07 SHELBY and I have compared our SVT Engine Niche Plates to find that one of the mechanics worked on both of our engines. How about everyone post the names on their Shelby's Niche Plate on this thread so we can see who built whose engines. One of mine was hard to read, do the best you can!

My Niche Plate:

Gary Smith and J. Donovan

I found out on the Romeo trip that the J. stands for Jim! Both of my guys had retired before we got there!

I would if I had my $%#&* Shelby.

(Sorry, I guess I feel a need to whine at least once in every thread. I'll go sit in the corner now :o )

Gary Smith,Doug Campbell and Rpretzel(He's the whiney apprentice).

Gary Smith,Chad Campbell and Rpretzel(He's the whiney apprentice).

Ha Ha Ha! Thanks for the honorable mention, 07. :D :D :D

My Niche Plates:

Mel Darrington
Paul Weis (not sure on the last name as it was hard to read)

Aldy

Gary Smith,Doug Campbell and Rpretzel(He's the whiney apprentice).

Greetings all! You guys got me to thinking with this thread so I checked the engines on my Snakes. Doug Campbell was one of the builders of my '98 Cobra's engine! 9 years later and still turning wrenches on the Romeo Line, pretty cool!:cool:

Larry Niahiou? & Mel Darrington

OK, we aren't getting much support on my thread here! What's up with that? I sure would like to get a better feel for how the teams are put together! Here are the reported teams so far:

Gary Smith & J. Donovan
Gary Smith & Doug Campbell
Mel Darrington & Paul Weis
Larry Niahiou & Mel Darrington

Spelling could be off on a couple of those.

Anyone else?

I was looking at 07 SHELBY's thread about the Romeo trip and he mentioned that there were only 8 niche mechanics, so we have all but two names I guess.

Just looked at mine and it's signed by what looks like Ronald Anderson and Stephen Fae. Could these be the missing 2?

Thanks, 2008Shelby! Here is the updated list:

Gary Smith & J. Donovan
Gary Smith & Doug Campbell
Mel Darrington & Paul Weis
Larry Niahiou & Mel Darrington
Ronald Anderson & Stephen Foe
Robert Straten, Jr. & Jeremy Comer

If anyone has a different combination of these names or different names or spellings, please post them.

Thanks, GT500Convert!

Looks Like Robert Straten JR and Jeremy Comer

I took some time to look at the plate on my car and I got the same team as GT500Convert, Robert Straten JR and Jeremy Comer.

Ronald Anderson and Stephen Foe

Mine looks like Gary Smith and Doug Deemer.....but it must be Doug Campbell....but it sure looks like Deemer.....

My father-in-laws car has Mel Darrington & Larry Niahiou on the Niche plate. He just got the car in December.

I would if I had my $%#&* Shelby.

(Sorry, I guess I feel a need to whine at least once in every thread. I'll go sit in the corner now :o )

Now Now Mr Pres.......................... Be nice. But how the _)*(&(%^$%&^(% can you stay calm with that wait. YOU'RE ALLOWED TO VENT.........:eek:

Mine kinda looks like

Gary Marstan and Jeff Hamblin

And I want to thank them sooooo much....they built a rocket.

Mine kinda looks like

Gary Marstan and Jeff Hamblin

And I want to thank them sooooo much....they built a rocket.

Sounds as though there has been a turnover at Romeo for the Way Forward.:( What does this mean for Romeo in the Spring and meeting with the builders of our motors. 07 maybe you can let know who is still working at the plant and who has taken the early out.

Sounds as though there has been a turnover at Romeo for the Way Forward.:( What does this mean for Romeo in the Spring and meeting with the builders of our motors. 07 maybe you can let know who is still working at the plant and who has taken the early out.



I never thought of it but I will.

Thanks, 2008Shelby! Here is the updated list:

Gary Smith & J. Donovan
Gary Smith & Doug Campbell
Mel Darrington & Paul Weis
Larry Niahiou & Mel Darrington
Ronald Anderson & Stephen Foe
Robert Straten, Jr. & Jeremy Comer

If anyone has a different combination of these names or different names or spellings, please post them.

Thanks, GT500Convert!

Looks like Larry Niahiow & J Donovan

Mine looks like:

Patrick J. Shanon Jr. (sp)

and

Jeremy Comer

hey you guys, i have a different combo of engine builders, paul weis and i think brian klepak but the signiture is very difficult to make out. p.s. they must have known this was going into an ebony and tungsten car so they made it extra fast:D :D :D

Here is mine but the one I'm not sure of Kimberly Naylor/Gena? Geria Sotree??

Wards Auto World did an article in 2005 on hand built engines and mentions the Romeo Engine Plant Niche line. In part it said: "...At Ford Motor Co., there's a variation on the theme. The process at Ford's "niche" engine-assembly line on the site of its giant Romeo, MI, engine plant, is "Two Men, One Engine."

With products from Ford's Special Vehicle Team suspended until a new SVT Shelby Cobra GT500 variant of the '05 Mustang is launched, 2-man teams on the niche engine line - only nine technicians in all - assemble just one engine: the supercharged 5.4L DOHC V-8 for the GT supercar.

The 22,000 sq.-ft. (2,044 sq.-m) niche line also built, starting in 1996, the supercharged 4.6L DOHC V-8 for the Mustang Cobra SVT until the car's temporary discontinuation last year. With the GT's V-8 currently its only output, this specialized operation assembles about 1,200 engines annually.

Each GT engine takes about 2.5 hours to build up from bare block and heads, Mike Eller, team manager on the niche engine line, told Ward's last year.

The 2-technician teams push each V-8 through a series of 12 stations, and when it's finished, you guessed it - a shiny aluminum plate inscribed with the name of both engine builders is affixed to the engine."

The Cars,Cars,Cars, blog site says that the most recent buy out total was 35,000 workers taking the buy out option. With so small a group of engine builders I wonder how many were among those that took the buyout and how that will affect production of the GT500?

Sounds as though there has been a turnover at Romeo for the Way Forward.:( What does this mean for Romeo in the Spring and meeting with the builders of our motors. 07 maybe you can let know who is still working at the plant and who has taken the early out.

07 Hope things are well as your presence has been missed? I know you are out there!:(

07 Hope things are well as your presence has been missed? I know you are out there!:(



I'm here.Been under the weather lately.Haven't even felt good enough to work on the Shelby.It will pass,the weather here sucks and I have been very busy at work.Saying good bye to a lot of people that I have worked with the last 20 years.All salaried buyouts are done 2-28-07.About 400 hourly have already left.Can't wait for the temps to go above 0 degrees.Later

I'm here.Been under the weather lately.Haven't even felt good enough to work on the Shelby.It will pass,the weather here sucks and I have been very busy at work.Saying good bye to a lot of people that I have worked with the last 20 years.All salaried buyouts are done 2-28-07.About 400 hourly have already left.Can't wait for the temps to go above 0 degrees.Later

Sounds like a tough time for you 07, as well as for all those leaving. Been there been through it. When I retired from Verizon(land line not Cell) 11/03, they wanted 4700 managers to take it nationwide, that was a joke. They ended up with 16000+ applying for the early out. And they gave it to all of us............... My peer group consisted of 9 people in Central Pa. 8 of the nine applied, and got it. What a mess we went through. But the mess left behind was a real nightmare. So I take it you're staying. Remember to take a deep breath, don't over do it, and your time will come......

Sounds like a tough time for you 07, as well as for all those leaving. Been there been through it. When I retired from Verizon(land line not Cell) 11/03, they wanted 4700 managers to take it nationwide, that was a joke. They ended up with 16000+ applying for the early out. And they gave it to all of us............... My peer group consisted of 9 people in Central Pa. 8 of the nine applied, and got it. What a mess we went through. But the mess left behind was a real nightmare. So I take it you're staying. Remember to take a deep breath, don't over do it, and your time will come......

Bogey1222 thanks for your thoughts.I'm ok.Just felt like a pile of s**t for a couple of weeks.Not sure if it was flu or bad cold with a twist of depression.I feel a lot better now except my hard drive on my home computer died yesterday.It's been sick lately too.I bought a new hard drive today.Yes,I am staying.10 more years and I'll have 30 years and still relatively young.I really do like my job and they don't want me to leave so it is a good marriage.Where else can you look at Shelbys all day and not get tired of it,plus all the new Mustang models comming out,I love it.

I just got back from vacation and checked mine and it looks like we have at least 2 women building the engines.:eek: :D

My vert has Laurie Bowen and Paul (Weis or Wat) can't tell for sure.

J. Donavon & Cary D. Kranp.

J. Donavon & Cary D. Kranp.



SHELBY2845 thanks for the info.Haven't had a new builder name in awhile.

I am curious about all the builders myself. I am going to be in Michigan in July and was hoping to get a peek at the facility. I am wondering if the second builder's name might be short for Kranpool?

I am curious about all the builders myself. I am going to be in Michigan in July and was hoping to get a peek at the facility. I am wondering if the second builder's name might be short for Kranpool?

I am not sure.This is the 1st time I have seen this name.

Anyone have a girl as one of their engine builders......hear there are some building the engines.

Anyone have a girl as one of their engine builders......hear there are some building the engines.

AC
see post #24. I have her name on mine also.

I have a Laurie Bowan on the vert I picked up n 3/31. It's the first time I've seen her name. Must be quite a gal.:D :D

George Whitting Bill Shaffer.

I did not see these anywhere. Did I over look, or are these both NEWBIES ?

ILLEGAL

George Whitting Bill Shaffer.

I did not see these anywhere. Did I over look, or are these both NEWBIES ?

ILLEGAL



I don't know if they are newbies or not.Iwas told they were hiring more builders.I think they came from somewhere else in the plant.

I have a females name on mine but can't make it out, go figure trying to understand a female???

I know the first name is Jeremy Comer, anyone have ideas on who the second builder's name??....

Guys going to Romeo... please, please get of PICS of these gentlemen! (assuming it's appropriate):)... I want to add builder pics into the permanent file. Have fun, all.

http://forums.rennlist.com/upload/shelby_plate.jpg

You can add these two to the list GARY HUNT and RJ KRANOR they were a team. Both have since retired

Just popped my hood- Bill Sheffer & J Donovan

Mine looks like Kimberly Naylor and Rorta Mosseft?

Hard to make out the 2nd name, can't vouch for the spelling.

Mine looks like Kimberly Naylor and Rorta Mosseft?

Hard to make out the 2nd name, can't vouch for the spelling.

I have Kimberly Naylor on mine as well.

Anyone know who these guys are?

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc289/JoeG_09/Enginesigs.jpg

Looks like Rachel Welch and Pamela Anderson ?

Looks like Rachel Welch and Pamela Anderson ?

Didn't know they built engines??

07 SHELBY and I have compared our SVT Engine Niche Plates to find that one of the mechanics worked on both of our engines. How about everyone post the names on their Shelby's Niche Plate on this thread so we can see who built whose engines. One of mine was hard to read, do the best you can!

My Niche Plate:

Gary Smith and J. Donovan

I found out on the Romeo trip that the J. stands for Jim! Both of my guys had retired before we got there!


I hadn't noticed this post before, but I have the same guys on my plate as you do...


http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb76/FastestShelby/Shelby%20Mods/DSC02901.jpg

:D

Didn't know they built engines??

They are built....

I also have Gary Smith but with Rick Maier and Elite1 also has Gary Smith.
http://www.fordgt500.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1630

Copied this picture from another site, it has a few of the builders who built our motors, including Gary Smith and J. Donovan. :D

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f395/2elet4u/misc%20pics/last46eu5.jpg

I checked mine and it has Tim Parrott and Paul Daneter (sp). I see Tim in the pic but I dont see Paul's name mentioned.

There are now 40 Niche line engine builders at R.E.P.

Any updated pics the builder teams?

Mine is Tim Parrott and Tom Henson

Mine looks like Kimberly Naylor and Rorta Mosseft?

Hard to make out the 2nd name, can't vouch for the spelling.


I might have the same two; for sure on kimberly naylor; but the second name looked kinda like robert or roberta, and the last name was a mess, started with an M, but I was thinking mallory or montgomery, with a jr at the end. and I thought my signature was tough to read :eek:

I might have the same two; for sure on kimberly naylor; but the second name looked kinda like robert or roberta, and the last name was a mess, started with an M, but I was thinking mallory or montgomery, with a jr at the end. and I thought my signature was tough to read :eek:

Glad I'm not the only one! I hope she didn't build my engine like she signed her name (I think it's a her? if not my apologies to the women Shelby engine builders of the world).:D