Worked at one of the Big 3

[Vannort54]

Boy I thought there would be allot more on here because some here think they know how a car is made, and what it takes to build a car, and how everything comes together. But I guess most here have no idea on how a car is really built and how a assembly plant really works.

[iamweasel]

Originally Posted by Vannort54

I worked for Chrysler in the early 80's at their Michigan Warren Truck assembly plant we made the Dodge 1/2 3/4 and 1 ton pickup trucks, along with the Ramcharger, Powerwagon, Dulley, the Lill Red Truck, and the Warlock trucks. Then was transferred to their Newark Delaware assembly plant making the 4 door and the Station Wagon K cars. If you never seen how a car or pickup is made its really something else, just to see how everything comes together to give you a finished product. We were pitting out 55 trucks an hour, and 75 K Cars an hour. Just wondering if anyone else worked for the big 3 and at what plant.

As far as working "on the line" I was once a line supervisor at Michigan Truck Plant - which is now Michigan Assembly I think. (Made the Expedition/Navigator at the time I was there but now builds the Focus.)

I also have a lot of experience with many other plants where I did not work on the line directly. Spent a lot of time in many of them such as:

- Ford Wayne Assembly (Focus)
- Ford Rouge (Mustang)
- Ford Dearborn Truck, Norfolk and KC (F-150)
- Ford/Mazda Flat Rock (Mazda6 / Mustang)
- Detroit Diesel Engine (Series 60/DD13/DD15/DD16)
- Daimler Trucks, Cleveland and Mt. Holly, North Carolina (Freightliner Cascadia and M2)

[Magnatomicflux]

Originally Posted by Vannort54

Boy I thought there would be allot more on here because some here think they know how a car is made, and what it takes to build a car, and how everything comes together. But I guess most here have no idea on how a car is really built and how a assembly plant really works.

I've worked, not on the line, but as part of the in plant fire/rescue at Ford Essex Engine, Essex Aluminium, and brief stints at Windsor Engine/Annex/Casting (foundry).

While Essex Engine was impressive (1.5 million sq feet), I was in awe at the foundry. It was like stepping in to 1934. The foundry was home of the Windsor V8.

My step dad retired from Chrysler's Windsor Assembly (mini-van plant) after 30 some odd years.

[Fubarbundy]

In fourth grade ('73) we did a class trip to the Rouge plant in Dearborn.

Only remember looking down from a catwalk at workers stamping out parts, did not seem very pleasant to me at the time.

Closest factory to me is probably the Honda plant in Lincoln, AL... probably a very different experience to do a tour now?

[Ron61]

Originally Posted by Fubarbundy

In fourth grade ('73) we did a class trip to the Rouge plant in Dearborn.

Only remember looking down from a catwalk at workers stamping out parts, did not seem very pleasant to me at the time.

Closest factory to me is probably the Honda plant in Lincoln, AL... probably a very different experience to do a tour now?

If you ever get the chance to tour that Honda plant you owe it to yourself to do so. You will be amazed!

[unit731]

Originally Posted by Vannort54

Boy I thought there would be allot more on here because some here think they know how a car is made, and what it takes to build a car, and how everything comes together. But I guess most here have no idea on how a car is really built and how a assembly plant really works.

GM. Framingham.

[M3 Mitch]

Never worked there but did get a tour of the GM plant at Doraville, GA. At the time, 78 or 79, they were building Chevelle and El Camino cars on the line. Interesting to me because the cars on the line only shared the frame, they "built them in the sequence they were ordered in" - you go in and order a stripped white Chevelle, then I come in and order a loaded El Camino in red right after you - those two cars would come down the line one after the other. I would have expected say a few cars more or less identical, or at least the same paint color, to me that would seem easier to do, but obviously that is not how it works in real life.

This Doraville plant was closed years ago, now it's just an abandoned site.

[trlhiker]

Originally Posted by xsthomas

Ford truck plant in Norfolk Va. Good pay, but had a HUGE turnover rate of employees. I dont miss it.

I knew several people who worked there when I lived in Virginia Beach and none of them liked it or lasted very long.