Cincinnati, OH EBH install and get together

[paprius4030]

We just got back to the hotel after the second fantastic day of our little Prius group get together. By the way Jud I did get a free sample of Burbon LOL. The tour was really great and informative. Thanks to Bob for putting it together and a special thanks to Jud and his family for the nice "Southern" hospitality and all the great food, it was really a special day. Now tommorrow a 10 hr. ride home, oh well at least it\'ll still be warm!

[CinciPrius]

What a fun weekend - 9 Prii at Jud & Sonya's house for the EBH installs and a great cookout - What a collection of mods (EBH, EV, BT plate, DRL, computers, hubcaps, etc) and then there's Bob's & Hobbit's rolling research Prii.

The Georgetown tour on Monday was fantastic as well. If you're in the area it's well worth the time.

Thanks to all of the organizers - Jud & Sonya, Wayne, Bob.

[Neicy]

Looks like you guys had a great time. And in 90 degree weather I wish I could have been there. Cold and damp here, but the heater is doing it's job thanks to Wayne. Thanks for the pics.

[bwilson4web]

On Sunday, Jud and Sonya Engles hosted a block party with Wayne Mitchell . . . engine block heaters. Well attended, we gathered together for a group photo after the Sunday cookout:
http://hiwaay.net/~bzwilson/prius/pri_Georgetown.html
(Thanks Hobbit for the photo, more to come.)

The one hour plant tour was awesome but about eight hours too short! They take steel rolls and 22 hours later, roll out a fully assembled and running Camry, Solara, Avalon, or Camry Hybrid. That includes nine hours in the paint shop. Think of the most complex Disneyland animatronics, multiply it by three orders of magnitude engaged in a man-machine dance of incredible precision.

The massive steel rolls are fed into stamp presses tall as a three story house to make the body parts. These are fed to robot welders to spot weld followed by robot MIG welds finishing the bodies and doors. From here the bodies go to the paint shop where they come out nine hours later. The doors are taken off and go via another route to later rejoin the body.

Brake lines and pre-heated wiring (for flexibility) are installed. The wheel hubs are left dangling by the brake lines. Instrument and dash assemblies are installed, the engine and axles, head-liner, bumpers, bumper covers and eventually the doors arrive. Everything is operational and quality checked and finally taken to a train for shipping across the country. The car models are intermixed on the assembly line so there might be an Avalon followed by a Camry, a Solara, a Camry hybrid . . . One third of all Camrys from this plant are hybrids. Absolutely amazing.

For me, seeing a car assembled makes disassembly so much easier. I don't know why but going from a pile of parts to fully working car makes going from a working (or broken) car to parts a lot less intimidating.

I'll be looking for feedback from the team but it looks like either Columbus Day or Veteran's Day are good scheduling times. They correspond to three day, holiday weekends when the weather is less likely to be too hot. The Motel 6 was affordable, clean, quiet and pet friendly next to the plant. Now if we can just find a friendly shop in the area where we could 'rent a bay' for a 'fall tune-up' and tweakin' session. This could turn into an annual, 'bus man's holiday.'

Bob Wilson

[bestmapman]

Here is a group picture at the Toyota plant. The tour was awewome. I had never been in a plant before and is was very interesting to see all the assembly operations.

[paprius4030]

We just got home from our fun filled weekend. Bob I'm all for making it an annual event. Maybe the local Toyota dealer would let us use one of their bays. I saw one of their advertising signs that said,"Buy where the people that build them buy". Or maybe the factory would be interested in Hobbit's data.

[paprius4030]

Here's a pic of the first Camry produced at the Kentucky plant. Wonder what a NEW 1988 Camry would bring onebay LOL? (Hope the attachment works, it's my first try at it.)

[hobbit]

I finally got my travelogue-thingy put together. Tried to make it
as entertaining as possible, so it's a little more than your usual
boring "my summer vacation" slides.
_ http://techno-fandom.org/~hobbit/pix/ky07/
.
_H*

[priussoris]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(bestmapman @ Oct 9 2007, 10:20 AM) [snapback]523123[/snapback]</div>

Here is a group picture at the Toyota plant. The tour was awewome. I had never been in a plant before and is was very interesting to see all the assembly operations.
[/b]

I think that's the first picture I have seen with Hobbit in a pair of shoes, even meeting in person no shoes..

It rubbed off, I love driving the prius bare foot, a better feel for throttle response and pulse & glide.

Looks like a great time was had by all

[priussoris]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hobbit @ Oct 18 2007, 11:23 AM) [snapback]527354[/snapback]</div>

I finally got my travelogue-thingy put together. Tried to make it
as entertaining as possible, so it's a little more than your usual
boring "my summer vacation" slides.
_ http://techno-fandom.org/~hobbit/pix/ky07/
.
_H*
[/b]

A very good read indeed.
btw, don't drink the Ohio river water, I hear it's bad