Not sure if you all have seen this but I found it to be very interesting

 

Yes, this was posted just as the 8th gen was being released. Still interesting for newer members to see.

 

very cool

 

I want Asians assembling my Japanese car

 

I thought it was more automated, more robots than humans building the car, not the case on this assembly plant. Nice video

 

I have been to the plant in Smyrna, Tenn. when I had my 7th Gen. It's awesome to see how they are built. There is actually alot of robotics as far as when the body/frame is welded and assembled. Why even in that portion of the plant, they don't even turn the lights on to save on electricity cost.

If you register ahead of time before your visit, you can take a tour of the plant. It was very neat. Only no camera's allowed.

 

Thanks for the info. I'd like to do this tour!

 

Thanks RobT. Loved watching that. Almost calming effect. I'd love to work on the line for just one day, just one.

 

I now appreciate the hard work and the constant line movement "pressure" these folks have to contend with each and every day. So impressed and surprised there aren't more quality issues. I might last maybe an hour doing this job!

 

Ditto this thought, I was surprised how much stuff is still be done by hand. Also, I never realized the cars are already painted at that stage of the process but I guess it does make sense.

 

Yep, the painting has to be done before much can be added to body framework of the car. It was being done that way at the Doraville Atlanta GM plant when I toured it in 1966, also at The Hapeville (Atl) plant Ford assembly when I toured it around 1969,and the Claycomo (Clay County Missouri) Ford plant while I was working there briefly in the 1970s.

It has to be done that way, otherwise there would be sprayed paint over everything attached to the basic framework.

I try to tour the Smyrna Nissan plant soon after the release of each new Maxima generation. I stay at a nearby motel, and make it a point to see at least a few other tourist points in the Nashville on each trip. Nashville has dozens of places worth visiting.

An interesting point - Nissan's Smyrna assembly plant is partially built on an old abandoned military airfield. I used to stay with my first wife's grandparents in Smyrna in the 1950s, and I remember looking out my bedroom window and seeing military aircraft landing and taking off. I drove a plain '53 Chevy at that time, and never imagined what cars of the future would be like. My last three Maximas ('04, 09, 16) were all assembled in a building sitting right where I used to watch those military planes landing and taking off. My first five Maximas were built in Japan, the country those military planes I saw so long ago in Smyrna were built to destroy. Life can be strange.

 

Hey light,

Seems like some Japanese cars are more American then American cars are these days. I suppose some parts are still flown in from overseas. Maybe if you tour now, you can get a sneak peak at what he 2019s will look like?

 

Interesting thought. The problem here is that Nissan keeps an almost paranoid cover on anything and everything new. I suspect the main stamping machines that stamp out the body molding are still in the far south end of the assembly plant, and any changes made to the stamping pattern would not be visible from the tour cars (visitors are restricted to open tour cars while visiting the plant). I also suspect the parts that will be different on the front and rear of the 2019 Maxima may be shipped from Japan and added either in Phoenix or California, where the camo is put on and all the early testing is done. By touring the plant early, it is possible to see Maximas from a new generation or model year that have not yet been sent to dealers or made available for sale, but little else. Timing would need to be perfect and lucky to see anything truly significant.

As I grow older, time passes so fast. It is hard to believe that all design and engineering work has been completed for the 2019 Maxima, road testing in California and Arizona has been underway for weeks, if not months. The assembly lines will begin producing early copies of 2019 Maximas within a few weeks and begin full production of 2019s by late June. These cars will be stored on a lot on the east side of the assembly plant that is carefully screened from public roads until time to ship to dealers. This works well most years, but there was a terrible hailstorm just before time to ship to dealers while hundreds of new 2004 Maximas were stored there, and Hail-damaged 2004 Maximas were being sold through various outlets for almost a year afterwards.

But I ramble.