Plant Tours

[Grant M.]

My wife and I toured the Bowling Green plant several years back during a visit to the NCM. Noteworthy at the time, and I think discussed from time to time on this board was the strict 'no photography' policy and the fully guided and escorted tour of defined duration. The 'trailer train' ride and narration was very comfortable and interesting, but lacked the personal discretion to 'linger' at areas of interest.

Last Friday I attended the Ontario Camaro Club's 'Homecoming' at the GM Oshawa Assembly Plant where they build the Camaro. A highlight of the day (and the reason I attended, not being a Camaro owner anymore) was the plant tour: self-guided (follow a green painted line on the floor with many volunteer 'marshals' to ensure safety and answer questions) and take as long as you wish---you could spend the entire day if you so desired!

But most suprising to me was the absolutely unconstrained freedom to photograph anything/anywhere. One of the retired employee volunteer marshals told me he'd never heard of such freedom in all the years he'd worked in the plant. Also significant was the engaging and outgoing attitude of the line employees who were hard at work putting out 600+ Camaros (and a few Regals) per day. Many had handwritten 'welcome' and 'thanks for your support' notes on the whiteboards at their stations and nearly all were happy to answer questions and chat with the visitors. as I gazed upon 'piles' of brake cables and other components I could only but imagine how someday, twenty years or so from now (assuming restoration is still of interest), some guy or gal would give their right arm for such OEM parts...

A great experience and one I hope GM extends to other tours, including Bowling Green if they haven't already done so.

grant

[Clem Z.]

Re: Plant Tours

that is the "NEW GM"

[Michael J.]

Re: Plant Tours

Being the proud owner of one of the first 2010 Camaros off the line, I can attest to the great spirit and extremely high build quality of the Camaro plant. I hope BG learns something from the Camaro line personnel. BTW, where do they build the LS9 and LS7 engines?

[Grant M.]

Re: Plant Tours

I was struck by the obvious attention paid to prepping the body for paint. Once fully assembled it went through a 'light tunnel' where employees looked it over carefully while they lightly scuffed the entire surface with something that resembled a Scotch-brite pad. I noticed the employees occasionally spending some extra time rubbing at certain areas, I presume to remove blemishes that might show through the paint.

At the end of the line just prior to the drive-off point I saw an employee using some small air-powered buffers and a couple of different types of polishing compound to apparently deal with minor paint blemishes, followed-up by hand wiping.

If I had to guess, at least one or both are built at GM Powertrain in St Catharines, Ontario. There were a couple of (Camaro) people on the tour wearing shirts from that plant.

grant

[Terry M.]

Re: Plant Tours

Being the proud owner of one of the first 2010 Camaros off the line, I can attest to the great spirit and extremely high build quality of the Camaro plant. I hope BG learns something from the Camaro line personnel. BTW, where do they build the LS9 and LS7 engines?

[Terry M.]

Re: Plant Tours

I was struck by the obvious attention paid to prepping the body for paint. Once fully assembled it went through a 'light tunnel' where employees looked it over carefully while they lightly scuffed the entire surface with something that resembled a Scotch-brite pad. I noticed the employees occasionally spending some extra time rubbing at certain areas, I presume to remove blemishes that might show through the paint.

At the end of the line just prior to the drive-off point I saw an employee using some small air-powered buffers and a couple of different types of polishing compound to apparently deal with minor paint blemishes, followed-up by hand wiping.

If I had to guess, at least one or both are built at GM Powertrain in St Catharines, Ontario. There were a couple of (Camaro) people on the tour wearing shirts from that plant.

grant

Grant, LS2 and now LS3 are built at St Catharines. One of these years I will get to visit "north of the border." The stars have not yet aligned for me though.

[Clem Z.]

Re: Plant Tours

Grant, LS2 and now LS3 are built at St Catharines. One of these years I will get to visit "north of the border." The stars have not yet aligned for me though.

i made arrangements for our corvette club to tour st catharines and the thing you notice right away there are very few employees as everything is automated. the block castings are unloaded from the train cars and after that no one touches those blocks till the are fully machined. we were there watching a durability dyno test of the full floating wrist pin for the corvette engines.

[Tom H.]

Re: Plant Tours

Here is a nice video clip of the Wixom Facility.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PlzktN4Ql4

[Clem Z.]

Re: Plant Tours

Here is a nice video clip of the Wixom Facility.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PlzktN4Ql4

when we toured this place they weigh the engine at the end of the line to make sure nothing was forgotten during the build.

[Patrick H.]

Re: Plant Tours

i made arrangements for our corvette club to tour st catharines and the thing you notice right away there are very few employees as everything is automated.

We noticed the same thing last week at the Saginaw casting facility.

Patrick

[Michael J.]

Re: Plant Tours

Here is a nice video clip of the Wixom Facility.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PlzktN4Ql4

Wow, that's cool. I have toyed with the idea of ordering a new Z06 or ZR1, and doing the "Engine Build Experience" at the plant. I'm not sure Romeo is a great city or anything, and it is expensive since you pay for everything to get there and room and board (you probably have to bring your own Craftsman tool set too), but it would be a neat opportunity. I have not been to an engine shop since I toured the Tonawanda plant many years ago. I guess Tonawanda is shut down now?

[Terry M.]

Re: Plant Tours

Wow, that's cool. I have toyed with the idea of ordering a new Z06 or ZR1, and doing the "Engine Build Experience" at the plant. I'm not sure Romeo is a great city or anything, and it is expensive since you pay for everything to get there and room and board (you probably have to bring your own Craftsman tool set too), but it would be a neat opportunity. I have not been to an engine shop since I toured the Tonawanda plant many years ago. I guess Tonawanda is shut down now?

Nope -- Tonawanda is still going although I am no0t sure what engines they build now.

I think the $5800 (if my memory is right) for the engine build experience includes a night in a local motel and transport from motel to/from the WPBC, but transportation from yoru home to the motel is on your dime. I don't think you will have to bring your Craftsman tools -- they would throw you and them out. All the tools there are electric or hydraulic driven, torque limited and recorded. They have to cost a bundle.

[Vinnie P.]

Re: Plant Tours

I reported in the Spring 2009 issue of The Restorer on the Corvette buyers/photo tour and said the following: " sports car."

Everyone along the line was courteous and willing to answer questions and even more helpful when they realized it was your own car that you were following...and they took a lot of pride in building the Corvette.

The rumor Terry mentions about someone building their engine during the plant tour is not going to happen that day...however it will be taking place the day after the tour of the Performance Build Center...and it usually includes dinner with the chief engineer for Corvette, the Chevrolet (Corvette/Camaro) Performance Cars Marketing Manager and the Corvette Marketing Manager...look for a full story with photos in an upcoming issue of The Restorer.

[John H.]

Re: Plant Tours

During my six years as the Viper Plant Manager, I encouraged visitors to take photos, and invited the Viper Club guys in every year to videotape all the operations so they'd have a visual record years down the road of "how stuff was done back then" as a restoration/maintenance reference. The Viper owners are a really unique bunch, and we kept them happy .

[Steven B.]

Re: Plant Tours

I have toured Bowling Green six times, five with my wife, and enjoyed each time as the employees were always friendly and courteous. We are planning another trip this summer. During one of the tours Nancy was the lucky one selected to start a Corvette. We still have the certificate. My parents toured St. Louis when the '78 PC's were being assembled--when cameras were forbidden. I will post the pics when I get the new scanner.