[peppergreen]

Hotel......on a quiet night, maybe see the ghosts of some cool Pontiacs

Halloween is coming.

[OVERULD]

Anybody have photos of Benton Pontiac in Cleveland, TN? That dealership was owned by my father's cousin, Cletus Benton. My first car came from that dealership. It was one of the dealerships highlighted in a 60 Minutes expose on used car dealers rolling back odometers. That piece of "investigative reporting" ultimately led to the failure of the dealership and Cletus taking his own life. I can still remember walking the lot one evening in spring of 1971 looking at GTOs and LeMans - and picking out our car (had to share it with my older sister). I would love to find a link somewhere to that episode of 60 Minutes or find some old photos of that dealership!

BJ

[TEG]

http://www.tennesspeed.net

Here's a site dedicated to the automotive enthusiasts in Tennessee. Maybe give it a try.

[TEG]

Seems like there are a few references out there...

[TEG]

Chase Pontiac in Cleveland, Tennessee. Could it be a pre-Benson? Many Cleveland photos on the web and a lady building a website filled with historic photos (and a reference to your dad's cousin).

[supcarbob]

I have a '69 GTO Crystal Turquise/parchment from Fred Carlson. Interestingly it is standard 400 with M21 close ratio/4.33 rear gear combination.Also remember a Liberty Blue/parchment bench recently on ebay.

[OVERULD]

Originally Posted by TEG

Seems like there are a few references out there...

Originally Posted by TEG

Chase Pontiac in Cleveland, Tennessee. Could it be a pre-Benson? Many Cleveland photos on the web and a lady building a website filled with historic photos (and a reference to your dad's cousin).

Thanks for the effort! I found that same site yesterday just doing a google search for Cletus Benton. I'll try to find some more stuff - have my mom looking through her old archives for a copy of the bill of sale, and other paperwork from where we bought that car. I'd like to find the VIN and get the PHS then start trying to find the car. There was one photo on that website about the Holiday Inn that Cletus Benton built and I remember that motel being not far from his dealership. I'll find some photos somehwere and post them when I do.

BJ

[TEG]

Originally Posted by OVERULD

Thanks for the effort! I found that same site yesterday just doing a google search for Cletus Benton. I'll try to find some more stuff - have my mom looking through her old archives for a copy of the bill of sale, and other paperwork from where we bought that car. I'd like to find the VIN and get the PHS then start trying to find the car. There was one photo on that website about the Holiday Inn that Cletus Benton built and I remember that motel being not far from his dealership. I'll find some photos somehwere and post them when I do.

BJ

Good luck to you. I tried to find my beloved Palladium silver, black soft-top, hide-a-way, ac car sold somewhere in Wisconsin or Iowa with no luck. Ended up with Judges. I still loved that car! I got in touch with my insurance salesperson who kept records back to, like, 1990. I sold the car in 1989. Boy, I loved that car. Totally original in every way.

[bulletpruf]

Originally Posted by supcarbob

I have a '69 GTO Crystal Turquise/parchment from Fred Carlson. Interestingly it is standard 400 with M21 close ratio/4.33 rear gear combination.Also remember a Liberty Blue/parchment bench recently on ebay.

Nice color combo and interesting options. Wonder why it didn't start out life as a RAIV? Maybe the guy who ordered it had a roundport 400 or 421 to go in it?

Scott

[robz]

BUMP! Just stumbled upon this vintage pic of a '69 Firebird assembly line (and what seems like a Chev in front of it??)

[69Customs]

Who would have thought you could pick it up by the fender wells!

[Greg Reid]

That photo has been posted a few times before. I've even seen it in an issue of HPP with a bunch of other assembly line photos.
It is a great pic though...I don't care how many times you see it.

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by robz

BUMP! Just stumbled upon this vintage pic of a '69 Firebird assembly line (and what seems like a Chev in front of it??)

Yes -

Originally Posted by 69Customs

Who would have thought you could pick it up by the fender wells!

and yes. Although usually they pick them up more along the rockers, with a long fore/aft padded support.

Originally Posted by Greg Reid

That photo has been posted a few times before. I've even seen it in an issue of HPP with a bunch of other assembly line photos.
It is a great pic though...I don't care how many times you see it.

I have it posted over my desk at work...

K

[robz]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

Yes -



and yes. Although usually they pick them up more along the rockers, with a long fore/aft padded support.




I have it posted over my desk at work...

K

That's WAAAAY TOO Clean a desk, Keith...:-)

[Unclesamscandy]

Originally Posted by GTOnly70

Looks like it's from the art-deco period. You're right - so much more character than today's buildings...

I always say that and tell my wife as we drive past newly built buildings "There is another architect that deserves the electric chair!" The incredible style takes my breath away. No one even knows HOW to build such things today.

Some day 1,000 years from now, they will look back and historians will say "these people had a great culture with marvelous architecture, and then something calamitous happened and they lost their knowledge and ability and then declined."

Instead, we know that we just got stupid, lazy and dumbed down.

[north]

Originally Posted by TEG

Fred A. Carleson dealer in Salt Lake City. This is where my car was purchased 40 years ago. Imagine if buildings looked like this today. So much style.

More torpedoes than the USS Bowfin submarine!

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by robz

That's WAAAAY TOO Clean a desk, Keith...:-)

LOL - think a car guy sits there?

K

[dr-doug]

way to neat Keith...

[TEG]

Originally Posted by Unclesamscandy

I always say that and tell my wife as we drive past newly built buildings "There is another architect that deserves the electric chair!" The incredible style takes my breath away. No one even knows HOW to build such things today.

Some day 1,000 years from now, they will look back and historians will say "these people had a great culture with marvelous architecture, and then something calamitous happened and they lost their knowledge and ability and then declined."

Instead, we know that we just got stupid, lazy and dumbed down.

Yep. And we keep knocking down the historic buildings in Milwaukee and replacing them with those cheap-arse, stick built, square box apartment buildings that make a Wal-Mart look like the Taj Mahal.