The Mopar stories site

Off the Line: People Doing Other Things in Chrysler Canada Plants

Photos provided by Lawrence Monkhouse

These photos were taken in the 1970s and 1980s, at the various Windsor plants, including the now-shuttered Pillette Road facility; some may have been taken in the Chrysler Canada headquarters building, as well.

Not sure when the painted dividers came down.

Western town painted on Chrysler Windsor

Below: doing something with the paint room control panel—though it really looks like they’re getting a Coke from an extra-fancy dispenser.

QIP (Quality Improvement Process), which was in effect during the 1980s and 1990s, asked all employees to question decisions; decisions were supposed to be made based on technical rationales, and changed if the facts demanded it. In the plants, the big QIP question was “Why not do it right the first time?” This was part of a successful cultural change effort that brought amazing results until Mercedes took over.

Heavy use of computers in engineering and in the plants was likely a result of the Huntsville defense operations.

Other Windsor pictorials at motales

Making Mopar Vans in Windsor
Dodge B-van factory photos

Making Cars in Canada: Factory Photos
A pictorial with some captions

Making Minivans in Windsor
Chrysler factory photos

Mopar Engine-Based Windsor Factory Photos
Putting engines together in Canada

Off the Line: People Doing Other Things in Chrysler Canada Plants
A pictorial of the labs, factory, and computer control areas

Other Chrysler plants and such

  • Brampton: Making big Mopars: Home of the Charger, Challenger, and 300

  • Building Trenton Engine: to Make Classic V8s and Air Raid Sirens

  • Building and Running the Slant Six Line at Trenton: Making the legendary Leaning Tower of Power

  • Innovation factory: Chrysler Technology Center (CTC): The most advanced engineering facility in the world for years

  • Making V8 engines: Trenton in pictures

  • Dodge Main: Sturdy car creation complex: Multi-story car factory

  • Making Mopar Vans in Windsor: Dodge B-van factory photos

  • Making Cars in Canada: Factory Photos: A pictorial with some captions

  • Making Minivans in Windsor: Chrysler factory photos

  • Creating the Chrysler Technology Center (CTC): The long story of the massive complex

  • Mopar Engine-Based Windsor Factory Photos: Putting engines together in Canada

  • When Chrysler made cars in LA: The westernmost Mopar plant

  • Trenton Engine milestones: 1964 Hemi to Pentastar

  • Off the Line: People Doing Other Things in Chrysler Canada Plants: A pictorial of the labs, factory, and computer control areas

  • Trenton Engine: Building New V6 Lines in 2000: A pictorial with explanations and stories

  • Mopar plants: rumors, what they make, and what they made: September 21, 2023 update including proposed closings, sales

  • Tales From the Factory: Matching Pistons and Blocks: How the factory managed precision problems, back in the day

    Follow us on Post! It’s like Twitter, but without ads or Nazis!

    Support us with Patreon

    Books by MoTales writer David Zatz

    Copyright © 2021-2023 Zatz LLC • Chrysler / Mopar car stories and history.