Hi folks,

I'm organizing a tour to the Toyota Plant in Georgetown Kentucky that assembles Camry hybrids on Monday, Jan. 15, Martin Luther King holiday. I'm posting here in case you missed the announcement. Check the "Events" forum for details.

I've requested 10 seats and will need a list of names and addresses a week before the tour.

Bob Wilson

ps. It is OK to share this with other hybrid forums.

Operation Iraqi Oil Freedom:

Automatic, stock, project car.

My other 1500 cc car:

Automatic, stock, backup car.
Free speech, dialog and knowledge thrives without the poison of SPAM.

How did it go?

It was great. There was so much to see, and i counted at least 10 TCH being built on the line. Some processes it was harder to tell the TCH from a normal car, but others it was much easier. i did not see a single HSD seperate from the car or engine, and I was kinda hoping to see what one looked like without the engine attached.

There were a few places in the factory they did not take us and I would have liked to see like the paint area, but since they keep it soo clean i can see why they don't want visitors there. I would have also liked to see the foundry where they cast parts, but I am sure their insurance would not allow it.

I highly recomend taking the tour if you are into manufacturing or even just logistics at all.

I think it would take a few times through the tour to really take in all there is to see.

Thanks for the report.

I was in Lexington Saturday and had to be back at work yesterday, but remembered your tour.

Were you able to pick up on any differences between the KY TCH and the import or were you told they are identical?

....any pictures?????

Regards - Randy




If there's one thing I've learned in online forums its this:
Never argue with an idiot, they'll drag you down to their level and beat you with experience!

They wont let you take pictures on the factory floor, so no dice there.

Bob did post some pictures of the "demo TCH" they have in the visitors center.

http://www.greenhybrid.com/discuss/s...ad.php?t=11473

I did not ask if there were any differences between the two. I assume the only difference is the front bumper. From the looks of the plant, I would be proud to own a Kentucky TCH. I guess I got mine a month too soon, nah, I love it too much to have waited any longer for it.

I would not mind getting a Tundra which is made in San Antonio, Texas though, but I will probably wait until the 3/4 ton version is released. Now I just need to see if the Texas plant has tours also.

One of my favorite parts of the tour was watching a coil of steel get cut, stamped, then welded into a car body. It was amazing watching the raw material go in one end and come out the other as a basic car.

There was so much to see, information overload comes to mind. IMHO, this is one tour I could easily repeat at least two more times just to pickup details I missed on the first one.

Bob Wilson

Operation Iraqi Oil Freedom:

Automatic, stock, project car.

My other 1500 cc car:

Automatic, stock, backup car.
Free speech, dialog and knowledge thrives without the poison of SPAM.

One of the dealers I went to and asked to factory order my TCH said they aren't building TCH's in Kentucky yet. He said they are all still coming from Japan. Either they are clueless or there is a reason they are only getting their TCH's from Japan.

Glad you guys had a good time.

Sounds like you want to organize it again!

It's possible that dealer is still working on allocation that was assigned prior to KY plant coming online. Sooner or later, all dealers will be getting the KY cars.

CAMRHEE Hybrid
Completed Mods: RK-Sport body kit, 18" LexusGS430 wheels 235/50ZR18 tires, TRD/SE springs, Rear Lip Spoiler, Terk XM-Direct, Smoked tail lights, Sliding Armrest, Rear Bumper Applique, Front License Bracket, Lower Grill chrome inserts, K&N, Blaupunkt THB200A sub, moved rear HSD emblem
Future Mods: fog lights, black chrome my wheels

http://www.greenhybrid.com/share/fil...fterFront4.JPG