ERA Comes to an end

[Stuart F.]

GM announced the forthcoming closing of the Janesville, Wisconsin production plant. The end of the "Janesville Jack Rabbits"

Stu Fox

[Joe L.]

Re: ERA Comes to an end

GM announced the forthcoming closing of the Janesville, Wisconsin production plant. The end of the "Janesville Jack Rabbits"

Stu Fox

Stu-----


Actually, they announced this several months ago. However, they decided to speed up the closing due to especially poor sales of SUV's. Originally, they had announced that the plant would close sometime in 2009---now it's been moved up to this year. Janesville is the oldest currently operating GM plant.

Several other GM plants were also previously announced for closing. The Flint V-6 engine plant (3800 V-6) which at one time also built Buick V-8s will close either this year or early next year. The Livonia engine plant, where the Cadillac Northstar engine is manufactured will close when that engine goes out-of-production in, I believe, 2011 or 2012. The Northstar replacement engine has been canceled. So, what engine will Cadillac passenger cars use after that time? Most likely only versions of the 3.6L DOHC V-6.

The Moraine, OH truck/SUV plant will soon close or has already closed.

The Grand Rapids metal stamping plant is also being closed. This is a huge plant. Its closing was not previously announced.

It's not beyond the realm of possibility that the LS-series small blocks will "pass into history" in the not-too-distant future, although nothing along those lines has been announced. What has been announced is a new GM diesel engine for pick-ups that will, essentially, replace the LS-series engines in trucks and enable the sort of fuel economy gains that will soon be required. The new diesel is supposed to perform like a gasoline engine with respect to power and smoothness. If it all works out, GM won't need a V-8 gas engine for trucks. If that happens, it's very unlikely that the manufacture by GM of V-8 gasoline engines will continue. That will affect Corvette. What to expect? A smaller, lighter Corvette powered by a version of the 3.6L DOHC V-6 engine. This engine is capable of 375 hp when fully developed and even more if turbocharging or supercharging is added.

[Terry M.]

Re: ERA Comes to an end

The history of the Janesville plant is remarkable. They have a small display area in the plant with pictures of the building of the main structure in the '20s IIRC. Tours, given by retired workers, were available on a daily basis. If you are at all close you might want to give them a call. I believe there is a web site put up by the retirees. It is truly a sad day to see that plant close.

I see Chevrolet has announced an LS series engine as an available option for the 2010 Camaro. I hope it comes to pass. High performance cars are on a short list, but those of us of a certain age can remember when we were in that position before.

[Mike M.]

Re: ERA Comes to an end

i seem to recall the janesville plant was originally the Oakland Auto plant. Oakland was acquired by the Pontiac folks. we were fortunate to tour the Janesville plant on our way to a NCRS National convention in the 90's. Huge plant.Double brick walls with no insulation. guide said it got a tad chilly in the winter months.mike

[Terry M.]

Re: ERA Comes to an end

Janesville was one of the NINE assembly plants that made full size Chevrolet Caprice/Impala during the 1960-1970 time frame. John Hinkley posted the production numbers for those cars -- I don't recall the exact numbers, but they were building them at a prodigious rate. Base price for an Impala V8 in 1965 was around $2200, and there was a laundry list of options that seemed to go on forever. Those were the days.

I paid more for the NAV system in my 2008 than I did for my 1965 Impala -- and the NAV only works half as well. I have to look at the directions all the time. Life IS still good in Chevrolet land, but it sure looks like it is changing. It has been one hell of a fine ride though.

[John H.]

Re: ERA Comes to an end

I spent a good hunk of my career in many different Chevrolet assembly plants as a Production guy, and in most plants, it was a tough way to make a living; Janesville was different. The Janesville workforce (in the 60's-70's) had a distinctly different and positive work ethic, due in no small part to their rural/farming upbringing, and being transferred to Janesville in those days, for a Production guy, was akin to "dying and going to heaven".

Relative to Terry's comment, in the mid-to-late 60's, we built over 6,000 Impalas and Caprices per day (375 per hour, 1.44 million per year), in nine plants; the volume was so high that no stamping press on the planet could make parts that fast, and every single major stamping had TWO complete sets of dies, with some sourced inside and some outside, to keep up with the demand. And we redesigned ALL the sheet metal EVERY year - lots of tool & die shop millionaires were created in those days.

[Terry M.]

Re: ERA Comes to an end

Relative to Terry's comment, in the mid-to-late 60's, we built over 6,000 Impalas and Caprices per day (375 per hour, 1.44 million per year), in nine plants; the volume was so high that no stamping press on the planet could make parts that fast, and every single major stamping had TWO complete sets of dies, with some sourced inside and some outside, to keep up with the demand. And we redesigned ALL the sheet metal EVERY year - lots of tool & die shop millionaires were created in those days.

[William C.]

Re: ERA Comes to an end

I remember going into the '74 MY, We had to test total GM production for seat belt interlock modules, and I had to get the inspection line up and running, target was 24,400 per day! Arab oil embargo slowed us down shortly after new model intro, but what a rush! Back in the day...

[Joe L.]

Re: ERA Comes to an end

I spent a good hunk of my career in many different Chevrolet assembly plants as a Production guy, and in most plants, it was a tough way to make a living; Janesville was different. The Janesville workforce (in the 60's-70's) had a distinctly different and positive work ethic, due in no small part to their rural/farming upbringing, and being transferred to Janesville in those days, for a Production guy, was akin to "dying and going to heaven".

Relative to Terry's comment, in the mid-to-late 60's, we built over 6,000 Impalas and Caprices per day (375 per hour, 1.44 million per year), in nine plants; the volume was so high that no stamping press on the planet could make parts that fast, and every single major stamping had TWO complete sets of dies, with some sourced inside and some outside, to keep up with the demand. And we redesigned ALL the sheet metal EVERY year - lots of tool & die shop millionaires were created in those days.

John-----

I agree; I think the Janesville workforce is one of the things that kept the plant going for so long. It was an old facility and, over the last 20 years or so, GM shut down newer facilities while leaving Janesville untouched.

I think that might even continue IF GM had a new product not already scheduled for production elsewhere that they could "plug into" Janesville. However, right now they don't. So, end of the line for Janesville. The SUV production, which was their "savior" and "layer of golden eggs" when that sort of vehicle was so hot that Janesville worked relentless scheduled overtime for YEARS, eventually caused their "death".

I would not count Janesville out, though, for a "resurrection" if GM and the market can come back strong. It's doubtful, but possible. Another possibility might be that a foreign manufacturer looking for some additional capacity (not now, of course, but in the future when things improve) might consider the Janesville area for building a new "greenfield" or "brownfield" plant in order to "tap into" the skilled and motivated workforce in that area.

[Stewart A.]

Re: ERA Comes to an end

Now I know why oil is on the way down 24,400 per day my God !!!!! that's a hell of product in one year wow.