Her is great in depth explanation of the first generation Camaro assembly process. Probaly exactly how our Buicks were built. Nice vintage pictures as well. I like the engine pictures showing the rail cars they juts came off. I think Duane may have posted something like this previous but I never could find it. Be prepared to spend some time there. These cars were not works of art as we make them but get them out as quick and cheap as possible.Good reading. http://www.camaros.org/assemblyprocess.shtml#fisher
That is really awesome! I worked at the Tonawanda Engine facility where they made the big-blocks. My father worked on the Mark 4 Assembly Line and Crank Machining Line. He still has a whole bunch of 396, 427, and 454 Valve Cover Stickers!
Sean, guys like you are a wealth of knowledge. Wish I could have seen the stuff you have seen. Too bad someone here did not work on the Buick line.
It's amazing how much of the look on the line has not really changed to this day (duh, the cars aren't all that different if you think about it). Love the guy leaning over the fender in the "final line" photo. Can't do that nowadays! Devon
I worked on the assembly line at the Framingham B-O-P plant from 1972 thru 1974. It was a real intersting experience, from the job to belonging to the UAW. At that time, there was ZERO robotics. All of the welding and painting was done by people. 60 cars an hour, every day. Quality was job 2, output was job 1. Is it true that Monday and Friday cars were the worst? Yes Is it true that line workers sabotized cars? Yes Did the UAW have an interest in better quality? No Were the cars slapped together? Yes Any questions, just ask.....:Smarty:
In the article they mentioned the hood squaring tool that located in the holes in cowl (with plugs) and rad support, then once panels adjusted tool was removed and hood was dropped in. Did Buick do the same thing (just curious as Camaro hood is centered in sheetmetal whereas the Buick hood the aft and front parts are "free" (obviously it needs to be square but perhaps not a s critical??).
Yes. That is what those holes in the cowl with plastic plugs in them were used for. I found that site several years ago when I was searching for something weird and google popped it up. Very interesting article.
The hoods, doors and trunk lids had 2 types of fixtures: the first fixture was to position the hood, door or trunk lid in the approximate position. Then an alignment fixture was used to get the proper gaps. Air tools were used to drive the bolts in. It was up to the worker to apply enough torque. One strange thing that I remember is the bolts used for attaching the body stuff came in a pallet sized wire cage shipping container that was lined with plastic. This container must have weighed a couple thousand pounds. The bolts were black oxide, and dripping in oil. The Framingham plant did not have a separate Fisher Body plant. All of the bodies were built in the palnt using fixtures and spot welders that were operated by people. These spot welders were huge and really heavy. They were suspended from the ceiling with spring loaded wires. It was up to the worker to attach the fixture and insert the weldind tips to hit the correct spots. There was a thick red sealer that was applied between the panels to be welded. Some of these jobs were in pits, and the worker would be welding overhead. You were required to wear heavy coveralls in most of the jobs. They were made out of a heavy duty denim. There was no A/C in the plant, so in the summer, it was unbeliveably hot. Some other tidbits: all of the body seams at the roof lines were finished is 100% lead. The workers at those stations had giant pots of molten lead that they paddled onto the weld seams. There was a giant booth were workers in suits and air helmets ground down the lesd before it was finish sanded. Talk about an environmental problem! They was lead dust EVERYWHERE in spite of the efforts taken to contain it. The frames were built upside down to allow the workers to install the suspension, fuel/brake lines, axle, etc. They also sprayed a light coat of black chassis paint on before the frame was flipped over to be mated with the body. There was also a huge water test area that looked like a car wash. A worker would get inside the car, and ride it thru the water test to look for leaks. Cars that leaked were sent to a large rework area to be fixed. The things I remember most vividly todayare the smells and sounds. The plant had the smell of new paint, rubber, oil, and plastic. There was a symphony of air tools, bells, sirens, fork lifts, and the mechanical sound of the line moving. It was really something to see.
One other point that contains Buick information: If you were injured on the job, the UAW had a clause in the contract for assignment to light duty. Light duty was wiping down cars at the water test station, checking paperwork, or driving off the line. I worked in the body shop, and the bodies were literally full of razor sharp edges (there was no interior or trim installed yet). Even with gloves and coveralls, you could get a nasty cut. I cut my elbow, and required stiches. When I got back from the hospital, I was assigned to driving finished cars off the line. One car that I drove was a 72 black GS. The reason I still remember it was it was a 4 speed car with 2 window stickers. This car has every option, and the sticker price was well over $5,000. It appeared that someone just checked off every box on the order sheet. It was a striking looking car, and as it came down the line, it took all your attention away from the others. I drove it off the line out to the parking lot it the back were it would be shipped out. Yes, it reall could light up the rear tires.....:eek2:
I worked at the BOP plant in Kansas City in 1963 and everything Paul said was the way it was then. We ran 60 cars an hour and quality was second to output. It was a constant war between the UAW and management. Seniority was everything. Most jobs took no longer than a minute. When the new car came out we worked 11.5 hours a day 7 days a week. Made 3.11$ an hour not bad money then. We made large Buick Olds And Pontiac and small ones as well. Bill Macoubrie
The black GS was a Stage 1 car. I made $7.50 per hour, plus unlimited overtime. The GM line jobs paid more than most professional jobs at the time. Unfortunately, the Arab oil crisis ended my career at GM......went from $7.50 an hour to less than $3.00 per hour......
Paul, rightchous bucks for the day. A friend told me he toured the plant back in the day and was amazed at the lead deal. Maybe better than bondo.o No: You may know this. Were the under dash wiring harnesses attached to the dash pods outside the car then installed by stuffing the wires through the dash then attaching the fuse box which would be my guess or were the fuse boxes attached to the firewall then all the wires attached to the dash pods which is more of a pain?
Harnesses were installed, and then the dash was "built out" by adding the gauges and accessories. The assembly process changed every year, as the cars changed. You have to remember that GM spent MILLIONS on process engineering in order to have any of the assembly steps only take 60 seconds. The notion of someone wrestling under the dash with a harness for an hour was not in the cards. They had the synchronization of the assembly line and the parts feeder conveyors down to a perfect science. So, all of the jobs you do on your car were done in the fastest and most efficient way possible.
