Original dealer license plate frame

[TA301]

How many of you have the original selling dealership license plate frame on you Firebird? I was fortunate to be able to buy a Long Beach Mike Salta license plate frame for a reasonable price, from eBay. Mike Salta Pontiac sold my 1981 TA SE when new, as per PHS documentation.

[Warren Seale]

I think back then it was more common to use a stick on emblem.  At least they got away from the screw on type that required them to drill holes.

[roadking77]

Thats pretty cool. There was just a long discussion on the AACA forum regarding the dealer signage on the back of the car. I would never have it on a new car, but I think on a classic vehicle its fine. It helps show the history of that car. The other forum was spit about 50/50 for those for and against having them.

I tried researching where my 77 came from but never had a lot of luck. Wayne Strand in Corpus Christi Texas.

I know where my 79 came from but havent done anything with that yet.

I have a buddy in KC that has a 79 ta. His car was sold originally about 40 minutes from where I am in MD. I went to the town and took pics of the dealership building which is still there. Its now a mechanics shop and ironically there was an old firebird in front waiting on service.

[b_hill_86]

I do not have a frame. I missed out on one actually I saw for sale about a month prior to determining where my car was sold. It was sold only about 1.5 hours north of me so it hasn’t made it far in 47 years.

Belcastro Pontiac in Ferndale, MI at the time my car was sold but formerly Higgins Pontiac.

[Maxthe222]

How many of you have the original selling dealership license plate frame on you Firebird? I was fortunate to be able to buy a Long Beach Mike Salta license plate frame for a reasonable price, from eBay. Mike Salta Pontiac sold my 1981 TA SE when new, as per PHS documentation.

That's funny, I know of 4 Firebirds in Australia that came from there. I sent them that plate bracket, but no takers. Good score.

[Wallington]

The earlier models often needed the fuel tank filler tab removed if using the extra dealer frame. Or rather, not even installed as per GM instructions. I had a larger frame and cover set on mine for a while minus the tab, real pain to open as limited access.

[76455sd]

Thats pretty cool. There was just a long discussion on the AACA forum regarding the dealer signage on the back of the car. I would never have it on a new car, but I think on a classic vehicle its fine. It helps show the history of that car. The other forum was spit about 50/50 for those for and against having them.

I tried researching where my 77 came from but never had a lot of luck. Wayne Strand in Corpus Christi Texas.

I know where my 79 came from but havent done anything with that yet.

I have a buddy in KC that has a 79 ta. His car was sold originally about 40 minutes from where I am in MD. I went to the town and took pics of the dealership building which is still there. Its now a mechanics shop and ironically there was an old firebird in front waiting on service.

My PHS documentation had a copy of the invoice with the dealership name it was sold to by GM

[TA301]

I do not have a frame. I missed out on one actually I saw for sale about a month prior to determining where my car was sold. It was sold only about 1.5 hours north of me so it hasn’t made it far in 47 years.

Belcastro Pontiac in Ferndale, MI at the time my car was sold but formerly Higgins Pontiac.

Thanks for posting pictures of that dealership that shows then and now.

[TA301]

How many of you have the original selling dealership license plate frame on you Firebird? I was fortunate to be able to buy a Long Beach Mike Salta license plate frame for a reasonable price, from eBay. Mike Salta Pontiac sold my 1981 TA SE when new, as per PHS documentation.

That's funny, I know of 4 Firebirds in Australia that came from there. I sent them that plate bracket, but no takers. Good score.

That is interesting but makes sense as Salta in Long Beach would be the closest to Australia for shipping new Firebirds that GM made in the Van Nuys assembly plant. Long Beach is a major west coast port.

[b_hill_86]

Sure. I’d planned on taking my car there one day for a photo op but haven’t had the opportunity yet

[roadking77]

2021-04-03_06-32-15 by Kerry Grubb, on Flickr
This was a Pontiac dealer in Chestertown MD. I have a friend in KC that has a 79 T/A that was purchased here new. He was able to track down the original owner as well that lived in the same town. I have no idea what the dealers name was.


And to clarify, I know the dealer where my 77 came from, I did some digging and can only find very little information on them though.

[Wallington]

I contacted my original dealer a few years ago. I explained I was restoring a car they sold, included a few pics and hoped that they may have a few stickers, brochures, plate frame, keyring, whatever, and happy to pay shipping.

What I got was a blunt 3 or 4 word reply without the need for social skills. I think it was...."nothing like that". No hi, bye, that's cool, good luck with car.

Ok, no worries. I wonder the response if I'd enquired about a car they were selling. As usual, a Californian dealer as was the common area to source cars to send to Aus, new or used. I believe my 78 was in the US until about 1980.

[roadking77]

Walli... Thats about the same response I got trying to find whom I think was the original owner. My car was originally sold in Rockville MD, and there was a stack of business cards from an insurance salesman in the same town. I assumed an expensive car like a Tenth Anniv. would be a perfect fit for an insurance salesman in 1979. I emailed a copy of the business card and asked if anyone knew of the fellow. I got a nice little response "No". and that was it.