Bill Davies wrote:
Sorry Bill - got to take issue with you on this
Remember that the 1970's
were the era of mass strikes in the British motor industry, with
stockpiles
of unfinished bodyshells sat in the open air for weeks on end due to
factory
shutdowns. Not really surprising that defects neede correction before
cars
were sold ...
The bodyshells as supplied by Pressed Steel to the industry in
Birmingham, Coventry and Oxford were shipped out of Oxford and Swindon
covered in a very thick and tenacious grease protectant over the raw
steel that was applied by immersion and could only be removed by the
same process in boiling water with added chemicals.
It's worth mentioning that body delivery to the vehicle manufacturers
by Pressed Steel was done against a very tight schedule that ran in
line with variable build programmes at the car plant. I entirely agree
that industrial action may have resulted in shells being stored in the
open "for weeks on end" - but they were fully painted in final body
colour. and would have suffered hardly at all or not all through such
treatment. Doing the same thing to an untreated body would have
resulted in the unit being scrapped before it even reached the paint
shop. The cost of scrapping, while substantial, was less than the cost
of rectification before assembly and later warranty claims. This may
have happened to a few - but with respect, it certainly was not the
norm.
FWIW, a colleague Derek, who was a wagon boy with Pressed Steel at
that general time has told me more than once that bodies being
delivered to all the car plants, were not called forward by the
manufacturers for delivery unless there was more than adequate covered
and heated storage in which to place them without risk of corrosion
upon arrival. Each body was inspected by the Inspection Departments on
arrival at the main plants and if they were seen to be rusty or
considered to be inappropriately greased, the consignment was refused
for delivery and sent straight back. Upon arrival at Pressed Steel if
rejected, they went straight in the crusher. The cost of rectification
just wasn't worth it.
Jonmac
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