12 thoughts on “Chevys—- Take your mind away from the shit show.”
I remember dad getting his first Chevrolet, a 1959 BelAir with the big sideways fins and in – Turquoise Blue. What a bomb!
The two guys on the GTO assembly line… I worked on the Chevrolet Bel-Air assembly line in 1967 making 1968 Chevys in Flint Mi. About every 3rd car back then had air conditioning. My job was to torque down the “big” nut on the compressor, clamp down two rad hoses and tighten the transmisson cooler lines. Fun times were had by all – now I know why you hope you never buy a car made on Friday. The specialized bumper nut air wrench broke one day – bumpers were just stuffed into the trunk for the dealer to assemble. We turned out about 69 cars an hour. Complete or not. There’s more but maybe in another installment.
I was a Teamster car hauler, working out of a railhead. I can’t tell you how many times I’d check the trunk on a car and see it full of parts. One time I had 10 windshield wiper motors. Other times you’d have 3 or 4 sets of wheel covers. Best ones were the wire wheel covers. Really fast money.
Dad worked “Plant Security” at the Buick in Flint. Sometimes he’d work at “Check-point Charlie”. That was the last checkpoint before Buick “signed off” responsibility for the car and it officially became the dealer’s property. They ran 55 cars an hour on the line. I got a chance to get into the shop to watch him work in 1973. There were certain things supposedly installed such as air conditioning, optional stereos and such. If said parts or customer add-ons were not installed he wouldn’t allow them to leave the factory, much to the dismay of the “white shirts” from GMI (General Motors Institute, the local brainiac school for GM hottentots) . They’d flock on down from their cushy offices and challenge Dad. (Man, Dad possessed a work ethic and was a stock holder in GM.) He wouldn’t budge at “letting shit slide”. So if too many got backed up they’d have to shut down the line, much to the dismay of white shirts.
The Man was an animal. Imagine opening the hoods, doors and trunks of 55 cars per hour. We are talking Wildcats, Electras and other heavy Buick Beasts of the era when cars were tanks. Marine, wounded on Iwo, 5’10”, 170lbs, wet and First Generation American through and through. Don’t make them like him much anymore. Loved him then and now.
First car I remember well was a 57 wagon. Followed by a 62 the 67 Chevy wagons. 210, Bel Air then a chevelle.
🎶 “Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry”. That’s all I’ve got concerning Chevy’s.
Dangit, CederQ, I have to wipe the drool off my chin every time you come up with 55-57 Chebbies. I really miss my two ’57 hardtops (one two door, one four door). That Bronze/Cream ’56 Nomad is a dream! Me want!
And that ’53 Corvette – Corvettes are my favorite car because it was introduced the same year/month that *I* was introduced into the world! My Wifey Unit says we are BOTH still Classics. Yeah, buddy!
(Never mind I had a ’67 427 L88-engined two-top… I’m not biased!)
Yeah, I think the last one is a Buick.
He just wanted to see if you were paying attention, Joe.
Back to your regularly scheduled program…
If Joe had looked carefully, I had a Pontiac and an Oldsmobile and a Cadillac in the mix…
Joe, I do this with every Chevy or Ford, even Dodge(yeech) post I put up. I call it Chevy/Ford/Dodge, I include all the other products not just Chevys or Fords etc… I am coming up with an AMC post and will include Rambler and Hornets and even Studebakers in it as they all were included in AMC’s provenance. So, you will see a mix…
CederQ, personally looking forward to your VW Bug posting. Always enjoy your efforts. Thanks. Grew up in “Buicktown”, aka, Flint,Michigan (hometown of Grand Funk)
I remember dad getting his first Chevrolet, a 1959 BelAir with the big sideways fins and in – Turquoise Blue. What a bomb!
The two guys on the GTO assembly line… I worked on the Chevrolet Bel-Air assembly line in 1967 making 1968 Chevys in Flint Mi. About every 3rd car back then had air conditioning. My job was to torque down the “big” nut on the compressor, clamp down two rad hoses and tighten the transmisson cooler lines. Fun times were had by all – now I know why you hope you never buy a car made on Friday. The specialized bumper nut air wrench broke one day – bumpers were just stuffed into the trunk for the dealer to assemble. We turned out about 69 cars an hour. Complete or not. There’s more but maybe in another installment.
I was a Teamster car hauler, working out of a railhead. I can’t tell you how many times I’d check the trunk on a car and see it full of parts. One time I had 10 windshield wiper motors. Other times you’d have 3 or 4 sets of wheel covers. Best ones were the wire wheel covers. Really fast money.
Dad worked “Plant Security” at the Buick in Flint. Sometimes he’d work at “Check-point Charlie”. That was the last checkpoint before Buick “signed off” responsibility for the car and it officially became the dealer’s property. They ran 55 cars an hour on the line. I got a chance to get into the shop to watch him work in 1973. There were certain things supposedly installed such as air conditioning, optional stereos and such. If said parts or customer add-ons were not installed he wouldn’t allow them to leave the factory, much to the dismay of the “white shirts” from GMI (General Motors Institute, the local brainiac school for GM hottentots) . They’d flock on down from their cushy offices and challenge Dad. (Man, Dad possessed a work ethic and was a stock holder in GM.) He wouldn’t budge at “letting shit slide”. So if too many got backed up they’d have to shut down the line, much to the dismay of white shirts.
The Man was an animal. Imagine opening the hoods, doors and trunks of 55 cars per hour. We are talking Wildcats, Electras and other heavy Buick Beasts of the era when cars were tanks. Marine, wounded on Iwo, 5’10”, 170lbs, wet and First Generation American through and through. Don’t make them like him much anymore. Loved him then and now.
First car I remember well was a 57 wagon. Followed by a 62 the 67 Chevy wagons. 210, Bel Air then a chevelle.
🎶 “Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry”. That’s all I’ve got concerning Chevy’s.
Dangit, CederQ, I have to wipe the drool off my chin every time you come up with 55-57 Chebbies. I really miss my two ’57 hardtops (one two door, one four door). That Bronze/Cream ’56 Nomad is a dream! Me want!
And that ’53 Corvette – Corvettes are my favorite car because it was introduced the same year/month that *I* was introduced into the world! My Wifey Unit says we are BOTH still Classics. Yeah, buddy!
(Never mind I had a ’67 427 L88-engined two-top… I’m not biased!)
Yeah, I think the last one is a Buick.
He just wanted to see if you were paying attention, Joe.
Back to your regularly scheduled program…
If Joe had looked carefully, I had a Pontiac and an Oldsmobile and a Cadillac in the mix…
Joe, I do this with every Chevy or Ford, even Dodge(yeech) post I put up. I call it Chevy/Ford/Dodge, I include all the other products not just Chevys or Fords etc… I am coming up with an AMC post and will include Rambler and Hornets and even Studebakers in it as they all were included in AMC’s provenance. So, you will see a mix…
CederQ, personally looking forward to your VW Bug posting. Always enjoy your efforts. Thanks. Grew up in “Buicktown”, aka, Flint,Michigan (hometown of Grand Funk)