What does "AIM" mean?
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Instructor
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From: Lansing MI
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From: Southbound
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The assembly instruction manual (AIM) was an internal GM publication used to show assembly line personnel how to assemble the cars. They were never intended for public use.
There were specific stations along the line where a complete AIM was supposed to be kept. If there was a question about how something was assembled, workers/supervisors were supposed to check the AIM.
AIMs are not specifically How-To documents, but they contain valuable year-specific information.
Sit down with your AIM and your FCB of choice and page through it. Read the various Notes; scan the drawings. You'll get the hang of things. Be aware the order in which things appear in the AIM are not necessarily the order in which the cars were assembled on the assembly line. As an example, there are a couple or three AIM pages showing how birdcages were welded together. The AIM shows the assembly but does not tell you birdcages were actually welded up off the assembly line in the basement of the building.
There were specific stations along the line where a complete AIM was supposed to be kept. If there was a question about how something was assembled, workers/supervisors were supposed to check the AIM.
AIMs are not specifically How-To documents, but they contain valuable year-specific information.
Sit down with your AIM and your FCB of choice and page through it. Read the various Notes; scan the drawings. You'll get the hang of things. Be aware the order in which things appear in the AIM are not necessarily the order in which the cars were assembled on the assembly line. As an example, there are a couple or three AIM pages showing how birdcages were welded together. The AIM shows the assembly but does not tell you birdcages were actually welded up off the assembly line in the basement of the building.
Last edited by Easy Mike; Sep 22, 2010 at 10:52 AM.
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From: Crossville TN
And another little 'tidbit'....
The main body of the AIM details the assembly of the base model vehicle...small block engine without options. The section in the back lists all the options and how those are implemented; that includes engine options. In some cases, to find the complete construction of a specific vehicle (ie, big block with a/c and power steering), you might have to refer to the engine option sheet, then the A/C option sheet, then the power steering option sheet in order to see the exact setup for a particular car. The info IS there, you just have to dig it out.
The main body of the AIM details the assembly of the base model vehicle...small block engine without options. The section in the back lists all the options and how those are implemented; that includes engine options. In some cases, to find the complete construction of a specific vehicle (ie, big block with a/c and power steering), you might have to refer to the engine option sheet, then the A/C option sheet, then the power steering option sheet in order to see the exact setup for a particular car. The info IS there, you just have to dig it out.
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From: Dayton, Ohio
Lots of hopping around to find what you need.
Years ago I found one of those things you see in Walmart and Kmart to display posters laying behind a store. I brought it home and put little hospital x-ray holders on it. If I had a big job to do I would put most of an AIM on all this holder,I think it had about 30 large double sided doors on it. It really made leafing through the AIM a piece of cake.
It bit the dust one day when a customer was pulling in and wasn't paying attention.
Years ago I found one of those things you see in Walmart and Kmart to display posters laying behind a store. I brought it home and put little hospital x-ray holders on it. If I had a big job to do I would put most of an AIM on all this holder,I think it had about 30 large double sided doors on it. It really made leafing through the AIM a piece of cake.
It bit the dust one day when a customer was pulling in and wasn't paying attention.
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From: Dayton, Ohio
Mine are pretty sad looking.
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Melting Slicks
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From: Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
That is fashionable now: Patina on everything.
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From: Crossville TN
Hey, guys.... That's why you buy the CD version, also. Then, you can do a "SEARCH" for the item you want to find, pull up all the relevant sheets and print any new ones that you need!!! 'Permanent' AIM sheets.
Just imagine if AIMs had ears ! Oh my ! 