St. Louis Plant

[Joseph T.]

John

When the NCM was still a dream.. I was working with Dan Gale and Noland Adams on some possibilties.

Living in St.Louis I knew the guy that owned a large tract of commercial property including the old Chevrolet Truck and Corvette plant...after it closed.

I thought the wonderful large wooden railway doors that were added in late 1963 for unloading inside which included unloading A.O Smith bodies..would make a great entrance if incorporated into the design of the new National Corvette Museum.

Noland and Dan said yes and I made arrangements to get the doors as a gift. The property owner agreed and had a Salvage company bring in heavy duty equipment to lower these King Kong size 3 story doors.

We were all set to go and then the NCM design was changed...and the doors were no longer wanted. I think it was a loss for everyone and I had a considerable amount of egg on my face with the property owner. No harm ..No foul just a loss!

When the plant was closed lots of stuff was left behind..even after a public auction where the unwanted equipment was sold including the trim plate machine..there were still boxes of documents. Many of these were later saved from extinction.

Some time later the owner sold the buildings to the same Salvage company as salvage and down they went. I still have a few bricks from where the finished Corvettes exited the building.

I also have the progress photo's taken in late 63 early 64 when the Corvette plant was expanded. I will post these in the near future..so everyone can enjoy...

[Bill W.]

Re: St. Louis Plant

Myself and a Corvette friend went to the plant in 90 or 91 . the owners let us spent two days in there looking around. We live about 20 miles away and had always heard stories about hidden treasure in the tunnels.We were on the roof ,the main floor,& the basement, We went in all the tunnels armed with multiple flashlights. (I dont mind rats but I hate spiders) ..We found one tunnel leading to the pass. car or truck plant flooded ,that was the only one we missed.We did'nt find any real treasure (radios,4 speeds,FI unites) but we did bring buckets of bolts.screws& cotter pins home.A few paint gun heads.old rolls of masking tape. a few signs & light shields & some bricks. When the plant was open we went on several private tours because everyone who lives in St . Louis knows someone who worked at the Corvette plant.On the assembely line there was a guy who worked on the dash or cluster,he would sit on the rocker and throw in a seat bottom covered in black tape so he wouldnt fall in. This seat bottom went from car to car. I found that seat bottom. We also found a few tools, some home made ones to.and we took a few pictures . I guess we did find treasure...oh yea the round seat adjuster and door pull balls must have been fun to throw at the guy accross from you ,they were everywhere.

[Dale S.]

Re: St. Louis Plant

What wonderful memories, thanks for sharing. Dale

[Kurt B.]

Re: St. Louis Plant

John,
I thought I heard a rumor that someone was selling bricks from the old St. Louis plant. Do you know if this is true? My 68, which I have owned since 1972, was obviously built there and I would like to see about geting one of these bricks if the rumor is true. Thanks for any input or suggestions,
Kurt # 26406

[Joseph T.]

Re: St. Louis Plant

Back some years ago when the Plant was still standing..I helped make some arrangements for an SACE gathering of Corvettes on a route 66 drive from California through St.Louis.

I made arrangements for each participant to get a brick from the St. Louis Plant and a letter of authenticity.

The Corvettes that came into St.Louis first met downtown for a photoshoot at the old courthouse in front of the St.Louis Arch and then caravanned to the Corvette plant.

There was a little ceremony were the bricks were handed out and a few plant employees were there to speak including George Barlos if I recall. Then the SACE members got to noodle around the plant to find treasure. I think everyone found something and enjoyed what was probably the last Corvette visit before the plant came down.

After the plant came down the owner allowed me to take a truck full of bricks before they were removed from the sight. I have a few left..including a big wall like chunk..that I will donate to the NCM one day if they are interested.

[Clem Z.]

Re: St. Louis Plant

the NCM is selling the bricks as a fund raiser. check the NCM website for info

[John H.]

Re: St. Louis Plant

Clem -

Those bricks the NCM is selling are from the (recently-razed) Chevrolet Pilot Line building in Flint, where the 53's were built.

[Bill H.]

Re: St. Louis Plant

I'd be very interested in a brick from the plant where my 57 was built (on April Fool's Day, 1957 no less!) Let me know what I can do.

The car was sold new in FL and is still here (I'm the 2nd owner, bought it in 1991). I did get to St Louis in 1997 on the way to Bloomington. Stopped to take this pic in front of the Arch, then asked a bicycle cop where the factory site was. "You driving that Corvette," "Yup." "You don't wanna go there." "Thank you, officer." I got back on the Interstate and drove on to Springfield.

The Museum appears to be uninterested in old Corvette memoribilia. That's my opinion based on some recent observations and events. (That'll get me flamed!)

[Michael H.]

Bricks at St. Louis Plant

Here are a few bricks from the mill. North end looking into area where engine compt blackout was done. Notice plant is air conditioned.

[Joseph T.]

Re: Bricks at St. Louis Plant

Michael

Do you have any pictures of the Amphibious Ducks that were made at the St.Louis plant?

[Michael H.]

Re: Bricks at St. Louis Plant

No, sorry Joe. I was just a gleam in dad's eye when that was going on. All of my pic's are from the 60's through the end of St. Louis production in 1981.

I'm sure someone probably has pic's from that time but I wouldn't know where to start looking.

Michael

[Joseph T.]

Re: Bricks at St. Louis Plant

I was going to post a good trivia question..to Which I know the answer but am fuzzy on the year.

There was a photo shoot around 1969 or so celebrating the 250,000th? Corvette with a beauty queen sitting on the deck lid.

Who was the beauty queen?

[Michael H.]

Re: Bricks at St. Louis Plant

I do vaguely remember that but I have no idea who it was. Bet I know how to find out tho. Should be a good trivia question for the board. Post a fresh question here on the board and we'll see if anyone knows.

[Kevin M.]

Re: Bricks at St. Louis Plant

Man I'd love a brick, and what happened to the doors? There has to be some place they could go.

Kevin

[Michael H.]

Last Days of the Mill

Kevin,

Not sure where everything went but there sure was a lot of it. Just an incredible amount of equipment and the pipes alone from that facility would fill a few acres. There were pipes and ducts running everywhere. What an incredible old building.

On the very last day of production, several large dumpster size containers were set up to run down the line right behind the last car as it was being final assembled. As the workers finished their last operations, they were instructed to put everything that they had at their station into the dumpsters, including all of the special tools and impact wrenches etc. I suppose management knew there would be a lot of memoribilia removed if allowed to lay around for long. People were already beginning to collect items of interest but mostly misc things. (I got a FEW misc items)

As far as bricks, I guarantee there will never be a shortage if someone knows where they are. That building was huge! I have the original blueprint for that building and I'll try to post the dimensions of the main structure in a day or two.

Was a vary sad moment when the last car rolled off the end of the line. Suddenly, the entire building that was so noisy minutes before, was now almost silent. The entire plant just came to a stop, like someone pushed a button and all was quiet. Many of the workers just stood at their stations and watched that last car roll down the line after they had finished their last operation. Someone needs to write a book about the last days of that place. The "Mill".