 20. The engines arrive from...  20. The engines arrive from various GM engine plants completely assembled and ready to be married to the transmissions, which are also built outside the plant. |  21. Assistant Chief Engineer...  21. Assistant Chief Engineer Tim Herrick shows us an engine/transmission/transfer-case assembly that is ready to be installed in a chassis. |  22. The engine set is installed...  22. The engine set is installed next. The radiator set and the wheels and tires are the last things to get bolted on before the chassis is ready to be married to the body. |
 23. It's a spectacular sight...  23. It's a spectacular sight to see an assembled body and a rolling chassis coming down the line moments before they are married together. |  24. GM says that it only takes...  24. GM says that it only takes 55 seconds to marry the body and chassis. After the two are conjoined, the running boards and fluids are installed. |  25. The front fenders, rear...  25. The front fenders, rear fascia, hood, headlamps, front fascia, and bodyside moldings are some of the next items to be installed. As the vehicle progresses toward the end of the line, lasers even measure gaps and "fits" (fitment) of the vehicle panels to ensure they are true to the tight tolerances set forth by the engineering department. |
26. This is the proverbial end of the line as far as assembly goes. From here, each vehicle undergoes a significant number of quality checks. Included is a Dynamic Vehicle Test (DVT) that powers the vehicle and tests all of its running systems including engine, transmission, brakes, and so on. There's also a squeak/rattle test and a water test among other things. Once the vehicle passes these tests it's staged for shipment to the dealer.
The Janesville assembly plant, located 105 miles northwest of Chicago, has a long and storied history. It was originally founded in 1919 by GM to produce Samson tractors, but by April of 1929, the plant had produced more than 500,000 cars. During World War II, the plant ceased vehicle production and was used to produce over 16 million 105mm Howitzer and other shells, among other things. Production of cars and trucks resumed in 1946. Over the years, Janesville assembled the "B-body" Caprice/Impala, the "J-body" Cavalier/Skyhawk, medium-duty trucks as well as motorhome and school-bus chassis. In 1991, the plant began producing the GMT400 SUV vehicles. In 1992, the Chevy Blazer won Four Wheeler's Four Wheeler of the Year award and even though GM was suffering through a recession period, Janesville employees worked 5-6 day workweeks to meet demand.
Today the plant encompasses 137 acres and boasts more than 4.8 million square feet. It is home to 2,800 hourly employees and 220 salaried employees. This translates to a stunning payroll of 1 million dollars per day. Currently, 50 GMT900 SUVs roll off the end of the assembly line every hour.
If you would like a free tour of the facility (and we'd highly recommend it), make your reservations by calling the Tour Hotline at 608/756-7681. Each tour is led by a knowledgeable retired employee. Tours begin at 9:15 a.m., 10:45 a.m., and 1 p.m. Monday through Thursday.