[JLHarper]

Anyone read this article? DEC 09 Issue.

Get story, even better pictorial on his GTO 400 HO. Super shap looking car.

This isnt about the car, but I started thinking about the numbers I read in the article;

Paid new for the 67 GTO HO: $3,643.45 in JAN 67

Down Payment: 398.00

Trade in for his 57 Chevy: $465.96 ?

Does that sound right?

In 67 and a ten year old car already.

Unless they were adding $ back to the deal, back then?

Were they desireable in 67, a 57 Chevy?

Just wondering.
Jeff

[mike nixon]

Per the local dealer's I worked with by 63 57's were undesirable. Too much chrome, Fins = outdated styling that screamed unpopular.

The local Dodge /Plmouth /Chrysler dealer had three 57 Belair's on the lot. One was a 2dr htp, one was a 2dr 'Vert, one was a wagon.

These cars sat on the lot for almost a yr.

The "vert was sold for 500.00, /the wagon was sold to a carpenter for a work truck, The htp was traded to a junkyard for a parts car.

He said you couldn't give them away.

[JLHarper]

Thanks Mike for posting that experience.

I was wondering why trade in so high as I thought they were made by the boat load.
Didnt sound to popular either based on your experience with the body/popularity and re-sales.

*** I meant to say GREAT story in the begining, not "Get" story....my fault.

Jeff

[Greg Reid]

Like most trade ins, just because they knocked $465 off the price of the new car doesn't mean they actually "gave" him $465. They probably could sell the thing for $200 and come out alright.

[lust4speed]

Back in '67 when I purchased my GTO, I was 19 and totally ignorant on purchasing a new car. They gave me $1,250 for my 63 SS Impala. I ordered the car and it arrived 6 weeks later. The dealer went into a snit that I had put so many additional miles on the car in that period, and they were reducing the trade-in value. Luckily my dad was with me and he stepped in and told them they could shove the new car where the sun don't shine if they wanted more money. They quickly knocked $400 of the trade and new car price so the cash difference remained the same. That was my initial lesson into the workings of car sales - now I'm a dealer's worse nightmare when I walk on to the lot. My HO sticker'd out for a little over $3,900 but I do have the HT and more options.

[1967 GeeTO]

Thanks for the comments, my father is the owner of the GTO. We have the original sales contract and the numbers quoted in the article were pulled directly from the paperwork. I believe the dealer reduced the sales price to $3,200. The '57 Chevy traded in was a four door. I want to say it had the straight 6 motor.

Here's another photo from "back in the day."

Sam Williford

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by mike nixon

Per the local dealer's I worked with by 63 57's were undesirable. Too much chrome, Fins = outdated styling that screamed unpopular.

Yep.

I was at a "Super Chevy" event with my Dad one time. There were rows and rows (...and rows...) of '57 Chevys lined up, and as we were walking past them Dad stopped and said:

"MAN, I didn't like those when they came out in '57!!"

[2002Z4CSS]

Remember back then you were lucky to get a 1957 Chevy or any other car to last 10 years.

[Jack Peters]

Oh, and they made more '57 Fords than Chevys. Where have all the Fords gone. Loved the reverse opening hood on the '57-'59's.

[mike nixon]

The Ford's a better looking in 57 also!


Mike

[Greg Reid]

Saw a '56 Ford last week for sale. Very solid looking. Red upper and Black lower, 2 door ht. I like the '55/'56 better than the '57 in a Ford.

[muscle_collector]

i would believe it, my dad bought a new 68 428 ho bonneville and traded in a 59 tri power catalina on it and only got around 500.00 on it. and then in 1973 we were in florida and the a/c went out on the bonneville and it made my dad so angry when we got home he traded it in on a new catalina and they only gave him 643.00 (weird amount that i never understood when he would tell me the details) on the bonneville. i would tease him and tell him he could get most of that for the exhaust manifolds now.

[GT182]

1967 GeeTO, Your dad has a great looking 67. I do love that Regimental Red. Glad to see he kept it all these years.

Whatever happened to the Torq Thrust mags he had on it back in 67? I sure hope he saved those old school mags.

I remember back in the 70s, guys I worked with from the Buffalo, NY area were always bragging about buying 57 Chevies for 25 bucks a pop. I'd love to be able to do that today. LOL

[Lightfoot]

Originally Posted by Jack Peters

Oh, and they made more '57 Fords than Chevys. Where have all the Fords gone. Loved the reverse opening hood on the '57-'59's.

The discussion at the beginning of this thread brought to mind when my Dad was trying to sell a '57 Fairlane 4-door that he inherited from his grandfather in 1965.

My older brother had used it for his daily driver from 66-68, then he got drafted.
That car sat out on our front lawn for months, with the price getting reduced in $50 increments. Started at $500, if I remember correctly. Dad kept dropping the price, until it finally sold for $100 or $125, I forget which.
It was in really decent shape, because my great grandfather didn't drive much.
It probably had less than 50K miles on it. My older brother would remember.
When ever it gets talked about, he mentions that it had the 312 Police Interceptor engine in it.