GM production date on a Saturday?

[Troy P.]

Data report for my 63 says October 20th 1962, which is a Saturday. Is that feasible considering what may be known about production in that timeframe? My car vin is around 2000.

As a second curiosity, when did 63 production start?

[Mark H.]

Re: GM production date on a Saturday?

As a second curiosity, when did 63 production start?

The Corvette Birthday books shows production for '63s started September 4th, 1962. Doesn't show any cars produced on October 20th.

[Harry S.]

Re: GM production date on a Saturday?

The only thing I can think of is, the car was built on third shift. The computer generated the daily report for enough cars to cover three shifts. Third shift being the 20th. That daily report ended up on microfiche. That microfiche is what NCRS has. The computer of the day were card driven and wired not programmed. Maybe another computer run for a third shift for Friday, that being the 20th. I used to work on those old turds.

My shipping data report has 4/19/63, a Friday. The build date on the Regular Commercial and Truck document has 4/20/63, Saturday. The car reached the document station on the line after midnight second shift.

[Duke W.]

Re: GM production date on a Saturday?

Demand for the new String Ray was high and the plant worked two shifts with total '63 production about double the '62 model. It's quite possible that GM ran some overtime Saturday shifts to try to keep up with demand.

I think the last time GM ran two Corvette shifts was '84. Pent up demand for a new Corvette was so high that GM decided to add a second shift, but then after about '85 C4 demand dropped way off, so GM cancelled the second shift but the UAW contract called for the workers to be paid for at least another year or more whether they worked or not, and to my knowledge GM never added a second Corvette production shift since regardless of demand.

It looks like after four years C8 demand has dropped to where dealers can't get the big markups as in the past except for the Z06, and I think markups on that model are dropping.

Duke

[Terry M.]

Re: GM production date on a Saturday?

Demand for the new String Ray was high and the plant worked two shifts with total '63 production about double the '62 model. It's quite possible that GM ran some overtime Saturday shifts to try to keep up with demand.

I think the last time GM ran two Corvette shifts was '84. Pent up demand for a new Corvette was so high that GM decided to add a second shift, but then after about '85 C4 demand dropped way off, so GM cancelled the second shift but the UAW contract called for the workers to be paid for at least another year or more whether they worked or not, and to my knowledge GM never added a second Corvette production shift since regardless of demand.

It looks like after four years C8 demand has dropped to where dealers can't get the big markups as in the past except for the Z06, and I think markups on that model are dropping.

Duke

Duke

In May 2023, when my Z06 was built, the Corvette Assembly Plant was running two shifts, and I believe they still are. The daily production numbers are being posted on Face Book and they indicate two shifts (180 to >190 cars a day). I can't tell you when they started two shifts, but it wouldn't surprise me they began with the C8 in 2020, or sooner. For the 2023 model year they were shooting for the greatest number of Corvettes in a model year. 1979 still holds that record. The 2023 model year missed it by about 50 cars, I am told. They did begin that model year early and ran it later than usual and still didn't exceed the record year.

I don't recall what the shift schedule was when I got my 2008, but just before the 2008 economic collapse they were building a lot of C6s, and the demand was high.

I know at one point Bowling Green Assembly ran two ten-hour shifts, but I think that was in the early 1990s when we were building the museum. At that time, we were in and out of that plant for meetings and such on a regular basis. A tour of the plant, often guided by the plant manager Paul Schnoes, was de rigeuer. I remember him talking about the two-tan hour shifts with the other four hours for maintenance. I can't remember if he was referring to that time or the past.

[Troy P.]

Re: GM production date on a Saturday?

Thank you all for your input and education. It does make sense that demand was high and overtime or more shifts were in play.

Speaking of current production, when I toured the factory some years ago I was amazed how slow the production line ran. For example, the woman that made the final adjustment on the doors sat in a chair waiting for the next car to arrive at her station. I asked the tour guide about that. He said the UAW controls assembly line speed and they want it slow to require overtime to meet production demand.

[Duke W.]

Re: GM production date on a Saturday?

Thanks for the update, Terry. I had no idea that Bowling Green built over 50,000 2023 Corvettes. I guess I don't keep up too well with the modern cars. I thought production was around 25,000.

I recall that production dropped drastically during the financial crisis. At the 2012 National Convention in San Diego I asked Dave Hill if the Corvette would survive, but he was not concerned.

Duke

[Mark F.]

Re: GM production date on a Saturday?

...I know at one point Bowling Green Assembly ran two ten-hour shifts...A tour of the plant, often guided by the plant manager Paul Schnoes, was de rigeuer. I remember him talking about the two-tan hour shifts with the other four hours for maintenance. I can't remember if he was referring to that time or the past.

on every shift to re-evaluate potential worker exposures to the lowered PEL. Back then, non-vinyl top car A, B, C, and D (station wagon) pillar joints where they met the roof were still being filled with lead solder and certain paint colors (pigments) still had Lead in them although they were being phased out as quickly as possible.

As you say, for high demand cars those assembly plants at the time ran two, ten-hour shifts (20 hours of production) with 2 hours of maintenance at the end of each shift (4 hrs. total). Because of the required maintenance throughout the plants, it was far cheaper to pay 2 hours of mandatory OT than hire enough additional line workers to populate a full 3^rd

[Terry M.]

Re: GM production date on a Saturday?

on every shift to re-evaluate potential worker exposures to the lowered PEL. Back then, non-vinyl top car A, B, C, and D (station wagon) pillar joints where they met the roof were still being filled with lead solder and certain paint colors (pigments) still had Lead in them although they were being phased out as quickly as possible.

As you say, for high demand cars those assembly plants at the time ran two, ten-hour shifts (20 hours of production) with 2 hours of maintenance at the end of each shift (4 hrs. total). Because of the required maintenance throughout the plants, it was far cheaper to pay 2 hours of mandatory OT than hire enough additional line workers to populate a full 3^rd

Mark

I particularly remembered Paul's remarks because at the time I had moved from a union job that had three 8-hour shifts to a management job with two 12-hour shifts. All the work required 24/7/365 coverage and the difference in the number of work hours was striking on a personal level. The two ten-hour shifts, while they wouldn't/ work for my employer was a novel concept to me.

[Terry M.]

Re: GM production date on a Saturday?

Thank you all for your input and education. It does make sense that demand was high and overtime or more shifts were in play.

Speaking of current production, when I toured the factory some years ago I was amazed how slow the production line ran. For example, the woman that made the final adjustment on the doors sat in a chair waiting for the next car to arrive at her station. I asked the tour guide about that. He said the UAW controls assembly line speed and they want it slow to require overtime to meet production demand.

I am noy very familiar with the UAW contract, but I would guess the speed of the assembly line is a subject of the negotiated contract. If that is the case it is deceptive to attribute that speed to either party of the contract.

For what it is worth, when I was there in May the tour guide told us the number of cars produced per day was a function of the paint facilities and how many complete body panels it could process. While we keep being told the $500 Million (that is 1/2 Billion) they recently spent was for the new paint booth, there are significant changes to the assembly line. Those changes, while they probably pale in comparison to the costs associated with the new fully automated paint booths (there are three paint lines) , have to have a goodly cost to them. Whether the line costs are part of that 1/2 Billion or a separate line item for the publicity we are hearing to my knowledge remains up for speculation. Regardless, the new paint results are spectacular.

I know the presentations the tour guides give are scripted, but their answers to questions are not. Back when you did the tours those guides were interns from Western Kentucky University and generally were communications majors. Now, since the tours have reopened the guides are Museum employees.

My experience in asking these more sensitive questions, even from those people who are in a position to know, does not lead to a definitive answer. There is only so much the "public" is allowed to know.

[Troy P.]

Re: GM production date on a Saturday?

I'm sure it was subject to negotiation. I imagine it is considered a working condition. Still it was amazingly slow compared to videos I've seen of assembly lines of the past. As I recall they were building C6s when I toured.

[Mark F.]

Re: GM production date on a Saturday?

I am noy very familiar with the UAW contract, but I would guess the speed of the assembly line is a subject of the negotiated contract. You are correct that Line Speed was a negotiated topic - at least in the '77 to '81 timeframe If that is the case it is deceptive to attribute that speed to either party of the contract. You are also correct that negotiations surrounding Line Speed were on both sides and were quite confidential - at least on the BIG 3 Corporate side in the '77 to '81 timeframe...I know the presentations the tour guides give are scripted, but their answers to questions are not. Back when you did the tours those guides were interns from Western Kentucky University and generally were communications majors. Now, since the tours have reopened the guides are Museum employees. My experience in asking these more sensitive questions, even from those people who are in a position to know, does not lead to a definitive answer. There is only so much the "public" is allowed to know. Agreed

I'm sure it was subject to negotiation. Yes I imagine it is considered a working condition. Yes, at least one clause was exactly that...see below...

Terry and Troy,

I agree with your statements above and will go further to say I seriously doubt any auto manufacturer is (or was) going to negotiate any kind of contract which "slow walks" (limits) line speed so that OT is required to meet orders received in the queue. I think we can agree that makes no business sense at all in any universe.

On the flip side I have had personal experience with a "strikeable" line speed clause for the line running too fast. The half-dozen I (and many more than that my colleagues) were involved with related to allegations that increased line speed was causing worker overexposures to chemical materials and/or physical agents associated with the assembly process. Faster line speeds could correlate with increased chemical usage and/or physical agents which could potentially increase exposures to either or both of them.

So, in a round-about-way, line speed could be impacted by Health and Safety complaints (grievances). If such a filed complaint was found viable at the Plant end, the contract clause required a staff member from the right HQ department to be physically onsite within 24 hours (regardless of Plant location). That person was charged with scientifically evaluating the specific conditions causing concern, analyze all the data collected and then report findings back to management and the UAW.

PS - Solidarity House (UAW HQ - as it was called back then) had some of the finest and well-educated H&S professionals on staff. My experience in these jobs usually had me dealing with one of their staff who was a Ph.D. Harvard grad...so my ducks had to be in line and at the end of the day we usually agreed on these kinds of assessments...good or bad, but always in favor of employee health. 2005 was the last time I toured the BG Corvette Plant and working conditions then were superior to what they were in my day.

[Wayne M.]

Re: GM production date on a Saturday?

Harry,
Your post refers to "That microfiche is what NCRS has." Are you saying NCRS has records related to cars produced back to the 1963 model year? If so, do the microfiche records cover the entire C2 generation of Corvettes and what level of detail is captured in those microfiche records? For example, would the options for each car be included in those records?
Wayne

[Harry S.]

Re: GM production date on a Saturday?

Harry,
Your post refers to "That microfiche is what NCRS has." Are you saying NCRS has records related to cars produced back to the 1963 model year? If so, do the microfiche records cover the entire C2 generation of Corvettes and what level of detail is captured in those microfiche records? For example, would the options for each car be included in those records?
Wayne

No detail about options.

[Wayne M.]

Re: GM production date on a Saturday?

Or perhaps the total MSRP is in those microfiche records? I'm guessing it is those records that include the VIN, original selling dealer, etc., that provide the information NCRS uses to issue 'original selling dealer' letters to the membership. If the original MSRP is included, that information would be very useful to owners...along with any other data related to Corvettes currently owned by members. Thanks.