Wooster Ohio People

[mopar4ya]

Trying to track down information on my 70 Superbird. Does anyone remember a dealership or used car lot by the name of Jim Griffith from the early 70's in Wooster Ohio. I found a bill of sale to a William P Lengacher in 1973 in the car from this dealership. It is a EV 2 440 black interior 4 speed car. Thanks, Dan.

[ae8i]

Ads appeared in the Akron Beacon Journal newspaper for three days in May, 1973 for a Jim Griffith Chrylser Plymouth. They were looking for a mechanic. No address was given, but the phone number comes back (via Google search) to a now-defunct car dealership in Wooster, Ohio called Pallotta Chrysler-Jeep. Their address was 544 East Liberty Street, Wooster, Ohio. Whether this is simply a coincidence or Pallotta was a later reincarnation of Griffith, I don't know. Because so little appears to be available about the Griffith dealership, it may well have been relatively short-lived. Their ads do fall in your 1973 timeframe, however.

I don't know that this helps, but in any event, good luck with your search.

[mopar4ya]

Thank you very much! way more info than i had. I'll keep digging.

[ae8i]

I looked around the Akron Beacon Journal a little more. Given what I found, it seems very likely that the Liberty Street address I gave you housed Jim Griffith Chrysler Plymouth.

From sometime in 1974 until at least 2001, the Liberty Street building was the home of Ned Adams Chrysler Plymouth.  In late October, 2002, ads appeared announcing the grand opening for Pallotta Chrysler-Jeep at that same address. No ads appear for Pallotta at that location after 2003. In 2006, at a different location, Pallotta Ford was in operation. Perhaps Pallotta made the move from Chrylser to Ford between 2004 and 2006, and left the Liberty Street building behind at that time. In any event, Jim Griffith, Ned Adams, and Pallotta all used this same phone number (330) 262-1010, with Adams and Pallotta known to have been at that Liberty Street address between 1974 and 2003.  Hence, my belief that Jim Griffith must have been there too, prior to sometime in 1974.

As you may have discovered already, Buckeye Oil Producing Company's main office now resides at 544 East Liberty in Wooster. Perhaps they bought the building sometime after Pallotta went out of business at that location.

[6bblgt]

JIM GRIFFITH INC
544 E LIBERTY AVENUE
WOOSTER OH 44691

dealer # 64200

[mopar4ya]

Thanks! I kind of think the car was probably sold new somewhere in that area. 

[grimjiffy]

Hi folks, just happened to see this.  My name is Jim Griffith and I am the son of the car dealer by the same name.  My father bought and ran that dealership from 67 until 77.  He did not sell his dealership to Pallota, he sold it to Ned Adams in 77 who ran it for about 25 years and then sold the franchise to Underwood Lincoln Mercury Dodge.  Underwood also sold his Mercury and Lincoln to Pallota.  Underwood had Mercury and bought Dodge from Wooster Dodge when they went out sometime in the 90s I think.  I bought a 99 Jeep from Ned and they serviced it for a few years.  I don’t remember when Ned sold out, but it wasn’t until after 2002.

Anyway, I remember it well, yellow with black interior.  I was the lot boy for my father who washed and waxed that long nosed albatross for almost 2 years before it was finally sold for $1900.  Nobody wanted it.  Now I see them selling on Mecum for $140k and wished I had bought it along with a few others and mothballed them in one of my buddy’s barns.  Who knew $10k in ugly cars could make you a millionaire in 40 years.

[ae8i]

Thanks so much for posting Jim, and welcome!

[6bblgt]

AWESOME!!   

[mopar4ya]

Hi folks, just happened to see this.  My name is Jim Griffith and I am the son of the car dealer by the same name.  My father bought and ran that dealership from 67 until 77.  He did not sell his dealership to Pallota, he sold it to Ned Adams in 77 who ran it for about 25 years and then sold the franchise to Underwood Lincoln Mercury Dodge.  Underwood also sold his Mercury and Lincoln to Pallota.  Underwood had Mercury and bought Dodge from Wooster Dodge when they went out sometime in the 90s I think.  I bought a 99 Jeep from Ned and they serviced it for a few years.  I don't remember when Ned sold out, but it wasn't until after 2002.

Anyway, I remember it well, yellow with black interior.  I was the lot boy for my father who washed and waxed that long nosed albatross for almost 2 years before it was finally sold for $1900.  Nobody wanted it.  Now I see them selling on Mecum for $140k and wished I had bought it along with a few others and mothballed them in one of my buddy's barns.  Who knew $10k in ugly cars could make you a millionaire in 40 years.

Thanks for replying to this! The car I am in question about is my EV2 Tor Red, black bench seat 4 speed car. Do you ever remember seeing this car, or any info on it ?   

[grimjiffy]

No problem, kinda fun.  I can tell you that my father only had one Superbird through his dealership and it was yellow, black interior, bench seat, pretty sure it was automatic.

[hemi68charger]

Cool story and the fact that Jim knows about this board is even more remarkable.. 

Cheers,