Original subtitles

Narrator: TODAY ON "HOW IT'S MADE: DREAM CARS,"

THE CHEVROLET CAMARO...

A LEGENDARY MUSCLE CAR TRANSFORMED FOR THE MODERN ROAD.

-- Captions by VITAC -- www.vitac.com

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

THE YEAR WAS 1966.

GENERAL MOTORS WAS HOLDING A BIG EVENT

AT A HOTEL IN DOWNTOWN DETROIT.

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY, 14 DIFFERENT CITIES

WERE LINKED VIA PHONE LINES FOR A LIVE PRESS CONFERENCE.

IT WAS THERE THAT GENERAL MANAGER PETE ESTES

ANNOUNCED THE BIRTH OF A NEW CAR LINE... THE CAMARO.

THE NAME WAS INSPIRED BY THE FRENCH WORD "CAMARADE,"

MEANING "GOOD FRIEND."

THE VEHICLE WOULD GO ON

TO BECOME ONE OF THE MOST ICONIC AMERICAN MUSCLE CARS EVER BUILT.

THE CAMARO IS SOMETIMES CLASSIFIED AS A PONY CAR,

MEANING AN AFFORDABLE BUT STYLISH

HIGH-PERFORMANCE VEHICLE.

HALF A CENTURY AFTER ITS DEBUT,

CAMAROS ARE AMONG THE OLDEST AND MOST CELEBRATED VEHICLES

YOU CAN BUY.

IN 2002, GM HALTED PRODUCTION OF THE CAMARO,

BUT JUST 7 YEARS LATER, IN 2009,

THE LINE WAS REVIVED

WITH THE FIFTH-GENERATION CAMARO.

TO COINCIDE WITH THE BRAND'S 50th ANNIVERSARY,

THE SIXTH GENERATION LAUNCHED IN 2016.

THE CAMARO BODY COMES TOGETHER

AT GM's STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITY

IN LANSING GRAND RIVER, MICHIGAN.

GM HAS BEEN PROUDLY MANUFACTURING CARS IN MICHIGAN

FOR OVER 100 YEARS.

TECHNICIANS LOAD A CAMARO PRODUCTION HOOD

ONTO A FIXTURE

SO IT CAN BE INSTALLED NEXT TO DIMENSIONALLY PERFECT PARTS.

A LASER SCANNING ARM HELPS AN OPERATOR

CHECK THE HOOD'S DIMENSIONS.

THE SCANNED RESULTS SHOW UP ON THE SCREEN OF A COMPUTER

THAT CAN INSTANTLY COMPARE THE PART TO ITS DIGITAL DESIGN.

THE SCANNER ALSO CHECKS THE GAPS BETWEEN THE PRODUCTION PART

AND THE MODEL PART.

THE DATA GATHERED HERE

FEEDS BACK TO THE APPROPRIATE SUBASSEMBLY LINES.

TECHNICIANS CAN ADJUST THE PRODUCTION PROCESS

TO IMPROVE THE RESULTS.

DEPENDING ON WHAT'S NEEDED,

GM USES DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES TO EXAMINE THE PARAMETERS

OF THE PARTS.

HERE A TECHNICIAN WORKS BY HAND ON A SMALL, FOCUSED INSPECTION.

HE USES A SET OF CALIPERS

TO MEASURE TINY DIFFERENCES IN THE GAP SIZES.

AFTER PASSING INSPECTION,

COMPONENTS GO TO THE BODY ASSEMBLY LINE.

ROBOT ARMS APPLY ADHESIVE AND SEALER

TO THE PARTIALLY FRAMED BODY.

GM USES MORE THAN 300 FEET OF ADHESIVE

WHEN BUILDING A CAMARO.

THE ADHESIVE ADDS RIGIDITY TO THE CAR,

WHICH IMPROVES PERFORMANCE, HANDLING, AND RIDE QUALITY.

THE BLACK MATERIAL IS A FORM OF SEALER.

GM STAMPS OUT THE BODY SIZE FROM A SINGLE PIECE OF STEEL.

THE ROBOTS LOAD THE BODY SIDES ONTO THE CAR,

HANGING THEM CAREFULLY ON A SERIES OF SLOTS AND TABS.

NEXT, TWO ROBOTS BRING IN A SET OF LARGE FIXTURES

DESIGNED TO CLAMP ALL THE COMPONENTS IN PLACE.

THESE FIXTURES ENSURE THAT THE STRUCTURE OF THE CAR

IS DIMENSIONALLY CORRECT BEFORE WELDING BEGINS.

GM USES A COORDINATE MEASURING MACHINE, OR CMM,

TO AUDIT CRITICAL SUBASSEMBLIES

AND ENSURE THAT THEY ARE BUILT CORRECTLY.

THE CMM MEASURES ALL DEVIATIONS FROM THE DESIGN PARAMETERS,

RECORDS THEM, AND FEEDS THEM INTO A DATABASE.

THIS DATA IS USED TO DIRECT PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS.

A PRODUCTION TEAM MEMBER BRINGS A DOOR TO THE CAR.

THE DOOR HINGES HAVE BEEN PRECISION WELDED TO THE FRAME.

HE HANGS THE DOOR ON THE HINGES,

TORQUES THE BOLTS, AND RELEASES THE LIFT ASSIST.

AS TEAM MEMBERS BEGIN THE FRONT END BUILD-UP,

THEY USE A HIGHLY SPECIALIZED FIXTURE

TO HELP MOUNT THE CAR'S FENDERS.

THE FIXTURE CAN READ ELECTRONIC TAGS ON THE CARS IN ADVANCE

AND ADJUST ITSELF TO ACCOMMODATE THE DIFFERENT MODELS

AS THEY COME.

THE ASSEMBLED BODY IN WHITE TRAVELS TO AN AUDIT BOOTH,

WHERE THE QUALITY OF ITS SURFACES ARE EVALUATED.

OVER 5,000 SPOT-WELDS HELP HOLD THE BODY TOGETHER,

BUT ALUMINUM CAN'T BE WELDED TO STEEL,

SO GM USES RIVETS AND ADHESIVES TO BOND THE DISSIMILAR METALS.

THIS PROCEDURE ALSO INCREASES THE CAR'S OVERALL RIGIDITY

BY 20%.

IN THIS STAGE, A SET OF SPRAYERS SHOWERS THE CAR WITH CLEANER.

THE CAR WILL GO THROUGH ALTERNATING SPRAY ZONES

AND DIP TANKS.

THEN IT GOES THROUGH AN OVEN

TO COMPLETE THE PRE-TREATMENT PROCESS.

THE PAINT SHOP GIVES THE CAR A PRIMER APPLICATION.

THEN A BASE COLOR COAT GOES ON,

FOLLOWED BY A CLEAR COAT FOR GLOSS AND DURABILITY.

Narrator: THE SIXTH-GENERATION CAMARO COMES IN THREE DIFFERENT TRIMS.

THE LT MODELS FEATURE GM's ALL-NEW 3.6-LITER V6 ENGINE,

WHICH IS LIGHTER AND MORE POWERFUL THAN ITS PREDECESSOR.

TEAM MEMBERS AT GM's ROMULUS POWERTRAIN FACILITY

IN MICHIGAN BUILD THE V6.

BUILDING AN ENGINE ALWAYS STARTS WITH THE ENGINE BLOCK.

A TECHNICIAN CAREFULLY LOADS THE 3.6-LITER ALUMINUM BLOCK

ONTO A FIXTURE CALLED A PEDESTAL.

ONCE IT'S SECURELY IN PLACE,

SHE SCANS A TWO-DIMENSIONAL MATRIX TAG.

THIS CREATES AN IDENTIFICATION NUMBER THAT THE ENGINE

WILL CARRY THROUGHOUT PRODUCTION.

A TEAM MEMBER LOADS A CRANK ONTO A FIXTURE,

WHERE A SCANNER READS THE TWO-DIMENSIONAL MATRIX.

THEN HE PUSHES THE CRANK INTO AN OILING MECHANISM.

WHEN THE MECHANISM IS FINISHED OILING,

THE TECHNICIAN REMOVES THE CRANK AND USES A LIFT ASSIST

TO TRANSFER IT TO THE ENGINE BLOCK.

THE PISTONS ARE COUNTERBALANCED

FOR ONE SIDE OF THE ENGINE OR THE OTHER.

HE PUTS A PISTON GUIDE FORK INSIDE A BORE

AND THEN ALIGNS A CONROD ON THE OTHER SIDE.

A SEMIAUTOMATIC STUFFER INSTALLS THE PISTON.

HE REMOVES THE FORK AND THEN INSTALLS THE CONROD CAP.

AN INITIAL TORQUE KEEPS THE PISTON IN PLACE.

HE LINES UP THE CRANKSHAFT

FOR INSTALLATION OF THE NEXT CYLINDER.

AT THE NEXT STATION, THE ENGINE IS LIFTED OFF ITS PEDESTAL.

CAMERAS CHECK UNDER THE BLOCK FOR TYPE, ORIENTATION,

AND ERROR PROOFING OF THE PISTONS.

AUTOMATIC FASTENERS GIVE THE BOLTS

THEIR FINAL SPECIFIED TORQUE.

A TEAM MEMBER INSTALLS A COMPONENT

CALLED THE OIL DEFLECTOR PLATE.

SHE LOWERS A MULTI-SPINDLE GUN INTO POSITION,

THEN TORQUES DOWN ALL THE BOLTS AT ONCE.

THE TECHNICIAN ROTATES THE ENGINE

SO SHE CAN EASILY INSTALL THE OIL PUMP.

SHE STARTS THE BOLTS MANUALLY

TO ENSURE THERE'S NO RISK OF CROSS-THREADING

WHEN THEY'RE TIGHTENED.

NEXT A TECHNICIAN LOWERS

THE CAMARO'S DUAL OVERHEAD CAM CYLINDER HEAD

AND CAM CARRIER ONTO A PREVIOUSLY INSTALLED GASKET,

RETAINED BY DOWEL PINS.

A HIGH-TECH DEVICE APPLIES A PLASMA TREATMENT

TO THE ENGINE'S FRONT COVER.

THE PLASMA TREATMENT SIMULTANEOUSLY CLEANS

AND ELECTRICALLY CHARGES THE SURFACE

IN PREPARATION FOR A SPECIALIZED SEALANT.

THE RTV,

OR ROOM TEMPERATURE VULCANIZATION SEALANT,

IS APPLIED TO THE SURFACE

BEFORE A TECHNICIAN INSTALLS THE COVER.

NEXT, A TEAM MEMBER INSTALLS THE CAM COVER.

ONCE IT'S IN PLACE,

HE MANUALLY TIGHTENS THE BOLTS.

THE FINAL FASTENING TAKES PLACE AT THE NEXT STATION.

A MULTI-SPINDLE MECHANISM

TORQUES THE CAM COVER'S 18 BOLTS SIMULTANEOUSLY.

AS WITH EVERY OTHER COMPONENT ON THE ENGINE,

GM TECHNICIANS HAVE SCANNED THE CAM COVER

AND ADDED ITS INFORMATION TO THE ENGINE'S DATA.

BEFORE INSTALLING THE OIL PAN OVER THE OIL SUCTION PIPE,

GM PLASMA-TREATS THE CEILING SURFACES

AND APPLIES RTV SEALANT,

THIS PROCESS HELPS PREVENT LEAKS

OVER THE LIFETIME OF THE ENGINE.

IN THE COLD TEST STATION,

GM CONDUCTS ITS INITIAL TEST OF THE ENGINE.

SENSORS CLAMP IN PLACE AND INSTEAD OF FIRING IT UP,

THE TEST STAND SPINS THE ENGINE.

IN JUST OVER A MINUTE,

THE STATION IS ABLE TO CHECK 1,500 PARAMETERS.

THE CAMARO ENGINE IS COMPLETE.

A TEAM MEMBER MOVES IT OFF THE LINE.

THANKS TO THE SCANNING PROCESS,

EVERY STEP OF THE PRODUCTION HAS BEEN RECORDED,

AND THE MANUFACTURING HISTORY OF EACH COMPONENT

IS COMPLETELY TRACEABLE.

Narrator: SIXTH-GENERATION CAMAROS

COME WITH SIX-SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS

AND ALL-NEW HYDROMATIC PADDLE SHIFT

EIGHT-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS,

WHICH ARE LIGHTER, FASTER, AND SMOOTHER

THAN THEIR PREDECESSORS.

GM BUILDS THE CAMARO TRANSMISSION

AT ITS POWERTRAIN PLANT IN TOLEDO, OHIO.

A STICKER ON THE TRANSMISSION CASE

HAS THE TRANSMISSION UNIT NUMBER, OR TUN,

A SERIAL NUMBER THAT ALL BUILD DATA WILL BE LINKED TO.

THE TEAM MEMBER POSITIONS THE EXTENSION GASKET

ON THE CASE.

GM USES THE TWO-DIMENSIONAL BAR CODE TO RECORD EVERYTHING

THAT HAPPENS TO THE EXTENSION COMPONENT.

A TEAM MEMBER INSTALLS THE EXTENSION.

THERE ARE FOUR DIFFERENT CAMERAS SCANNING

AND ERROR-PROOFING THE ASSEMBLY AT THIS STATION ALONE,

THE CAMERAS COMPARE WHAT THEY SEE

TO AN IDEAL IMAGE OF THE ASSEMBLY.

A TECHNICIAN LOADS A COMPONENT

CALLED THE OUTPUT CARRIER ONTO A SEMIAUTOMATIC FIXTURE

AND SCANS IT TO RECORD THE STEP.

THE FIXTURE FLIPS THE ASSEMBLY TO PREPARE IT FOR THE NEXT STEP.

THEN THE TEAM MEMBER INSTALLS A PART

CALLED THE REACTION CARRIER AND SCANS IT, AS WELL.

THE ASSEMBLY AT THIS STATION IS COMPLETE.

THE PART PIVOTS TO THE NEXT PHASE.

AS THE PART SWINGS AROUND,

IT MEETS THE TRANSMISSION CASE.

A FULLY-AUTOMATED OVERHEAD GANTRY SYSTEM PICKS UP A BEARING

AND THE CARRIER ASSEMBLY.

IT LOADS THE BEARING INTO THE BOTTOM

OF THE TRANSMISSION CASE.

IT SLOWLY LOWERS THE CARRIER ASSEMBLY

ONTO THE BEARING INSIDE THE CASE.

THE TOOLING ROTATES THE ASSEMBLY

TO PREVENT THE EXTENSION LIP SEAL FROM ROLLING INSIDE.

A TEAM MEMBER POSITIONS A TRIPLE CLUTCH HOUSING

ON A PALLET THAT WILL TRAVEL THROUGH THE ASSEMBLY.

A CNC GANTRY-MOUNTED CAMERA TAKES HUNDREDS OF PHOTOS

TO MAKE SURE THE PARTS ARE IN THE RIGHT POSITION.

THE COMPONENTS MUST BE PRECISELY LOCATED ON THE PALLET

SO THE CNC GANTRY CAN ASSEMBLE THEM.

AS THE PALLETS MOVE, THE CNC GANTRY GOES TO WORK,

MEASURING THE PACK TRAVEL

AND SELECTING THE CORRECT SNAP RINGS TO INSTALL.

A TEAM MEMBER BRINGS THE COMPLETED TRIPLE CLUTCH

TO THE TRANSMISSION CASE.

THE TECHNICIAN MUST ROTATE THE CLUTCH AND OUTPUT SHAFT

IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS

TO SPLINE EIGHT DIFFERENT FIBER PLATES

WITH TWO DIFFERENT RING GEARS AS IT DROPS DOWN.

HE SCANS THE CLUTCH TO MARRY THE PART'S UNIQUE NUMBER

TO THE TRANSMISSION.

WITH SOLENOIDS CALIBRATED TO THE MILLIAMP,

THE VALVE BODY ASSEMBLY IS THE TRANSMISSION'S NERVE CENTER.

THOSE SOLENOIDS MUST NOT BE DAMAGED DURING INSTALLATION.

A SPECIALIZED FIXTURE CLAMPS ON

AND PICKS UP THE VALVE BODY ASSEMBLY.

IT TRANSFERS THE ASSEMBLY TO THE TRANSMISSION

AND ALIGNS ITSELF PRECISELY BEFORE LOWERING INTO PLACE.

THE FIXTURE RELEASES THE SUBASSEMBLY,

AND THE TRANSMISSION TRAVELS TO THE NEXT OPERATION.

A TECHNICIAN USES A LIFT ASSIST TO PICK UP THE TORQUE CONVERTER

AND BRING IT TO THE TRANSMISSION.

ONCE HE'S LOADED IT IN,

HE USES A SPECIALIZED TOOL TO ROTATE THE TORQUE CONVERTER

AND DROP IT INTO POSITION.

HE THEN SCANS THE TWO-DIMENSIONAL CODE.

THE TRANSMISSION IS COMPLETE,

BUT IT MUST GO THROUGH A QUALITY-CONTROL CHECK

BEFORE SHIPPING OFF.

Narrator: THE CAMARO BODY GOES STRAIGHT FROM THE PAINT SHOP

TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY LINE AND TRANSFERS

ONTO A CONVEYOR SYSTEM REFERRED TO AS THE SKILLET.

IT'S TIME TO ASSEMBLE ALL THE COMPONENTS

INTO A MUSCLE CAR.

OPERATORS USE A SPECIALIZED LIFT ASSIST FIXTURE

CALLED THE COCKPIT LOADER

TO INSTALL THE DASHBOARD.

THE INJECTION-MOLDED DASHBOARD INCLUDES THE INSTRUMENT PANEL,

THE AIR-CONDITIONING CONTROLS, AND THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG.

THEY USE TORQUE CONTROLLED BOLT DRIVERS TO ATTACH IT IN PLACE.

AS THEY WORK, THE CAR CONTINUES TO MOVE ON ITS SKILLET.

A WORKER CLEANS A SECTION OF THE TRUNK SURFACE

BEFORE USING A LOCATING FIXTURE

TO POSITION THE FAMED CHEVY BOW TIE EMBLEM.

A THREE-RAIL CARRIER SYSTEM

MOVES THE CAR BODY THROUGH THE NEXT PHASE.

THE POWERTRAIN AND CHASSIS MOVE ON AN AUTOMATED GUIDED VEHICLE,

OR AGV.

THE AGV USES A LASER-GUIDED SYSTEM

TO SYNC UP PERFECTLY WITH THE CARRIER.

THEN IT QUICKLY LIFTS THE POWERTRAIN AND CHASSIS

UP INTO THE BODY.

TECHNICIANS DRIVE IN SIX FASTENERS PER SIDE

BEFORE THE AGV LIFT DESCENDS,

SO THEY CAN GET UNDER THE CHASSIS

AND COMPLETE THE FASTENING PROCESS.

A WORKER USES A LIFT ASSIST

TO INSTALL THE SEATS INSIDE THE CAMARO.

A TECHNICIAN LOADS A WHEEL

ONTO A FRONT END WITH A LIFT ASSIST.

SHE LOOSELY INSTALLS THE LUG NUTS FOR THE NEXT OPERATION.

AN OPERATOR USES A PURPOSE-BUILT DEVICE

CALLED THE MULTIPLE LUG NUT SECURE TOOL

TO TORQUE ALL THE LUG NUTS SIMULTANEOUSLY.

A TECHNICIAN CONNECTS THE HORN AND THE AIRBAG.

WORKERS ADD ALL THE FLUIDS,

INCLUDING COOLANT, FUEL, RADIATOR,

BRAKE, AND WASHER FLUID.

THE CAR'S DOORS ARE REMOVED BEFORE GENERAL ASSEMBLY BEGINS.

THEY TRAVEL ON A SEPARATE SUBASSEMBLY LINE.

THEY SYNC BACK UP WITH THE CAR HERE,

WHERE A WORKER INSTALLS THEM.

THE THREE-RAIL CARRIER RELEASES THE CAR,

AND A SUPPORTING TRANSFER FIXTURE

LOWERS IT DOWN ONTO A FINAL LINE CONVEYOR.

THE CAMARO CROSSES A RUMBLE STRIP

AS IT TAKES ITS FIRST DRIVE.

THE CAR THEN PARKS AT THE WHEEL ALIGNMENT STATION.

IN THE PIT UNDERNEATH,

A TECHNICIAN VALIDATES THE WHEELS' PRESETS

AND MAKES FINAL ADJUSTMENTS,

FINE-TUNING THE WHEEL ALIGNMENT AND CAMBER.

THE CAMARO COMES WITH THREE DIFFERENT-SIZED WHEEL PACKAGES,

SO THESE ADJUSTMENTS CAN VARY SLIGHTLY,

DEPENDING ON WHAT THE CUSTOMER ORDERED.

AT THE NEXT STATION, THE DRIVER

PULLS ONTO A SET OF ROLLERS FOR THE DYNAMIC VEHICLE TEST.

HE RUNS THE CAR THROUGH A GAMUT OF DIFFERENT DRIVING MODES,

AS THE STATION'S EQUIPMENT TESTS EVERY PARAMETER,

FROM THE RPMs TO THE GEAR SHIFTING AND BRAKING.

THOROUGH AS THE TESTS ARE,

THE WHOLE PROCESS TAKES LESS THAN 2 MINUTES.

THEN THE CAR IS OFF.

AT THE FINAL STEP, A CONVEYOR SYSTEM

MOVES THE CARS PAST A BANK OF FULL-SPECTRUM LIGHTS.

TRAINED TECHNICIANS EXAMINE EVERY ASPECT OF THE VEHICLE,

BOTH INSIDE AND OUT,

ASSESSING ALL SURFACES FOR FIT AND FINISH.

THE PROCESS IS KNOWN AS THE C.A.R.E. LINE, AN ACRONYM

FOR CUSTOMER ACCEPTANCE REVIEW AND EVALUATION.

AFTER A CAR MEETS FINAL CARE INSPECTION CRITERIA,

IT'S FINALLY READY TO HEAD OUT INTO THE WORLD.

THE SIXTH-GENERATION CAMARO

RECALLS THE GLORY DAYS OF 1960s MUSCLE CARS.

IN FACT, IT BEARS A RESEMBLANCE TO THE ORIGINAL 1967 CAMARO

ITSELF.

BUT LIFT THE HOOD,

AND IT'S IMMEDIATELY CLEAR

THIS IS A 21st-CENTURY HIGH-PERFORMANCE VEHICLE.

THE INTERIOR COCKPIT LEAVES NO DOUBT

THAT THIS IS A VERY CONTEMPORARY TAKE ON A CLASSIC.

FROM BACK ROADS AND HIGHWAYS TO BIG-BUDGET MOVIES,

FEW CARS IN AMERICAN AUTOMOTIVE HISTORY HAVE EMBEDDED

THEMSELVES SO THOROUGHLY IN THE COLLECTIVE MEMORY.

THE CHEVY CAMARO IS ON EVERYBODY'S LIST

OF THE TOP 10 MUSCLE CARS OF ALL TIME.

THANKS TO STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGY

AND CLEVER ENGINEERING,

THE MODERN INCARNATION OF THIS LEGEND

IS LIGHTER AND MORE MUSCULAR THAN EVER BEFORE.