VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1955-1957 1957 stamping plants & fisher body plants

Hi, everybody.
I am a journalist in Norfolk, Va., writing about a '57 210 Townsman wagon that I've traced back through all thirteen of its owners. I'd like to pin down as much information as I can about the car's origins. I know that it was built in Baltimore in early July 1957, and that its body was built by Fisher in Cleveland--the cowl tag body number begins with a "CL."
My first question: Does that refer to Coit Road or Euclid?
And does anyone know how I might figure out which Fisher stamping plant the car's panels came from? Is there a coding anywhere that will tell me that?
Many thanks.

Hi Earl,
The Fisher Body Euclid plant that opened in 1948 and closed in the early 1980, I believe was always a Metal Trim Plant. (I saw a history of this plant somewhere but couldn't find it today - will look again tomorrow.) However at one time, it did build the early 1966-71 Olds Toronado bodies with the plant code "EUC".
The six Fisher Body Metal Fab Plants in 1957 were: Chicago, Grand Blanc, Hamilton, Mansfield, Marion and Pittsburgh. There is nothing on the 57 Chevy that indicates the source of the body panels.
The Coit Road Body Assembly plant used "CL" for the plant code for the 1955-57 Nomads and other GM low production cars. I didn't know the 1957 Townsman wagon body was built there to? Since this wagon was built the last month of 1957 production, perhaps the Coit Road plant was used to supplement the other 10 Chevrolet USA Fisher Body Assembly plants at the model year end - but was not the sole source for all of 1957?
I would think your readers would be more interested in where all the bits and pieces are made and by what companies to include both other GM suppliers and outside vendors from all the engine stuff like camshafts and the rocker arms to the frame and tires. Good luck on your story. Please email it to: scrippsbooth@earthlink.net Ken Kaufmann

Hi, Ken.
Many thanks for your note. It's my understanding that Cleveland produced most of Chevy's Townsman, Handyman and nine-passenger wagons in 1957, along with all of the Nomads. It also produced Pontiac wagons.

So July 1957 was the last month of production?

I'm most interested in hearing about suppliers, both non-GM and in-house. Got any pointers on where I might find that?

Thanks,
Earl

I made several mistakes in my above posting last night. I finally found my Fisher Body file with notes. The correct history is the Euclid Plant was a Body Assemble plant from 1948 to about 1971 for BOP cars plus Chevrolet station wagons, Sedan Delivers, and El Caminos, including the 1955-7 Nomads and the Euclid plant code was "CL" up to 1959 when it was changed to EP, EU, or EUC. The Coit Road plant became a Medal Fab after WW2 and it is likely that it supplied the panels for the 1957 station wagons. The Euclid Plant was then made a Trim Fab plant and became an Inland Plant for interior items and closed down by 1993.
Earl, I guess you would need to get with GM to find vendor records.
kenK

From what I have ever seen all station wagon bodies were made at the Cleveland Fisher body plant.