1936 Pontiac Assembly Line Video

[Johnny McCrae]

Got this from a friend of mine. It's a short film (nine minutes) of the 1936 Pontiac Assembly line. Thought it was very interesting.

http://www.dump.com/2011/07/15/fascinating-1936-footage-of-car-assembly-line-video/

I never knew they had that much automation back then.

[Delmonico]

Got this from a friend of mine. It's a short film (nine minutes) of the 1936 Pontiac Assembly line. Thought it was very interesting.

http://www.dump.com/2011/07/15/fascinating-1936-footage-of-car-assembly-line-video/

I never knew they had that much automation back then.

Neat, but that ain't 1936 Pontiacs they're making, them are 1936 Chevys.  Note the Stovebolt OHV Six, the Pontiac would have had a flat head six or straight eight.  The Pontiac would have also had the large chrome decoration up the center of the hood.

[Johnny McCrae]

You have a sharp eye Del. I might have noticed if it was a 1936 Ford but not the difference between a Pontiac versus a Chevy. Oldest car I had was a 1953 Ford Victoria Hardtop. Bought it in 1956.

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[Delmonico]

Have owned 2 1949's a Chevy and a Ford.  I might not have noticed, but I was curious if they were gonna put the 8 or the 6 in it.  I then noticed the valve cover and looked closer and saw it was Chevies.

Pontiac held out with the the flatheads till 1955 when they came out with their Strato Streak V-8.

[Forty Rod]

Not so much automation as mechanization.  Almost all of that was controlled by an operator...or more than one. 

Still had a lot of that when I worked for cat in 1970-1971. Still had a foundry or two with tamped earth floors, and no such thing as A/C.  Winter heating was marginal, at best.  Like to froze my tookus off a time or two.

It wasn't much more advanced at McDonnell Douglas in 1978-1979.  Mechanization up the wazoo, but very little automation.  Still no A/C and little heating...but California winters are warmer than Illinois.

[Four-Eyed Buck]

Del, maybe that was a Chevy line in Pontiac, Mich.

[Johnny McCrae]

You are correct Forty rod. "Mechanization" is a better choice of words than "Automation".

[Delmonico]

Don't matter, doubt OSHA would let most of it be used today.  On the tops before they assemble the body note the guys feeling for depects with the gloved hands.  The glove makes the hand slide easier.  Bet the one they marked got worked out with a pick and a file.

[Four-Eyed Buck]

More than likely, Del..............