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Started on one of my winter projects (rebuilding my Bose amps), and couldn't help but think someone along the way has a good sense of humor.
Anyone else notice something on their Vette that would have been done on the assembly line, or somewhere else along the manufacturing process that made you smile?
While not on a vette, at work I've been known to randomly put smiley faces on things and doodle things while at work.
I used a paint pen to put a heart on my flex plate when I dropped the engine in. It'll be fun to see what the trans shop says when they pull the thing out.
That is funny.
Back when I was rebuilding jet ski motors on the side, I used to write "Your Fault" on the bottom of the engine casings before I put the engines back in.
That is funny.
Back when I was rebuilding jet ski motors on the side, I used to write "Your Fault" on the bottom of the engine casings before I put the engines back in.
Lol, no, I tried to stay away from those. These were mostly two-stroke Kawasaki and Yamaha motors pulled from race stand-up jet-skis. Essentially bulletproof, but I think folks took that as a challenge.
A friend had an Olds 88 and it had a noise in the door. He finally took the door apart and found a bottle with a note inside. It said "so you found the rattle".
Lol, no, I tried to stay away from those. These were mostly two-stroke Kawasaki and Yamaha motors pulled from race stand-up jet-skis. Essentially bulletproof, but I think folks took that as a challenge.
As they always do lol. It was only the outboards we gave that nickname to. Yamaha made for the most part, the best skis/waverunners in the 90s hands down. That's why my new one is also a yamaha.
Back in the 70's, I was re-carpeting my old Celica and found three Pachinko ***** rolling around inside the body rail. I figured some assembler in Japan had to hide them from a lunchtime trip to the Pachinko Palace.
A few things...
When i tore apart my 88 in 2003, after i removed the K member to sand blast and paint it i saw something. Inside was another build sheet, almost worthless (falling apart etc) So i though that was cool...Then i heard a rattle as we got it redy to blast. About an hour later i removed a spent shell casing. I still have it, dont remember the caliber, but the firing pin indent was a double D shape. Never seen a firing pin make that mark. Point is, someone put tt there - no way it got there on its own.
When i welded in my roll bar, i put a dated time capsule in the drivers side bar...Just a cool note, lol.
And im a marine mechanic. Rebuild alot of engines/drives,etc....I used to always write something on the flywheel just to make someone laugh down the road.
Gotta laugh it forward lol
So who remembers taking your buddys hubcap off and putting a few rocks in it to drive him crazy for a few days till he found the source of the "noise"? lol
The last GMC Typhoon built (#2,200 in 1993) was signed by every assembly line worker as it went down the line. There were signatures in the doors, under the carpet, all over the floor pan under the car etc. It went up for sale a few years ago and there were pics of the floor pan posted, but I couldn't find them just now. Kind of cool.
That was also the last VEHICLE built at the Van Nuys plant. With the next F-Car (4th gen), GM took the opportunity to close the plant. While Van Nuys was old and obsolete, it was also always last in quality and customer satisfaction. Something like 34th place of 34 plants.
An acquaintance of mine worked at Van Nuys. He installed the window regulator in F-car. There were yellow lines denoting the beginning and end of each worker's work station. My guy never had quite enough time to get his window regulator installed before he was over the ending line. Management wouldn't do anything to remedy the situation. So he started installing the regulators just a little bit slower. About every 20th car, he'd be all the way to the end of the next work station. He'd go to the car just leaving his station and throw the parts in the car on the floor, then go to the car just entering his station. After a day's worth of production, about 20 cars had arrived at final inspection with the window regulator on the floor. Management came to him and asked what the problem was. He showed them how long it really took to do the work.
I don't recall if management did anything. But knowing this guy, and knowing about the notoriously poor build quality at Van Nuys, I'm thinking he probably DID throw the parts on the floor. When the plant closed he transferred to a warehouse job at Service Parts Operation in San Bernardino. He retired from GM with his pension intact a few years ago.
That's a great story, thanks for taking the time to share it. I've also read about the poor customer satisfaction associated with the vehicles that came out of Van Nuys plant... Sure makes you wonder if some of the issues we deal with on GM's flagship vehicle of the era were caused by rushed assembly, or other circumstances.
Assembly Line Humor
