Oshawa Plant to Whitby for "factory installed stripes"

[Elvisuperman]

Originally Posted by fast orange

the stripes are installed at Johnson Controls on South Blair St. Whitby Ont, at one time they installed a part on the Chevy SS truck, that plant used to be owned by Techstar

WRONG...actually they are installed at GFX located on Champlain Ct in Whitby...the storage lot is located behind the old BMW Whitby location.

[bradRS]

Well gosh. How did I miss this thread? Had I known what I do now, I would have skipped the stripes initially. All this delays my delivery...ARG!

I want it yesterday! LOL

As long as it's here by the 31st. I'll be satisfied.

[fbodfather]

I understand that some might have concerns............

........but think about this.........

If we put them on trucks - the "salt" will be just as bad -- the cars are built in Ontario - even if we built 'em in Detroit - there is "salt" involved -- and even if we built 'em in Miami - there's salt from the ocean in the 'sea breeze' .........

The drivers that transport each Camaro are professional. It does not escape anyone that someone COULD abuse a Camaro or two - that's why there are safeguards and checks to ensure that this does not happen....and if it does, swift appropriate action would be taken with the individual who was foolish enough to do something unprofessional.

Think about this: Each of these drivers are able to report anything that they see amiss on the cars -- this is one more quality check to ensure that you receive a Camaro that's been inspected.

[5thGenOwner]

Originally Posted by 2011RS/SS

I would rather have 40 miles on the car than some half ass stripe job done at the dealer

I agree, I've seen some of those dealer installed stripe jobs... not a pretty sight.

I say paint 'em on aftermarket, you won't regret it.

[jimsss]

Originally Posted by fbodfather

I understand that some might have concerns............

........but think about this.........

If we put them on trucks - the "salt" will be just as bad -- the cars are built in Ontario - even if we built 'em in Detroit - there is "salt" involved -- and even if we built 'em in Miami - there's salt from the ocean in the 'sea breeze' .........

The drivers that transport each Camaro are professional. It does not escape anyone that someone COULD abuse a Camaro or two - that's why there are safeguards and checks to ensure that this does not happen....and if it does, swift appropriate action would be taken with the individual who was foolish enough to do something unprofessional.

Think about this: Each of these drivers are able to report anything that they see amiss on the cars -- this is one more quality check to ensure that you receive a Camaro that's been inspected.

Why can't they do the stripes inhouse??

I think it's ridiculous to have new Camaros driven through the salt 6 miles each way. How hard can it be to make the necessary space and let union employees install the stripes?

[RJK350S10]

I can not believe you guys are all worked up over 12 miles that may have some salt on the road. The salt is not going to hurt your car in the short time before it is delivered and washed. If you are that worried wash it yourself the day you take delivery. Besides do you think it is not exposed on the drive to the states on the truck??????

[McIlmoyle]

Let me just clear a few things up. Here is some correct information. The Rally stripes are installed by a company named Ground Effects, in Whitby ON. Before September all Black, Silver and Orange stripes were done by dealers. Since they did such a bad job, GM then handed over the contract to GFX, who were already installing the white and charcoal graphics and also putting the Transformers special edition together. They have been doing this for over 20 years in Windsor, and have very qualified people.

As far as the driving goes. Auto Warehousing Canada is in charge of dropping off and picking up every Camaro with the rally stripe package. They are not allowed to drive in snowy/slippery conditions and are only allowed to drive at a certain speed. In reply to a couple of people, no one is "driving the piss" out of the camaros. GFX employees are only able to stay in first gear with every car. they drive about 100 feet to and from the staging yard.

Also abut the salt. Whitby hasn't gotten much snow anyways, and when we have, the roads have been cleared, and as soon as GFX recieves the car at their facility they wash it. Besides it is only in the salt for a short period of time, which will not do any long term damage.

Hopefully this cleared some things up.

In reply to jimsss, it is not ridiculous to drive cars "through salt" they are not going through salt when the roads are clear. If the roads are not clear they do not drive the cars. The stripes are extremely difficult to put on and old grumpy union workers will not be able to produce the numbers or have the same quality that GFX does.

[brtaus]

Originally Posted by jimsss

I noticed on many of the newer window stickers the following:

HANDLING CHARGE FROM OSHAWA PLANT, TO GROUND EFFECTS LTD., WHITBY ONT, BACK TO OSHAWA PLANT.
Here is an example.

http://wwww23.chevrolet.com/tools/wi...FK1EJ6A9165322

This is the location that the "Factory Installed" Rally Stripes are applied.

After a quick Mapquest check, it appears that Ground Effects LTD is about
6 1/4 miles away from the Oshawa plant.

So here's my question, how do they get the Camaros back and forth?
Do they use car transports?
Railcar?
Or do they drive them back and forth?

I am leaning rail, but I know some forum members have stated that thier cars had as many as 40 miles on them at delivery.
Enquiring minds need to know. Thanks in advance, Jim

I would say something other than driving as my car only had 9 miles on it when I picked it up.

[Scrappy Doo]

Originally Posted by jimsss

Why can't they do the stripes inhouse??

I think it's ridiculous to have new Camaros driven through the salt 6 miles each way. How hard can it be to make the necessary space and let union employees install the stripes?

*bangs head into wall*

Last i checked the cars are transported by open auto carrier. Even if they did the stripes at the Oshawa factory, your car would still get salt on it during the delivery stage where it rides on the back of the truck.

If this is such a monumental hurdle to get over, just order the car in May and get it in August. No salt then.

[HeatherR]

Originally Posted by McIlmoyle

Let me just clear a few things up. Here is some correct information. The Rally stripes are installed by a company named Ground Effects, in Whitby ON. Before September all Black, Silver and Orange stripes were done by dealers. Since they did such a bad job, GM then handed over the contract to GFX, who were already installing the white and charcoal graphics and also putting the Transformers special edition together. They have been doing this for over 20 years in Windsor, and have very qualified people.

As far as the driving goes. Auto Warehousing Canada is in charge of dropping off and picking up every Camaro with the rally stripe package. They are not allowed to drive in snowy/slippery conditions and are only allowed to drive at a certain speed. In reply to a couple of people, no one is "driving the piss" out of the camaros. GFX employees are only able to stay in first gear with every car. they drive about 100 feet to and from the staging yard.

Also abut the salt. Whitby hasn't gotten much snow anyways, and when we have, the roads have been cleared, and as soon as GFX recieves the car at their facility they wash it. Besides it is only in the salt for a short period of time, which will not do any long term damage.

Hopefully this cleared some things up.

In reply to jimsss, it is not ridiculous to drive cars "through salt" they are not going through salt when the roads are clear. If the roads are not clear they do not drive the cars. The stripes are extremely difficult to put on and old grumpy union workers will not be able to produce the numbers or have the same quality that GFX does.

Thanks for providing detailed, accurate information on the topic.......

Then I read the last part

[CamaroScotty]

Originally Posted by McIlmoyle

Let me just clear a few things up. Here is some correct information. The Rally stripes are installed by a company named Ground Effects, in Whitby ON. Before September all Black, Silver and Orange stripes were done by dealers. Since they did such a bad job, GM then handed over the contract to GFX, who were already installing the white and charcoal graphics and also putting the Transformers special edition together.

This is untrue - there were plans back in January / February 2009 of doing most of the stripes "in house" - It was in an IDL and I made that known here at the time.

Also, I don't think all dealers "did a bad job". We have someone with 20 years in graphics doing ours. And it still can be done by the dealer. In fact, with our forum price on stripes and install costs, it comes out at a good savings to the buyer over factory ordered prices.

As dealer inventories start racking up lot cars, I think dealerships will be ordering no stripes on lot cars. It's easier to sell a Victory Red plain that you can stripe vs a Victory Red with white stripes to a guy or gal that wants black ones.

[TJ91]

Originally Posted by HeatherR

They are driven there. That was the procedure since production started.

Cant find the "word" smiley so just imagine that here.

And for those who think their cars will never see salt, those just getting them now, sorry but your car has practically swam in pacific ocean lol

[McIlmoyle]

Also, I don't think all dealers "did a bad job". We have someone with 20 years in graphics doing ours. And it still can be done by the dealer. In fact, with our forum price on stripes and install costs, it comes out at a good savings to the buyer over factory ordered prices.

Yes, not all the dealers did a "bad job". I will apologize and rephrase that and say some dealers were having difficulties with the stripe and it was costing more to send a whole new kit, because one side of the hood was creased or bubbles. While at GFX they can replace one side without ordering a whole new kit.

[mrbrans5]

Originally Posted by bradRS

Well gosh. How did I miss this thread? Had I known what I do now, I would have skipped the stripes initially. All this delays my delivery...ARG!

I want it yesterday! LOL

As long as it's here by the 31st. I'll be satisfied.

I agree… there is really no practical way to avoid road contaminants all together when it comes to delivery. I know some of these cars are selected for factory audit (includes a road test). Quite frankly, I would rather have my car selected for the audit then just shipped with the rest of them, even if it put a few extra miles on it. I think this is a “perk” for employees buying a car built there. But there is no question customers would rather not have their cars driven by whom ever, if possible. I applaud GM for making swift changes when the work has not been done properly. I just don’t see why GM cannot move these duties into the plant where the cars are being assembled. Bring all the guys doing the work now into the plant/union to do it… or let the guys building the cars do it. To me, these guys have proven they are contentious, quality workers. Have they not proved it with all the awards they have won? I’ll gladly pay a bit more to have my strips put on properly.

More importantly, the reason I had my stripes put on after I got my car was because I didn’t want to wait the extra week it took to perform this work.