1969 BB. Hi Per. Dealership Identification help

[69ssoramac]

Hello, I am really hoping someone out there can help me. I have a 1969 Camaro with the hi performance (375 Hp) 396 cu in. engine option, with 4spd. It is a orange car and I am currently restoring it. Of great importance to me is identifying which car dealership may have sold my car when it was new. I believe that I may be able to do that with your help, if you have a car with an original dealership emblem on the tailight panel. If you do, it would simply require you to measure center to center of your emblem posts from inside your trunk. My taillight panel has two holes drilled to the left of the SS logo. The center of the holes are 3 5/16" apart from each other. These were obviously drilled by the dealership when the car was sold as new and then filled somewhere along the way. I suspect each dealership had different spacing requirements between each of their emblem posts which carried their dealership names. The positioning of the holes on my car on the taillight panel seem to be very similar to those cars that I have seen in pictures with the "BERGER" Chevrolet dealership emblem mounted on the on the taillight panel of the car. If someone specifically with a BERGER chevroletChevrolet car could check their emblem, and or anyone else out there with an original dealership emblem, it would be greatly appreciated if you could let me know the distance between posts and the dealership name on your car. Thanks in advance. Brian

[COPO]

Brian, that method might be a needle in a haystack since there were literally hundreds of dealers. If you have some contacts, perhaps you could get an NICB shipping report which would show the original dealer for your car or undertake a title history search. I am assuming you have already checked to see if your car was sold new in Canada. Good luck.

[69ssoramac]

Clearly, the method in getting someone to check their dealership emblem posts for the same measurement between posts may be similar to searching for a "needle in a haystack", but I don't think out of the realms of a possibility because I believe the car may in fact be a BERGER Chevrolet car. I purchased the car out of the South Holland Illinios area, and all I need is for someone to measure the post spacing of the dealership emblem(center to center) and it just might match the holes in my taillight panel. Having said, thanks for your input on being able to locate the cars origin. I will try GM Canada and a NCIB report or title search. Again, If I could hear from others with their spacing measurements (center of post to center of post) from their original dealership emblems on their taillight panels it would be extremely helpful to me.

[StriperSS]

If it's this one, it was sold at Dueck's.
Z28 & SS396 (http://farm1.static.flickr.com/142/321940744_197be73d6c_o.jpg)

[Kurt S]

Hate to point out, but lots of dealer emblems had the same spacing....

[sixtiesmuscle]

Also, wouldn't the holes for a Berger emblem be pretty distinctive because of how & where they were attached?

[scuncio]

I was about to say that...although I have seen a few other dealers that had a similar 'inclined' emblem design that accepted screws. Having collected a bunch of these emblems over the years, I would say that this is a totally futile exercise.

[69ssoramac]

No, that's not it. thanks.

[69ssoramac]

Kurt, I doubt it. Thanks. Likely not two made the same.

[69ssoramac]

Sxities Muscle, I agree with you. That is why I asked a known BERGER car owner to assist me. I believe that the holes and location of where they are on my taillight panel may be one of the same. Thanks for your help.

[69ssoramac]

Sucnio. Thanks for all of your help.

[firstgenaddict]

Kurt is not stating opinion he is stating FACT!

[sixtiesmuscle]

Why don't you post a picture of YOUR tailpanel with the measurements. Then it would be easier for someone to help.

[69ssoramac]

sixtiesmuscle. No need for a picture of the taillight panel because it will not change anything that I have asked for help on. having said, in my original email I did advise that the holes were 3 5/16" apart, center to center. Thanks

[Canada George]

On the OTHER thread you have going with this question, sc69sam has replied that the Berger emblem has a post spacing of 3-5/16”.

As others have tried to explain to you, this method CAN NOT definitively determine your car’s dealership of origin. Given that the placement of your emblem is the same as pictured Berger examples and the fact that the post spacing is the same, there would still exist the possibility that your car:
1) came with a similarly installed emblem from another dealership
2) had a Berger or other emblem installed at some later point

This fact will always remain true, no matter how many or few examples you get of dealership emblems that have this 3-5/16” spacing.

[69ssoramac]

L88vetteron, You are 100 per cent correct in the fact that the spacing of the emblem posts as measured by someone who owns a BERGER is not definitive, in that my car came from BERGER chevrolet. But, you would have, at least I hope, to a agree somewhat with me that I might be a bit closer to possibly identifying where the car originated, especially given the fact the holes were not added afterwards. I know that you do not know the car, but trust me, the holes in my taillight panel were not drilled after as you suggest. Thanks for your opinion.

[Canada George]

“I am most certain that with the confirmation of the 3 5/16" spacing of the emblem posts that you have now provided me with from your BERGER emblem that it likely confirms that my car was sold originally by BERGER Chevrolet.” http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hmmm.gif

“You are 100 per cent correct in the fact that the spacing of the emblem posts as measured by someone who owns a BERGER is not definitive, in that my car came from BERGER chevrolet.” http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/scholar.gif

I wish you luck tracing your car's history; it would be great to discover it was a Berger! Don't forget though that many a race car paid tribute to these supercar dealerships with the addition of add-on memorabilia. It would be near impossible to know when an emblem was installed; many used cars would have dealership emblems added at some point, etc.

Your best best would be an NICB report or a complete ownership history. Anything short of this would just be a guess. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif

P.S. I think I do know the car... is it the one stripped to the bone in a million pieces at R&D Classics recently? http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

[Stefano]

I hope you find the info your looking for?

I once had a real cool Camaro which had a Berger Emblem added at some point in its life, but was actually sold out of Jack Douglass Chevrolet.