Galen Govier - What Gives?

[72chargerSE]

I'll ask him if he does in fact put false information in his books, on purpose.

I would be interested in his answer, I personally have never heard of such thing.

[694spdRT]

I don't believe Galen willingly gives out bad info

He has admitted to purposely putting wrong info. in some of his books.   

I have heard that also.   

[69fuchs]

I don't believe Galen willingly gives out bad info

He has admitted to purposely putting wrong info. in some of his books.   

He doesn't give out bad info to purposely deceive people, he does it to catch the crooks that pirate his research.  You will find the same mistakes in his competitors books because they are COPIED. STOLEN. COPYWRITE INFRINGEMENT.  It is that easy.

I can't think of a better way to protect yourself from thieves.

[RD]

i personally do not care about a galen govier authenticated piece of mopar history.  it is not that I do not like the guy, I do not know him.  It is just that his services, though helpful, do not mean diddly squat to me.  as do any other authenticating services out there.  I dont give a sheit if my car is a clone or not, I do not need to have a numbers matching 1 of 1 mopar to boost my ego.  As long as it goes fast and spanks ricers, chebbies and fjords, that is all that matters.

galen could be a good guy or he could be an a55hole.  I dont know and really dont plan on going out of my way to find out.

If I want anything authenticated, I can do it myself.  If I am not mistaken, I can read the english language, fender tags, build sheets, vin's, engine numbers, and radiator support stamps as well as anybody.  It is up to me to figure them out, not somebody else.  after all, it is my car right?

[Lowprofile]

Well Said, RD. 

[472 R/T SE]

I don't believe Galen willingly gives out bad info

He has admitted to purposely putting wrong info. in some of his books.   

He doesn't give out bad info to purposely deceive people, he does it to catch the crooks that pirate his research.  You will find the same mistakes in his competitors books because they are COPIED. STOLEN. COPYWRITE INFRINGEMENT.  It is that easy.

I can't think of a better way to protect yourself from thieves.

I think it was mentioned already he done that and why.  I was just relaying that little tidbit of information to your buddy.


It's spelled copyright. 

[Ghoste]

He gives out bad info to catch people who commit copyright infringment on him?  So how the Hell does that serve the people who buy his books?  Let's not even mention that if anyone should have a copyright on it, it's Chrysler, seeing as how he's just assembling their order and assembly codes in a concise format.

[Dodge Don]

He gives out bad info to catch people who commit copyright infringment on him?  So how the Hell does that serve the people who buy his books?  Let's not even mention that if anyone should have a copyright on it, it's Chrysler, seeing as how he's just assembling their order and assembly codes in a concise format.

Hardly even that tough.....he uses the Chrysler SG-30 Options reports that note production by option and he re-sells Chryslers info as an Option Pack.

[Shakey]

i personally do not care about a galen govier authenticated piece of mopar history.  it is not that I do not like the guy, I do not know him.  It is just that his services, though helpful, do not mean diddly squat to me.  as do any other authenticating services out there.  I dont give a sheit if my car is a clone or not, I do not need to have a numbers matching 1 of 1 mopar to boost my ego.  As long as it goes fast and spanks ricers, chebbies and fjords, that is all that matters.

galen could be a good guy or he could be an a55hole.  I dont know and really dont plan on going out of my way to find out.

If I want anything authenticated, I can do it myself.  If I am not mistaken, I can read the english language, fender tags, build sheets, vin's, engine numbers, and radiator support stamps as well as anybody.  It is up to me to figure them out, not somebody else.  after all, it is my car right?

On the other hand RD, there are plenty of folks out there that are interested in #'s matching Mopars that don't wan't to get a clone when they are paying for the real deal.  These folks have money but no time so they hire someone like Galen to their homework for them.  They could hire you or I to decode their car but I have yet to put my advertisement in MCG and probably never will.  These folks buy these cars as investments and this paperwork that Galen provides means something when it comes to selling or buying a car.

[69_500]

There is an add in this months MCG by the National Hemi Association offering to authenticate anyone's hemi cars. so there are other people out there offering the same thing.

Now that aside, I don't understand intentionally printing wrong information just to catch someone who is reprinting his material? He is afterall just reprinting chryslers material. Which granted they made mistakes too, but I don't recall them ever typing up a false document just to catch someone copying that document. They typed up false documents to lie to NASCAR, and the NHRA to be able to race some cars.
If his white books are supposed to be a big help to people with imformation, then he is doing an injustice to that information by knowingly have them print up false information.

[chargervert]

Hey Dan, I want you to authenticate my 500 too,we can start right now,and make you the official 69 Charger 500 GURU! I just hope you will still have time,to remember us little people once this thing catches on! With 392 cars to look after things could get pretty rough! If that other GURU is right though,and there are 580 cars,you might have to give up your day job,and hire a few more people!Then it could really get out of hand,and people with 70,and 71 Charger 500s might try to jump on the band wagon! I call that the snowball effect!

[69_500]

I don't want to be the GURU of anything. I only want to be a well informed individual who has a passion and a love for these cars. Yeah I typically only follow the 500's and Daytona's. I do like the Superbirds too but not as much as the 500's and Daytona's. I'd love to look at your 500 one of these days, but you and I both know that what ever I think of it is heresay. I mean you know what you have, and you know its the real deal.
I don't think it would be too rough for a club or something to keep track of  the 392 or even 580 C500's, I mean the two aero clubs do pretty well at keeping up with the hundreds of known Superbirds. And  there are people who do well at keeping up with the hundreds of known A12 cars as well. I guess I'm not getting the jist of your post.
I'd love to have a job going around and looking at cars yes, but will I ever have that as a job no. Why? Because to me this is a hobby, and I gladly do all the research and leg work I do now for free, because I love the cars. My wife says I'm a nerd because I always want to know more. I can't be happy with just knowning what I know, so call it a passion or whatever you want, but I do want to know everything about the few cars i do love.

[chargervert]

I was just kiddin wit cha Dan! Theres nothing wrong with being educated,and informed about the cars we own,and would love to own! The problem we are facing in this hobby,is once the Gurus of information,and restoration say that this is how it is and thats it,and there wrong,or incorrect,the masses follow what ever they say,like its GOSPEL,and they will argue,even with a guy who bought his car new,and never changed anything on it,because of what these guys said! I think if those records weren't destroyed,this hobby would be a lot different! The Pontiac people are very lucky that GM kept such good records!

[69_500]

Ah the Pontiac people are very blessed. To verify a GTO it is as easy as writing Pontiac, and getting information on your car based on the VIN. They will send you it all. I believe there is a fee, but its not that much. You will get their version of a buildsheet, fender tag informatoin, where it sold, cost, build dates. Its incredible, and Pontiac is who you get the information from, not an individual. There is no reason someone should get fooled and buy a cloned GTO if they just call Pontiac to ask them first.


Now a mopar, its a whole other ball game. I'll agree some people just agree with anything that comes out of some peoples mouths as Gospel. But people do that in every aspect of life too. If t he news reports that say Pit Bulls are killing people they will take it as Gospel. Even if a day later they admit it wasn't a Pit Bull but a mutt. People will still keep in their minds years later the story of the PIt bull, and not of the recall. IE same here, Galen says something never was made. Even if proven years later, people will still stick by what he said in the past.

I don't know, I personally have only talked to Galen a few times. Only asked him things about 500's. Asked him how many Q5 500's he had heard of, I think he said 1. I told him I knew of 2. Never really talked much after that.

[69_500]

Did anyone notice Galens' article in MCG this month? Where he is now asking about if the rear marker lights bezels on some cars were body color and not stripe color? He is asking for old photo's or information from cars origional owners.

[Ghoste]

Interesting after his statement from about two months ago huh?  I'll be interested to see if he brings any further light to that issue.
(that's a serious statement btw, not an anti-Galen thing)

[hemihead]

Did anyone notice Galens' article in MCG this month? Where he is now asking about if the rear marker lights bezels on some cars were body color and not stripe color? He is asking for old photo's or information from cars origional owners.

He should pay a fee for this info since he will charge someone else for that later.

[69_500]

I believe his statement a few months back was that it was supposed to be stripe color. Which would be what the factory documents say too. I haven't ever paid any attention to other cars with bumble bee stripes other than 500's. I know that there were many of those that came with the bezels painted body color. Now as far as an R/T, or a Superbee having a stripe, I'd say 95% of them had the bezels painted stipe color. considering those stripes were an in house item for chrysler. the 500 stripes were installed by Creative after the conversions, and as we all know quality control at Creative was sloppy to say the least.

[69_500]

One other thing I saw in his article this month, and maybe someone else can weigh in on this one. But the known HEMI cars with power sunroofs. What documentation was missing from the 1971 HEMI Superbee with a power sunroof? Wasn't it a second owner car, who bought it early in the 70's? Also there was a 1970 HEMI RT/SE charger with a power sunroof at the nationals 2 years ago, and won the best of show a few years before that, but it wasn't in his list of known HEMI cars with sunroofs. What was the deal on that one then if it wasn't factory?

[Ghoste]

It isn't known by him until you register it with him and then it must be authenticated, proven, documented, noterized, blessed, baptized, inspected, detected, NOT rejected, witnessed, photographed, fingerprinted, cat scanned, legitimized, and duly approved by him or it simply does not exist.
Registration is helpful if you send the required payment.

[chargervert]

I guess hes more like the MOPAR POPE! I present Pope Galen the first! Don't forget to put your donation in the basket!

[dayclona]

I believe his statement a few months back was that it was supposed to be stripe color. Which would be what the factory documents say too. I haven't ever paid any attention to other cars with bumble bee stripes other than 500's. I know that there were many of those that came with the bezels painted body color. Now as far as an R/T, or a Superbee having a stripe, I'd say 95% of them had the bezels painted stipe color. considering those stripes were an in house item for chrysler. the 500 stripes were installed by Creative after the conversions, and as we all know quality control at Creative was sloppy to say the least.

    This subject (above) has come up many times with Galen, I remember him pointing out the body colored rear benzels, on my 71 "billboard" striped Hemi cuda, he said those are supposed to be stripe color!..........not body color!,that a common mistake everybody makes restoring their car! .............I replied, Galen , this is original paint/ stripes and "as you KNOW!".....chrysler doc # 47-68-1844-8A, stated, that due to production difficulties in assembly line installation of "billboard" stripes, and early customer feedback on poor installation, plus customer "dislike" of said stripes, that all "billboard" stripes effective October/ ?/70, would be shipped in the trunk, for dealer install...................So I said Galen, how many dealers do you think took the time to paint the benzels to match the stripe!, my car came this way!,,,,,,,,,,,,it was a Jan/71 build!..............do you think the factory would install rear black benzels in a Sassy Grass green car, hoping /praying the dealer installed the stripes to match the benzel!...also  hoping the customer would love to have that "patch" over the rear qtrs,..............people hated those decals back then!...............Galen's reply!...........ahhhhh, I'll get back to you!.............never did?...............ran off like he had  eaten some bad chilli!......................He..sounded just like all "those other experts" we see at the shows!.........you know the ones!................................................................several months later an article appears in MCG, regarding 71 cuda billboards, (quote)  according to my reasearch(??)...................it's "quite possible" that some of these cars came with body colored benzels!......( yada, yada, yada, same storie more or less word for word that I told him)............possible dealer installed error!.........that owners  should correct in his  opinion!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!WHAT!


What my have started out as a passion/ interest for Galen.............has become BIG BUSINESS!........good for him!...........but don't be fooled by "I do this for the hobbist' to keep the hobby honest!or for the love of the cars!..................it's the love of money! pure and simple!............for those of us who are, or  have an "insider" to the hobby/industry/ magszines...........we .see and hear what Joe Public doesn't!............if you only knew the real poop!






Mike G. / DAYCLONA

[hemihead]

I agree with you Mike.As far as the knowing the " poop" as you say,please feel free to enlighten us.

[69Charger500]

OK, I have read the posts and tried to stay neutral.  However, some excellent points have been made, such as Mike's concerning his Hemi Cuda with Billboards.  I guess my biggest complaint would be that credit should be given where it is due (especially in MCG).  Name names if someone has passed on valuable information, and thank them for the sake of the hobby.

I have passed on much rare and valuable (valuable to the hobby) information to many people, including Galen.  Galen has recently asked me for more Ordering Guide info which he does not have for '71 Dart/Challenger.  Particularly, he wants to know if the very rare N94 Fibre Glass Hood was available with the Coloured Bumper options.

My documentation says it was available, and here is the proof for ALL to see.

[69Charger500]

and this....