St Louis Corvette Plant 1990

[Bill W.]

I have about 11 pictures of the STL. Corvette plant and Gene Jantzen /Bob Kaiser Chevrolet across the street from the Corvette plant .These are photos of old photos so they are not great . All taken in about 1990 . The first 4 are the Corvette plant inside and outside DSCN1462.jpgDSCN1466.jpgDSCN1465.jpgDSCN1468.jpg

[Bill W.]

Re: St Louis Corvette Plant 1990

1 more plant photosDSCN1469.jpgDSCN1463.jpgDSCN1464.jpg and 2 Bob Kaiser / Gene Jantzen

[Bill W.]

Re: St Louis Corvette Plant 1990

The last 4 are me and my 62 . Im sure this was the last Corvette to drive out of the St Louis Corvette Plant .DSCN1470.jpgDSCN1471.jpgDSCN1473.jpgDSCN1472.jpg

[Keith B.]

Re: St Louis Corvette Plant 1990

Thanks for posting the pictures

[Michael H.]

Re: St Louis Corvette Plant 1990

The last 4 are me and my 62 . Im sure this was the last Corvette to drive out of the St Louis Corvette Plant .[ATTACH=CONFIG]49730[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]49731[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]49732[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]49733[/ATTACH]

Great shots. The small door in your third pic was the main entrance for employees from the parking lot.

[Brian G.]

Re: St Louis Corvette Plant 1990

Good stuff!

Thanks.

[Michael A.]

Re: St Louis Corvette Plant 1990

Great stuff Billy. How did you get access to take these pics? I'm guessing that the old plant is long gone, correct? Any idea what stands in it's place today?

[Bill W.]

Re: St Louis Corvette Plant 1990

Mike , I just drove up and asked . The people in charge of the remodel and scraping let us look the first day and come back the second day . They said be careful . I don't think that would happen these days . I have not been back . Its not a good neighbor hood . I would not advise even a drive by . I don't know what is there now .

[Richard P.]

Re: St Louis Corvette Plant 1990

Bill, I see that in the photo your car has (I guess) a 1962 Illinois plate. Does Il. allow a year of manufacture plate or did you just add it to the car for the photo? Despite my moving to California I still sometimes put my 1963 Il. plate on my '63 at shows or just for the heck of it. My car sold new in Glen Ellyn, Il.. I bought it used in Hammond, Ind.. The '63 Il. plate is green with yellow numbers, looks awful on my silver blue split window.

[Bill W.]

Re: St Louis Corvette Plant 1990

Richard in Il you can run your antique plates as long as you have real plates in the car , mine are under the trunk mat .

[Tom H.]

Re: St Louis Corvette Plant 1990

Great pics. I would have loved to take a walk through there.

[Michael H.]

Re: St Louis Corvette Plant 1990

Bill, I see that in the photo your car has (I guess) a 1962 Illinois plate. Does Il. allow a year of manufacture plate or did you just add it to the car for the photo? Despite my moving to California I still sometimes put my 1963 Il. plate on my '63 at shows or just for the heck of it. My car sold new in Glen Ellyn, Il.. I bought it used in Hammond, Ind.. The '63 Il. plate is green with yellow numbers, looks awful on my silver blue split window.

Richard

Off topic but have you ever located your original owner of your 63?

[Richard P.]

Re: St Louis Corvette Plant 1990

No Michael, I haven't found the original owner. I believe I am the third owner so there isn't a long history to wade through. When I got the car there was nothing to be had in the way of documents. I didn't save any of the info on the guy I bought it from, who knew that it would matter 40+ years latter. I do have the NCRS provided shipping report that says it was sold out of McKeown-Phalin Chevrolet in Glen Ellyn, Ill.. I have never felt that I could deal with the Ill. Motor Vehicle Dept. from California so I never pursued that. I did place an info wanted ad in the Driveline, no response, and I did contact the successor dealer who told me they had no info from McKeown. Any suggestions?

[Michael H.]

Re: St Louis Corvette Plant 1990

No Michael, I haven't found the original owner. I believe I am the third owner so there isn't a long history to wade through. When I got the car there was nothing to be had in the way of documents. I didn't save any of the info on the guy I bought it from, who knew that it would matter 40+ years latter. I do have the NCRS provided shipping report that says it was sold out of McKeown-Phalin Chevrolet in Glen Ellyn, Ill.. I have never felt that I could deal with the Ill. Motor Vehicle Dept. from California so I never pursued that. I did place an info wanted ad in the Driveline, no response, and I did contact the successor dealer who told me they had no info from McKeown. Any suggestions?

Richard

McKeown Phalin Chevrolet was just a few doors down from a Top's Big Boy restaurant. All the guys with new Corvettes from that area wound up "hanging out" at Top's Big Boy restaurant and just about everyone knew everyone else.

If there's a Facebook discussion/page on Glen Ellyn, you might mention Top's Big Boy and see if anyone remembers your car. Chances are good that someone will.

I did the same for the Top's Big Boy drive in that was in my home town a few miles away from Glen Ellyn around the same time and I was amazed at the people that remembered my cars.

[Ron L.]

Re: St Louis Corvette Plant 1990

I've lived in stl my whole life. The corvette plant was just a small plant next to the regular GM plant that built all kinds of chevrolets. I knew some of the old timer workers at the plant. It wasn't a glamorous job. It was a hell hole in most areas. The line moved a lot slower than normal car lines which was a plus. We all think. WOW how cool to have worked there, but I've heard enough to know there was no glamour. The site is now a huge Pepsi warehouse. Yes the area is gang city now. It's sad. My dad said that whole GM facility really was going like the hammers of hell back in the hey day. He worked a block down in those days. Cool pics though. Thanks for sharing them.