Shoddy work, maybe by GM

[71CHEVYSHORTBED402]

Originally Posted by bill3rail

I would request a warranty inspection! That is insane, all hardware should be perfect with a truck this new!

J/K

Bill

I will. We'll soon see if GM truly stands by their product.

[mike16]

wasnt there a strike from late 71 through early 72. I hade a fire bird that had some unusual snafu's that could only have been done during intial production. just sayin its possible. belonged to a few unions so its possible

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by mike16

wasnt there a strike from late 71 through early 72. I hade a fire bird that had some unusual snafu's that could only have been done during intial production. just sayin its possible. belonged to a few unions so its possible

Yes.

http://www.norwoodassemblyplant.com/order.html

K

[GASoline71]

If your truck had a numbers matching 4 bolt main 327... then you'd have something.

j/k...

Gary

[motorcritter]

I got stories about working in a stamping plant (ca. '71-72)- but it was for Frod. Needless to say, I would never buy one back then. Years later, I was living in DC, one of my motorcycle club brothers had a station wagon that was the ones I had worked on. I asked if he had any troubles (he didn't buy it new). He said it ran alright, but the fuel tank fell out- the panel bottom had rusted out! That was the very pieces that my line made- and I was the guy who put the rust proofing paint on them. We did have a good laugh- all the guys on my line were high or drunk, or both, when we were in the plant. Frod hired guys to work Monday's and Fridays, just to cover the absenteeism. We did take a whole lotta shortcuts during production. White shirts came down from Dearborn to watch us 'work', we had produced about 6 months worth of panels that had to be hand-fitted to the platforms, otherwise they would warp! No wonder the Japanese overtook the U.S. industry. Looking back, the conditions were pretty bad, they mandated hearing protection about a month after I started, by then, I was already deaf at those noise levels (still am). I watched a guy who did two tours in 'Nam, without injury, loose a finger on a production line. Watched a guy get smashed to death in a press, that cycled accidentally, too. I got a panel cut so bad I lost about a pint of blood, and the foreman got pissed because I wasn't able to come back to the line- I got sent to a hospital. I still won't buy a Frod. I was kind of glad I got drafted, because I knew I wouldn't go back to the plant. Guys I knew at the GM and Chrysler plants (this was all northeast Ohio) had the same kind of tales to tell.
Posted via Mobile Device

[leddzepp]

Originally Posted by motorcritter

We did have a good laugh- all the guys on my line were high or drunk, or both, when we were in the plant.
Posted via Mobile Device

This is the norm for every blue collar job I have ever worked.

I get a laugh out of the people who are so focused on, and worry about every minute detail of how the truck came from the factory, for this very reason.

[jeffahart]

I too, have a screw loose!

[71CHEVYSHORTBED402]

Interesting stories. All I can say is good thing these were simple builds. For many reasons, it's no wonder post 72 and especially 80s American made have mostly been long on gadgets and short on quality.

I bought my first Toyota in 2005. It has 67K on it. I did need an o-ring for the A/C replaced ($120). Since then I've bought one son an 97 Camry. In 2008 I bought the other son a 1989 4-runner, with just 62K miles on it. And my wife an 2011 Corolla.

That 4-runner was stolen. It was my son's welcoming to San Diego, just 2 weeks after he moved there. To say the least he was unhappy, and it was uninsured (we only paid $2200 for the truck). Sometimes father knows best, and he didn't take my advise to heart. As for my wife's car, I'd have preferred a Camry, but she liked the suspension on the Corolla. Thing turns on a dime, and has the best brakes I've seen by far.

[mike16]

Originally Posted by motorcritter

all the guys on my line were high or drunk, or both, when we were in the plant. Posted via Mobile Device

Hate to say it but those were the good old days

I worked in the wilmington Delaware gm plant. same same.

[71CHEVYSHORTBED402]

I've only worked in a manufacturing setting once, building computers. Little evidence of drugs or alcohol. I generally hit the bud after work. Besides, I was responsible for 30 people. Too much sh!t going on. Different atmosphere and was during the 80s.