Grove Motors 1960 Limited - Penticton, BC

[L78M22Rag]

Anyone know of Grove Motors 1960 Limited or the dealership's history? I'm trying to find out what dealership originally sold my 1969 Camaro L78 convertible.

GM of Canada Vintage Services shows my car was sold at dealer number 81079 - which today is Woodgrove Chev Olds Ltd. I've learned that Woodgrove opened their dealership in 1981 Evidently Woodgrove inherited that dealership number from the dealership that originally sold my car.

Today I spoke with George Zapora at GM Vintage Services who looked into this for me. He told me that prior to 1967, dealership numbers only had four digits. So he cleverly dropped the 8 and the resulting dealer number 1079 turns out to be Grove Motors 1960 Limited in Penticton, BC. It sounds reasonable for Grove Motors to become Woodgrove... don't you think?

Since Grove Motors is long gone, any info about Grove Motors 1960 Limited (or Woodgrove Chev Olds) would be helpful.

Now I'm on the hunt for a dealer emblem from Grove Motors... I sure like to see the original dealership emblem on the back of an old musclecar!

[PeteLeathersac]

Geat detective work Helmut!.

If it's any help and you haven't seen it yet here's a link to documents and POP of an LS6 'Camino sold new at Grove..
Note the Zone is listed as # 81 and Dealer # 079..

http://ls6registry.com/bal/more/1368...800b1466xx.htm

If you haven't been to it Penticton has a large car show every year that may be a great place to check for leads on what you're seeking too!.

Got your email...very cool you hooked up w/ Tom Harris even though he had no info from the old dealership days!.

Keep digging!.


~ Pete

[PeteLeathersac]

Here's a link to an old thread here w/ a bunch o' pics from the '08 Penticton Beach show...courtesy of StriperSS!.

https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/show...fpart/all/vc/1


~ Pete

[Canuck]

The only Woodgrove Chev olds I knew of was located in Parksville Bc. They were there for 25 years and are now known as Oceanside Chev. Their sales manager Ken Kimmel has been with the company for a long time and will know the dealer history PH # 1-888-333-2438.
138 Front st in Pentiction is highly prized lakefront property and has been for 30 years. The Chev olds dealer that I remember was located away from the beach and may have been the successor to the Chev olds Franchise there. Perhaps John C (striper SS) can remember their name.
Good luck with the search.

Paul

[L78M22Rag]

[ QUOTE ]
Geat detective work Helmut!.

If it's any help and you haven't seen it yet here's a link to documents and POP of an LS6 'Camino sold new at Grove..
Note the Zone is listed as # 81 and Dealer # 079..

http://ls6registry.com/bal/more/1368...800b1466xx.htm

If you haven't been to it Penticton has a large car show every year that may be a great place to check for leads on what you're seeking too!.

Got your email...very cool you hooked up w/ Tom Harris even though he had no info from the old dealership days!.

Keep digging!.


~ Pete

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks Andy, I sure appreciate your help and direction! I also saw that LS6 El Camino buildsheet when I googled Grove Motors last night, but I didn't catch the matching zone and dealer number you pointed out. I guess that clinches it.

I have a further update... after learning that my car may have been sold at Grove Motors in Penticton, BC, I put an ad in the local kijiji with a pic of the car looking for historical info about the car and the dealership. Wouldn't you know it, my ad flushed out the brother-in-law of the original owner. He confirmed that the car originally looked exactly the way I restored it except it had body color wheels and dog dish caps (which I figured). Those dog dish caps will go back on the car this weekend, if not tonight!

[Xplantdad]

Neat stuff Helmut!

[StriperSS]

The Chevrolet dealer in Penticton now is named Sentes Chevrolet, and I've been doing business with them since about 1986, which is about when they bought it.
I can hunt around for a dealer emblem for you because I'm on good terms with a couple of wreckers that have some older stuff. I don't remember Grove, as I didn't actually start living in the area until the mid 80's. Although I was there in the mid 70's too.
Performance was alive and well in the area though, as we had a strip going in the Cawston area, between Keremeos and Osoyoos in the mid 70's.
Here is the thread with photos.
https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/show...2/fpart/1/vc/1
I'm in Fort McMurray right now, but I'll go on a treasure hunt on my next trip back. Except for this next trip to see my new Grandchild, due any day!

[L78M22Rag]

Thanks for the info and help. I've looked at the photos on that thread before, but they now have new meaning!
Keep in touch!

[L78M22Rag]

This story only gets better... about a week ago, I got another email from the brother-in-law of the original owner of my Camaro. He asked for my address because he wanted to send me something.
In today's mail, I received this from him... I'm stunned!

I don't know whether this is the right vintage, but it definintely belongs on my car. If anyone has seen a 1969 vintage Grove emblem before, I'd like to hear from you.

Before I put it on the car, perhaps I should go through the effort of duplicating/reproducing the emblem... eventually someone is going to be looking for another one? Can anyone suggest who I would get to do that?

[StriperSS]

That's pretty cool. I haven't run across any myself. Maybe you should bring that car down to the Penticton Beach car show and cruise this year. I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy it!