Re: New "What Ifs?"

Posted by Steve203 On 2014/8/18 17:00:38

S-Ps big dream, post Mason-envisioned AMC that never happened was to build a new single floor assembly plant in Utica

Too bad so much documentation was burned when EGB was closed. I have heard that they planned a modern assembly plant in Utica repeatedly, but, at least I, have never seen documentation that that was the plan when the J47 plant was built.

Packard won that contract largely because of their performance on the Merlin contracts and their jet engine research in Toledo in the late 40s, though the Toledo team had long since dispersed.

The initial contract for 3,000 engines was increased to 6,000 on June 24, 52. The Air Force spent $48M equipping the plant. From material I have seen, Packard figured good performance on this contract could result in additional contracts.

As long as Packard figured they had a shot at further jet engine contracts, with their guaranteed profits, I can't imagine them ever planning on moving powertrain in there. I suspect the powertrain move was a decision made on the fly when the J47 business fizzled.

It's just interesting that, just as Packard's J47 operation was circling the drain, Curtiss-Wright was on the hunt for a jet engine plant....but Nance had Ray Powers buzzing in his ear to get into a one story plant.

Actually, building a greefield assembly plant would have been a huge undertaking for Packard. Unfortunately, the article I found some time ago about the new Lincoln plant in Wayne didn't say how much it cost to build and equip, but Ford and GM could write checks that Packard couldn't even dream of.

A plan that would have been eaiser on the checkbook would have been to start buying up houses across Concord from EGB and build in phases: first a body assembly and paint plant, then throw a conveyor over Concord to feed the bodies into the body trim line in building 35. Then build a stamping plant next to the body plant. Carry on in this manner until everything has been replaced.