Legit SPID?

[davepl]

So Oshawa built trucks to be sold into the US? Are you sure? I know some would have made their way, but you guys weren't driving our Laurentians or Beaumonts, and you didn't get our GMC 910s, so why would you be getting our C10s?

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by davepl

So Oshawa built trucks to be sold into the US? Are you sure?

Absolutely.

Vehicles are assigned to the build plant roughly based on geography but also based on build combinations that may not be produced in every plant.

Also - the added plant volume might be required in order to fully support US sales.

My '74 Chevelle was built in Oshawa for use in the US (specifically, by me).

K

[davepl]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

Absolutely.

Vehicles are assigned to the build plant roughly based on geography but also based on build combinations that may not be produced in every plant.

Also - the added plant volume might be required in order to fully support US sales.

My '74 Chevelle was built in Oshawa for use in the US (specifically, by me).

K

It was different before 1971 though, under the AutoPact. There was a whole treaty, and cars usually had to be BUILT in the country of destination. That's why GM had to have these special "Pontiacs with Chevrolet Powertrains and Chassis" stuff.

The treaty improved things in 1965, but "Because of tariffs, only three percent of vehicles sold in Canada were made in the United States, but most of the parts were manufactured in the U.S. and overall Canada was in a large trade deficit with the States in the automobile sector."

So 1974 is different. But for our trucks, at least the 68-70s, I just don't think they came this way. Geographically if you're close to Oshawa it would have made sense, and maybe that's what they did later on, but before the 1971 treaty changes you couldn't do it.

....says the guy who just spent his morning trying to figure out a Wilwood kit only to learn that GM used C10 axles in the Pontiac 2+2 and Impala SS in the Oshawa plant!

[Keith Seymore]

That's interesting.

The attached article, which I suspect you referred to, suggests that by 1968 60% of the vehicles manufactured in Canada were destined for the US.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada...ucts_Agreement

K

[davepl]

I think you're right, so maybe it was the other direction - that's why they had to build them locally in Canada, they were not allowed to IMPORT, but they could export.

That would also explain why, at least in the Pontiacs, all the RHD export cars were built in Canada. I don't know about RHD trucks.

So, based on what I knew before and what I've learned on this thread:

- Vehicles could be built in Oshawa for consumption in Canada
- Canada built it's own GMC and Pontiac and various other brands and did NOT export them
- Canada built vehicles for export
- Canada didn't import GMC or Pontiac, and I don't think Chevrolet (all I saw were Oshawa cars)

So it was likely Canada with the strict tariffs and stuff. If that article's correct (and it has no References to support it unforunately) up to 60% of Canada's stuff was exported.

After 1970 Canada could import - my grandfather had a 1970 Catalina but my Dad had a 1969 Laurentian (which I still have).