Pontiac Assembly Line photos

[StealthBird]

Starting a new thread of just assembly line pics!

1958 Pontiacs

[StealthBird]

1961 & 1962 Pontiac assembly

[StealthBird]

1963

[StealthBird]

1964

[StealthBird]

1965

[RPOLS3]

http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=download&Number=26848&filename= 1964 Pontiac being built - Fremont California.jpg

Thanks for starting this thread separately.

Those upper and lower control arms do not appear to be painted in several of the pictures.

Jake

[John Brown]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: RPOLS3</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Those upper and lower control arms do not appear to be painted in several of the pictures.

Jake </div></div>

They probably had some sort of waxy protective coating that they were dipped in from the supplier.

[Salvatore]

Man they are great pictures. The strenght of the American economy in those days!!!

[SS427]

I think both Oldsmobile and Pontiac assembled them without paint unlike Chevrolets that were painted. The upper ball joints are also different then the Chevrolet cars.

[StealthBird]

1966 <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/beers.gif

[grantprix]

Great idea! These are so neat to see, keep'm coming!

<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/beers.gif

[StealthBird]

1967

[StealthBird]

Sorry, meant to post more pictures, but was at a car show all day today. Just got home. <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/smile.gif

1968

[RAIIIT/A]

That blue Catalina is a '67....

[StealthBird]

Didn't even notice this before, but are those Canadian export 67 Pontiacs? Look like Chevy orange engines.

[PeteLeathersac]

'67 Canadian Laurentian getting the body drop above, probably Oshawa plant?.
As most here know, our Canadian B-Body Pontiacs had Chevy chassis and drivetrains, W-Motors and MK1V's included!.

<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/beers.gif
~ Pete

[downunder1]

In the late sixties my dad had a '66 Pontiac Laurentian, factory right hand drive, 283ci powerglide, and it had a '65 Chevy dash.


John

[Keith Seymore]

Ok - took me a little while to get organized, but here's what I found on my first pass through my files:

Another shot of Pete and his little &quot;space cowboy&quot;

http://i1016.photobucket.com/albums/af284/lmseymore/Assembly%20plant/1962PeteEstes.jpg

[Keith Seymore]

Few more -

Pontiac Michigan plant, Fisher body side:

http://i1016.photobucket.com/albums/af284/lmseymore/Assembly%20plant/FisherBodyPlantPontiacMI.jpg

Fisher Body:

http://i1016.photobucket.com/albums/af284/lmseymore/Assembly%20plant/Fisher_Body_Plant_c1970.jpg

Fisher Body postcard:

http://i1016.photobucket.com/albums/af284/lmseymore/Assembly%20plant/Fisher_Body_Postcard.jpg

[Keith Seymore]

Document from the Fremont plant opening:

Fremont document:

http://i1016.photobucket.com/albums/af284/lmseymore/Assembly%20plant/FremontStartinfo.jpg

[Keith Seymore]

Back lot of Pontiac:

http://i1016.photobucket.com/albums/af284/lmseymore/Assembly%20plant/Pontiac20Assy_Car20Lot.jpg

For comparison, here's a pic of the back lot from my alma mater - Flint Truck Assembly

http://i1016.photobucket.com/albums/af284/lmseymore/Assembly%20plant/FlintAssemblybackyard.jpg

[Keith Seymore]

Painting rally wheels - these happen to be truck wheels, but the process is the same:


http://i1016.photobucket.com/albums/af284/lmseymore/Assembly%20plant/wheel.jpg

[Keith Seymore]

Oakland Motor Car Company Headquarters:

http://i1016.photobucket.com/albums/af284/lmseymore/Assembly%20plant/OaklandMotorCarCo.jpg

This building is still standing on Oakland Avenue in Pontiac and is use as a community center.

K

[Keith Seymore]

Pontiac Motor Division:

http://i1016.photobucket.com/albums/af284/lmseymore/Assembly%20plant/Pontiac_Motor_Car_Co_Pontiac_MI.jpg

Pontiac Michigan postcard - final assembly plant side:

http://i1016.photobucket.com/albums/af284/lmseymore/Assembly%20plant/Pontiac_Motor_Car_Co_Pontiac_MI_Postcard.jpg

[Keith Seymore]

Technically not an assembly &quot;line&quot; photo, more assembly research.

This is a Keller machine -

http://i1016.photobucket.com/albums/af284/lmseymore/Assembly%20plant/Assembly.jpg

It is a tracing/duplicating machine; the pattern is located at the top, and the bottom portion is machining a die or a mold, in this case.

The pattern is lined with masking tape, to provide roughly .007&quot; additional material, which is then polished out by hand. My Dad, trained as a tool &amp; die maker, called masking tape &quot;Keller tape&quot; in casual conversation for this reason.

You'll note the pattern in this case is the original mold for the front clip of the '53 Corvette. The photo was taken at the GM Assembly Research Center (GMARC), located on the north east corner of the Flint Assembly property, and is also where the first 300 Corvettes were assembled.

http://i1016.photobucket.com/albums/af284/lmseymore/Assembly%20plant/first-corvette-1953group.jpg

http://i1016.photobucket.com/albums/af284/lmseymore/Assembly%20plant/first-corvette-1953.jpg

I worked in this building off and on early in my career, but sadly this building is no longer there.

K

[Keith Seymore]

Sidebar: Car Haulers -

No assembly plant stories would be complete without discussion about the trucks that hauled them away.

http://i1016.photobucket.com/albums/af284/lmseymore/Assembly%20plant/FJBoutellhauler.jpg

http://i1016.photobucket.com/albums/af284/lmseymore/Assembly%20plant/FJBoutellhauler2.jpg

You'll notice these two haulers are owned by the &quot;FJ Boutell Company&quot; - significant to me since I had not one but two uncles who drove for Boutell. In fact, one of my uncles is the gentleman that loaned Mr Boutell the money to start his company.

Ever here an urban legend about a truck driver that ripped the top off a Buick showcar via a freeway overpass; the car being saved and subsequently turned into a convertible? That would be my Uncle Joe. Fortunately, his relationship with Mr Boutell (and their earlier financial transaction) probably saved his job that day.

K

http://i1016.photobucket.com/albums/af284/lmseymore/Car%20Haulers/image013.jpg

[Keith Seymore]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: StealthBird</div><div class="ubbcode-body">1963 http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=download&amp;Number=26841&amp;filename= 1963 Grand Prix - assembly line s.jpg </div></div>

I did this job, for a day, at the truck plant during my GMI cooperative work experience.

Went pretty well, too - until I dropped a front tow hook on my partner's foot....

K

[Keith Seymore]

Found this looking for something else:

http://i44.tinypic.com/2dhywwy.jpg

[Keith Seymore]

Nobody's posted this one yet?!?

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b369/hotrod001/1969-Assembly.jpg

[Keith Seymore]

Here's what I was looking for.

This is the Pontiac Michigan complex as it stands today:



The building with the vines on it is the old Engineering Building on Joslyn Ave. The white building is the old Pontiac Administration building. These buildings are used by GM Powertrain now:

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b369/hotrod001/Pontiac%20Facilities/PontiacFacilities001.jpg
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b369/hotrod001/Pontiac%20Facilities/PontiacFacilities002.jpg
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b369/hotrod001/Pontiac%20Facilities/PontiacFacilities004.jpg
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b369/hotrod001/Pontiac%20Facilities/PontiacFacilities005.jpg
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b369/hotrod001/Pontiac%20Facilities/PontiacFacilities008.jpg
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b369/hotrod001/Pontiac%20Facilities/PontiacFacilities009.jpg
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b369/hotrod001/Pontiac%20Facilities/PontiacFacilities010.jpg
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b369/hotrod001/Pontiac%20Facilities/PontiacFacilities011.jpg
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b369/hotrod001/Pontiac%20Facilities/PontiacFacilities012.jpg
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b369/hotrod001/Pontiac%20Facilities/PontiacFacilities013.jpg


This white building stands where final assembly used to be, and is a US Postal Service facility.

[Keith Seymore]

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b369/hotrod001/Pontiac%20Facilities/PontiacFacilities014.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b369/hotrod001/Pontiac%20Facilities/PontiacFacilities019.jpg

[StealthBird]

Great photos Keith. <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/beers.gif

Some more from 69-70...

[StealthBird]

..

[Keith Seymore]

Stealthbird - what about the &quot;Pontiac Pours it on&quot; videos? Are those still available and could they be linked here?

K

[StealthBird]

Keith, I have the &quot;Pontiac Pours It On&quot; film, but not sure how to link it. There's a rough version on YouTube I believe.

Here's a few from 1971...

[StealthBird]

<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/beers.gif

[RAIIIT/A]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: StealthBird</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Keith, I have the &quot;Pontiac Pours It On&quot; film, but not sure how to link it. There's a rough version on YouTube I believe.

Here's a few from 1971...

</div></div>

What is that guy doing on that T/A???? Is that a gear shift sitting on the bumper???

[njsteve]

Looks like a rig for adjusting the bumper to body alignment. The shifter handle looks like a neat modification to get some leverage. He appears to be tightening the upper attaching bolts behind the bumper.

[Keith Seymore]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: njsteve</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Looks like a rig for adjusting the bumper to body alignment. The shifter handle looks like a neat modification to get some leverage. He appears to be tightening the upper attaching bolts behind the bumper. </div></div>

Agree. It was/is fairly common to make assembly tooling from production parts (ie, parts formerly destined to go on cars), because the material is so &quot;available&quot; <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/wink.gif

K