Muffleman Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 I have a good friend who is quite senior at toyota technical europe. He popped into the workshop today and noticed we had a late facelift TT. Apparently, the last of the Supra's were hand assembled ! Unlike the factory built cars, they were put together in the same factory as the Toyota Century, and he knew this as he'd been there when they were being built. I'm sure some of you already knew this, but I didn't Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdzC Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 I didn't know that. I presume you are talking about the JDM 2002 models. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muffleman Posted April 17, 2008 Author Share Posted April 17, 2008 I presume it's any built after a certain date, the vin plate would probably show a different factory location ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flukey-lukey Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 hmmm... interesting BUT, why would they do that? Did you ask him? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homer Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 I just PM'd SteveR to check the Plant code on his VIN (2000 VVTi TT) The old ones were plant A22 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muffleman Posted April 17, 2008 Author Share Posted April 17, 2008 I just PM'd SteveR to check the Plant code on his VIN (2000 VVTi TT) Good call mate. I suspect the reason for moving production was an economic decision, I presume sales demand didn't warrant the use of a main factory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 I just PM'd SteveR to check the Plant code on his VIN (2000 VVTi TT) The old ones were plant A22It's M22 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ewen Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 Im sure I read that factory assembly stopped officially in 2001, but there were so many shells / parts still stocked that Toyota decided to complete additional cars, presumably off-site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveR Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 It's M22 Spooky, I didn't even need to leave the room! As M22 isn't A22, does that mean it was hand built then? It's largely been hand rebuilt too, by Jake, when the heater matrix blew! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Branners Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 it became such a low volume car that they moved production to a smaller facility for financial reasons. Not sure how handbuilt they would be but it would certainly have been a less pressured production line and so the quality may be better. I had forgotten they moved production so thanks for reminding me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverSoop Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 Oh right well tbh, didnt know that either.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooter Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 Not sure how handbuilt they would be but it would certainly have been a less pressured production line and so the quality may be better. yeh i agree i'd think handbuilt would be overplaying it a little (lot!) All M22's are possibly cars from May 97 onwards, where the VIN number restart with 1000001? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homer Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 All M22's are possibly cars from May 97 onwards, where the VIN number restart with 1000001? Shane, any chance you could check your one re above? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Havard Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 Interesting! Is there any evidence that hand buit is any better than machine built. After all, machines don't go for a pi$$ or a brew and forget where they are up to and they also aren't aware that it's Friday afternoon and the pubs are open!! Just a thought! H. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swampy442 Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 Interesting! After all, machines don't go for a pi$$ or a brew and forget where they are up to and they also aren't aware that it's Friday afternoon and the pubs are open!! H. Neither do the Japanese lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooter Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 Interesting! Is there any evidence that hand buit is any better than machine built. to be fair there is not much evidence they were handbuilt. It probably was just as Branners said and it was moved to a smaller lower production plant to make way for the production of tens of thousands of the latest MR2 or celica........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muffleman Posted April 17, 2008 Author Share Posted April 17, 2008 I deliberately refrained from saying hand built and chose hand assembled instead. I just thought it was interesting when you think of the cache given to the likes of the old M5 and Aston's as they are 'hand built'. Just passing on something that was told to me buy someone who would know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooter Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 i wasn't having a go, and you're right your friend knows better than i just thought some were running away with the notion of hand built/hand assembled...............all the models i've had, robot or hand assembled, have all been well screwed together Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juanchan Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 i wasn't having a go, and you're right your friend knows better than i just thought some were running away with the notion of hand built/hand assembled...............all the models i've had, robot or hand assembled, have all been well screwed together Apart from that squeak I can't locate in the dash somewhere Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muffleman Posted April 17, 2008 Author Share Posted April 17, 2008 i wasn't having a go, and you're right your friend knows better than i just thought some were running away with the notion of hand built/hand assembled...............all the models i've had, robot or hand assembled, have all been well screwed together Yeah I know mate, no stress Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul mac Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 Not sure how handbuilt they would be but it would certainly have been a less pressured production line and so the quality may be better. having spent most of my working life in factorys i would have to disagree with this, hand built introduces all the inacuracys of a human into the equation, were they out on the p**s last night, will my wife leave me, how will i pay that bill etc etc, on the production line everything is rigidly controlled so there is less margin for error, its still an interesting fact though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustGav Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 Well, my VVTi-donor appears to have been hand built as well, it was certainly taken apart by hand Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 Build quality of these cars is fantastic regardless if it's hand or machine built. It's the quality of components that make the car for me, not whether a human or a robot built it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hogmaw Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 Build quality of these cars is fantastic regardless if it's hand or machine built. It's the quality of components that make the car for me, not whether a human or a robot built it. I agree with this. What is it exactly about hand built that could mean it is better than machine or robot built? It sounds romantic but this is engineering a car, not painting a picture Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazboy Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 mk1 MR2's were hand built by retiered ex Toyota workers earning some pocket money, mk2 MR2's were hand assembled in a seperate factory to the main Toyota ones. Perhaps that's where the 2000-2002 Supras were built after the 1989-2000 MR2's ceased production? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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