[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

This is a great thread, but kind of bittersweet for me.

I worked in Pontiac for a number of years and I don't recognize ANY of those buildings. I'm sure they are all gone.

In fact, after we moved from Pontiac to here at the Tech Center in Warren they bulldozed all of the cool old buildings, like the Administration building on South Blvd. I went back to the Pontiac Centerpoint complex for a meeting a couple weeks ago and literally got lost - because those landmark buildings are GONE, without a trace.

The old administration building on Widetrack Drive and the Engineering building on Joslyn are still there; if I can I'll take some pictures the next time I'm up that way and post them.

K

I had a chance to drive around in Pontiac and snap some pictures (finally!)...

The building with the vines on it is the old Engineering Building on Joslyn Ave. The white building is the old Pontiac Administration building. These buildings are used by GM Powertrain now:

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

This is a great thread, but kind of bittersweet for me.

I worked in Pontiac for a number of years and I don't recognize ANY of those buildings. I'm sure they are all gone.

In fact, after we moved from Pontiac to here at the Tech Center in Warren they bulldozed all of the cool old buildings, like the Administration building on South Blvd. I went back to the Pontiac Centerpoint complex for a meeting a couple weeks ago and literally got lost - because those landmark buildings are GONE, without a trace.

The old administration building on Widetrack Drive and the Engineering building on Joslyn are still there; if I can I'll take some pictures the next time I'm up that way and post them.

K

Wow. Just to reiterate -

I still do my Company Vehicle swaps up in Pontiac (even though my office is now in Warren). I just went up there today ...and... the Pontiac Validation Center is completely gone....just a big empty fenced in area.

This was a huge facility where we used to do pre-production builds, sometimes stationary in stalls and sometimes on mocked up assembly lines. Completely gone.

It's really really sad...

K

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by 'ol Pinion head

Love the old pics, esp the fenders going on with the hinges attached

I was reviewing some old threads and when I saw this picture it brought back a flood of memories...

I ran the "Fender Set" area at the Chevrolet Truck plant for a couple years. I suspect the process between the two products was similar enough that my description would still be accurate in this case:

I think you all would be surprised at how the assembly process varies from how you or I would build these cars in our garage. For example, that fender would be completely built up at a remote location in the plant. When conveyed to the final line it would be painted, emblems installed, any rocker trim (if required) already installed, hinges, rubber plugs, fender inner and any baffles already in place.

Similarly, the radiator support would have been conveyed to the final line with some subassembly already done. The radiator and AC condenser (if required) as well as any fan shrouds would already be installed. The grille header and bezels were also already installed and the rad support would be swung over onto the chassis, left loose on its mounts and flopped backwards against the fan/shroud until supported. The rad hoses were likely installed shortly after this point but definitely prior to the fenders going on.

The two burly young men you see here would grab the fender off the conveyer (one at the front, one at the rear) and swing it, in one fluid poetic motion, over the front tire and into place on the car. There would be a small magnetic spacer placed on the door; the man at the rear of the fender would pull it up tight against that spacer to set the fender/door clearance and drive the vertical bolt at the rear of the fender. Meanwhile, the man at the front would jiggle the fender over the rad support and begin driving several fender nose bolts into the rad support. We also a big stick (like a 2x4) and the rear man would pry against the back of the tire, moving the lower portion of the fender rearward while the man in "the pit" drove the lower anchor bolt. (This big stick could also be used to fit the bottom of the fender in/out, by placing it the door jamb and giving it a good kick! ).

This whole front end assembly would be left loose so that it could be slid from side to side to facilitate the hood fit (in relation to the front fenders) at a later station.

-------------------------------------------

Fitting the front end sheet metal was an "art" in and of itself.

Some of you who have disassembled these cars may have noticed little "shim packs" taped together at various fender attaching points. These were not fitted to individual cars but built up in batches. You would tape shims together to form these little sets, enough to run maybe half the day. Then you would blindly assemble these to the vehicle (ie, not actually paying any attention to how they fit). Usually the cycle would go like this: the supervisor at the end of the line (or the General Supervisor) would call, and in some kind of flowery language say: "!@#$%$^^%^&*^&*!! FIT THE !@#$@%$% FENDERS TO THE CAR!!"

At that point you would go back, look at the vehicle currently in front of you and make an assessment of which shims to add/remove. You would make the change, noting the build number of the car you started with (the "breakpoint") and continue building until the next phone call.

The fitters at the end of the line would work their magic with rubber hammers and the aforementioned big sticks. Very rarely would they actually put a wrench on a vehicle and add or remove shims to fit the front end.

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by Mr_GTO

I don't think it is(production picture) based on all the dirty stuff around that engine and the aftermarket valve covers.

I agree; judging from the mishmash of engine types (ie, the Super Duty engine in the background), the other components (an auto trans in the background), the fact that the carb is already installed (carburetors were not installed until the engine was on the motor line) and the rack type that the engine is sitting in, this is not the production floor but probably some kind of experimental build room (ie, "the Engine Room").

[SD73]

Here's a massive collection of factories pictures from the '50s. Unfortunenately, they're Chevy, but it gives an interesting glimpse back.

http://images.google.com/images?&hl=...tart=0&ndsp=21

[citydesk175]

I had a big collection of exterior pictures of GM plants
Some of mine got mirrored onto GM public sites
and some at GMphotostore.com
I will look and get back to this thread

Regards
Citydesk175