really cool 70 Z28..simply the best.

[farone]

All kidding aside, you are taking great photos. These will be used by many historians and restorers. Thanks

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I don't want to mention any names, but......

[ORIGLS6]

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Great pix Charley. This is one helluva lot better than anything on TV.

And I'll send you a Mickey Mouse band aid for that battle scar. (Actually, I'll see if I have one with Goofy on it.)

[JohnZ]

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Does anyone know how long between when the engine is painted that the spark plugs go in ? Are the engines test fired on the assembly line ? I have a bunch of pics of the plugs and most have what looks like orange engine paint. Like specs. Not overspray but I am trying to imagine a painted engine being test fired before maybe puddled paint is completely dry ? I dunno but it is curious.

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Engines were hot-tested (using an adapter and natural gas for fuel and a slave ignition harness with a coil and plug wires that was part of the test stand) at the engine plant; it only ran for 30-40 seconds, just long enough to set the timing and check for leaks/noises. From hot-test it went to the paint booth (at 300 per hour), which was preceded by a masking operation, where they placed cardboard tubes over the spark plugs, put a piece of tape on the front pad, put a cardboard tube over the water pump shaft and hub, taped-off the fuel pump opening, masked the carb pad surface, put a coffee can over the distributor, and placed vacuum-formed plastic covers on aluminum intakes and aluminum valve covers.

The guys on each side in the paint booth had twelve seconds to spray it, and there was a de-masking area after the exit from the spray booth to remove the plastic covers, cardboard tubes, tape, etc. From there the engine was routed to the correct spot on the shipping dock for the designated assembly plant, racked (3 to a rack), and loaded in rail cars; the paint air-dried on the way to the dock.

Photo below taken in 1955 shows engines at the shipping dock being pulled off the conveyor and placed in racks - the engine state of dress as shown didn't change appreciably until the early 80's - Chevy V-8's were pretty "naked" when they left Flint V-8 (and Tonawanda).

[Mr70]

Very good pictures from both.
Picking up in mid assembly,and in general,I thought Flint assembled as such:..no?
..engine turned upright
..TDC determined,timing pointer
..cam lifters installed
..cylinder heads attached
..rocker arms,balls,studs
..intake manifold attached
..Valves adjusted
..rocker covers attached
..Misc. bkts. & switches
..build date/suffix code stamped
..water test w/Vac gauge
..oil cavity test
..block painted
..distributor attached
..coil & spark plug wires attached
..spark plugs inserted
..temp.switches applied
..hot test
..water & oil drained
..exhaust manifolds applied
..spark plug wire supports & heat shields applied
..component verification
..racked & ready for shipping

I thought Tonawanda did their assembly order differently.
Wasn't installing spark plugs,then painting the block afterwards one of them?

[TimG]

Charley,
If I remember right, this is an LA car. Mine probably wouldn't have the build sheet under the seat.

[Verne_Frantz]

Rick,
I have seen that list in Colvin's book and questioned it. It doesn't make sense to waste paint on a motor that might fail at test. Not to mention, it would make small leaks hard to detect.
Verne

[Jacsey 70Z]

Charlie, The only thing I'm aware of that was painted with a brush on the engine was the plug wire stansions. Take a look should see the brush marks and the orange bolts. My car had brush marks on the valve cover and down the side of the block, the splattered plug were they the rears?

[Charley Lillard]

almost all the plugs have spatter.

[Verne_Frantz]

Charley, Please save your PMs to the hard drive and clean out your box!

[Charley Lillard]

I have cleaned it out but it still doesn't work. Reset cookies etc but nothing. Sent emails amd PM's to Rob.