Poor Quality '65 S-body Door Assembly on last day L30

[Wayne M.]

Were the UAW boys getting a little tired on the body line, on the last day of work, Friday July 30th ?

This is one of 5 locations where the vinyl panel clips attach to the door. Three are OK, with the screw hole roughly in the middle of the riveted plate. Thumbnails below show the worst, where they missed it entirely. Another was on the plate edge.

What was the procedure for installing the interior panel ? was it held against the door and the attaching clip holes used as drill template, followed by screw install ?

[Scott M.]

Re: Poor Quality '65 S-body Door Assembly on last day L30

Wayne, that looks exactly like the screws on my '67 doors, either missed the sheet metal completely or just caught the edge of it. Not sure if I should make new sheet metal pieces a little larger and rivet in or what since I don't have new door panels to check the fit.

[Ridge K.]

Re: Poor Quality '65 S-body Door Assembly on last day L30

Even though I have heard these reports and stories for many decades, I am still stunned that type of poor-quality became almost the norm. General Motors wasn't alone in this. All the American auto manufacturers were somehow complacent. While overseas manufacturers fine-tuned their product.

Some simply dismiss it as "union labor". Was that a factor?...... probably, yes.

But, the American automobile manufacturers have union labor today, and quality is much better IMO.
And large aircraft manufacturers likewise had union labor, yet somehow in general, .......aircraft didn't show this level of sloppy work

[Chris H.]

Re: Poor Quality '65 S-body Door Assembly on last day L30

Wayne, I had an L30 L78, VIN 23384. Great car.

[John H.]

Re: Poor Quality '65 S-body Door Assembly on last day L30

What was the procedure for installing the interior panel ? was it held against the door and the attaching clip holes used as drill template, followed by screw install ?

Wayne -

Yup, that was how it was supposed to be done.

[Jim D.]

Re: Poor Quality '65 S-body Door Assembly on last day L30

Here's a pic. of my 1965 wiper transmission. The first screw broke off so they put one in at an angle. I guess they didn't want stop the assembly line to fix it correctly.

[David K.]

Re: Poor Quality '65 S-body Door Assembly on last day L30

As I was once told, " I don't care if it isn't right! We don't get paid until it is sold! Stop messing with it and get it out of here"

[Ronald L.]

Re: Poor Quality '65 S-body Door Assembly on last day L30

I can tell you its not that way anymore and its not the unions fault it got that way. As you have seen, competition has brought the big three to their knees these last 5 years or so and some survived with out a bail out of your tax dollars and some have been decimated as the gvt wanted to do 40 years ago.

[John H.]

Re: Poor Quality '65 S-body Door Assembly on last day L30

When I complained about all the poor quality issues of my just delivered '77 T/A from Norwood,the dealer said mine was one of the better ones. He showed me some others that had just come off the truck and he was right. I still own it with some of the flaws present. Sad to say it was a huge quality let down after my '73 240-Z.