mikess68
Well-Known Member
an old mopar employee, 70,71
well, here is what i saw. and some funny chry secrets:
1. did not care if the car made it to 15k miles, warranty ran out about 12k
2. when we made a top and it has a small pin holes in it, usually on one of the corners from dirt in the mold, we wrote V T on it. when it got to the end of the line it was placed in another rack for the vinyl top line. we did not paint them much so the glue would stick quicker and not have to wait for the paint to dry. ..really...
3. i think i invented the duster front half top single handed. also that why the landau top was used. no use to waste the whole vinyl sheet. just call it something else and put a 1ft wide strip. ... really. REALLY
4. the duster quarter panel weighs the same as the dart 2 door quarter, the dart was thinner.
5. the doors were made at another plant cause they were too hard for us mashers and crushers press operators.
6. when we ran the metal into the die, we would hear a ping, thump. then a "special" piece would come through and make a bump, thump thud sound, and weight was about 40percent more. we wondered why and after checking, these were the "special"cars that the brass were buying, AND the ones they sent to the feds to test! REALLY!. i bet those cars are still setting in a yard with no rust through. the end product weight was approx 900 lbs. more than the standard car. (they were told it was the higher options, like air, radio, light package, chrome, rally wheels, etc. *man that radio was 120 lbs i bet
7. dont try to fix one made on friday or until noon on monday. they usually were the 4dr mom and pops. and dull colors. (friday to get the production number in and cut out for home, mon for all the hangovers, it was the 70's you know) we had a special lot for them to have them double checked. had a bumper fall off when pushing it from the line when it wouldn't start. not me! i was making the fenders.
8. i was on the line that usually got all the 'fun' items. i punched so many shaker hoods, wonder where they all are now. production was 300/hr for the one line i was on most of the time. thats 3 times a day, 24/7 for a year. thats a lot of shaker hoods.
9. what scraps? the parts that we cut off were used in other parts, like hood hinges, trunk supports, hood latch area, inner fenders sometimes. i would spend one day cutting them out and the next day spot welding the two back together to make a piece big enough for the heater door
(that spot welder was a terrible job, for some reason that machine would break down often for hours, usually due to someone putting 3 parts thick under the die and that really made a mess. ha ha) hey, it was 125 degrees in there and the welder was so hot you had to have special shoes to keep from melting. walk a mile in my melted shoes!
anyone else wonders what went on when your car was made, let me have your question and if i was around, i will tell you what i know. bottom line, i really can't beleive what those things are selling for right now! p.s. the best, highest quality small car made during that time, was....are you ready..... the 1970 duster.. slant 6! that was the one they hung their hat on. the best i seen was, and this is a factory orginal, i know that, forget your trim plates. we made a run of dusters that were plum, black vT, black 340 stripe, white interior some buckets, some bench, and ALL of them were 6 bangers, auto, std brakes, power stearing, rally wheels. find that on your build sheets! don't know where the boss was that day, a meeting i think. but i know at least 50 ran off. that happened often. o well, just some fun facts. i dont know it all, just some things where i was that day. i seen the sheet metal stampings, and at another place they were shipped to, i got the see the finished, or almost finished product. i worked a short time in the oven for the dashboards and worked with my cousin hanging doors (sorry for the scratches) i was young and strong and did most of the heavy work, and watched the line get brought over 50 of the 6slants inserts after the 340's bodies were complete and then come back around for the rest of the job. cousin larry had a sence of humor. no last names, i think they are still looking for us!
well, here is what i saw. and some funny chry secrets:
1. did not care if the car made it to 15k miles, warranty ran out about 12k
2. when we made a top and it has a small pin holes in it, usually on one of the corners from dirt in the mold, we wrote V T on it. when it got to the end of the line it was placed in another rack for the vinyl top line. we did not paint them much so the glue would stick quicker and not have to wait for the paint to dry. ..really...
3. i think i invented the duster front half top single handed. also that why the landau top was used. no use to waste the whole vinyl sheet. just call it something else and put a 1ft wide strip. ... really. REALLY
4. the duster quarter panel weighs the same as the dart 2 door quarter, the dart was thinner.
5. the doors were made at another plant cause they were too hard for us mashers and crushers press operators.
6. when we ran the metal into the die, we would hear a ping, thump. then a "special" piece would come through and make a bump, thump thud sound, and weight was about 40percent more. we wondered why and after checking, these were the "special"cars that the brass were buying, AND the ones they sent to the feds to test! REALLY!. i bet those cars are still setting in a yard with no rust through. the end product weight was approx 900 lbs. more than the standard car. (they were told it was the higher options, like air, radio, light package, chrome, rally wheels, etc. *man that radio was 120 lbs i bet
7. dont try to fix one made on friday or until noon on monday. they usually were the 4dr mom and pops. and dull colors. (friday to get the production number in and cut out for home, mon for all the hangovers, it was the 70's you know) we had a special lot for them to have them double checked. had a bumper fall off when pushing it from the line when it wouldn't start. not me! i was making the fenders.
8. i was on the line that usually got all the 'fun' items. i punched so many shaker hoods, wonder where they all are now. production was 300/hr for the one line i was on most of the time. thats 3 times a day, 24/7 for a year. thats a lot of shaker hoods.
9. what scraps? the parts that we cut off were used in other parts, like hood hinges, trunk supports, hood latch area, inner fenders sometimes. i would spend one day cutting them out and the next day spot welding the two back together to make a piece big enough for the heater door
(that spot welder was a terrible job, for some reason that machine would break down often for hours, usually due to someone putting 3 parts thick under the die and that really made a mess. ha ha) hey, it was 125 degrees in there and the welder was so hot you had to have special shoes to keep from melting. walk a mile in my melted shoes!
anyone else wonders what went on when your car was made, let me have your question and if i was around, i will tell you what i know. bottom line, i really can't beleive what those things are selling for right now! p.s. the best, highest quality small car made during that time, was....are you ready..... the 1970 duster.. slant 6! that was the one they hung their hat on. the best i seen was, and this is a factory orginal, i know that, forget your trim plates. we made a run of dusters that were plum, black vT, black 340 stripe, white interior some buckets, some bench, and ALL of them were 6 bangers, auto, std brakes, power stearing, rally wheels. find that on your build sheets! don't know where the boss was that day, a meeting i think. but i know at least 50 ran off. that happened often. o well, just some fun facts. i dont know it all, just some things where i was that day. i seen the sheet metal stampings, and at another place they were shipped to, i got the see the finished, or almost finished product. i worked a short time in the oven for the dashboards and worked with my cousin hanging doors (sorry for the scratches) i was young and strong and did most of the heavy work, and watched the line get brought over 50 of the 6slants inserts after the 340's bodies were complete and then come back around for the rest of the job. cousin larry had a sence of humor. no last names, i think they are still looking for us!
