Two Norwood Assembly Plant Ambassadors Visiting Carlisle GM Nationals

CARLISLE, Pa. - June 10, 2015 - PRLog -- As the Carlisle GM Nationals continue to grow, so does interest in being part of the show.  This year’s event features a handful of unique displays, including the first Camaro ever built.  That car has drawn national attention to GM weekend and now, it’s also drawing a pair of men who played a role in the construction of the F-body family of cars. Announced for the 2015 event, June 26-28 at the Carlisle PA Fairgrounds are Gale Mains and Pete Noll, both former workers at the famed Norwood Assembly Plant, the same plant where Camaro #001 was crafted and run through the production line.

As classics go, the Chevrolet Camaro has gone down in history as one of the most iconic and beloved cars ever produced. With millions of fans spanning all generations of the car, the name Camaro has become synonymous with American performance. As beloved as the car may be, it would not have made it to the dealership showroom if it weren’t for the dedicated and hard-working folks in the assembly plants.  As such, Carlisle is pleased to welcome Noll and Mains to better educate guests about the production of the F-body line of cars.  They’ll be at Carlisle to share their stories of working on the cars and their experiences in the plant.

Noll began his career with Fisher Body in 1955 as a tool and die apprentice, which saw him eventually start work on the early F-body pilot car program performing process refinement, which included dimensional control testing and body jacking. After Fisher Body was combined with the Chevrolet Body Division to form the General Motors Assembly Division in 1972, Noll stayed on board and specialized in windshield opening, door fixture and back light tolerances. Noll was involved in every body transition for the F cars, in all trim levels, until the plant was closed in 1987.

Our other special guest, Gale Mains, started at the Norwood plant as a new unit driver in August of 1967. Eventually, Mains found his specialty as an Absentee Replacement Operator and became skilled on the chassis side of operations, in particular the “massaging” of the firewall to help the fenders fit properly. Mains also mastered Automotive General Repair and inspection tasks along the line, meaning he has a very deep knowledge of just about every assembly aspect of the F-body car from 1967-1969. Mains continued his work on the chassis side of assembly until the plant closed in 1987. Mains is also featured on the cover of the book Echoes of Norwood.

Both of these Norwood workers were directly involved in the production of one of America’s most beloved cars. Meet Noll and Mains, along with Phil Borris, author of the book Echoes of Norwood, as part of the Solid Lifter Showroom in Building G, just outside of Gate 1.  The appearance of these gentlemen is due in large part to the support of Camaro Central and Firebird Central, two parts groups dedicated to everything F-body.