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My fisher body cowl tag has the following info; Job # 31568, Body # 2310, trim # 8, paint 74. Can the manufacturing plant be determined from this? The serial plate is long gone. where the Cabriolets made in all plants?
Thanks
Dave
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Cabriolets were made in all factories. On your body number, there should be a letter prefix in front of the number. The letter prefix indicates the factory in which the car was manufactured.   
The Mangy Old Mutt
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Thanks, no letter , I will try to send a picture. The stamper must have missed this one.
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Cabriolet and Landau Phaeton bodies were produced in Cleveland Fisher Body plant and no letter code assigned. The bodies were shipped to assembly plants to be mated with a chassis.
How Sweet the roar of a Chevy four!
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Chipper, Cleveland is a new one to me. Was it Fisher only or Chevrolet assembly too? I have a bulletin dated 9/4/40 listing 9 Chevrolet and 10 Fisher plants with Lansing being the odd one and says Cabriolet only. So did Lansing replace Cleveland? Here's another question, did all Chevrolet plants build trucks? and if so did they also build Suburbans? My 40 Suburban has a cowl tag indicating Oakland assembly and also a floor tag with numbers I can't decode. The screen printing is all but gone. Three boxes contain date 12-9-39 with no plant code and 470649 and 659741. Any help would be appreciated.
Jay
BTY do you still have the beautiful red Malibu convertible I saw at Nashville?
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Chip, thanks for the info. I guess this means that the only way to determine where it was made has been lost when the serial plate disappeared.
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The location of special bodies changed between several Fisher Body plants. Several Fisher plants made bodies for numerous GM divisions. It depended on the equipment, labor and capacity which plants build which bodies in a given year. Generally the changes were not made on an annual basis. I don't have a listing of which bodies were built in each Fisher plant in a given year. There may be people out there that do at least for some years.
Generally each assembly plant build trucks as well as cars in the 30s and 40s. Later some plants specialized in trucks. An example is Janesville that built mostly trucks in its later years. I sure would be nice if a complete assembly line up could be put together by year, model, make for each Fisher and Commercial Body plant. Then which assembly plants built which models and makes.
Yes I still have the Chevelle Convet. Owned it since '83. I mostly sits in the garage. Took it to a swap meet today. Brought it home tonight.
How Sweet the roar of a Chevy four!
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Chipper, thanks for the insight on Fisher body and I agree that other GM brands were built under the same roof. I've seen the L plant code on other GM convertibles from the 30's and 40's.
Congratulations on keeping your Malibu. When we chated in Nashville I showed you a picture of my identical red conv that was home in California. Unfortunately in a weak moment it went to a new home in Oregon. It was a desicion I have regreted to this day.
Jay
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This ios Ken Kaufmann's list. Note that to advise on Canadian Fisher would take some space...but is available on request! FISHER BODY PLANTS SHORT HISTORY
1. Fisher Body Company Plant No. 1 [later called No. 2], 1368 St. Antoine Street & Piquette Street, Detroit, Michigan. Built as 5 story open body plant in 1908 and added top 6 story in 1914.
2. Fisher Body Closed Body Company Plant No. 2, [later called No. 4] Piquete & Oakland Ave, Detroit, Michigan. Fisher Closed Body Co. opened 1912 for building closed bodies.
3. Fisher Body Corporation of Canada, Plant #1, St. Luke & Edna Street, Walkerville, Ontario. Established April 1912. The company, though originally formed for the manufacture of open automobile bodies for the Cana-dian built Ford, started produceing in 1916 open bodies for such companies as Chalmers, E-M-F and Studebaker. The size of the plant was doubled in 1919 and in 1920 it began making passenger car bodies for General Motors. The plant was closed in early 1923 when the Ford open body contract was canceled. Fisher, after leasing it to Chrysler in 1927, sold it to Studebaker in 1932.
4. Fisher Body Corp. Plant No. 18, 261 West End Ave at West Fort St, Detroit, Michigan. Built in 1917 as its Aeroplane Division plant and built some 2000 aircraft. The six-story structure designed by Albert Kahn was made with reinforced concrete, with Fisher Body pur-chased plant from the government in early 1919 and for several year Plant No. 18 was the largest body plant in the world. By 1931, the plant was building bodies for Cadil-lac when the Fleetwood opeation was relocated here and Plant 18 was named the Fleetwood Plant. The Fleetwood Plant was closed in 1984 and in 1993 was demolished.
5. Fisher Body Corporation of Canada, Plant #2, St. Luke & Edna Street, Walkerville, Ontario. This 5 story plant was built on the east side of St. Luke Road at the NE cornor of Charles St. Opened in Spring of 1920 to build close bodies only for Ford, Essex, Oldsmobiles, and McLaughlins. Plant closed in Spring of 1924 when Ford closed body contract was not renewed. It later became a part of General Motors and its premises were used for the assembly of GMC truck and bus bodies from 1928 to 1932. Plant was sold to Packard in 1934,
6. Fisher Body Corp. Plant No. 21, corner of Hastings and Piquette Ave, just east of Woodward Blvd., Detroit, Michigan. This plant was design by Albert Kahn in 1919 and used up to 1925 to produced bodies for Buick and Cadillac. After Buick bodies operations moved to Flint in 1926, it continued to produce Cadillac bodies until be-coming an engineering facility beween 1930 and 1956. The Cadillac limousine bodies were then built there until at least until 1974.
7. Fisher Body Ohio Company, Coit Road, Cleveland, Ohio. Incorporated in 1920 for $10 million to build 5 story $350,000 Fisher Body Plant with 1,500,000 sq ft opened in 1921 as the largest body plant in the world to supplied the Chandler bodies. It built the first Chevrolet Sedan body the night before Thanksgiving, 1921. Over the years the Cleveland plant was used to build the low pro-duction bodies like the 1928 Chevrolet Convertible [blank plant code] the 55-57 Nomad, and the Cadillac Eldorados. It was a metal fabrication plant when closed in August 1983.
8. Fisher Body Corporation of Canada, Plant #3, St. Luke & Edna Street, Walkerville, Ontario. Purchased the Chalmers assembly plant, that was opened in 1916, on the west side of Plant #1 in early 1922 to build closed bodies for the non Ford market. Plant closed when lost the last of the Ford closed body business ended in mid 1924. GMT Dept Plant #3 from 1931 to 1937 that assembled HD Chevrolet, Maple Leaf, and GMC Trucks.
9. Fisher Body Corp of St Louis, Union & Natural Bridge Blvd, St Louis, Missouri, open 1922 to build Chevrolet & Buick closed bodies. Plant changed to GMAD in 1971 and was merged into the GMAD Assem-bly Plant. Converted to a GM Truck Plant and closed in 1992? Plant sold to Clark Properties who is developing into the Union Seventy Center.
10. Fisher Body Corp, No. 1, Pontiac, Michigan. GM purchased the O.J, Beaudette Co. in 1922 to build Fisher Bodies for Oakland.
11. Fisher Body Corp. of St Louis, Janesville, Wiscon-sin, built adjacent to Chevrolet assembly plant in 1923. Plant Code #J. Changed to GMAD November 4, 1968, and was merged under the GMAD Assembly Plant. In ? converted to a GM Truck Plant.
12. Fisher Body Corp. Buffalo Plant, built adjacent to Chevrolet assembly plant in 1923 Plant Code #B, Car production stopped 1941
13. Fisher Body Corp, Norwood, Ohio, Built adjacent to Chevrolet assembly plant in 1923. Plant Code #N, later #NOR. It changed to GMAD 1971 and was merged into the GMAD Assembly Plant.
14. Fisher Body Corp. No. 2, Flint, Michigan, Chevrolet Ave. Started 1923 car production stopped 1942, Chevrolet Flint Manufacturing Plant 2A. Closed?
15. Fisher Body Corp of St Louis, Oakland, 69th and Foothill Blvd, Oakland, California, started paint and trim operations in 1923, with full Chevrolet body assembly in 1924. Plant Code #O, closed at end of 1963 models. Last car was a Chevy II SS #3203600. The Oakland plant was replaced by the BOP Fremont Assembly Plant that built first 1964 car in June 1963.
16. Fisher Body Corp, Building 26, Olds Ave. & Division St, Lansing, Michigan. Started assembing closed bodies in late 1923 for the 1924 models in building 26 and over the next few years expanded its facilities west up to Logan St. to the west. After Fisher Body moved out to the Verlinden Ave plant in 1935, Olds used these facilities.
17. Fisher Body Corp, Tarrytown Plant, opened in 1925, sharing a 3 story building with Chevrolet. Plant Code #T. Changed to GMAD in December 1968 and was merged into the GMAD Assembly Plant. [One of 22 GMAD assembly plants in the US]. Last truck built April ?; last car February 3, 1989; last APV Van June 28, 1996. Plant was demolished for redevelopment industrial park.
18. Fleetwood Metal Body Company, Fleetwood, Pa. Company was started in 1909, with the Fisher Body Corp. purchasing the company in 1925. Fisher Body mostly closed down this Pa. plant in 1931 and moved the rest of its operations to Detroit to the Fisher Body Plant 18.
19. Fisher Body Corp. No. 1, Flint, 1926 S. Saginaw St. Mich. This ex-Durant Motors plant purchased for $4 million in 1926. Built Buick bodies starting in November 1926, and up to when plant closed in 1992?
20. Fisher Body Corp. Atlanta, Lakewood, Georgia, Open April 1928, Chevrolet Plant Code #A First GM plant to stage a sit down strike on November 19, 1936. Changed to GMAD in December 1968, and was merged into the GMAD Assembly Plant.
21. Fisher Body Corp. Kansas City, Leeds, Missouri. Opened January 1929, attached to Chevrolet Assembly Plant, Plant Code #K, Changed to GMAD in 1968 and was merged under the GMAD Leeds Assembly Plant.
22. Fisher Body Corp., Baltimore, Maryland, Opened adjacent to Chevrolet assembly plant in 1935. Plant Code #B. Changed to GMAD 1968 and was merged into the GMAD Assembly Plant.
23. Fisher Body Division Pontiac Assembly Plant In 1935, this Fisher Body Plant just east of Baldwin Road was completed. An overpass was built to connect the body plant to the Pontiac assembly plant. Plant was closed in 1988 with end of the Fiero production.
24. Fisher Body Corp, 401 Verlinden Ave, Lansing, Michigan. Plant was built in 1921 by Durant Motor Car Co. to assembly the Durant car. GM purchased plant in 1935 to build Oldsmobile bodies. Plant Code #L. Name changed to B-O-C, 1984, Lansing Assembly Division LAD/ SCG, 1992, then 1996 Small Car Group-Lansing Operations. NOA-North America. Today builds the GrandAm bodies.
25. Fisher Body Division, Southgate Plant, started 1936 adjacent BOP assembly plant. Changed to GMAD 1965 and merged into the assembly plant.
26. Fisher Body Division, Linden Plant, started 1937 adjacent BOP assembly plant. Changed to GMAD 1965 and merged into the assembly plant.
27. Fisher Body Division, Doraville Plant, started 1945 adjacent BOP assembly plant. Changed to GMAD 1965 and merged into the assembly plant.
28. Fisher Body Division, Kansas City Plant, Fairfax, Kansas. Started 1946 adjacent BOP assembly plant. Changed to GMAD 1965 and merged into the assembly plant.
29. Fisher Body Plant Flint No. 2, Van Slyke Road, Flint, Michigan, open in July 1947 adjacent to the Chev-rolet assembly plant. Plant Code #F, last car built was a 1970 Monte Carlo, then converted into the Flint Truck Assembly Plant in 1970.
30. Fisher Body Division Plant, Los Angeles, Opened 1947 with Plant Code #L, attached to Chevrolet Plant. Changed to GMAD in 1968 and was merged into the Assembly Plant.
31. Fisher Body Division, Framingham, Mass, opened 1949 adjacent to BOP and later Chevrolett assembly plant, Plant Code #BF, G, Changed to GMAD 1965 and was merged into the assembly plant.
32. Fisher Body Division, Wilmington Plant, started 1949 adjacent BOP assembly plant. Changed to GMAD 1965 and merged into the assembly plant.
33. Fisher Body Division, Arlington Plant, started 1954 adjacent BOP assembly plant. Changed to GMAD 1965 and merged into the assembly plant.
34. Fisher Body Division Plant, Ypsilanti, Michigan. Opened 1959? Next to the Chevrolet assembly plant. Changed to GMAD 1971 and was merged into the As-sembly Plant.
35. Fisher Body Division, Fremont Plant, started 1963 adjacent assembly plant. Changed to GMAD 1965 and merged into the assembly plant.
36. Fisher Body Division Plant, Lordstown, Ohio Opened April 1966 attached to Chevrolet plant Changed to GMAD in 1971 and was merged into Assembly Plant. Cleveland or Euclid had of course code 'CL' by the 1950s but reverted to 'EP' by 1959 as used on the El Caminos.
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The Cleveland Ohio plant was also know for the Turnsted window winder and small components brackets etc. .Chip is right not all cabriolets had the plant identification on the cowl body tags but if you look under the seat to the wooden number(burnt stencil) it usual has the C prefix in front of the serial number that denotes Cleveland plant.
Jim
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Thanks Jim but just the job number is on the wood cross piece in front of the seat. I suppose the plant code in the serial number on the Cleveland built bodies would match the plant and not the body plant, cananyone confirm that?
Thanks
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If I take it correctly that you are asking whether the Fisher Plant code would match the chassis assembly plant then the answer I think is 'no', though oftentimes it does. Cleveland Fisher Plant built bodies and then they were railed to assembly plants. The assmebly plant is identified by the first digit in the Car Serial Number. However other Fisher plants were adjacent/nearby to assembly plants so the two plant codes would then coincide.
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For the 20s-50s Chevrolets the Fisher Body Plant location was the same (or nearby town) as the assembly plant for most situations. Some low production or special bodies (convertibles, station wagons, trucks are examples) were only built in one or maybe two body plants and then shipped to assembly plants. Some bodies were built by non-Fisher or outside GM companies and then shipped to the assembly plants (Corvettes and woody wagons are examples).
How Sweet the roar of a Chevy four!
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Cleveland built station wagon bodies and no other plants built them,
The bodies were shipped to all assembly plants.
Convertible bodies were built in Lansing with the exception of some 1957's also bbuilt in StLouis.
I am not sure when this began.
Gene Schneider
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Thanks to all for the info.
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Gene, any information if Suburbans were built at one location in 1940? With only 1500 made I wouldn't think they would be built in all truck plants.
Jay
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It would be less expensive to ship a body than an assembled vehicle (takes up less space). So even with low volume vehicles that use essentially the same chassis, fenders, hoods, etc. it makes sense to assemble them in multiple plants.
How Sweet the roar of a Chevy four!
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Grease Monkey
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I've enjoyed the discussion of Fisher Body plants. I have a 31 roadster that I understand was built by Chevrolet and not by Fisher. Where were they produced and assembled? Thanks for any information.
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We don't know the assembly plant(s) for Roadster or Phaeton. Most likely it was originally a Chevrolet plant but as the ratio of closed to open bodies changed the space needed was drastically reduced. It may be that by 1931 an outside contract body builder was used. Would be nice to be able to identify and document the open body plant(s).
How Sweet the roar of a Chevy four!
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Actually, based on car serial numbers, the following assembly plants for the roadster and the phaeton have been documented: Buffalo, New York Flint, Michigan Kansas City, Missouri Tarrytown, New York Norwood, Ohio Oakland, California St. Louis, Missouri
The Mangy Old Mutt
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Shade Tree Mechanic
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My 31 Phaeton (4-door), sold new in Oslo Norway was most likely made in Buffalo, but assembled in Copenhagen. (The framerail has Copenhagen stenciled on it) The Serial plate reads XBAE xxxx. Does anyone know the ranges for the 4-digit number xxxx for phaetons ? #18184
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XB = General Motors International, Kobenhaven. They were supplied with frames etc. from Chevrolet Bloomfield Boxing Plant.
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