Los Angeles/Vernon plant Q’s

[Daan]

My Hawk came out of the Vernon plant, very close to when it closed. As I’m taking the car apart, I’m wondering how much of it was actually constructed at (or near) the plant, or was 100% of the car made with stuff brought over from Indiana? All the engines were cast “at home”, and the bodies were roughed up and shipped out west, if I read right. But how much of the car was actually produced in California? I cleaned off and painted the fan shroud, and there were paint runs on the inside of it. That made me wonder what the guy who painted it would think of someone 65 years later and not quite 2,000 miles away seeing his work and thinking of him…

[Daan]

My car was shipped May 29, 1956 so it was only open about a week more… I also wonder if they had a bunch of leftover parts, or did they knock together as many complete cars as possible before closing down?

[BRUCESTUDE]

I’ve been wondering about some of those same things; the one owner 51 Land Cruiser I’m going through is also a Vernon car. I had the engine out, and noticed paint runs in the firewall, and the inner fenders were only partly sprayed with color, like they were in a huge hurry!
A few years ago I rebuilt the mechanics on a friend’s 51 Commander, and he told me later the body shop found a small milk carton inside a door or body panel, which came from a dairy in the Los Angeles area. If only these cars could talk!

[StudeRich]

I think you going to find the Good, Bad and the Ugly depending on What you look at.

The South Bend cars "Usually" did have quite good Quality, and most Vernon Units were good, but when the Vernon workers saw the end coming, maybe things got a bit sloppy.

Most of the South Bend Cars depending on the Year and probably the Worker, did usually only have Overspray over the Inner Fender Primer. And I have seen some with runs in the Door Jambs, because these were not "Beauty locations".

On the other hand my 1954 Vernon Cars have all had Full Undercoating Inside on all Floor's and Trunk's AND fully Painted Main Body Color including the Trunk Side Walls, I don't think S/B did that.

Without positive Proof, it is LIKELY that: the Engine Accessories, Power Steering Pumps, A/C Compressors, possibly Intakes and Electrics would have been LA installed after the Details of the Car were known and the Engine Numbers were stamped.

I HAVE known Club Members who worked there but none now, and I am sure very few remain unfortunately to ask these questions.

I did see a Lot of these Cars as they were delivered to the Inglewood Dealership Dad was a Salesman at, or brought Home, but I was 13 then and remember some things but others I would have never asked or known at that age but sure wish I did.

I often talked to the Owner; Frank Afton when I and my Cousin Bob were rubber stamping the Dealership Name, Address & Phone Numbers on New Model Year Brochures and flyers to place on Windshields in the Neighborhood.

He would say: "how ya doing Little Chief", that's because Dad was still a Naval Reserve Officer since WWII and known as "Chief".