ZL1 or Iron car sold at Nurse motors Canada?

[PeteLeathersac]

Maybe my minds going (gone?) but wasn't one of the ZL1's sold through Nurse motors in Whitby Ontario Canada...or was it an iron car? .
I didn't see either listed on the Copo site but seem to recall it went through there...maybe a dealer trade or? .
Did Eaton Racing Team maybe have something to do with it...the car shipped there to yank the ZL1 or something like that??? .
And didn't the car end up or was in Western Canada...who has it now? .

The reason I'm asking is I just had an older fella I know drop by my office on his way home from buying a new minivan at Nurse motors. . When I quizzed him why he went there (it's about an hour away)...his response was that one of his best friends is the brother of the owner...'Bill' Nurse or whatever his first name is? .
Of course I had to ask and he says sure, he wouldn't mind inquiring if they can access any old info or paperwork. . So if anyone has the Vin (or other Vins we should inquire on) lets get them together as there may be a shot at this...we should give it a try, right? .

~ Pete

[Don_Lightfoot]

Can't help with information on the COPO Pete, but if you don't mind me jumping in with something about Nurse Chevrolet.

In the fall of 1969 I ordered a new 70 Chevelle SS through St. Remy Motors in Kingston, Ontario. Couple of years later I got transferred to Oshawa. In the spring of 1973 we learned of the future arrival of our daughter. It was now time to consider other driving options to replace the expensive Musclecar. Sometime in 1973 we traded the Chevelle for a 1970 Caprice two door at Nurse Chevrolet in Whitby.

If this guy is going to do some digging, and can find paperwork from 1973, I would really appreciate knowing the VIN of the 70 Chevelle SS I traded in. Longshot for sure, but you never know.

Sorry to get your thread off track.

[PeteLeathersac]

Love to try Don, just don't know yet what chances are on any of it yet, if paper even still exists or how receptive they may be? .
For all I know, it may be a cranky broad with the access to the info so perhaps if we try a nice simple one by Vin first, we can send flowers etc. and find out an idea of what may be there then try again for more? .

Just a thought but do you happen to have any paperwork on your Caprice purchase? . Often the sales document will note the trade vehicle Vin too? . And not to make you feel worse but do you recall what trade value they 'allowed' you for it? .

~ Pete

[Keith Tedford]

I don't recall a Nurse ZL1 but they did sell one red COPO 427 425hp Camaro. As with the Z/28s that they sold, it was pretty basic. I got a $700 better deal buying our Chevelle through Beare Motors. The Chevelle was pretty dressy looking beside the bare bones Camaro. The Camaro was written off early in its life on Taunton Road just north of the Airport. Believe me, I looked at both cars quite a few times before deciding to buy. If I had ever known then what I know now...... Bill Nurse was/is the original owner of the dealership. He was a Peterborough boy. I don't know how much old information these places keep, but some money in the right hand might give a guy a big incentive to look pretty hard. I know that they always seemed to have a Z/28 on the lot in '69. They even set one up with the cross ram setup, track cam and radial tires. It was expensive and LAZY. I was allowed to test drive it.

[PeteLeathersac]

Thanks Keith...I was gonna' PM you if you didn't chime in here. .

I just Googled and found this link...may help jog someone? .

https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/prin...95/type/thread

And Keith, love the 'local car tales' from back in the day too...more, more!! .


~ Pete

[Keith Tedford]

On CanAm weekends at Mosport, Nurse's shop was home to the UOP Shadows on at least one occasion as I saw one of the cars there. Being big block and black sure made for one ominous looking racer. GM also had truck loads of spare parts parked behind the GM Oshawa parts and service building on the same weekends. You can only guess at what all was in those trailers.
Having started in GM in 1965, I couldn't have started at a better time. Being fortunate enough to start out with a decent paying job, I was able to enjoy more than my share of factory muscle. They were the best of times for us at least. Now we are reliving it all over again. Retiring as of December 1, will give me lots of time to get the old Chevelle and el Camino whipped into shape. Shouldn't be bored for the next couple of years.

[Don_Lightfoot]

In response to your remarks Pete:

- I have no paperwork from that Caprice deal. Believe I paid a few hundred difference at the time. The Caprice was a previous GM Executive car and decked out to the nines.
- Nothing available through the original dealer (St. Remy's) as I've already checked on that.

Anyway, maybe he can give it a shot when he's looking for other stuff.

Keith - I was living in Oshawa when those CanAm races were going on at Mosport and went to them myself. I remember one weekend some of the cars were being displayed in an inpound yard somewhere in the northeast side of Oshawa. Darlene and I drove out there that night. It was a huge yard and the race cars were displayed way off to the right with a whole crowd of people hanging around them. As we drove in I looked way off to the left where there was a small building and a man was standing there leaning up against the building. Nobody else within 300 feet of that area. We were probably about 200 feet away when I said to Darlene "That's Mark Donohue leaning against that building". She responded "You're nuts, how can you tell from this distance?". Well, we drive over there and, sure enough, it was Mark all by himself. He has always been my favourite driver from any era or any division. We talked for about a half hour or so and then he had to leave. Nobody else ever came around during our discussion, it was great. It might have been that same weekend when Mark set the track record for Mosport which I believe still stands today. Sorry for rambling and reminiscing.

[Xplantdad]

Don...rambling and reminiscing is WAY cool!

[Don_Lightfoot]

Here's the latest from my end Andy.

1) - Contacted the local Chevy Dealer that took over from the original selling dealer. Talked to a different person than I did two years ago in the hopes of getting a different answer. No records available from late 1969 to early 1970's.

2) - Contacted the Insurance Agent that would have handled my coverage back then. He is still in the business and with the same agency I am with currently for our daily drivers. They only keep records for about seven or eight years.

3) - Contacted my niece who is a supervisor with Ministry of Transportation Ontario. Appears we will miss this by "that much". She did a search and I guess the MTO computer records only go back to about mid 1970. She was able to find the 1970 Caprice which the 70 Chevelle was traded for. It did indicate I owned the Caprice from February 16, 1973 until 1978.

So, if your contact can indeed do some research on this, he can concentrate on February, 1973. Thanks Andy.

[PeteLeathersac]

Sounds good Don...I'll try and run what you've laid out and let you know what happens. .
Nice try on the MTO search...close one. .
Actually since Nurse sold it to you, why not shoot me the Vin of the Caprice as we may be able to find something on it that leads to the Chevelle Vin? .

So no one have any more info on this Copo story in the old thread? .


~ Pete