Critter1

I was digging around in the attic and found the original blueprint for the old St Louis Corvette plant. (known as the mill) Unfortunately, it's WAY to big to scan but here's a camera shot that.... really doesn't help much. It's interesting going over the print and seeing things in the plant that I've forgotten about.

That building has an interesting history.

Nowhere Man

how does one get this sort of stuff

JWLaRue

You could take the blueprint to a local architectural blueprint service....places like that typically can do a high resolution scan to a file on a CD, which would allow you to make it available electronically.

-Jeff

NightshiftHD

Very cool Critter. I'd love to have a hi-rez scan of that print! I'd laminate it on a piece of hardboard in the garage. I bet a lot of others here would too. Bill

ps ... your blueprint here reminds me of a couple pics John Hinckley shared previously.

Critter1

That was given to me many decades ago by the plant supt. We were discussing the routing and timing through the hard trim line.

At that time, jobs (bodies) were traveling on the line at around one per six minutes.
The six minute time/speed applies to all of the major components. Body, frame and engine all traveled at the same speed so everything came together at their meeting points on time.

ricks327

Easy Rhino

As stated above, that would make a neat print for those into Corvette arcania.

I think it would make neat repeating wallpaper print for a garage/shop.

Critter1

John's drawing isn't exactly right but it gives the viewer a general idea of how the components went through the plant. By the way, the A O Smith bodies did not come up from the basement. They were unloaded from rail cars along the south end of the building on the main floor. I don't know who started that story but it eventually made it into the Noland Adams book too.

Dr L-88

When and how long did you work there Mike?

Rex

Geralds57

That's cool. I'm like everyone else, it would be cool to have a big print of the plant. Several years ago, a good Corvette friend of mine who is gone now, gave me a brick from the plant in St Louis that his son who lives there, had given him many years ago. How he got it, I don't know. He always kept in in this case.

Bluestripe67

I have a brick also and would really like a print for my garage. I'll pay! Dennis

C2 Hot Cam Guy

Great idea

pop23235

Wonder what is on the site now?

Jackfit

GOOGLE IT ON PLANET Earth if you know the address

jack

Critter1

There's a new building on the original site now. I don't know what it is though. The complex is off the intersection of Union & Natural Bridge in St Louis. The main Chevrolet assembly building appears to be still there but further NE is the new building where the Corvette building was. On the google map below, it's the rectangular building in center of the picture with the black roof. You can still see the railroad tracks that came in the south side of the building.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/MO....2582637?hl=en

Critter1

I think the address was 3809 N Union but that may be the address for the main Chevrolet building on the corner of Union & Natural Bridge. The Corvette buildig was on Natural Bridge road.

Critter1

I didn't work directly for the Corvette assembly plant but I was sent there several times.

I was there in the 70's and 80's and then to the end of production in 82. I followed the last St Louis Corvette through the plant from start to finish. My name is writteall with a marker on the inside of several body panels on that car.

I only know two people that were there during the 63-67 builds. Most are gone now.

John BX NY

I drove by there a little over ten years ago when I worked at the GM Wentzville plant about 25 miles away. There were a few old timers from the St Louis plant still working at Wentzville. They're all long retired or RIP now .
The neighborhood was a bit dodgy and when I drove around the back and there was a paper recycling warehouse near where the mill building was. Most of the Corvette building was gone.
Anyhow it appears they cleaned the site up and here's what it is now...
http://www.clark-properties.com/prop...business-park/

Critter1

Thanks John. About six months before the plant closed, many of the guys said they were going to Wentzville while many were going on to the new Corvette plant and some were going to retire. There were still several guys at closing that worked there during the 63-67 era.

I've heard the neighborhood is really rough now. Not a place you want to be after dark.

Easy Rhino

Note that the first item on the list of bullets giving reasons to lease there is "safe and secure," likely in response to the dodgy recent past of the area.