AS A TOP SALESMAN FOR OAKLANDON SALES PONTIAC, I DISCOVERED A REAL PROBLEM HAD EXISTED IN MY OWNERS COMING IN FOR SERVICE. WE WERE A PRETTY GOOD HIKE FROM INDIANAPOLIS ON THE EAST SIDE SURROUNDED BY 300 ACRES OF CORN AND A THREE CAR SHOWROOM. MR. HOWARD HAUSER, OWNER OF OAKLANDON SALES, WAS CONSTANTLY ON THE RADIO SAYING “DRIVE A LITTLE, SAVE A LOT”. WE WERE ONE OF THE LARGEST CHEVROLET PONTIAC DUALS IN AMERICA. ELDON CRUMP, OUR FAMED
USED CAR MANAGER, ALERTED ME WHEN WE TRADED FOR A VERY NICE 1959 PONTIAC STAR CHIEF, NON AIR 2-BBL 389 SUPER HYDRAMATIC WITH A IMPRESSIVE MAINTENANCE FILE AND PEDIGREE. HE SAID, YOU’VE BEEN WAITING FOR A LOAN CAR FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS.
THIS WOULD BE PERFECT FOR A LOANER. HE WAS RIGHT. MY ATTORNEY AND STATE FARM MAN SAID YOU CANNOT PUT LOAN CAR ON THE DOORS, BUT YOU CAN SAY “SEE AL BELOFF OAKLANDON SALES CHEVROLET PONTIAC MEMBER OF INDIANAPOLIS JAYCEES AND POST ROAD
K OF C”. I HAD A SIGN ON THE DASH THAT SAID “I AM OLD SO DON’T DRIVE ME FAST. THE GAS TANK IS FULL – PLEASE RETURN IT THE SAME WAY FOR MY NEXT VALUED OWNER TO DRIVE.” IT WAS A HUGE HIT. ALL OVER INDIANAPOLIS PEOPLE TALKED ABOUT IT.
IN MY OWNER’S DRIVEWAYS AT HOME, THEY WOULD TELL ME THE NEIGHBORS WOULD SAY – WHAT IS THIS NEAT CAR DOING IN YOUR DRIVEWAY? THEY RESPONDED, MY SALESMAN AL BELOFF HAS THIS CAR FOR ME WHEN I AM IN FOR SERVICE ANYTIME I NEED IT AT NO CHARGE. THE NEIGHBOR WAS STEAMING, HE SAID I JUST BOUGHT A NEW 1967 BONNEVILLE COUPE AND I HAVE TO CAMP THERE FOR SERVICE AND CANNOT EVEN GET A RIDE HOME. DO YOU HAVE A CARD FOR THIS AL BELOFF GUY. I HAD PLENTY IN THE GLOVEBOX. PONTIAC MOTOR DIVISION WAS ALSO IMPRESSED AND A STORY APPEARED IN THEIR MONTHLY PUBLICATION THAT I WAS UNABLE TO GET A COPY OF AT THE TIME.
EVENTUALLY BECAUSE OF WEAK HYDRAULIC LIFTERS IN THE 389, I KEPT HEARING A KNOCKING NOISE. I WAS TOLD BY OUR PONTIAC TECHNICIANS TO REPLACE ALL THE LIFTERS. A COLLAPSED LIFTER CAN FORCE THE VALVE INTO THE HEAD OF THE PISTON AND EVEN CRACK THE BLOCK. THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED. I PUT IN A SERVICEABLE JUNK YARD 389 FROM MY BUDDIES JULIUS AND MICKEY MOWER AT WRECKS INC. SOLD THE CAR BECAUSE I ALREADY HAD ACQUIRED A GORGEOUS 1963 IMPALA FOUR DOOR HARDTOP LOAN CAR AS A REPLACEMENT.