1966 GTO 421??

[Bobcat]

Since, I don't have time to recreate the three shifts and the out line of the Pontiac assembly line process. Let me Refer you to the GTOAA monthly magzine "THE LEDGEND". Which in 1993 Eric White did a complete series of approximately 8 issues, from January to December 1993. The series of articles were titled "Made In Pontiac" gives a nice general overview of the Pontiac assembly process in Pontiac. This will give an insight of the workings.
First, there were three shifts. With each shift having approximately 200 engines always on the hook. Each engine was tested then placed on one of two round tables and run for about 30 seconds with instruments. Reject and install. Good motors where hung up to besent down to plant 8. If a excessive run of bad motors or somthing happened, like an engineer needing an engine the line was NOT interuped for long. The plant was also shipping motors to other plants. and sometimes instead of a three day supply they could be as close as one to one. Unit to engine. There were approximately 500 bodies in the Fischer Body bank across the street. The plant wasn't as hung up on numbers as you are. Most of the other car company's only go by approximate date codes. But even Pontiac would pull out old stock that could have been stored several months. "House Rule was 30 - 90 days that the engine should be installed into a car.
Defective engines got into cars and where put into the "100%" or reliablity hut behind plant 9, that would fit six cars, and would have complete engine pulled and exchanged. The engines prior to 1968 were unit number NOT body VIN. numbers.
SO, NO THIS WOULD NOT DISRUPT THE ENTIRE LINE. Only a few cars in line and any car that was pulled for problems and placed in the reliablity hut. Pullys were installed down the line. Body's were dropped after the drive line, suspenion, wheels and tires where on the chassis.
Modern assembly, loads the craddle with all the pully's etc, under the already assembled unitized body. These where body and frame.
Computers are now used. Punch cards and typewriters in the dark ages.
Contact the GTOAA and get a copy of Eric White's series. Be informed. Some of the plants are giving tours, take one.

[Bobcat]

I forgot to answer your important question. I have no idea where you saw brackets and VIN's on enigines in the pre computer age. But the Pontiac plant used a guy by the name of Emanuel Labor. He would wait until the already installed drive train suspension etc. was about to be mated to the now desending body shell. ON the body cowl would be a paper with punch marks and a VIN number. He would set his metal hand punch and first head to the left rear frame behind the wheel arch, top rail and punch in that VIN number, as his cousin Manuel Labor would punch the same VIN number into the block. There would also be a VIN punched into the firewall behind the heater box as the body was mounted onto the frame. As the unit went down the line others would read the cowl sheet, frame sheet, interior sheet trunk sheet and put the other door post or dash VIN in with star rivets and the items, OLD CONCEPT here, would be read Manual and Emanuals cousins down the line. While at their respective places they read the sheet and hand pick from the bins behind them the item/ brackets needed to hand assemble the car. Wrong engine, right VIN #. Too simple isn't it.
There is a new book at Borders and Barns and Noble in their Automotive section showing the old assembly line and just how the lines ran. Go thumb through it, it's fasinating for people who are not firmiliar with auto plant manufacturing. It will hopefully help you better understand.
I'm affraid to even tell you about the foreman that would walk cars down the line to make sure options not ordered were put on cars for VIP's or friends. Or in the case of many special Royal Pontiac cars, they made sure that sound deadening and dumb dumb where omitted. And no, these were not caught in final inspection back than. No one had time to look over the entire list. And NO Jim Mattison would NOT have record of this in his Historic Services.
The inspectors just made sure the cars ran off the line. Only one in maybe 20 cars probably more where pulled for assembly quality inspection and moved into the 100% (Reliablity) garage behind the plant. That was more for defects than to catch add ons. Like miss matched shocks. Leaky intakes, not working heaters, lights or air conditoning. The guards would just make sure that nothing loose was in the cars unless they saw hand written instuctions, like headers in trunk for the '67 Z-28's.

[Steve_Hoog]

More excellent info [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggthumpup.gif[/img]

[Belair62]

Great info....where the heck have you been ?

[JoeC]

Bobcat, welcome to site and thanks for the informative post.
You mention two of my favorite hot rodders Bunkie Knudson and Smokey Yunick.
That was some team. A top mechanic and a top executive. When they worked on Hudsons in the 50ís Hudson was winning races, they worked on Pontiacs late 50ís early 60ís and the black/gold Pontiacs were winning races, they worked together at Chevy 62-68 and did some great stuff with black/gold cars there.
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