I guess this may be more of a logistics question and maybe some clarification. My understanding is a 69 Z block was cast in Flint Mi?? If that is true or even if it isn't how did they cast a block ship it and assemble it sometimes the same day or from what I see most of the time a few days after and install te motor in Cincinnati in such a short time? Jim
All of the castings for the Fllint V-8 plant (55,000 castings per day) were made at the Chevrolet-Saginaw Grey Iron Foundry, and the castings went from Saginaw to Flint via a captive internal truck fleet that ran that 45-minute route 24/7. Inventory control procedures in those days were not like they are today, and the time span from casting to machining could vary from as little as one day (occasionally the same day) to several weeks or more.
Flint V-8 built 300 engines per hour (5500 per day), and the engines were shipped to the plants by rail; once they got to Norwood and were unloaded from the rail car, they might go straight to the engine dress line, or might go into off-line storage until they were needed on the line. There was no stored inventory of finished engines at Flint V-8; the same day an engine was built, it went in a rail car. The only inventory was in rail cars and at Norwood (and Van Nuys and the other 18 car and truck assembly plants served by Flint V-8).
