Re: New "What Ifs?"

Posted by Steve203 On 2014/6/28 10:17:08

But my what ifs still include wisely pulling back body tooling back to EGB instead of leasing Conner from Chrysler,

Pulling body assembly back to EGB would still leave the problem of sourcing stampings. Did Budd have the capacity available? Chrysler didn't want to supply Packard. For whatever reason the Hudson body plant was not available. Shipping stampings from the Nash body plant in Milwaukee was expensive. Buying Willow Run from Kaiser in 53 would not solve the problem because Kaiser did not have enough stamping capacity. From what I have found, Kaiser was only making the roof, hood and doors at W-R. They moved floorpan and firewall production, and the presses to make those parts, from W-R to Ohio in 51. Other stampings were still outsourced.

Then there is the capital expendature needed. Even if Packard was able to source stampings, there is still a matter of providing spray booths and ovens, and a place to install them. I have seen photos of EGB when they made bodies in house with a forest of ventilation ducts coming out of first floor windows and running up the side of the building to the roof. It must have been spectacularly miserable to work in there. I like my idea of roofing over the courtyards between the wings of buildings 31-38, and replacing building 39 to provide clear high bay space, but Packard didn't seen to want to make the investment.