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Is this the St. Louis Corvette plant? I'm having trouble finding it in satelite photos. It looks correct but I don't see the RR tracks that crossed the entrance of the parking lot. If you zoom in, you can see piles of bricks/rubble around the bldg as it appears it is being torn down in this 2002 scan. Click on the inage to zoom in or on the size chart on the left to zoom out.
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Re: St. Louis Corvette Plant Image
Michael,
That is the area where the Corvette used to be. The Corvette building, parking lot and Complete Auto Transit now have 2 buildings taking their place. I followed Goodfellow Blvd. down from I-70 and then Union blvd down from I-70 just to be sure. Thanks for the link, I'll take a little time now to check out the old huants to see if they are still there.
Tony -
Re: St. Louis Corvette Plant Image
Thanks Tony. It sure looks like the correct area because the RR tracks in the rear still circle around and run along the east side of what was the wheel/tire bldg but the main building sure looks different. Looks smaller? I don't see the RR tracks that ran along the north side of Natural Bridge Ave, in front of the bldg.Comment
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Re: St. Louis Corvette Plant Image
The L-shaped building is where it was. I don't think that is the original building. If you look at the truck trailers lined up on the lower corner, they point to a building across the street that could be described as a section of roof that is piano shaped or a triangle with rounded corners. I think that is the old Chevrolet dealer, which jives with where the Corvette plant should be.
Out of all the times I was there, I was only there in the daylight in 6th grade and we came on a bus to the front of Chevrolet, rode a tram and saw the big Chevies, some of the trucks, and then CORVETTE!
The rest of the times I was there at night, so I didn't have a clear memory of where things were.
And the last time was around 25 years ago.
About three miles from there in Jennings is where a girl lived I dated about 9 months. Wild stories on that one best left untold.
The railroad tracks look like they go into this building on the lower right end. I don't recall them going into the Corvette building but along it for loading off the dock. Corrections on that?Comment
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Re: St. Louis Corvette Plant Image
The building is definitely different. I think I remember it looking like several additions had been made. This appears as a main building and then a small building on the foot of the "L".
I seem to remember it closer to the road on the south side. The northwest side had more irregularity to the line, from extra pieces.Comment
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Re: St. Louis Corvette Plant Image
I agree, this can't possibly be the original bldg. For one thing, it's way too small and I agree, it was definitely much closer to the road. The new 1964 addition on the west end was, as you mention, quite irregular in shape and would have been very obvious if still there. Also, the original roof would have had a LOT of exhaust stacks etc.
However, I do believe this is the original site. The original entrance off of Natural Bridge is still there but the RR tracks are gone. So is most of the employee parking lot.
Can't wait to hear back from Tony after he drives by.Comment
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Re: St. Louis Corvette Plant Image
I agree, the "L" shaped building with the black roof is new and sits where the original Corv bldg was. If you click on "N" and move the map a little, you can see the long curve that the RR tracks follow right to the side of the tire building and end at the lower corner. That's the way the tracks were originally and they did not enter the Corv building.
I know for sure that the orig assy bldg was almost twice as long as the wheel/tire bldg.
I think I remember that girl from Jennings....Comment
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Re: St. Louis Corvette Plant Image
The original building was about 4-6 stories, all white brick lots of windows and was probably torn down at the end of production. We were a supplier and in addition to our engineering and tooling orders in Detroit, had to call on St Loius once each quarter. As I recall, this production building was a dump. Do you know who has the last car built at this location? Every employee who could write, signed the plastic car. The last time I saw the car it had 1.1 miles on the odometer.Comment
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Re: St. Louis Corvette Plant Image
That was the passenger/truck/Fisher Body plant - it had seven stories in one location, where the Corvair trucks were built. The Corvette plant (Mill Building, which has been replaced by a new, smaller building in the photo) was a single high-bay-story building, with suspended overhead mezzanine office areas in various locations.Comment
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"Last St Louis Corvette"
Jerry,
The "Last St. Louis Corvette", # 31611, was delivered to Ed Rinke Chevrolet in Detroit, Mi. I followed it down the assy line from a bare frame to a completed car. (I still have the original broadcast sheet from that car) It was purchased by seven people, myself included, from Rinke Chev a few days after it was delivered. (Long story)
I drove the car only one time, for about 200 feet, as we unloaded it from a trailer at the Bowlin Green NCRS event in about 1982.(?)
Several of the Mill employees signed various areas of the underside of the car with felt tip markers, again, myself included. I'm sure all of the names are still on it to this day.
I don't know who owns the car today but hopefully, it's still in the exact same condition it was in when it left the plant.
It was not the last car out of the building though. The absolute last car was a dark blue, well optioned car, that was shipped to Canada. My girlfriend rode in the car as it was driven out of the building. I have the VIN, somewhere.
MichaelComment
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Re: "Last St Louis Corvette"
I thought the car was white and just like the previous few years the buyer lived in Bloomington Il. At the time his family was making vacuum cleaners. We have not been to his farm in 20+ years but he had a ton of Corvetes and never did buy one from a dealer. Since you were an employee you probably saw strangers show up at the plant and take home a car. Those were the days. I got mine anyone else on the list?Comment
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Re: "Last St Louis Corvette"
The car today is owned by a father and son, Bill and Kevin Adams from Rochester Indiana it was purchased in 1988 from the original owners.
BobComment
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Re: "Last St Louis Corvette"
Jerry,
I can't remember the name of the color but it was an off white, almost very light tan with oyster interior.
The car originally went directly from Michigan to Dave Burroughs garage, and then into storage in Bloomington. I don't remember who the next owner was tho.
(btw, the car that went down the line just ahead of the last car, #31610, was identical to #31611)Comment
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Re: "Last St Louis Corvette"
Michael
I seem to recall talking to the guy that has the sign that says last corvette built at the St.Louis Plant. Shows in the pictures taken that day.
I would have to dig to find the guys name.
I remember him telling me that he loaned the sign to an NCRS member and had a difficult time getting it back.
JoeComment
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Re: "Last St Louis Corvette"
Joe,
I vaguely remember something about that also but I don't remember what the story was. I think Burroughs and I talked about that sign because we thought it would be nice to keep it with the car but I don't remember if he ever actually contacted it's owner.
The windshield of the car also had "LAST ST LOUIS CORVETTE" acros it and there were two of these identical windshields. (in the event one was damaged at installation) Several people wanted the 2nd glass but it wasn't being given away and it wasn't going to fit in a lunch box.
I'll never forget that day.Comment
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