Norwood Reunion Photo Tour

ss427copo · #1 07-18-2013, 09:59 PM

<span style="color: #CC0000"><span style="font-weight: bold">Phil Borris, you are unbelievable</span></span>. I say this because he single handedly put together this event that left all invitees and reunion member speechless. From Scott Settlemire, FBODFATHER, rolling in with a 2014 ZL1 to the lineup of some of the finest machines to roll off the assembly lines of Norwood, I for one will measure future exhibit by this one.

To listen to the stories from the mouths of the men and women who built the cars, they have blown away all the reteric and so called experts of today with their inaccuracies. These workers did in 1 minute what some folks today say "you'll need another 2 hours on that part"

They spoke like parents who hadn't seen their children in 40 some years. One worker who was called "Radio", looked at my 69 and said,"this is my work, this is my baby"

So enjoy some photos from the Reunion and remember <span style="color: #990000"><span style="font-weight: bold">The Echos of Norwood!</span></span>

UNLOADING THE 69
http://s141.photobucket.com/user/nhr...96a26.mp4.html

WELCOME ALL

2014 ZL1....WOW

PHIL BORRIS CHATTING WITH SCOTT SETTLEMIRE FROM CHEVROLET

A 1967 PILOT CAR....IT ALL STARTED WITH THIS HAND-BUILT CAR IN 1967

ALL THE PARTS WERE MARKED AND STORED ON SHELVES FOR FITMENT AND TOOLING

MARKED PANELS

A SECOND PILOT CAR....THIS ONE A 70 Z28. WOW!

MARK LENHARD CHECKING THE MANY DIFFERENCES THAN PRODUCTION CARS

WORKERS TALKING ABOUT ASSEMBLY LINE TIMES

INVITEE ALLISON AND PETE STINE WITH THEIR GORGEOUS 69 Z28

HELLO MY FRIEND, ITS BEEN A WHILE....

54 CARS AN HOUR? WE WERE THE BEST NORWOOD COULD OFFER

THE UNION....THE WORKERS

WORLD CLASS L78

JUST PLAIN HONORED TO HAVE BEEN INVITED BY PHIL

PURE BEAUTY

SOMEBODY WAKE ME UP...THIS HAS TO BE A DREAM!

NOT A SPECT OF DIRT ON ANY OF THESE CARS

FLAWLESS YENKO....OH BABY!

**SS427** · #2 07-18-2013, 10:15 PM

Damn! I knew I should have gone. I could sit there for hours and listen to their assembly line techniques. Many of you know how anal I am about how things were done on the assembly line and this would have been a great time to hear it first hand. My first question would have been, "How were the coil springs inserted into the frame in only a matter of seconds?". Thanks for posting the photos.

**Xplantdad** · #3 07-19-2013, 05:26 AM

Great stuff Jeff!

70 copo · #4 07-20-2013, 05:34 AM

Jeff,

Glad you had an enjoyable time! Did you get any photos of the Welcome meeting...I was kind of busy! [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/beers.gif[/img]

**Keith Seymore** · #5 07-21-2013, 02:15 PM

Thanks for posting; that was a lot of effort and I appreciate it. Congratulations to Phil on an impressive and obviously successful event.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ss427copo</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> One worker who was called "Radio", looked at my 69 and said,"this is my work, this is my baby"</div></div>

I love the old nicknames: we had "Mouse", "Radar", "Banana" and every area had at least one "Red", "Arkie", "Tex" or "Preacher".

Makes for some awkward conversations, though, sometimes. Someone will say "...did you hear Harold So-and-so passed away".

Me, thinking...."I don't think I knew a Harold So-and-so..."

Them: "Sure you did, he worked back in repair for 40 years".

Me: "hmmm"

Them: "You know...'Ratman'".

Me, gasping: "RATMAN?! RATMAN PASSED AWAY?! DAMMIT!! I DIDN"T EVEN KNOW HE WAS SICK!!"

**Keith Seymore** · #6 07-21-2013, 02:19 PM

Regarding the '67 pilot car: I assume that was built down the line in Norwood (as opposed to stall built in the preproduction shops).

The earliest mule cars: were they built off some existing platform? Like converted from Nova's or Corvairs?

K

**Keith Seymore** · #7 07-21-2013, 02:42 PM

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: SS427</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Damn! I knew I should have gone. I could sit there for hours and listen to their assembly line techniques. Many of you know how anal I am about how things were done on the assembly line and this would have been a great time to hear it first hand. My first question would have been, "How were the coil springs inserted into the frame in only a matter of seconds?". Thanks for posting the photos. </div></div>

It was done as you would imagine it: front cradles and rear axles details (ie, shocks, springs, brake lines, etc) were subassembled on a separate feeder line. The front upper and lower control arms were attached to the subframe, "open" at the ball joint end. The front spring was hydraulically compressed and positioned, and the ball joint attachments made.

So - the operation was done in a traditional way but the use of hydraulic compressors and air tools made it go faster.

Alternatively, for those vehicle assembly plants building full frame vehicles (like light duty trucks): the entire front engine/suspension crossemember could be built up at the source. This crossmember, complete with suspension and brake corners intact, could be received at the assembly plant and fed to the main line directly, where it was attached with two or three horizontal bolts and two or three vertical bolts (per side) in the vicitny of the engine mount. This reduces the time at the final assembly plant and transfers responsibility for the quality of the subassembly to the supplier.

K

DaJudge · #8 07-21-2013, 07:18 PM

Really cool reunion. This is what makes the hobby fun. How did you go about gathering or contacting the past employees? This would be really cool to do with the Pontiac MI plant workers and stage it around the GTOAA or POCI meets.

70 copo · #9 07-21-2013, 11:25 PM

The reunion was an off shoot of the book... While I was doing research for it, I began getting invited to the Picnics and Summer parties hosted by both groups.... One day in early 2011 the Salary group asked if I could locate perhaps a Camaro for a display at the picnic site, I replied why just one...

Gathering 2011 the experiment: https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/ubbt...;Number=460036

Nobody know how it was going to turn out so we all winged it. [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/beers.gif[/img]

**Keith Seymore** · #10 07-22-2013, 11:59 AM

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: DaJudge</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Really cool reunion. This is what makes the hobby fun. How did you go about gathering or contacting the past employees? This would be really cool to do with the Pontiac MI plant workers and stage it around the GTOAA or POCI meets. </div></div>

This might be tougher to do since they've already "dispersed"; sounds like Phil had a couple existing pools of former workers to draw from.

We may have missed that opportunity for Pontiac.

K