Hi!!!

[IMakeVibes]

So, I've been a member on here for over two years and I have a whopping one post to my count. Figured I'd atleast drop by and say hi, even though I do occasionally lurk on this board but not post.No, I don't own a Vibe nor a Matrix, but, as my name suggests IMakeVibes. Yea, I work at NUMMI where everyones pretty little Vibe has come from. I find it interesting to see what customers - or owners - have to say about our product.I know I'm not the only NUMMI employee on here, but not all of them admit it.

[jwalcik]

howdy.if your work involves painting our vibes, i believe a few folks around here might have a bone or two to pick with you. however, don't let that stop you from sharing some of your insight!

[ColonelPanic]

Hello there, person with the inside scoop... Glad you finally posted.

[IMakeVibes]

Nope, not in paint. I work before paint, in body shop. Thats where the shells are made. Then they're shipped off to paint.NUMMI is working on their paint shop. They built a brand new car paint shop a few years ago - about 8 years now. Thats where the top coats are done. The undercoat is still done in the main building with the old equipment. When this paint project is done, they will go straight from the end of body shop out to the new paint shop. Hopefully this will resolve a lot of issues.Guess you could say I have inside info . . . some of which shouldn't be shared. Honestly though, they don't even tell us a lot of things until the changes come.

[joatmon]

what's your spin on the rumors that NUMMI is gearing up to make Corolla hybrids?

[gargoyle]

Thanks for making my Vibe. Love it so far!

[IMakeVibes]

joatmon - At this point, there is no confirmation that NUMMI, or Toyota for that matter, will make hybrid Corollas or if they do, that they will be built in North America. Toyota does have the ability to manufacture just about any vehicle in their worldwide lineup in Japan. It did happen in '02, when we were having problems with our new model launch at NUMMI and smaller issues at TMMC who also makes Corollas. Japan (Takaoka plant I believe) picked up some of the orders until we were able to get things straightened out.Now, with that said, NUMMI is starting preparations for another major model launch. Sounds like sometime in '07 when this will take place. The construction for some of this is already happeneing and by then, all the new paint equipment should be on line. It just makes sence for Toyota to do a hybrid Corolla. They have already announced plans for a hybrid Camry to be built at TMMK (Kentucky) in the second half of '06. Now, if they do a hybrid Corolla, where will it be build? Thats up to anybodys guess at this point. Could be NUMMI could be TMMC. I would think that would make more sence to do it at NUMMI so Toyota and GM could work on it together and produce a hybrid Vibe (or whatever GM model we are making at the time), but thats just my theory. Glad you're enjoying your Vibe gargoyle. Likewise, thanks for buying it. Although, I must admit, I did have a bit of help from a few other people when I made it!

[BlueCrush]

It's great to hear from a person that actaully is involved in the process of building our cars. Hopefully more people like you will join in on the site. Welcome back to posting on GenVibe!

[binary]

Hey, any problem we have with our vibes shouldn't be taken personally - I'm glad you posted. I wish more NUMMI people would drop in and give a heads up on how the plant is doing.Any problems I have with paint have already been escalated by many other people. I'm working with my dealer to resolve it. They can charge their T&M to Pontiac. When that hits the bottom line, they listen.How do you like working at NUMMI? Is the Delphi mess going to affect your production?Thanks for building a great car!

[BOZACK]

Thanks for my Vibe. I love it.I would like to know what you think of some of the mods that are done to our Vibes?

[Digger]

Good To hear from an insider. Hope ya stick around. Thanks for a great car.

[kostby]

Wow! Great little insights you've provided. I've visited another auto assembly plant (Ford Rouge Factory Tour in Detroit) and it was fascinating. I suppose photos would be 'classified' and out of the question, but it would be great if you could describe a brief 'factory tour' of Vibe assembly for us Vibe-factory-voyeurs!

[IMakeVibes]

binary - I don't take any of it personal. I wish we could make every vehicle perfect the first time. But when you have 60 seconds or less to do your job and move on to the next vehicle and you are using components made by people in the same situation, errors and defects will happen. Some are rare and some are not. For all the people that have had a problem with their Vibe, hopefully there are many more who haven't.I do like working at NUMMI, I like it a lot. I've been there for a few years and it is still fun and interesting. I don't always say that after I've been there for 10 or 11 hours a day for many days straight, but I do like it. Not sure whats going to happen with Delphi or how that will affect us or any other customers of theirs. We do get parts from them. Hopefully it will not affect us at all. BOZACK - I love the way people are modding their Vibes. I don't drive a Vibe, Corolla or Tacoma and I don't want to say what I do drive as I am trying to stay incognito here. Although I would have no problem owning or driving any of the vehicles we do make, there are others I do prefer. My vehicles are fairly heavy on mods and if I were to own a Vibe, I would mod it in ways similar to what a lot of people have done here. To that, I say keep it up, the ones I have seen on here so far look great!!!kostby - Glad to provide what info I can. A lot of vehicle plants are similar in the way they build vehicles. Not sure what is made at the Ford plant you visited, but its probably not hugely different than NUMMI. If you're ever in the Bay Area, NUMMI does offer tours several times a week. They just opened a new training/visitor center last week. It doesn't excite me at all since I'm there everyday, but it is an interesting tour. All the info. is on NUMMI's website (nummi.com).And, yes you are correct, photos, such as the one below are classified and definitely out of the question. Oh, also, please, everyone, stop thanking me for building your Vibe. Its great that you all like or love your vehicles and I'm flattered by all the thanks. But, there are literally thousands of people that play a role in making Vibes everyday. I only play a small part in that. Don't get me wrong, the thanks are appreciated as we work our butts off everyday, sometimes 10+ hours a day and six days a week. I just can't alone accept the thanks that are due to the many people there.

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[IMakeVibes]

This is another photo that is out of the question!

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[IMakeVibes]

Also this photo is out of the question. So don't ever again ask me to post photos, because I'll never do it!!!!

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[IMakeVibes]

ugh, where'd my pics go????? ok, i'll figure out how to post multiple pics in a single post and how to make them display in the post. until then, if anyone wants to chime in with that useful info, feel free!!!

[kostby]

Thanks for the explicit photos! Since you've already attached them, I can link to them here and make them display together.Making a photo appear after you've attached it to a message is relatively easy:1. Attach the photo (as you've already done) and 'post' the message.2. When the message displays, click the EDIT button.3. Once the edit screen appears, move your cursor to the 'attached file' link, and right click to Copy the Link.4. Now either a) Click the 'Insert Image' yellow icon above the text edit box (follows Bold, Italic,Underline, and Insert Web Link icons) The [IMG][/IMG] html tags will be inserted into your message text. NOW, place the cursor between them and right-click to Paste the image link. or b) Just manually type in the [IMG] opening html tag and right click to 'paste' the image link and type in the [/IMG] html tag.5. Click 'Save'In effect, you're making Genvibe its' own host for a single image per message. Posting multiple images in one message is usually done by using another site to host your photos. Photobucket.com is the one I use and it has free accounts available, with some limitations. They don't always accept new members instantly, either, sometimes there's a waiting period, and there is a limit on free storage/bandwidth, though I've never exceeded it.

[IMakeVibes]

hey kostby, what are you doing posting pics like that on here? all that in confidential information that no one outside of the company is supposed to see. if they ever find out, you could be in big trouble for that!!!

[ColonelPanic]

From that one pic, I see a Vibe smack in the middle of a mess of Corollas... I have often wondered if they assembled all Vibes one day/shift/whatever, Corollas the next? Just curious to see how that works when you have two cars that are so VERY different being assembled on the same line... I wouldn't think it would be efficient to do the final assembly with a mix of vehicles coming down the line at the same time, although I do not really know how that stuff works there. I'm sure it is interesting work... I've toured the Corvette plant a couple of times, and was fascinated by the whole process. Seeing what came in turn into what comes out is pretty cool. A NUMMI tour is way out of the question though, too far away!

[RIT]

My wife and I did the tour in Aug of '03. At the time, we were the 1st Vibe owners to do the tour. We had our pictures taken with the President of NUMMI, and we were written up in the NUMMI News, It was a lot of fun, and very informative. We still wear our Vibe hats that we were given. I was also amazed that the process mixed all of the vehicles up, instead of ..today we build red cars with an automatic transmission... We still love our Vibe, and it still has all of the factory paint - for the most part i.e. no accidents - except a small job by the dent wizard.Keep up the excellent work. You keep building them, and we'll keep buying them.

[ToolGuy]

Hello and welcome! Thank you for making my Vibe... I mean thanks to you and all your colleagues for making my Vibe!

[IMakeVibes]

yea Colonel Panic, we run them all together. The ratio of Corollas to Vibes averages between 3-1 and 4-1. All the different options are thrown into the mix at the same time (sometimes thats how mistakes when people aren't paying attention or someone is doing a new job or one they are not very familiar with). The vehicles are different but similar enough that it can be done. BTW Tacomas are built on their own separate line in a different part of the plant.It is actually very efficient to build that way. All the parts needed are lineside. All the vehicles are shipped with a katashiki card (manifest) which stated what options are on that vehicle.I remember you RIT. There was a picture of your wife and you in the NUMMI News (a weekly company newsletter) along with Prisident Ishi.Glad everyone seems to be enjoying their Vibes. Ya'll sure are a friendly welcoming bunch. Heck, I don't think I was this welcomed at any other car club I've joined. And I even had the car to go with it at the time. And yes it is just past 4am and I did just get off work. Goodnite!!!!!