Small block 400's???

[1976gmc20]

Originally Posted by MikeB

Sounds like a fun job! I always wanted to work at the local Chevy dealership when I was in high school in the mid 1960s. Was on a first name basic with the parts guys and a couple mechanics. I got a really good parts discount (several columns over from list price), and they even gave me a pair of mechanic's coveralls with a Chevy service emblem on them. I was really proud of those things and wore them whenever I was working on my cars (a 51 and then a 55). Can't imagine that happening at today's mega-dealers, but hopefully it still goes on in small towns.

They offered to train me to work in the machine shop mainly turning brake drums, but probably foolishly I turned it down because I wanted to be outside doing things instead of stuck in a little room all day. After about nine or ten months working there I quit and got a service station job at a small town up in the mountains. Less than a year after that, I started working at a little sawmill that was really way up in the mountains. Later I started logging. Did I mention that I liked to work outside?

There pretty much are NO small town dealers anymore. The GM dealer in our county got shut down in 2009 (they still sell/service farm equipment). So we would have to drive about 70 miles to the regional mega dealer.

My relatives in TX are I think the only small town (about 2K pop) dealer that survived the bailout blitz, just because they were selling so many units over a large area. They had just bought two other dealerships in nearby towns in adjoining states in order to expand, but GM.gov forced them to shut those down

[MikeB]

Originally Posted by 1976gmc20

My relatives in TX are I think the only small town (about 2K pop) dealer that survived the bailout blitz, just because they were selling so many units over a large area. They had just bought two other dealerships in nearby towns in adjoining states in order to expand, but GM.gov forced them to shut those down

Yeah, driving through the small Texas towns, most of those dealerships are gone.

Funny story, but Fiat/Chrysler closed down a successful Dodge dealer in a small Texas town, thinking the customers would drive 50 miles to the nearest dealer in a larger town. But what happened was a Ford (or Chevy???) dealer in the small town took most of that business away from Dodge over the next few years. Turns out it wasn't just the town buying trucks, it was the surrounding area of farms, ranches, oil & gas facilities, etc. No doubt Fiat/Chrysler underestimated loyalty to local businesses.

[dajn]

I have never owned a small block 400 but I remember as a kid my dads 71k10 had a small block 400 in it. I have no idea what year the engine was. But I always remember that pickup and all the things my dad did with it. Always overloaded, abused and worked hard. And it always seem to get the job done. It the attached pic, my dad is moving a little shed a couple miles down gravel roads for a friend of his that got the shed for next to nothing. Me and my two brothers are riding in the box. Early nineties.

[1976gmc20]

Originally Posted by MikeB

Yeah, driving through the small Texas towns, most of those dealerships are gone.

Funny story, but Fiat/Chrysler closed down a successful Dodge dealer in a small Texas town, thinking the customers would drive 50 miles to the nearest dealer in a larger town. But what happened was a Ford (or Chevy???) dealer in the small town took most of that business away from Dodge over the next few years. Turns out it wasn't just the town buying trucks, it was the surrounding area of farms, ranches, oil & gas facilities, etc. No doubt Fiat/Chrysler underestimated loyalty to local businesses.

My "other family" sells vehicles in at least five different states, or at least they did. I've sort of lost track of things since my dad passed away. I guess they really weren't so happy about the lost son from a previous marriage But I wish them well, anyway.