I recieved the Perfomance Years news letter via email this week. There is a very interesting series by noted Pontiac expert Eric White. I am putting the links here. It is amazing getting first hand information on how the cars were built and really what factory correct and numbers matching really means and how it was used.
Back in the late 60's my EX & I got a tour of the car plant in Oshawa. It was cool to see how they did it, but "scary' too!! & some of those "images" came to mind on the way home in 65 Pontiac Parr. 2 dr. htp. Remember this was b-4 robots, the line workers "looked" bored to death & would imagine there were lots of things "missed" or screwed up back then. Yrs. later one of my club members arranged a "private " tour of Truck Plant. SIMPLY AMAZING with all the robots, the bodies "gliding" along to floor on carts with "no rails" raising up & down, spining around, all at the correct moment & place!!!!
__________________
Some times I wake up GRUMPY, but today I let her sleep in !!!!!!!!BLACKSTOCK Ont.
Thanks Ray, I really enjoyed reading that.....Todd and I both worked at assembly plants. Todd at Cami making the Equinox and I at Sterling Truck Manufacturing Plant(St.Thomas On) which is now in Mexico. At our plant we built the heavy duty trucks from start to finish. From 2 frame rails at the start to driving it off the assmbly line. When things were going well we could make 50 trucks a shift. Quality control has changed dramaticly (ex, the guy said we put the bolts and nuts on stripped) to Q.A. guys every 5 feet. It sure reminded me of working straight nights assembling. I worked a year on the engine line, I installed transmissions and they are huge. I also did front axles, brakes, and did 6 months straight of installing wheels(weigh 600+lbs)each. Some trucks could take 12 wheels. I had 15 seconds to install all of them. Cranes or not you still had to man handle them. I also worked at Accuride a heavy duty wheel manufacturing plant. Hot,dirty,dangerous place to work. Started as a roll of steel and ended up a shiny painted wheel. On average it was 40 C in the locker room and hotter in the plant. Summer time was so hot we took heat breaks every 15 min, I got sick shortly after working there. Factory work isnt for eveyone. Its repititous, and boring some days. Hard on the body. As cool as it would be to work on the Poncho line....I am sure the working conditions, safety guidelines, were not what they are today. Times have definately changed. For the better.