Old Invoice - 1969 Chevrolet Impala

[STEVE POLLARD]

My mother, who turned 86 a few months ago, still has the invoice to the 1969 Chevrolet Impala that she and my father purchased new, from MeKeel Bros. Garage in Cold Spring, NY in the Fall of 1969 - for some reason, I still remember going with them when they picked out the car. ( the new 70's were out and the 69 was parked in the back lot ) I thought it was interesting to see the options and the cost of those options.

Did anyone else kept those invoices ? 

 

Steve

 

[1937hd45]

Next year I'll be posting the receipt from Cold Spring Harbor, N. Y. for my Grandfathers 1923 Model T the first car in our family. 

Edited November 13, 2022 by 1937hd45 (see edit history)

[1912Staver]

Interesting that a Power Glide was a somewhat expensive option. Three speed manual standard on an Impala ?

[Larry Schramm]

18 minutes ago, 1912Staver said:

Interesting that a Power Glide was a somewhat expensive option. Three speed manual standard on an Impala ?

 

I would be fairly sure it would be three on the tree as standard.  I was told years ago that if you bought a vehicle with no options, GM was selling the car at or below cost.  They made all of their money on the options.

Edited November 13, 2022 by Larry Schramm (see edit history)

[Frank DuVal]

So, Steve,  it was a 250 cu in six?

 

Yes, three speed manual transmission with steering column shift was standard across all full sized Chevrolets in 1969.

[STEVE POLLARD]

5 minutes ago, Frank DuVal said:

So, Steve,  it was a 250 cu in six?

Frank - it was the 327 / 235HP version..... I remember it well, my parents let me drive it around once I got my license back in 1981...

[Belvedere]

My father did.  I've got the invoice for the purchase of his 1968 Plymouth Satellite on October 16, 1967.  Yes it was a very early car delivered to  Bermont Motors in Gilbertsville, PA maybe 1 week after the 1968 new car showing.  He also kept the cancelled check he wrote for the purchase.  I've got that too.  And by the way, I've also got the car!  You may have seen it at Hershey.

[STEVE POLLARD]

I've reached out to the Library on this.....

 

[STEVE POLLARD]

The building is still there.... I didn't realized that they sold Buicks as well.....

[TerryB]

Inherited this stuff when a family friend with no living family passed away. It was her dad’s car bought in 1925.

Even have the factory checklist and a photo of the car.

Most times the family stuck with estate clean outs will toss this stuff as trash.

 

Edited November 13, 2022 by TerryB (see edit history)

[joe_padavano]

3 hours ago, 1912Staver said:

Interesting that a Power Glide was a somewhat expensive option. Three speed manual standard on an Impala ?

The column-shifted three speed manual was the base equipment transmission for most GM cars then. Even the Olds Delta 88 retained three-on-the-tree as the base trans through the 1971 model year. I'll bet you can count the number of those actually made on the fingers of one hand. 😁

 

[Frank DuVal]

4 hours ago, STEVE POLLARD said:

Frank - it was the 327 / 235HP version.

Interesting. The 1969 sales brochure show the 250 cu in six as the base engine. But Wikipedia (not known for exact facts) says the Impala base engine that year was the 327/235, like yours. So maybe a mid year change? Clearly there is no charge for the 327/235 on your late production invoice.

[STEVE POLLARD]

8 minutes ago, Frank DuVal said:

So maybe a mid year change?

As I recall, the 350/255 HP came into play.... not sure, but it replaced the 327, correct ?

 

Steve

[Frank DuVal]

350/255 was optional engine from the start of the model year. See:

 

 

 

 

[JamesR]

Very cool invoice, Steve. It's hard to keep the cars as keepsakes, but the paperwork is a lot of fun to archive. Here is a handwritten receipt for my first car:   a running driving '66 Impala Super Sport that I bought used for $200 in 1976 (my senior year in high school.)

[STEVE POLLARD]

4 minutes ago, JamesR said:

a running driving '66 Impala Super Sport that I bought used for $200 in 1976

Very cool James.....

[JamesR]

35 minutes ago, Frank DuVal said:

350/255 was optional engine from the start of the model year. See:

 

One of the great mysteries of Chevrolet: Why did they offer both a 350 AND a 327 for 1969? Was there any difference in the engines other than displacement? Were they both available with 2bbl or 4bbl? Maybe they had some left over 327's from the previous year...(I'm only guessing.)  I can't remember which engine my parents '69 four door Impala had. They wouldn't have cared one way or the other.

Edited November 14, 2022 by JamesR (see edit history)

[joe_padavano]

1 hour ago, Frank DuVal said:

Interesting. The 1969 sales brochure show the 250 cu in six as the base engine. But Wikipedia (not known for exact facts) says the Impala base engine that year was the 327/235, like yours. So maybe a mid year change? Clearly there is no charge for the 327/235 on your late production invoice.

Frank, the model number specifies whether the car is a base I6 car or a base V8 car. The model number 16439 is a Chevrolet (1) Impala V8 (64) Sport Sedan (39). If this were an I6 car that model number would have been 16339.

 

 

[rocketraider]

I don't remember ever seeing a 6-cylinder 69 Impala though there were a lot of Biscayne and BelAir sixes here in tobacco farmer country. Last Impala six I remember seeing was the 67 that my high school buddy lost in that garage fire last summer. It was a six/three speed with nothing but an AM radio and a heater. I think it did have full wheelcovers. But that was what farmers bought.

 

As James' receipt shows a couple hundred bucks would buy a high school kid a whole lotta car back then. I think I paid $300 for my first car, 66 442 sport coupe in 1973.

 

Course that was just the down payment☺️. I had "ideas" for that hotrod Ose- just in time for the first manufactured oil crisis! That thing did love Sunoco 260...

[Oldsoul58]

Yes.  I have the original invoice for my grandfathers last new car which is a 1965 Impala SS. He bought it new on 10/19/64 which makes it a very early 1965.  Powerglide option was $199.10. Total cost with all options was $ 3543.00. Bought new from Labbee Chevrolet in Northampton,Ma. The best part of it all is I still have the car wearing most of its original red paint. Its a family heirloom thats getting past down to my son.

[Barney Eaton]

On the '69 Chevy super sport........... the car was discounted 22% and the dealer still made money. 

The $21.10 for full wheel covers seems odd.... I thought the SS would come with full wheel cover,  maybe they were the wire wheel cover option. 

Have you ever used this site........   http://www.oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA/Chevrolet/1969_Chevrolet/dirindex.html

It is an good reference for what came on the car or what was available,  but we also know these were printed in advance of the car announcement and often have errors. 

[joe_padavano]

1 hour ago, Barney Eaton said:

On the '69 Chevy super sport...........

The $21.10 for full wheel covers seems odd.... I thought the SS would come with full wheel cover,  maybe they were the wire wheel cover option.

That car isn't a Super Sport, it's a Sport Sedan which was Chevy-speak for a four door hardtop. The only Impala Super Sport offered for the 1969 model year was the SS427, which was RPO Z24 at an extra cost of $422.35. Typically GM cars of that period only included dog dish caps in the base price. Any full wheel covers were extra cost options.

 

Edited November 14, 2022 by joe_padavano (see edit history)

[STEVE POLLARD]

5 hours ago, joe_padavano said:

That car isn't a Super Sport, it's a Sport Sedan which was Chevy-speak for a four door hardtop

Joe is correct.....here is a old picture of it. If you rolled down all the windows, it gave you an open feel since there was no window frames like the 4-door sedan....you needed as much ventilation as possible, the car had no a/c and with a black interior and top, it got very hot during the summer months.. ask me how I know...😄

 

[Ed Luddy]

On 11/13/2022 at 1:59 PM, 1912Staver said:

Interesting that a Power Glide was a somewhat expensive option. Three speed manual standard on an Impala ?

Should have been a credit issued! LOL. 3 speed manual column shift was standard equipment. I remember Ford ads for the 1969 Galaxie LTD that stated automatic transmission was now included in price.

[Frank DuVal]

On 11/13/2022 at 9:38 PM, joe_padavano said:

the model number specifies whether the car is a base I6 car or a base V8 car. The model number 16439 is a Chevrolet (1) Impala V8 (64) Sport Sedan (39). If this were an I6 car that model number would have been 16339.

I looked and looked for that piece of information on the internet. I could not find it, but thought it existed. Where did you find it?

 

On 11/13/2022 at 9:20 PM, JamesR said:

One of the great mysteries of Chevrolet: Why did they offer both a 350 AND a 327 for 1969?

Or 1968 or 1967? 😁 327 to 350 is an increase of 23 cubic inches. You can charge extra for those extra 23 cubes.

[joe_padavano]

9 hours ago, Frank DuVal said:

I looked and looked for that piece of information on the internet. I could not find it, but thought it existed. Where did you find it?

 

https://www.1969chevy.com/impala.html

 

 

 

 

I suspected this was the case because I know that Oldsmobile did the same thing. The Cutlass S with the base I6 was 335xx series number, with the base V8 it was 336xx. Base prices were different due to the different standard engine.

 

Edited November 15, 2022 by joe_padavano (see edit history)

[8E45E]

22 hours ago, joe_padavano said:

The only Impala Super Sport offered for the 1969 model year was the SS427, which was RPO Z24 at an extra cost of $422.35. 

Hopefully there will be one present at MCACN in Chicago this weekend!!

 

Craig

[joe_padavano]

Expanding on the three speed manual trans as base equipment thought (and apologies for hijacking this thread and driving it well off into the weeds), here's a 1971 Monte Carlo on ebay with the base-equipment three-on-the-tree.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/204150787903?mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&siteid=0&campid=5337851298&customid=573909&toolid=10001&mkevt=1

[STEVE POLLARD]

4 hours ago, 8E45E said:

Hopefully there will be one present at MCACN in Chicago this weekend!!

If so take pictures 🙂 !!  I've been restoring a numbers-matching SS over the last 6 years....

 

Steve

 

[8E45E]

47 minutes ago, STEVE POLLARD said:

If so take pictures 🙂 !!  I've been restoring a numbers-matching SS over the last 6 years....

You can count on that!!  

I hope to take photos of YOUR car there next year!! 

 

(Come out this year to see what you might be missing!!!)

 

Craig

[STEVE POLLARD]

6 minutes ago, 8E45E said:

You can count on that!!  

Thanks !

 

A close friend of mine, Don Bock will have his '68 SS427 on displayed there !

 

Steve

 

 

[rocketraider]

2 hours ago, STEVE POLLARD said:

Thanks !

 

A close friend of mine, Don Bock will have his '68 SS427 on displayed there !

 

Steve

 

 

😍

 

Gills... domed hood... simulated mag wheelcovers... make me slobber like a Pavlov dog...

[8E45E]

2 minutes ago, rocketraider said:

😍

 

Gills... domed hood... simulated mag wheelcovers... make me slobber like a Pavlov dog...

At least I don't have to mop the floor at MCACN at the end of the show!!

 

Craig

[TerryB]

Here are two new car invoices for Oldsmobiles owned by my wife’s grandfather.  One is from 1953 and the other is from 1956 when he apparently traded the 1953 car for the 1956 model.  Same dealership, just two different locations that they owned.  Seems he liked 2 door cars.  For the 1953 car, the dealer installed option was anti-freeze.  For some reason, years ago, my wife kept these records.  Glad she did!

[STEVE POLLARD]

Terry - very cool paper work there !

 

Steve

[8E45E]

37 minutes ago, TerryB said:

What two colors was the car painted?  Do you (or the Mrs.) know why it was 'special' without an option or color code?

 

Craig

[TerryB]

In 1956 my wife was 4 yrs old, she may not remember the colors😀. However today if someone gets another car she will tell you the color and the rest is 🤷‍♂️.  Apparently Mr Harrison, a widower, was known for having good looking cars.  I don’t know if a sales brochure would be any help with the color combo.  Seems option group #2 was something he chose both times too.

[Oldsfan]

2 hours ago, 8E45E said:

What two colors was the car painted?  Do you (or the Mrs.) know why it was 'special' without an option or color code?

 

Craig

On a '56 Olds, the standard, or "conventional" two tone treatment meant that the roof was one color and the body was a second color.  A "special" two tone meant that the hood, upper front fenders and upper doors were one color and the deck lid, quarters and lower doors were a second color. The roof could match either color.

[rocketraider]

Was hoping you'd see this. Any idea what Accessory Group 2 included?

[Oldsfan]

2 minutes ago, rocketraider said:

Was hoping you'd see this. Any idea what Accessory Group 2 included?

Group 2 included the deluxe condition air heater & defroster, deluxe radio, windshield washer, deluxe steering wheel, electric clock, glare proof rearview mirror, oil filter and accessory group Z, which consisted of visor mirror and lamps for under hood, trunk and glove box.