.. I received a book today that spurred on a bit of scribble here... and thinking back...... If your got nothing at all to do it may fill in 5 minutes.... Not sure how many people have seen this but it may be of interest to many followers of US Automotive history and particualarly of GM Vehicles built in the Norwood Ohio GM Plant.. including the F body .. the 57 chevy's etc.. I had the first 3 copies arrive today of 9 coming and the 3 went out almost instantly, keeping one for myself. Anybody interested in Automotive /industrial history will get time out of this 300 plus page production.
The book was written by former GM employees and Norwood historians.. has some really interesting facts & heaps more in its 300 plus pages, including pictures of the crushing of approximately 1,100 of partially built..1972 model built Camaro & Firebirds... in late 71 in a race to change over to the new 73 models... looking down the barrel of new U.S. Federal laws changing to do with impact bumpers, fire safety, Emissions & more... but .. ..due to a prolonged 6 month strike at the plant mid 72.. many partially completed vehicles were stuck on this ghost like period when the plant was in industrial lock down. When the plant resumed.. some of the cars were donated to auto tech centers & other places of learning..... but due to the mountains of legal & paperwork and checks needed .. in the end it was cheaper to crush most. SOME.. survived and were shipped out as 72 models.. mixed in with the 4 days supply.. which had been frozen in the storage of 6 months during the strike... making some saved only by the fact they were at the end of the production line.. and petrol could go into them.. the rest.. gone...
Fifteen years later.. the Ohio plant.. was killed off in 1987.. much of its production moved to places like LA's Van Nuys Plant - (now a shopping mall after it closed in 1992 and production moved to Canada). Back in 89 - I had the good fortune to arrange as part of a U.S. tour group.. a extensive walk though visit of the then 3rd gen F body plant..800 odd cars a day.. all sold.. 2 shifts.... 14 Aussies will not forget it..
damn those were good days..... very few tours ever apparently went on as the expensive to operate plant also had the 2nd worst quality rating of any US GM Plant for many years.
Industrially out of interest... to those that frequent California... GM alone had 4 car plants in CA in the decade 82-92.... .... today there are NO big plants in CA of any measure..... hi taxes, high enviromental costs..higher wages & plant costs & as some may say a rooted anti-industry left wing greenie filled state government ..... but back then and its
NOT that long ago.. .. 2 were up around San Fransisco..
one just ten minutes away from SFO airport...."Southlands" just across the eastern side of the San Mateo-Haywoods Bay bridge..
( leading to some really great wrecking yards in that area in those & the later decade...) and the town of Freemont about 40 miles down the road on the edge of San Jose.. soon to become Silicone Valley... The early GTO was also built at the plant.. and still exists partially today..successfully building electric cars..
The book "Echoes of Norwood" is available in the US directly for those wanting a copy (US$39) but the delivery quoted was more then the book..and the website does not default for export supply costs immediately but was around U$57.
order on line directly
http://www.norwoodassemblyplant.com/Home_Page.php Echoes of Norwood
Phone 02 9829 5072
Phone 0438 658 458
Phone 0432 136 333
