244 replies to this topic

[Shiney005]

I have heard that HSV has just trademarked(?) "GTSR". So they may be saving something special for the end.

Just to confirm, it was GM that trademarked the name GTSR recently. Which could still mean something special turning up before Commodore is finished.

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[yel327]

If you think about the Great Wall utes...  Isuzu sold China the rights to the Old Rodeo ..  That's why you see China build 4JBT1 engines ect..

 

I think the same could be done with the Commodore ?? ........  not necessarily China.. but it could be done ..  

 

It wouldn't be hard Ian, most of the parts of a VF are already Korean with some imported from USA and some local Aussie. Just move the body jigs over to Korea and an assemble the cars over there using mainly local made stuff and import the good engines and transmissions (LS and 6L80E or T56). They'd have to do some of the Aussie stuff like rotors, rear axle etc over there but that would be a no brainer for them.

 

Hilux was done that way in Thailand. They used some local driveline (D4D and 4spd auto) and imported the good engines from Japan (V6 and 5spd auto). Rest was local Thai made apart from some common bits with 'cruisers done in Japan like ABS modules etc. We saw interruptions to most Australasia vehicle manufacturing after the Japan earthquake and tsunami where some component manufacturing was wiped out.

[yel327]

Hang on a tick.

 

Is the goal to keep cars being built in Australia or is the goal to keep the Commodore alive.

 

Surely it is the former.

 

I'd say yes, the former but remember assembled here is what happens now, not built like it was pre VE (especially 70's). The Australian Holden as we know today is really not that much more than what South Africa had in the 70's - import parts from Australia, manufacture some local stuff like foreign design driveline and assemble it all using local labour.

[Dasman56]

Holden have the biggest panel press in the southern hemisphere. The commodore body is pressed welded and assembled in Adelaide. Not Korea. Plastic interior, dash & bumpers same story. Electronics wheels etc different story.

[Shiney005]

This could be the next one.
http://www.wheelsmag...01b485e13a51b67
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[Rockoz]

One of the major things that will stop this bloke from getting it up and running will be the cost of wages.

Unless he can somehow manage to get wages back to reality.

 

Pretty sad for tradesmen these days to find that an unskilled worker earns almost the same as him in most places.

The sacrifice of learning a trade has lost its appeal in the modern day.

There was a time when tradesmen were recognised for their specialist skillset.

Sadly that seems to be a thing of the past.

[axistr]

I read a report stating that the Toyota assembly plant at Altona where paying assembly line staff that  fitted wheel onto vehicles $40 dollars per hour. None where trade skilled employees. In contrast licenced mechanics after 8 years in the trade generally wouldn't see an hourly rate like this.

 

If you add supper, holidays and loading, sick days, mufty days and the I don't feel like working hard today days the real cost would be closer to $65-70 per hour. No wonder there are so many robots in the assembly plants today.    

[Dasman56]

What you read was bullshit. Nothing more. Bet it made for good reading in the papers tho.

[Dasman56]

That is well written and a pretty acurate statement. for comparison the pay rate for vehicle assembly in Australia 6-7 years ago was alot less than $29 hour.The labour cost per vehicle in Korea is now very similar to Aust. Wages are not the problem. Or are we in a situation where it doesn't matter how hard you work, only educated people deserve a new car and own their own house.

[axistr]

In a statement three years ago from the head Toyota CEO in Japan, who had meetings directly with Toyota Australia staff including assembly line employee's, He stated that he wanted to keep production of the camry here but said that the time of lost production was excessive and that every Toyota plant around the world had much better ratio of output per worker over Australia. He went on further to say that lost time due to sick days and staff not turning up the days after local public holidays seen the production assembly line almost stop on occasions.

 

The staff decided to keep to the CEO's recommendations to secure their jobs, on the day after the next public holiday only forty 47% off the assembly line staff reported for work on this day.

 

Two week later the CEO announced that Toyota Australia car assembly could not compete in the market place when production rates are low and we pay staff $45.00 per hour to tighten wheel nuts. Then the decision was made to wind down and close production of the Altona plant.

 

The workers have all the mod cons these days to assemble cars, they even have robots that lift them into cars to save then having to climb inside. Its not hard work compared to 20 years ago. Maybe they should try repairing truck for a living, we don't always have a nice environmentally friendly workshop to work in. Brake down often happen in heat waves or pouring rain its dirty heavy back braking work that's much harder than working on a clean assembly line for more money. They just do seam to get it.

 

If they don't want to improve their knowledge and skills why should they expect their employer to pay more money than skilled staff.    

[Rockoz]

You have a trade Ian?

 

[Rockoz]

You missed the point Ian as you so frequently do.

Please compare apples with apples.

 

So you would have no objection then to having someone with no qualifications, no experience, and basically no idea, working alongside you and earning the exact same coin as you?

[Ice]

No Rob, I wouldn't mind working with you at all .................  

frOckin check mate Ian lol

[Rockoz]

Carry my tools bitch