IS YOUR CAR HANDBUILT. whitch it will be,

[SLR]

IS YOUR CAR HANDBUILT? I know wrong place you my like it.
The Porsche 911 was originally unveiled in 1963 and for over 40 years the secret of its success is the integration of pure engineering and design. Its character is the product of race experience with more than 14,000 victories to its credit.
Porsche HQ can be found in Zuffenhausen, near Stuttgart in Germany, which includes the production line, customisation shop and restoration garage. Just standing outside the complex can be a feast for the eyes and ears as prototypes, preproduction and newly built cars drive past in a continual parade of Porsche.
The main production line starts with a bare painted body, which moves through the factory, stopping at each workstation for exactly 4.7 minutes. If at any time the technician is not happy with the fit or finish of the car, they may shut the whole production line down, which goes right back to the paint shop and parts ordering. Porsche production works on a ‘Just in Time’ system, so no parts are kept in stock. All parts are made for each car and delivered to the appropriate workstations ’just in time’ for the technicians to fit them.
Each engine is hand built by one mechanic, who moves with the engine on a conveyor belt through each building station, again with exactly 4.7 minutes per task. All engines are run up to normal running temperature, held there for four minutes, then cooled down. When the engine is completed, it is mated up with the car it was ordered for, arriving at the engine fitting station, about a minute before it is needed - a jaw dropping demonstration of the precision and quality of the Porsche system. The Porsche way includes looking after their staff very well, they believe that giving staff full responsibility for how they work builds better cars. So there are no supervisors on the factory floor, just teams, who can organise how they work, including having a beer on the job if they wish (vending machines to hand, I want that job!) and compulsory five minute breaks every hour. All the cars are hand built except for the fitting of the windscreen and rear window, which are precisely positioned by robots.
The research and development plant and test track is nearby at Weissach. Here all racecars are finished and prototypes are tested, some to destruction.
The very lucky visitor may get the massive thrill of a trip round the test track, in a Turbo, with a cooler than cool test driver. Other marques also use this stunning facility as I spotted Mercedes and Audi doing laps of the track.
This brings us to the end product, and the chance for the customer to stamp their mark on their car in the ultimate toyshop, the customisation centre, before becoming the proud owner of the iconic sports car.
All of the care and ongoing research amounts to one of the most reliable and robust true sports cars ever.
I have witnessed a 22-year-old 911 exceeding 150mPh on long journeys without hesitation. This is a testament of the build quality and dedication of Porsche. So, is your car hand built too?

[equality72521]

Ok...

[eimkeith]

Yo.

[Nostril Cheese]

I have magic beans

[Pele911]

I thought it was a nice story, and he told it so well with great enthusiasm

[Hayabusa]

I won't bust on SLR! He stands for those that are out of the ordinary,,, someone that is willing to take a risk of being blamed for cut and paste,, for not being 'cookie-cut' from the same cloth that other's expect!!

Enthusiasm is something that most take for granted and when they get old they act like they know everything and blast others for going out in left field with a smile!

Nice going, SLR! Props to you. Here's to your exuberance and youth! Never lose that feeling!

[fireant911]

I think that it was Jack Olsen who posted some links to some YouTube videos that demonstrated the old processes. I watched these videos in awe - surprised at the meticulous detail that was involved with the creation of each vehicle. The picture of manufacturing that that SLR alludes to sounds like the lean processes introduced by Dr. Wendelin Wiedeking. This was quite a transformation from old as the 911 previously took six weeks (120 hours) to assemble / the lean change reduced this to three days (40 hours). Porsche originally had 950 different suppliers and had to do a 100% inspection on all in-coming parts / the lean system resulted in just 300 suppliers. 28 day's of inventory on-hand was previously the norm / just-in-time is now the standard.

The process has lost some of the original hands-on lore that differentiated these cars from the rest of the mass-produced automobiles. Just like SLR, I find the history of this car company to be nothing short of fascinating. I certainly feel as if my car is special.

[GeorgeM]

This is a great pitch for those who haven't visited the factory to do so. So start planning your Euro vacation! Although if you wait a while, the new museum will be finished.

The factory is quite an impressive sight. I was surprised that they still paint by hand as well. As it says, the only robot was the window installer.

If you do manage to make it there, I recommend visiting the Mercedes plant in nearby Sindelfingen. It's quite a contrast to Z-town... lots of robots.

[914efi]

I remember watching a movie of the 356 assembly, and they were crowing about how every part is inspected 100%. No SPC, which was nothing to brag about. They are on track now with all of the JIT, etc, but I'm not sure the cars are better! I guess that they exist at all is the payoff from the changes to modern methods in the early 90's.

[304065]

100% inspection, no wonder they were so expensive. Deming was working with the Japanese at the time I guess.

Then again, when your production volume is so low the sample size has to be so big you might as well inspect everything.

[tabs]

Who are these Boyz????