Early Corvette Blue Prints

[Mr. Cricket]

Got these in a bundle which were a nice surprise..

2 are 30" x 24"
2 are 24" x 20"

Which I'll assume are American drafting sizes.

Anyone seen the likes of before?

I might get them framed, not sure yet.

 

[Nassau65]

Nice find. Definitely get them framed, they will keep protected in frames, and can easily be removed if required.

 

[Mr. Cricket]

Nice find. Definitely get them framed, they will keep protected in frames, and can easily be removed if required.

I'll probably do that as I have other 'art' that needs framing. They'll take up a lot of wall space though

 

[Roscobbc]

Be nice perhaps to do a quality copies of specific prints but have them coloured as per OEM specifications with perhaps a silver/grey effect where there should be chrome?
Irrespective of this even behind a glass faced picture frame the original can run a risk from 'foxing' caused by potential moisture ingress and 'bleaching'/fading from UV/IR light exposure in sun-lit/day-lit locations......even certain types of artificial light can damage delicate art work.

 

[Nassau65]

That’s the price one has to pay for the item to be available to view. Other than that you just have to tuck it safely away and perhaps look at it very occasionally.

 

[Mr. Cricket]

Be nice perhaps to do a quality copies of specific prints but have them coloured as per OEM specifications with perhaps a silver/grey effect where there should be chrome?
Irrespective of this even behind a glass faced picture frame the original can run a risk from 'foxing' caused by potential moisture ingress and 'bleaching'/fading from UV/IR light exposure in sun-lit/day-lit locations......even certain types of artificial light can damage delicate art work.

I'll make sure I hang them inside the house Ross

 

[split window coupe]

These are copies of Styling, Interior Engineering and Engineering Drawings from a file at the GM Technical centre relating to an S.O. 63 project car that was used as an engineering buck and subsequently re worked as a show car for the 62 London Motor Show. I suspect they may have been part of Chris Sale's bits and pieces as I may well have given him some copies- cannot remember that far back?
I have the originals and others, printed off on one of GM's giant cad copiers that were sent over directly from Jerry Palmer who was Design Chief in the 80's.
All the items listed on the drawings are unique parts that were actually hand produced by GM Styling. Some of the other S.O numbers annotated on the drawings reference the 63 4 Passenger Coupe and the original XP prototype 63 Coupe and Convertible.

 

[Mr. Cricket]

These are copies of Styling, Interior Engineering and Engineering Drawings from a file at the GM Technical centre relating to an S.O. 63 project car that was used as an engineering buck and subsequently re worked as a show car for the 62 London Motor Show. I suspect they may have been part of Chris Sale's bits and pieces as I may well have given him some copies- cannot remember that far back?
I have the originals and others, printed off on one of GM's giant cad copiers that were sent over directly from Jerry Palmer who was Design Chief in the 80's.
All the items listed on the drawings are unique parts that were actually hand produced by GM Styling. Some of the other S.O numbers annotated on the drawings reference the 63 4 Passenger Coupe and the original XP prototype 63 Coupe and Convertible.

Wow thanks for that great info. Can I ask what format the originals are? After I left school I started working life in a drawing office with my first job was tracing drawings that were close to 100 years old on thin plastic A1 & AO sheets that may have been called VELO? Was a long time ago You overlaid a paper sheet on the plastic drawing sheet then ran it through some stinky chemicals to create the blue print. If you have electronic files I have a plotter and would happily run some copies off to interested people?

Chloe made several boxes of Chris Sales possessions available that I personally distributed to his north west region buddies and yes these were in the bundle. They were destined for the tip! Models, framed pictures, photo albums all sorts. I with maybe 20 other members attended Chris' memorial service and Chloe just happened to mention her car was loaded with his stuff and was going to the dump. Hang on right there we said thankfully.

I dedicated a bit of my study library to Chris with some models I kept. There was maybe 30 models all 1:18 scale mint in their original boxes.

 

[split window coupe]

The first batch received some 40 years ago came on giant sheets taken from original blueprints some are 12 plus feet long. Very grey scale in colour and obviously printed from the blueprints and then copied on one of GM's giant copy machines and there was nothing in the UK that could be found to be large enough to copy them. I had some of the smaller drawings professionally traced and then copied such as the few I gave to Chris. I have since got more from GM in a plain white copy format and am still in quite regular contact with them, however, they have asked me to be confidential with the information I receive so I must respect that. They have further information that I have seen and would like copies of, however, they are using terms such as data protection and have so far not let me have the full copy drawings just sections of the drawings. One day I may be fortunate.
I do have some that are now in a digital format from Gerry Palmer
These drawings are not common knowledge even stateside so feel privileged to have them.
The cars listed are all very early variants, engineering and prototypical. Dates do not always tie in and make no logical sense sometimes. A part could have been literally sketched on a scribble pad, then made to get a pattern and then discarded. That happened regularly. It could also have been made as a trial from a sketch and subsequently approved. In order to keep an accounts record for expenditure, a drawing for the part would then be requested and given a shop order number ( S.O.) for identification purposes. The number would stay with that individual part. Even then of course, not all parts would be released and if a part that was approved and then subsequently cancelled at a later date, the S.O number attached to the part would be erased.
During the mid 50's and through the 60's Corvettes were created using the S.O process. S.O numbered cars as complete cars, as listed on these drawings, are incredibly rare and all unique and seldom ever left the Warren Technical Centre. The drawings give us a unique insight into the process.

 

[Mr. Cricket]

The first batch received some 40 years ago came on giant sheets taken from original blueprints some are 12 plus feet long. Very grey scale in colour and obviously printed from the blueprints and then copied on one of GM's giant copy machines and there was nothing in the UK that could be found to be large enough to copy them. I had some of the smaller drawings professionally traced and then copied such as the few I gave to Chris. I have since got more from GM in a plain white copy format and am still in quite regular contact with them, however, they have asked me to be confidential with the information I receive so I must respect that. They have further information that I have seen and would like copies of, however, they are using terms such as data protection and have so far not let me have the full copy drawings just sections of the drawings. One day I may be fortunate.
I do have some that are now in a digital format from Gerry Palmer
These drawings are not common knowledge even stateside so feel privileged to have them.
The cars listed are all very early variants, engineering and prototypical. Dates do not always tie in and make no logical sense sometimes. A part could have been literally sketched on a scribble pad, then made to get a pattern and then discarded. That happened regularly. It could also have been made as a trial from a sketch and subsequently approved. In order to keep an accounts record for expenditure, a drawing for the part would then be requested and given a shop order number ( S.O.) for identification purposes. The number would stay with that individual part. Even then of course, not all parts would be released and if a part that was approved and then subsequently cancelled at a later date, the S.O number attached to the part would be erased.
During the mid 50's and through the 60's Corvettes were created using the S.O process. S.O numbered cars as complete cars, as listed on these drawings, are incredibly rare and all unique and seldom ever left the Warren Technical Centre. The drawings give us a unique insight into the process.

Having never seen any like them I thought they were pretty special and you post confirms that. I'll definitely get them framed and probably pass on the one that is very similar to another. Thanks for the history of how they came about

 

[split window coupe]

I can see that a couple of the copies have been altered and over written in places so please hold fire on getting frames made at this point. I will be able to provide you with much clearer copies that will frame much better.
I will also show some further photographs that have a direct link to the drawings and share some more info on the S.O process if people wish to know more about it. It really only lasted until the late 60's as computers began to take over across GM.
GM were not good housekeepers during this period and threw away so much documentation. Some of which which found its way into private hands, however, it was only fragments. Document pieces were scattered everywhere and hence information/documents were never complete and therefore, never fully understood and appreciated. Much of it was further destroyed, as the custodians did not know what they had. It is a case of joining the dots - finding the pieces that link together. In some cases it has taken me years and I have been lucky - in others, I am still searching!
When I visited Detroit and some friends at GM in 2019, I was shown GM building after GM building - and many were empty. Some warehouse type properties ran the length of whole city blocks where nobody had entered for 40 years ! They were unable to tell me what was inside???
Leave it with me for now.

 

[Mr. Cricket]

I can see that a couple of the copies have been altered and over written in places so please hold fire on getting frames made at this point. I will be able to provide you with much clearer copies that will frame much better.

That would be amazing, thank you!

I will also show some further photographs that have a direct link to the drawings and share some more info on the S.O process if people wish to know more about it.

I'm pretty sure there will be many that want to hear more.

It really only lasted until the late 60's as computers began to take over across GM.
GM were not good housekeepers during this period and threw away so much documentation. Some of which which found its way into private hands, however, it was only fragments. Document pieces were scattered everywhere and hence information/documents were never complete and therefore, never fully understood and appreciated. Much of it was further destroyed, as the custodians did not know what they had. It is a case of joining the dots - finding the pieces that link together. In some cases it has taken me years and I have been lucky - in others, I am still searching!

I vaguely recall that all build records C1 - C3 were destroyed in a fire at GM?

When I visited Detroit and some friends at GM in 2019, I was shown GM building after GM building - and many were empty. Some warehouse type properties ran the length of whole city blocks where nobody had entered for 40 years ! They were unable to tell me what was inside???

Imagine a copy of every build sheet from 1953 to 1982. That would seriously debunk a lot of claims of fully optioned big block, fuel injected, ZO6, big tank Corvettes

Leave it with me for now.

Roger that.

Stuart