interstate opened up just about an 1/8 mile directly behind the station.Under a few inches of blacktop is the original brickroad just like in front of the station.Directly to the right is the house my grandfather was born in.It was sold out of the family in the 1960s.Also just off to the right the road starts down a fairly steep hill for about 1/2 mile then goes right back up.My grandfather said that when it snowed him and his brother would go to the bottom with chains and charge ten cents to put the chains on tires then ride back up to the station,take the chains off and go back down the hill and help the next car.Sorry i'm getting off topic here.Over the years it changed owners few times until the early '90s when my uncle was able to buy it back into the family.With the help of my grandfather,his dad by the way,they restored similar to how it looked at one time with some liberties.My grandfather NEVER threw anything away so he still had a lot of items from back when the station was operating.The inside is a time capsule of parts.displays,cars,toys,signage,you name it.Along one way is a cement 'trought'that they kept live minnows in to sell to fisherman passing thru.The station has been featured in a few magazines i think the best story was in Cars&Parts.It was open to the public and during our local car show people loved to take pics of their car parked by the pumps.But after some high-dollars items started disappearing the 'open to the public' days had to end.

[goatman65]

Originally Posted by goatman65

I took these pics back in 1995.I had just finished the restoration on my 65,it was Blue Charcoal back then.The 66 is my dads unrestored,original owner car.He passed away in 1999.Anyway,the building was built in the 19-teens by my great grandfather,Andy E.Newman.It was a repair shop and also a Gulf station,then he operated it as a Ford dealership in the '30s.By the '50s it was sold out of the family and was a pool hall and a barbershop.Around back there is a lower level.My grandfather who passed away 4 years ago at 94 worked there as a kid until his teens.He would tell me many stories about the place,even at 94 he had an AMAZING memory.The road in front of the station was the main highway up until about 1953 when the new 4 lane interstate opened up just about an 1/8 mile directly behind the station.Under a few inches of blacktop is the original brickroad just like in front of the station.Directly to the right is the house my grandfather was born in.It was sold out of the family in the 1960s.Also just off to the right the road starts down a fairly steep hill for about 1/2 mile then goes right back up.My grandfather said that when it snowed him and his brother would go to the bottom with chains and charge ten cents to put the chains on tires then ride back up to the station,take the chains off and go back down the hill and help the next car.Sorry i'm getting off topic here.Over the years it changed owners few times until the early '90s when my uncle was able to buy it back into the family.With the help of my grandfather,his dad by the way,they restored similar to how it looked at one time with some liberties.My grandfather NEVER threw anything away so he still had a lot of items from back when the station was operating.The inside is a time capsule of parts.displays,cars,toys,signage,you name it.Along one way is a cement 'trought'that they kept live minnows in to sell to fisherman passing thru.The station has been featured in a few magazines i think the best story was in Cars&Parts.It was open to the public and during our local car show people loved to take pics of their car parked by the pumps.But after some high-dollars items started disappearing the 'open to the public' days had to end.

Sorry,forgot these

[Old Blue 66]

Originally Posted by goatman65

I took these pics back in 1995.I had just finished the restoration on my 65,it was Blue Charcoal back then.The 66 is my dads unrestored,original owner car.He passed away in 1999.Anyway,the building was built in the 19-teens by my great grandfather,Andy E.Newman.It was a repair shop and also a Gulf station,then he operated it as a Ford dealership in the '30s.By the '50s it was sold out of the family and was a pool hall and a barbershop.Around back there is a lower level.My grandfather who passed away 4 years ago at 94 worked there as a kid until his teens.He would tell me many stories about the place,even at 94 he had an AMAZING memory.The road in front of the station was the main highway up until about 1953 when the new 4 lane interstate opened up just about an 1/8 mile directly behind the station.Under a few inches of blacktop is the original brickroad just like in front of the station.Directly to the right is the house my grandfather was born in.It was sold out of the family in the 1960s.Also just off to the right the road starts down a fairly steep hill for about 1/2 mile then goes right back up.My grandfather said that when it snowed him and his brother would go to the bottom with chains and charge ten cents to put the chains on tires then ride back up to the station,take the chains off and go back down the hill and help the next car.Sorry i'm getting off topic here.Over the years it changed owners few times until the early '90s when my uncle was able to buy it back into the family.With the help of my grandfather,his dad by the way,they restored similar to how it looked at one time with some liberties.My grandfather NEVER threw anything away so he still had a lot of items from back when the station was operating.The inside is a time capsule of parts.displays,cars,toys,signage,you name it.Along one way is a cement 'trought'that they kept live minnows in to sell to fisherman passing thru.The station has been featured in a few magazines i think the best story was in Cars&Parts.It was open to the public and during our local car show people loved to take pics of their car parked by the pumps.But after some high-dollars items started disappearing the 'open to the public' days had to end.

Very nice story. It the building still in the family? What happened to the GTO's??

[goatman65]

Sorry about the late response.Yes the cars and the building are still in the family.Here are some pics.I took the gas station pic a few days ago.Pic of the cars was taken this past fall.My 65 was Charcoal blue in 1995,I changed it to Burgandy in 2005.

[goatman65]

Fike Chevrolet.This place has been family owned/operated since it opened in 1923.Up until about 5-7 yrs ago it still looked like it did the '20s basically.Someone from GM thought it should have an updated,modern look to it and this what it ended up as.It doesn't 'fit' this Mayberry-ish rural town.Back in the early 1980's I worked here detailing new/used cars.In front there was a small island with 'air' hose and 2 '50s Gulf gas pumps.It also had nice Fike Chevrolet neon that lit up blue at night.

[Old Blue 66]

Originally Posted by goatman65

Sorry about the late response.Yes the cars and the building are still in the family.Here are some pics.I took the gas station pic a few days ago.Pic of the cars was taken this past fall.My 65 was Charcoal blue in 1995,I changed it to Burgandy in 2005.

You changed it from Blue Charcoal?? Burgundy is nice (one of my fav colors) but there arent too many of us original BC cars around.

[goatman65]

Yeah,I love the BC but have always wanted a Burgandy/Parchment GTO.It also had dog dish caps and redlines back then.Now it has AR Torque-Thrust and radial redlines.The radials ride much better but i prefer the look of the bias redlines.