Plant Tours

[Michael J.]

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 .

Was that the plant on Conner Avenue?

[Terry M.]

Re: Plant Tours

Was that the plant on Conner Avenue?

John won't tell you because he is so modest, but he converted the Connor Ave plant to automotive production (quite a story there), started Viper production, and was plant manager for its first ___ years. He will fill in the blank.

When I went there with the Michigan NCRS chapter John was greeted warmly by the employees even though he had retired several years before. It was clear that they respected him even in his retirement.

[John H.]

Re: Plant Tours

Was that the plant on Conner Avenue?

Michael -

Yes, it was - it was formerly a Champion Spark Plug plant that sat empty for ten years before we bought it in 1995 and turned it into an assembly plant.

[Michael J.]

Re: Plant Tours

Michael -

Yes, it was - it was formerly a Champion Spark Plug plant that sat empty for ten years before we bought it in 1995 and turned it into an assembly plant.

An incredible story of the birth of one of the fastest and most powerful stock cars in American history! That engine could easily rival the LS7 or LS9, I bet those assembly folks took some super pride in building that machine. Congrats on a true success story.

[Joe L.]

Re: Plant Tours

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.

Terry------


Tonwanda currently is one of the manufacturing plants for certain versions of the Ecotec 4 cylinder engine, one of the manufacturing plants for the inline 4 and 5 cylinder "Atlas" engines used in Chevrolet and GMC pick-ups, and one of the manufacturing sites for the 3.5L and 3.9L 60 degree V-6 engines. These engines which are descendents of the V-6 engine designed for the Chevrolet Citation are among the oldest designs that GM still has in production. I expect they'll be phased out in the not-too-distant future.

Tonawanda has also been selected as one of the manufacturing sites for the new small V-8 engine which may one day be used in Corvettes.

[Joe L.]

Re: Plant Tours

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

grant------


In general, GM plants do not allow photography of internal facilities and operations. However, I recall when we toured the old Flint V-8 engine plant as part of the NCRS National Convention in 1992, we were allowed to take still photos (no video) of anything we wanted. Even some of the tour guides (Flint employees) seemed stunned when they were told by plant management it was OK for us to take photos anywhere.

I think I had 5 rolls of 36 exposure 35 mm film with me and I took every available exposure. I wish I had had 20 rolls of film with me.

[Steven B.]

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 .

'Had a neighbor in Georgia in '96 who had one (red or course) and kept it pristine. It had a couple thousand miles on the odo and had not been past 90 mph in last gear. The quality of the car was very good.

[George C.]

Re: Plant Tours

Tonawanda Engine Plant tour on this Friday June 17,2011 from 12-8 pm. Tonawanda Plant Car Show will be on Saturday June 18, 2011. Great time for all. http://media.gm.com/content/dam/Medi...anda_flyer.pdf