<VV> Dealer installed options - non-Corvair Chevy story

[Sethracer at aol.com]

In a message dated 6/12/2010 11:40:09 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time,  
airvair at earthlink.net writes:

The only  way such would have happened is if the
customer owned said car(s) and  wanted the work performed by the dealer.

-Mark (grandson of two car  dealers)


In 1962, my parents traded in their Batmobile - 59 Impala 4-door -for a  
sleek 62 Impala Sport Sedan - that is a 4-door to me. Anyway, the autumn gold  
car had everything thing they wanted - which wasn't much 283 PG - except 
power  brakes, which they had before on the 59 and the 57 before that. So the 
dealer  told them "Of course we will install those", and they dropped the 
car off  for a two day period for the install. I drove the car as my first 
(legal) car,  but it was my mothers primary driver and our family car.  In 
1965, I  noticed a little smell down under the dash, and I pulled away the 
carpet to see  a seepage of brake fluid dripping in around the brake push rod 
through the  firewall. I told my dad it needed a rebuilt master cylinder and I 
picked one up  and replaced it. I was a car guy by then, mostly 55 Chevys. 
As I finished up the  replacement and bled the brakes, I asked my dad why he 
hadn't had the power  brakes installed. We both stood there looking at the 
firewall - No power brakes.  Hmm. Well, my father was just about to make the 
last of 36 payments on the car,  so he brought all the paperwork on the sale 
-including the printed promise for  the Power brake install- back to the 
Chevy dealer - in the Impala. They  sheepishly refunded the cost. I guess 
those archaic drums had worked pretty well  since neither of my parents - nor 
their hot-rodder son had noticed the lack of  assist!

 
Seth  Emerson

C's the Day! - Corvair,  Camaro, Corvette

San Jose, CA