Apple Pie, Americana and some Chicago History
www.gbodyolds.com
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 593
From: Chicago
Registered User
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 857
From: crawfordville, florida
Well this should blow all ya'lls minds, so here goes.
I attended Lane Tech HS ( a college prep school) in Chi-Town from 1959-64. I wanted to be a mechanic and in Cook County you could not work as a mechanic unless you had a 2 year apprenticeship and then you could get your mechanics rating. I was hired by Nickey as an apprentice in 1962. I got out of school at 2:30 PM and got to Nickey by 3:30 PM and worked till 10:00 PM, Monday through Friday for two years to get my Mechanics Union card. Well then I went to college in Chi-Town till 1965 when my parents had me come down to Florida to manage a new gas stationed my father opened in North Ft. Myers. Well long story, now short, I got a draft notice in 1966 and I then enlisted in the Navy with the SeaBees, with a mechanics rating. Because I did so well on my first tests and in boot camp I was sent to a special petty officers school. I had to maintain a 3.0 or better. I got 3.5 after the five week course and jumped to an E-4 from an E-2. Served in Viet Nam 18 months, passed my tests and military review to be promoted to E-5. Screw that and the $3,500 bonus. Got tired of the killing, sights, and oh man the bad, bad smells,,,,,,,,, I took an early out cause I had a family. Fast forward, I get out of SeaBees in May 1968 and move to Chi-Town. No job so I looked at the ads. "Nickey Chevrolet has openings in speed shop". Well damn I wet my pants. Went down to Nickeys and damn I got hired. Worked in the shipping part of the speed shop. Man did I get to see a lot of the transformations of those 68' SS Camaros and Chevelles to 427 transplants.
Then there is the question, "how did it come about that he then got to go to work for Olds Div. in Lansing MI., in Dec. 1968??????????????????????????????????/
I attended Lane Tech HS ( a college prep school) in Chi-Town from 1959-64. I wanted to be a mechanic and in Cook County you could not work as a mechanic unless you had a 2 year apprenticeship and then you could get your mechanics rating. I was hired by Nickey as an apprentice in 1962. I got out of school at 2:30 PM and got to Nickey by 3:30 PM and worked till 10:00 PM, Monday through Friday for two years to get my Mechanics Union card. Well then I went to college in Chi-Town till 1965 when my parents had me come down to Florida to manage a new gas stationed my father opened in North Ft. Myers. Well long story, now short, I got a draft notice in 1966 and I then enlisted in the Navy with the SeaBees, with a mechanics rating. Because I did so well on my first tests and in boot camp I was sent to a special petty officers school. I had to maintain a 3.0 or better. I got 3.5 after the five week course and jumped to an E-4 from an E-2. Served in Viet Nam 18 months, passed my tests and military review to be promoted to E-5. Screw that and the $3,500 bonus. Got tired of the killing, sights, and oh man the bad, bad smells,,,,,,,,, I took an early out cause I had a family. Fast forward, I get out of SeaBees in May 1968 and move to Chi-Town. No job so I looked at the ads. "Nickey Chevrolet has openings in speed shop". Well damn I wet my pants. Went down to Nickeys and damn I got hired. Worked in the shipping part of the speed shop. Man did I get to see a lot of the transformations of those 68' SS Camaros and Chevelles to 427 transplants.
Then there is the question, "how did it come about that he then got to go to work for Olds Div. in Lansing MI., in Dec. 1968??????????????????????????????????/
Registered User
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 857
From: crawfordville, florida
Ok you may be asking who did I apprentice with???????
Mr.Mark don't know his last name. He was the Corvair Engine/Trans. Specialist. Ask me anything about a Corvair (up till 1964). Oh and he taught me everything about OHMS LAW, which came in very handy in later years of my career. My first new car was a 1964 Corvair Monza 110 HP, 4 speed, convert. Marnina Blue, light blue interior, and white convert. top and of course bought from Nickey.
Then there is the 68" Camaro I ordered from Viet Nam from Nickey..................... ah the story goes on.
Mr.Mark don't know his last name. He was the Corvair Engine/Trans. Specialist. Ask me anything about a Corvair (up till 1964). Oh and he taught me everything about OHMS LAW, which came in very handy in later years of my career. My first new car was a 1964 Corvair Monza 110 HP, 4 speed, convert. Marnina Blue, light blue interior, and white convert. top and of course bought from Nickey.
Then there is the 68" Camaro I ordered from Viet Nam from Nickey..................... ah the story goes on.
Last edited by davebw31; Mar 3, 2015 at 11:36 PM.
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,786
From: Land of Lincoln
Dave,
Sorry for the delayed reply. Thank you for sharing your history and your involvement with NicKey Chevrolet. Very fascinating to say the least.
We try to keep track of as much NicKey Chevrolet history as we can, it was an extremely large operation for the day.
Please email me your contact info.
Sorry for the delayed reply. Thank you for sharing your history and your involvement with NicKey Chevrolet. Very fascinating to say the least.
We try to keep track of as much NicKey Chevrolet history as we can, it was an extremely large operation for the day.
Please email me your contact info.
Registered User
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 857
From: crawfordville, florida
Dave,
Sorry for the delayed reply. Thank you for sharing your history and your involvement with NicKey Chevrolet. Very fascinating to say the least.
We try to keep track of as much NicKey Chevrolet history as we can, it was an extremely large operation for the day.
Please email me your contact info.
Sorry for the delayed reply. Thank you for sharing your history and your involvement with NicKey Chevrolet. Very fascinating to say the least.
We try to keep track of as much NicKey Chevrolet history as we can, it was an extremely large operation for the day.
Please email me your contact info.
Email: davebw31@yahoo.com
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