newps

Hi all,

I'm wondering if anyone in upstate NY is familiar with this dealership. I found some old newspaper ads going to the late 60s, but nothing after that. It's quite likely that if it was a mom and pop shop, eventually a chain may have absorbed it, but the trail on Google seemed to go cold quite quickly. My '67 was delivered here in early July 1967. I'd love to find out if any documentation survived, if a salesman may recall the car, if there are any period photos of the dealership, etc. The address appears to have been 31 Charlton St. Ballston Spa, NY. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

6spdC6

The only Salisbury Chev I'm familiar with was in Glenville on RT 50 not too far from the airport! I stopped in there a few time checking out cars but never bought anything from them. They were a medium size dealership IMHO! That Glenville location if you do not know the area was about 15 miles from Ballston Spa.

They went out of business a few years back. I'm not sure if the business going out was due to obamas nonsense when he "reorganized" GM during "the bankruptcy" but if I remember correctly it was in that time frame.

There is now a large Honda dealership at that location. They ripped down the old building and enlarged the property.

newps

Thanks for the info! It looks like the original location at Charlton St. may still be there (at least there's a building there that looks like it could have been a small dealership back in the day) but now under the Public Works Dept. I've asked the Saratoga County Historical Society for some help as well...let's see what happens!

newps

You may be right about Obama. Found this online:

"Salisbury Chevrolet closed July 31 after 58 years in business. It was one of 1,100 General Motors Corp. dealers nationwide to lose their franchises as part of cost-cutting measures."

6spdC6

You mentioned the Saratoga historical in you other post!. If you want more info on the place in Glenvilel be advise that is in Schenectady county.

newps

Thanks for pointing that out! At the time my car was delivered there, they were at the old location in Ballston Spa, which I think is in Saratoga County. I will check with both societies though, since it's quite possible that when they moved to Glenville, their history went with them.

newps

Ok, this is pretty amazing. I got an email from the historical society and they pointed me to an online archive of the local paper. Look what I found. A picture of the dealership, taken in 1967, with a Corvette in the front! Obviously I cannot tell if it's mine, but given the size of the town and the dealer, there's a decent chance it might be!

6spdC6

Yes BS is in Saratoga County!


Sound like a plan, good luck!--

Goochlin

Hi, Have been following your post on Salisbury Chevy. Did you get any info on Dealer zone or dealer code. We own a 1961 Corvette that was sold thru Valley Chevrolet Corporation in Scotia. They folded up around 1967. Valley Chevrolet folded up at the same time and believe all inventory went to Salisbury. Someone believes that Salisbury absorbed the dealer code and zone from Valley Chevy. Any info would help on this.Thanks

6spdC6

Wow a Zombie!

In 1967 I was 21 years old lived in Albany and a serious gear-head, street racer and 1/4 mile racer (South Glens Falls & Lebanon Valley drag way) and I do not ever remember knowing about that dealership ( Valley Chevrolet Corporation in Scotia.) It must have been pretty small!

FWIW there is a Valley Chevrolet in Wilkes-Barre, PA.

Good luck!

Goochlin

Hi,Yes there was a Valley Chevrolet in Scotia NY. It was at 302 Mohawk Ave. I would go past it as a child back then. It was on the corner and the showroom was on the first floor . Yes a small place indeed. Our 61 Corvette came from there and was looking for dealer code. Here is the short version of it. Valley Chevrolet went out of business around the time Salisbury Motors in Ballston Spa was moving the Chevy part of the dealership down to Glenville where they had a car lot called Salisbury Motors annex. So Valley went out, Ballston Spa moved down. Working on time line for this. Our Corvette was drag raced at South Glens Falls , ESTA in Syracuse and Fonda in Fultonville. Could be at other places possibly North Hudson too!. Working on that. Guy who purchased it new was Ray Persons from Amsterdam Scotia area. He was a drag racer at heart. He would hang around with Shirley Muldowney back then.Found a few guys who knew him.Did you know Keith McNally from Albany. Chasing down history of another area Corvette and possibly you may remember it. Will send you a message. hanks.

6spdC6

Of the three names you posted the only one I know is Cha Cha.. She was just getting out of the street scene when I was getting active. I talked with her a few times way back when. I was a Mopar guy and she of course was Chevy. One of my good buddies ended up with one of her old Vettes. His name was Garry Happel and the car name when he had it was"YIPES STRIPES" because of the very wide gold strips going over the car.

Working at my buddies speed shop to be honest I worked on more Chevs than Mopars.

FWIW I read and responded to the PM before I read your last post here!

pastorbrad

If that's indeed the same Buick dealership in Ballston Spa, my father bought a new Buick from there in the early 50's. On our way home down Route 9 (we lived in Clifton Park at the time), one of the front wheels fell off. Brand new car. My father was so PO'd he swore off Buicks for years, relented and had another years later, and that was a lemon too!

Goochlin

Hi yes that is the same place. My dad bought a new 1967 Buick there. What goofed me up in GM dealer info Salisbury Motors as they were called back then in Ballston had Chevy,Buick and Pontiac under one roof. GM assigned then different dealer codes for each brand. When I went searching for Zone and dealer code I was thrown off with the Zone number and dealer code. I am trying to determine when exactly Salisbury moved down from Ballston Spa to their Annex lot already located in Glenville. I know mid 1967 they were still in Ballston Spa as my parents took delivery of the Buick and another guy here on the site has a build sheet for a 1967 Corvette that states Salisbury Chevrolet from Ballston Spa. Have a buddy that purchased a used 1967 Corvette in spring of 1970 from Salisbury ( now Salisbury Chevrolet ) in Glenville at the location of former Salisbury motors Annex store. That would give a time line of 1968 or 1969 when they moved. The dealer my Corvette came from only a few miles away closed around the same time period from Scotia and only a few miles away from Salisbury's new dealership. Either GM gave the new Dealership in Glenville Valley Chevrolet Corporation in Scotia's dealer number or assigned Salisbury Chevrolet a new Dealership number. Being told records only exist in the late 1960`s for this. Wow what a mystery,, Thanks.

6spdC6

I did send you a email a couple days ago, no reply by you. Is there a chance I goofed up? is the Word "Thanks" part of the address. If that is the case I will add it into address and resend!

Goochlin

There is a good chance I goofed up. I am still learning to navigate the forum. My apologies if I did not respond. Many irons in the fire at the moment and dealing with family medical issues. I am very thankful with the forum. It is a great resource.

6spdC6

Good luck, if I remain healthy I will be on here somewhere. Still glad to help out. I resent my E with thanks in the address!

Goochlin

Did not see one as of this morning!! O.K. Trying to post photos of our car and then will write you again. Hope you feel better!!

altremblay

I sold gary Happel a Loaded marina blue with bright blue interior 427/390 hp coupe many years ago @ 1987 it had j56 brakes /a/c/headrest, p/windows. shouldr harness , speedminder, telescope he bought it at carlisle pa show from me i think the vin was 194377s109287 ??? Had all options except the bolt ons wheels

6spdC6

Interesting - thanks-
I knew Garry rather well, long before he became a Albany cop. My wife went to school with him and as I was a serious street racer spent a lot of time on Central avenue. Hung out at Grandway. Garry used to show up at Grandway often but was not into the street racing scene.
He was also a talented mechanic and fabricator

As you mentioned Carlisle I ran into Harry Wiedmark <SPL> down there one year. Garry and Harry, their wives, left the Albany area and moved south. ( I also knew Harry well went to high school with him). Since then I found out Harry died. No clue about Garry!

Be well, Dave