willow run , mich

[Mike M.]

i have the door glass out of a 66 425 roadster that still contains the window sticker glued to the glass, as well as a white rectangular label that has printed in black ink "Willow Run". this 66 roadster was delivered to Yenko, sold to Grady Davis of Gulf Oil, then sold to Dr Don Blatchley shortly after the 427 blew apart on a dyno. Blatchely campaigned the 66 in scca during the late 60's. Blatchely was a good friend and he gave me many parts off the 66 as well as part off the grady davis Z06 and a 62 RPO vet . Blatchley apparently would buy Davis's discarded corvettes after Gulf Oil was done with them. the Davis/Blatchley Z06 is the one that Rich Mason restored about 10 years ago. the 66 is being restored by a good friend in penna. the 62 is god only knows where.
my question: what is the significance of the "Willow Run" sticker on the door glass of this 66, which was obviously built in st louis, and trucked to Don Yenko's dealership in cannosburg, pa? Why would Chevy transport a new vet from st louis to willow run michigan, then ship it back east to cannosburg? mike

[Dino L.]

Re: willow run , mich

I really have no idea....but willow run employed 42000 people in WWII building 9000 B24's, the plant is adjacent to the Willow Run airport...the plant made a lot of transmissions for GM.....that plant is (was) a part of the legacy and history of our country.

[Loren L.]

Re: willow run , mich

Was there a plant in Willow Run that made the window glass, ie, the label was one that was supposed to be removed when installed?

[Michael G.]

Re: willow run , mich

Mike, besides the trans plant, there was also a GM car plant at that site, but I'm not sure what they built there. Since it was probably know to be a race car, perhaps the car went there for some special work.

[John H.]

Re: willow run , mich

Mike, besides the trans plant, there was also a GM car plant at that site, but I'm not sure what they built there. Since it was probably know to be a race car, perhaps the car went there for some special work.

Michael -

The Chevrolet-Willow Run Assembly Plant is where I began my GM career in 1964; from 1964-1969, they built Chevy II and Corvair together, until we took the Corvair off the main line in 1968 and built them off-line by hand in the Pilot Area until the car was discontinued in 1969. After 1969 they built the new Nova, then the "X"-Body Citation in 1980, then the full-size Caprice until the plant was closed.

Willow Run was also a GM railhead transfer point for new car rail shipment; that's probably what the "Willow Run" sticker was for.