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Old 07-25-2009, 04:55 PM   #1
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California Airstream Plants

I am curious if anyone can give me some insight on the history of California Manufacturing, mid 50's through mid 60's. I have recently read two posts that have perked my interest, one, was Pee Wee's post regarding the move to the new Cerritos Plant in '59 or '60 and another from an owner of a '59 Traveler with a badge stating it was manufactured at 12804 E Firestone Blvd in Norwalk. My 1960 18' Traveler has a badge from Santa Fe Springs, CA but with the same address on Firestone Blvd. Were borders moved at some point or...Any Help? Also wondering if there is any way to determine sequence of manufactuing by #, like what was the first or last # to be manufactued at a particular location. Thanks.
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Old 07-25-2009, 05:10 PM   #2
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Norwalk, Santa Fe Springs or Both?

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Originally Posted by Mr. Decent View Post
I am curious if anyone can give me some insight on the history of California Manufacturing, mid 50's through mid 60's. I have recently read two posts that have perked my interest, one, was Pee Wee's post regarding the move to the new Cerritos Plant in '59 or '60 and another from an owner of a '59 Traveler with a badge stating it was manufactured at 12804 E Firestone Blvd in Norwalk. My 1960 18' Traveler has a badge from Santa Fe Springs, CA but with the same address on Firestone Blvd. Were borders moved at some point or...Any Help? Also wondering if there is any way to determine sequence of manufactuing by #, like what was the first or last # to be manufactued at a particular location. Thanks.
In 1956 Airstream moved from downtown Los Angeles at 1755 Main Street. Both address were used at their new plant. It started out as Norwalk, and then either by boundry differences, annex, or mis-identification the plant along the Golden State Freeway or I-5 became Santa Fe Springs.

In 1968 the new plant was built in Cerritos, CA. Just a few miles away from the old Santa Fe Springs Plant.
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Old 07-25-2009, 05:34 PM   #3
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Thanks PeeWee!
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Old 07-25-2009, 06:01 PM   #4
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btw...anyway to determin when the village names were changed on the tags in relationship to VIN#?
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Old 07-26-2009, 10:56 AM   #5
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Mr. Decent, I have a feeling they kept using the badge plates they had in stock until they ran out, no matter what the address. Maybe Pee Wee or someone would know for sure. So many of these older Airstreams are full of mystery.

There are several things about my '56 that lead me to believe that '55 stock items where used in buidling the trailer. I have an Airstream documented issue date of August 27, 1956. The S/N plate on my California '56 reads
"1755 No. Main St, Los Angeles
Jackson Center, OH"

Would anyone happen know when in the assembly process the S/N plates were applied? The plate appears to be buck riveted which would mean it was attached early in the process. Did the actual S/N get stamped on the trailer plate just before it rolled out of the factory door or before it was applied to the trailer?

I'm just curious!
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Old 07-26-2009, 11:17 AM   #6
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photo's

Does anyone have a photo of the Bambi, that was on top of a high pole, at the old Santa Fe Springs plant?

It was about 50 feet in the air, right next to the I-5 freeway.

I understand that it cost Airstream, $50,000.00 to have it taken down when they moved to the Cerritos plant.

And best of all, does anyone have a photo of the Airstream "for publicity" stunt they did by having a 17 foot hooked to the back of a 20 foot, hooked behind a 22 foot, hooked behind a 24 foot, hooked behind a 26 foot, hooked behind a 28 foot and finally hooked behind a 30 foot trailer, and all being towed by one truck, on the I-5 freeway?

Airstream got a ticket for doing that, since the overall length was "a little" longer than the state allowed.

And finally, does anyone have a photo of the trailers being plasticoated outside and immediately next to the I-5 freeway at the old Santa Fe Springs plant?

Dick Macintyre has many stories about that.

Andy
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Old 07-26-2009, 11:41 AM   #7
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August 2, 1956 Letter from Art Costello to Wally Byam

Dacia's unit definitely was built in downtown Los Angeles on Main Street.

The letter from Art to Wally was mailed to Wally in Dusseldorf, Germany. In is on regular North Main Street stationary, pretty blue and the Airstream being towed by a bicycle.

In the upper right hand corner there is a red ink stamping.

"NEW LOCATION (AFTER sEPT. 1):
Santa Ana Freeway at Rosecrans
Phone TOrrey 8-1571
Mailing Address:
12804 E. Firestone, Norwalk, Calif."

Art sez in his last two paragraphs:

"Speaking of the new factory, we have completed all the buildings, fencing and blacktopping. In fact, it is ready to move into right now. However we are not going to move until the 20th as planned.

Everybody who sees the new location is tremendously impressed by its size and terrific location."

Your unit had to be one of the last made in L.A.

Pee Wee
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Old 07-26-2009, 11:42 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sugarfoot View Post
Would anyone happen know when in the assembly process the S/N plates were applied? The plate appears to be buck riveted which would mean it was attached early in the process. Did the actual S/N get stamped on the trailer plate just before it rolled out of the factory door or before it was applied to the trailer?
I seem to recall folks posting pictures of cabinetry with the sequence part of the serial number written on the inside... that would lead me to believe that the trailer was given it's number at the beginning of the line... as far as when the number actually got punched? Good question.
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Old 07-26-2009, 12:56 PM   #9
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The new plant at 12804 E. Firestone Boulevard was built in unincorporated Los Angeles County. The closest post office was in Norwalk, so as Art's 8-2-56 letter to Wally states the mailing address was Norwalk, California. In 1959 or thereabouts (the city's web site is silent on this date), the City of Santa Fe Springs, California was incorporated and that became the closest post office to the plant, so the mailing address was changed from Norwalk to Santa Fe Springs. I do not know whether the factory was actually located within the City of Santa Fe Springs proper or whether it was still in an unincorporated part of Los Angeles County. Old property tax or tax assessor records would provide the answer.

I imagine the serial number was assigned to a trailer upon receipt of an order from a dealer (I have seen early floor plan sheets with a serial number penciled in on them). In Ohio at least, furniture was custom made for each trailer and the trailer serial number is hand written on most pieces (and many parts) of furniture. I imagine the serial number plates were hand stamped before being installed. In the 1940s, many serial number plates were screwed on, but by the 50's many were riveted on. Buck rivets means the serial number plates would have to be installed before the interior skin. Pop rivets allow greater flexibility and indirectly suggest they were installed closer to the end of the manufacturing process.

Mr. Decent, absent a document stating when the changeover in serial number tag cities was made, the best way to determine when the city address changed from Norwalk to Santa Fe Springs is to inspect every 1959 and 1960 California-built Airstream and record the serial number and city. With enough data points, one can home in on the answer. If one is exceptionally lucky, he will find two trailers with consecutive serial numbers but different cities. Of course, one should then check a ways on either side of that seeming changeover point to make sure both plates weren't used interchangeably for a period of time and to verify that changeover point was a discrete event. To see the overall picture, this should be done this for every model California trailer built in 1959 and 1960.
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Old 07-26-2009, 01:35 PM   #10
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Fabulous!

Quote:
Originally Posted by PeeWee View Post
Dacia's unit definitely was built in downtown Los Angeles on Main Street. . . .
. . . Your unit had to be one of the last made in L.A.

Pee Wee
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To know which factory riveted those plates, that is way too COOL! Especially to find it was one of the last out the door. Who knows? It could even be the last SOTR made in the Los Angeles factory.

Pee Wee, I'm so glad you have shared part of Art's letter. Fred, as always, you come through with great vintage insight. Thanks to both of you.
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Old 07-28-2009, 03:52 PM   #11
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The electrical build sheet in my 1960 Shows a date of September 1959 with matching #s and with the Santa Fe Springs address, so we can assume the village name on the tags was changed prior to Sept '59. My exterior badge was also buck riveted on.
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Old 07-28-2009, 04:01 PM   #12
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Interesting thread. So when did the Calif plant close down and why?
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Old 07-28-2009, 04:15 PM   #13
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Interesting thread. So when did the Calif plant close down and why?
1979 or so, when Airstream was purchased by Thor and all operations were consolidated in Jackson Center.

Bill
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Old 07-28-2009, 04:45 PM   #14
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Quote:
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The electrical build sheet in my 1960 Shows a date of September 1959 with matching #s and with the Santa Fe Springs address, so we can assume the village name on the tags was changed prior to Sept '59. My exterior badge was also buck riveted on.
I think you are probably right. According to the Santa Fe Springs Chamber of Commerce the Santa Fe incorporated in 1957 and mentions the Norwalk Boulevard Post Office bearing the "Santa Fe" name even prior. It sounds like the Norwalk address couldn't have been on S/N plates much more than a year.
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Old 07-28-2009, 04:47 PM   #15
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Does anyone have a photo of the Bambi, that was on top of a high pole, at the old Santa Fe Springs plant?

It was about 50 feet in the air, right next to the I-5 freeway.

I understand that it cost Airstream, $50,000.00 to have it taken down when they moved to the Cerritos plant.

And best of all, does anyone have a photo of the Airstream "for publicity" stunt they did by having a 17 foot hooked to the back of a 20 foot, hooked behind a 22 foot, hooked behind a 24 foot, hooked behind a 26 foot, hooked behind a 28 foot and finally hooked behind a 30 foot trailer, and all being towed by one truck, on the I-5 freeway?

Airstream got a ticket for doing that, since the overall length was "a little" longer than the state allowed.

And finally, does anyone have a photo of the trailers being plasticoated outside and immediately next to the I-5 freeway at the old Santa Fe Springs plant?

Dick Macintyre has many stories about that.

Andy
I'd really like to see those photo's too! Especially the trailer train.

Does anybody have them?
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Old 07-28-2009, 05:05 PM   #16
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Thanks for the input, but I have seen a post by a member here with a '59 badge stamped Norwalk, so the question is not incorporation but when did the Airstream plant update it's badging with the Santa Fe Springs address? The switch must have happened between Jan '59 and Sept '59.
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Old 07-28-2009, 05:07 PM   #17
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...does anyone have a photo of the 17 foot hooked to the back of a 20 foot, hooked behind a 22 foot, hooked behind a 24 foot, hooked behind a 26 foot, hooked behind a 28 foot and finally hooked behind a 30 foot trailer, and all being towed by one truck?

Andy
That paragraph would read like a "Penthouse letter" to someone with a fetish for rear separation issues.
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Old 07-28-2009, 05:24 PM   #18
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That paragraph would read like a "Penthouse letter" to someone with a fetish for rear separation issues.
To an Airstream junkie that picture would be porno...
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Old 07-28-2009, 05:36 PM   #19
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1954 Jackson Center, the Elephants tail to trunk

A few years ago Fred Coldwell went to Jackson Center to do copy work. He sent me a disk with various pictures.

Here is at least one of the photographs of Airstream, to Airstream, to Airstream and on.
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Old 07-28-2009, 05:38 PM   #20
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To an Airstream junkie that picture would be porno...
That is Airstream Promo...adults talking about porno...shame, shame shame

Only at Hobo Joe's
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