Just spent the past week visiting my Father-in-law in New York.
He worked at the Mahwah Assembly Plant in New Jersey until they closed.
My Father-in-law is still sharp and had many good stories to tell.
I asked if all builds and designs were followed to a tee, for the most part, "Yes" however if the "Suits" wanted something done, it was done.
A worker on the line could watch his or her vehicle being built. Normally a worker would get the base model and all the accessories were hidden. Once the worker got the car/truck home they would put the accessories on the truck/car. If a "Suit" ordered a car/truck they watched their vehicle being built. If the "Suit" was well liked, the workers did they're job like normal. If the "Suit" was an .....
then the fun began. Ball bearings were used in the vents, certain things would rattle or wires were messed with to cause an eventual short in the components.
Plant Managers would want to see how certain parts from the cars fit in the trucks, there were certainly a lot of trial and errors.
So just because a truck was not designed a certain way, does not mean it didn't happen.
Here is a certificate given to my Father-in-law in 1966 He worked on both the cars and trucks.

 

Good stuff! Thanks for sharing.
I think I might own one of the "Suits" truck.
It has showed all those symptom's at one time or another.

 

I think it's great that you have someone in the family that has seen what went on in the plant and worked on the assembly line for these trucks. I've heard others say about workers having some fun on the line doing some of the things you mentioned ball bearings wiring ect. It's funny how they would do that to the big wigs in the company that weren't liked. Why did the workers that had trucks built only get base models then install the other options when they get it to there house? Cost factor, free parts or? Thanks for the interesting story and sharing one of his many good memories with the FTE community.

 

If "options" could be hidden on the vehicle, they were. Plant workers back then did not make a lot of money so "options" weren't in their budget. The line workers new each other and looked out for one another.
My Father-in-law also said that doing things like this came at a big risk, If you were caught, you were fired.

 

That makes sense with not making much and having fellow friends on the line. So I'm guessing a AC would be alittle to big to hide on the vehicle haha things like trim packages and all got by hidden here and there. I can see the consequences of being fired reasonable since it's a form of stealing. Any idea if and what kind of discount the factory workers would get if purchasing a truck back then?

 

Hi gangstakr, I had an uncle who worked there too. He worked in the repair shop that worked on the car carriers. It was called University Overland. I remember a story my uncle told me. Once he was in Penna. and was speeding. The law put a chase on him. Fate had it that one of his buddies ( who was driving an m.t. car carrier back to Mahwah) was flagged down by my uncle and my uncle then loaded his car on the car carrier and got away. My uncle worked there... mmm... 1959-1962 I think. Great part of the world the N.J/N.Y border. Cheers, Pete

 

Cool story Robert....thanks for sharing.

 

Thats exactly what it is. IMO, not worth losing a high paying UAW job over.

 

Hi again gangstakr, The name of the car carrier division was University Overland Express. Or UOE. My grandmother used to comment on the name as I remember. Took me awhile to remember the full name & the UOE letters. Would your wife know if any of her other family members worked in the iron mining district near Mahwah? A 7th. grade chum & I walked from Glen Rock N.J. along the Erie RR tracks up to Sloatsburg N. Y. At that point I knew where some abandoned RR tracks went thru the woods up to the Sterling Forest Iron mining area. The grade was Very steep. That day was Good Friday, 1964. I wondered from that day on "What Kind of Steam Locomotive could go up this??? It was in the fall of 2010 that I found out. The RR was put in & operating in the fall of 1865. Up till then everything was moved with horses & wagons. Some oxen where also used . The wagons were about 4'6 wide by 12' I think. The sides were mmm 3'. There is some real history in the N.J./N.Y.border area. My favorite part of the world. Awe righty then, Cheers , Pete

 

Of course it's called stealing, and stealing is punished in different ways. What you guys are not seeing is the fact this was the late 50's and 60's, was there a high paying job then? Your an assembly line worker. I swear some of you guys think that today is the same as yesterday.
You made pennies for a whole days work.
My Father-in-law worked at Ford, he also owned an Ice cream stand called the "Three Bears" which he went to after he got off at Ford. The Ice cream stand closed at 11:00 pm after which he cleaned the school classroom's bathrooms and halls. He did this while the Ice cream season was in, typically End of March until first snow November. All this to give his family a good life.
He never stole anything and wasn't a Rat either. He grew up in the Bronx and Queens. Then was drafted. He was an MP in the Air Force.

He knew how ruff the streets were. He knew how to provide as well as survive. And in those days you didn't Rat, if you did, you'd get whacked.
Before some of you jump to conclusions or look at yesterday as today, do some research on how life was in New York during the 50's and 60's.