[tc71Lemans]

Anyone going to the Woodward Dreamcruise this weekend? I'm taking Big Red down for the weekend. This will be her first time back to her birthplace (Pontiac Plant). She's getting excited for the 250 mile trek. Fluids topped off and doing some final detailing. This should be more fun than when I was 16 cruising Woodward with my '74 Beetle---well, maybe not---some great memories in that machine. Anyway, will be looking for other Pontiacs all weekend! Maybe see ya there!

Dave

[2002Z4CSS]

I'll be there in a blown 1973 Camaro and my son will be in his 1950 Chevy pickup truck. Maybe I will see you there.

[Keith Seymore]

I was out there last night and Tuesday night. It's already bumper to bumper (between 13 mile and 15 mile roads).

K

[2002Z4CSS]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

I was out there last night and Tuesday night. It's already bumper to bumper (between 13 mile and 15 mile roads).

K

That's crazy for a Wednesday night.

[Growler]

Went down to Woodward Wednesday & like Keith said it was bumper to bumper from 15 mile south to 10 mile.

I'll be in the city of Pontiac all day tomorrow & Saturday, only minutes away from the Pontiac plant where my car was built. The city of Pontiac is having several salutes to the Pontiac name during the cruise. The GTO club is planning a parade of GTO's thru the Woodward loop around the city of Pontiac. They will be leaving from there spot on Square LK. Rd & Woodward Saturday around 9:30am & driving the loop around Pontiac as there salute. Also, on Saturday the Pontiac club will have a parade around the loop starting at 7pm & will have a parking lot full of old Pontiac's. Can't wait to see all the old Poncho's in the city all during the cruise.

I've been attending the cruise since the beginning (15 years ago) at almost every stretch of Woodward, & Pontiac is the best spot. Many parking lot's of cars & cruising moves pretty good up until around 15 mile rd. Plus the Police let people do burnouts without much hassle. Once you get out of Pontiac look out!!!! The police are everywhere watching & will ticket you.

Can wait to break them tires loose in front of the cheering crowds. They expect well over a million people & over 40 thousand cars, plus 50 million in revenue.

Weather is suppose to be excellent also!

[Keith Seymore]

I've been out Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (all between 13 and 15 mile). Spent most of my time at the AutoZone bookstore near 14 mile last night. Seems like the traffic was flowing better yesterday than it was the previous two evenings.

I am planning to get closer to Pontiac proper on Saturday morning, so I can drop in on my Widetracker, Motor City chapter and PY brothers and hang out a bit.

K

[tc71Lemans]

My 71 Lemans was built at the "Pontiac" plant. Which actual plant was this? Is it still there? I seem to remember an assembly plant on Woodward just south of Widetrack--was that the plant?

Thanks, Dave

[2002Z4CSS]

Originally Posted by tc71Lemans

My 71 Lemans was built at the "Pontiac" plant. Which actual plant was this? Is it still there? I seem to remember an assembly plant on Woodward just south of Widetrack--was that the plant?

Thanks, Dave

I think it was the plant that was off Woodward just before you go into the down town area by the rail road tracks.

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by tc71Lemans

My 71 Lemans was built at the "Pontiac" plant. Which actual plant was this? Is it still there? I seem to remember an assembly plant on Woodward just south of Widetrack--was that the plant?

Thanks, Dave

The plant you might be thinking of on Woodward at South Blvd was the old "Validation Center", where prototype vehicles were built. It was torn down last year.

Originally Posted by 2002Z4CSS

I think it was the plant that was off Woodward just before you go into the down town area by the rail road tracks.

Not sure which plant you are thinking of (maybe the Val Center mentioned above) but that's not the old Pontiac plant: it was over off Joslyn Rd and Montcalm. Portions of the facility are still there but not the assembly plant itself.

I drove around about a year ago and took a few pictures. They can be viewed here if you are interested:

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...=380990&page=4

I think there were some more but I can't find them just yet -

K

[Keith Seymore]

This might be more detail than you care for but it was relatively easy to grab from a previous correspondence. It attempts to answer the obvious next question which you have not yet asked, namely "...when was the plant torn down?"

K

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

I think you know Eric White is getting ready to re-publish his Legend interview in Smoke Signals, as well as preparing an interview with our mutual friend Mike Woody. As a result he asked me to find out when the "Pontiac plant was demolished?". To be more actionable I interpreted that to mean "when were the Foundry Plant 6, Assembly Plant 8 and Engine Plants 9 & 18 demolished?". After a long and torturous path (!) I found out the following:

From the GM Heritage Center (Christo Datini):

Complex opened in 1927
First closed Aug 6, 1982
Reopened in 1985 building the Cutlass Supreme and Regal
In 1987 , added Monte Carlo and Grand Prix
Built last vehicle (a 1987 model year Buick Grand National) in December of 1987 [Incidently, this vehicle is still in existence, in "as shipped" condition and quite famous for appearances today] http://www.turbobuicks.com/forums/wa...r-built-2.html
Last pour in the foundry was May 1987

Fiero plant built on site of old Fisher Body Assembly Plant (still standing, in use as a GM SPO warehouse)

Per the GM Facilities Group, the foundry and plants mentioned above were demolished in stages between 1994 and 1998.

Some parts of the complex are still in use; I think you can see above the Foundry and the Assembly plant cessation was a gradual process.

I would say after the disolution of Fisher body the facility became a "Pontiac" plant outright (in name, not necessarily as far as product line). Lastly, I think you can see that the Fisher body plant became the Fiero plant (now known as Plant 17?) after the Pontiac Assembly plant 8 ceased operation (or about that same timeframe).

HTH -

K