I've never been to California but I have done some research on the Assembly Plant that built 5 cars that I have owned. I was looking at the area on Google Maps and saw some neat stuff. The Plant was about 2 miles north of downtown VN. At the intersection of VN blvd and Arminta. Just north of the Amtrak station. The new shopping center there is called "The Plant". I was going up VN blvd on the street view and under the railroad bridge, there was a big painting of a 3rd gen Camaro. I'm sure there might be some more "history" to be found in the area if you look hard enough.

 

I don't know for sure where it was, but it make sense that it was close to that location. It would logically be near a railroad or spur.

 

I did the same thing you did. That painting is on both sides of the underpass. I would love to see it. I would love to hang out in the LA area for a week and see all the car hang outs. There are so many of them.

 

Yep, looks like it was on the right just as you came out from under the bridge heading north on Van Nuys Blvd.

 

Van Nuys commuter stop

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Caltrain 104 at the Van Nuys station, with the General Motors plant in the background.
This is the view from the bus stop at Keswick Street at Van Nuys Blvd. A couple of the passengers from the train came over to the bus stop and shared with me that riding the train from Simi Valley and transferring to a bus to Westwood still beat trying to drive the whole way. And this was in 1982, f' cryin' out loud!
In 2008, the GM plant has been long gone, with the buildings in the background replaced by a Living Spaces store, and the area beyond taken up by The Plant shopping center. There's a spiffy Van Nuys Amtrak station on this side of the tracks, served by multiple Metrolink trains and Amtrak's Coast Starlight and numerous Pacific Surfliner trains. The old Gemco yard soldiers on, providing some continuity.

 

Your not missing anything here in L.A. One day on the freeways here with the bad drivers and traffic and you will have had enough. Its sad that this state is known for its car culture but our laws are so unfriendly to it now. I envy those of you who can do engine swaps and modifications on vehicles newer than 1975 without the smog ***** coming after you.

 

I have had 6 camaros and all but the one I have now were built in Van Nuys. Did the Van Nuys plant build more cars than the Norwood plant did or does it just seem that way because they closed the Norwood plant in 87?

 

The top 2 pictures are not the assembly plant. That is the underpass on Sherman way going west for the Van Nuys Airport. The 3rd pic I am not familiar with. I lived in SoCal for about 10 years until recently.

 

I can remember when the norwood plant closed but I know it did way before van nuys plant so yes Van Nuys built way more

 

Interesting. I found those pix on a website for some L.A. transportation agency with the caption claiming the GM plant was in the background. I was in and around L.A. in the late 1980's and the plant was still there but I don't remember much about the exact location. I do remember that there was nowhere in the L.A. basin where you could see mountains like that looking west. Looks like the photo was likely shot looking north or NNE, not to the west, but I don't where it was actually taken if the caption's wrong. Do you agree with the location on the map I found for the plant? I believe that one is correct .

 

The map location is correct. Now at the stop light there is a gate about 50 feet back with chain link privacy fence.