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GM Performance Build Center: The Jewel in GM's Powertrain Crown |
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GM Performance Build Center: The Jewel in GM's Powertrain Crown
by Jonathan Yarkony / Canadian Auto Press
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Every employee is an integral part of the factory, able to add  | | Plant workers that great pride in their work, and workstations are always kept immaculately clean and orderly for the next build in line. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, Canadian Auto Press) |
his input into making it the best facility possible, and several of the observations made by the builders have resulted in revisions to the process by which engines are built, creating new stations in the build procedure to ease traffic or switching the order of procedures for similar reasons. This is a factory that runs with a sense of teamwork and cooperation at every level, with engineers interacting with builders, because this is a site where engineers bring some of their new part designs to test in the assembly and experimentation with better performance in mind.
Before leaving the plant, each engine gets a 30- to 35-second Hot Test, to see if it's purring like a V8, and if any discrepancies are found, it's back to analysis, where the plant has an engine savant capable of diagnosing even some of the most obscure problems. If it meets approval, the Builder who oversaw every stage of the assembly lays down a small sticker with his name printed in plain block letters, essentially his or her signature for a future owner to thank in his prayers every night or her commute every morning. In fact, some owners even get in touch with their builders to get them to actually sign their engine covers--now that's respect--or to give them the rides of their lives in the machine powered by the engine they built. One of the few fringe benefits not covered by their UAW contract. Nice perks.
The Performance Build Center doesn't have a program for owners  | | The main entrance keeps a fully assembled Z06 'Vette shipped back from Bowling Green, Kentucky to remind everyone of the ultimate goal. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, Canadian Auto Press) |
to come in and watch their engine being built (as some of the European car companies do) since assembly of the car itself actually takes place in Kentucky, but for the right customer I'm sure the plant would open to tours as it was opened up to us journalists for the day, and they also have a mini-museum documenting the history of the small-block V8 that has powered Corvettes of six generations. Sadly, we didn't get a chance to work on any engines as we were hoping, but witnessing first hand the knowledge and respect our builder had for the process and the resulting product, gave me the impression that each engine doesn't just leave the plant assembled, it leaves with a soul.
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