Author Topic: Van Nuys plant  (Read 2197 times)

william

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Learning more and more about less and less...

VINCE Z28

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Re: Van Nuys plant
« Reply #1 on: July 04, 2020, 05:32:25 PM »
 That was cool ....thanks William.
" He who knows naught, knows not that he knows naught"  It's not you...  It's just the way my brain is wired.

169INDY

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Re: Van Nuys plant
« Reply #2 on: July 04, 2020, 05:51:34 PM »
Yes, thank you for sharing.

Carbs in cages- Funny
Jim
68 SS/RS L35 Th-400 LOS
69 Pace Car L48 Th-350 LOS
68 Z28 M21 LOS

GMAD_Van Nuys

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Re: Van Nuys plant
« Reply #3 on: July 04, 2020, 10:34:47 PM »
A small group of hourly and salaried employees from the Van Nuys Assembly Plant were assembled to come up with ideas for a RS Camaro, with Hank Haga, Director of the GM Advanced Concepts Center in nearby Newbury Park, heading the team.  Hank was previously the head of the Chevrolet Design Studio #2, which developed the original Camaro:

 https://www.hagerty.com/media/automotive-history/how-chevrolet-created-the-camaro-to-take-on-fords-mustang/

Hank was a great guy and would always drive to the Van Nuys Plant in a new Firebird Trans Am.  The aim of the RS Camaro was to increase sales in California.  I was fortunate to be on the team and wanted the RS Camaro to use the P235/60 tires from the 1986 Z28, but we ended up using P215/65 tires due to the cost.  Hank was a real automotive enthusiast and told me that he used to vintage race his 250 LM Ferrari while working at GM in Europe, but always worried if he blew-up the engine at high speed that the oil would cover the rear tires as the LM was mid-engine and he would crash.  Hank sold the Ferrari when he moved to Encino, CA and bought a very nice home.  Unfortunately, Hank passed away from cancer in 1988.

When the next generation Camaro/Firebird was being planned, marketing estimated that sales would be no more than 140,000 vehicles per year and as GM needed 200,000 vehicles to be produced at Van Nuys in order to make a profit, it was decided to close the plant and move production to Canada. - Mark

bcmiller

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Re: Van Nuys plant
« Reply #4 on: July 04, 2020, 11:47:52 PM »
A small group of hourly and salaried employees from the Van Nuys Assembly Plant were assembled to come up with ideas for a RS Camaro, with Hank Haga, Director of the GM Advanced Concepts Center in nearby Newbury Park, heading the team.  Hank was previously the head of the Chevrolet Design Studio #2, which developed the original Camaro:

 https://www.hagerty.com/media/automotive-history/how-chevrolet-created-the-camaro-to-take-on-fords-mustang/

Hank was a great guy and would always drive to the Van Nuys Plant in a new Firebird Trans Am.  The aim of the RS Camaro was to increase sales in California.  I was fortunate to be on the team and wanted the RS Camaro to use the P235/60 tires from the 1986 Z28, but we ended up using P215/65 tires due to the cost.  Hank was a real automotive enthusiast and told me that he used to vintage race his 250 LM Ferrari while working at GM in Europe, but always worried if he blew-up the engine at high speed that the oil would cover the rear tires as the LM was mid-engine and he would crash.  Hank sold the Ferrari when he moved to Encino, CA and bought a very nice home.  Unfortunately, Hank passed away from cancer in 1988.

When the next generation Camaro/Firebird was being planned, marketing estimated that sales would be no more than 140,000 vehicles per year and as GM needed 200,000 vehicles to be produced at Van Nuys in order to make a profit, it was decided to close the plant and move production to Canada. - Mark

What years did you work there?
Bryon / 1968 Camaro SS 396 coupe - now old school 468 big block
1967 Camaro RS/SS 396 coupe L35/M40 - 4 generation family project
Looking for 68 Camaro with body # NOR 181016

GMAD_Van Nuys

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Re: Van Nuys plant
« Reply #5 on: July 05, 2020, 12:06:51 AM »
bcmiller -  I worked at the Van Nuys Plant from 1978 to 1986, although I still visited the facility as I was a GM employee until 1989.  Just drove my 1979 Trans Am around the neighborhood, which was built while I worked at Van Nuys, although I'm not the original owner as it has the 400 Pontiac engine, which was not available in California.