Reborn in 1977

Parking the car next to the workshop entrance, Chen Fan pushed the door open and got out. Director Yang immediately walked over, a hint of nervousness in his smile. "How was it?"

He had already figured it out. Based on the two sets of design drawings Chen Fan had made, with the current equipment conditions of the machinery factory, they could completely replicate a car.

Let's not talk about production capacity. Unless it was a major project supported by higher authorities, like Second Auto Works, with resource inclination and guaranteed production tasks, it might have a certain production and sales volume.

Otherwise, for car manufacturing initiated by factories themselves, being able to produce dozens of vehicles a year and supply the local market would be considered excellent!

And with the machinery factory's production capacity, a hundred or eighty vehicles would definitely not be a problem. With these cars alone, the factory could negotiate terms with the local committee.

If they could convince the higher-ups to set up a professional car production line... the good days would be unimaginable!

But the key to all of this was whether these two cars were actually good or not?!

Chen Fan closed the car door with a backhand and chuckled, "It's pretty much as expected."

He turned and pointed to several locations on the car body, "Especially the shock absorption effect is very good. I deliberately drove over a few potholes just now, and it's smoother than your Shanghai sedan."

One was a mass-produced car with low precision, and the other was a meticulously crafted handmade custom product, so there was no comparability at all.

However, to Director Yang, it was extremely encouraging. His eyes lit up immediately, "Really?"

The surrounding people were also very excited, chattering amongst themselves, revealing their excited mood.

After the tense relationship with Lao Su, the domestic automobile market currently relies almost entirely on domestic production. Among them, the best sedans are FAW's Hongqi and SAIC's Shanghai cars.

Okay, currently there are only three mainstream cars in China: Hongqi and Shanghai for sedans, and BJ212 for off-road vehicles.

As for the Phoenix sedan, which was once popular in the 50s and 60s, it is now the Shanghai brand.

Now that Chen Fan said the comfort was even higher than the Shanghai car, how could everyone not be excited!

Chen Fan leaned against the car body, pointed towards the workshop, and smiled, "There's also a Volga inside, and its comfort is even better than this one. You can go try it."

Director Yang didn't say a word and turned around to run into the workshop.

Deputy Director Li didn't even care about his face and followed behind him, "Old Yang, wait for me, let's go together."

Director Yang ignored him and quickly ran to the car, pulling the door open and getting in.

After a couple of seconds, Director Yang turned to look at Deputy Director Li, asking with a serious face, "Old Li, there's a problem."

Deputy Director Li looked at him, still with an excited expression, "What?"

As long as the machinery factory could produce cars, let alone giving up competing with Old Yang, he would even recognize him as the boss!

Then he heard Director Yang say, "Can you drive?"

Deputy Director Li's face froze. After a couple of seconds, he immediately put on a disgruntled face, "You said you can't even drive, what are you running for? Tui..."

Then he rolled down the car window, stuck his head out, and shouted, "Little He, come drive."

Master He from the car driver team immediately trotted over.

Although he had driven Hongqi and Shanghai cars, and also this Volga before it broke down, this car was different.

Almost half of the parts in this car were produced by our own machinery factory!

Moreover, the interior and structure have undergone great changes. These designs all came from Teacher Chen, which can be roughly equated to a self-produced sedan. How could driving it be the same?

He was still wondering just now, when did Director Yang learn to drive?

Well, it still depends on him!

With an excited mood, Master He nodded and bowed repeatedly to Director Yang, who got out of the driver's seat with a displeased face. He also actively opened the rear door, invited him in to sit down, then got into the driver's seat himself, shrugged his shoulders, and like a novice, turned the key with all his attention and caution.

The original four scrapped cars were ultimately only modified into two, using Volga engines with electronic ignition. As for the old-fashioned hand-cranked engine of the GAZ-69, it was now lying silently in the corner, shedding tears (dripping oil).

The brand-new Volga roared, and a plume of black smoke spewed from the rear exhaust pipe, slowly driving forward.

Chen Fan leaned against his off-road vehicle, watching the two leaders in the car laughing, and couldn't help but grin.

Speaking of which, aren't these two leaders a little too easily satisfied?

The two leaders naturally wouldn't just drive around the open space in front of the workshop like Chen Fan did. After circling here, they drove directly onto the main road of the factory area and began to let loose.

Watching the Volga disappear around the corner, everyone was stunned.

It's just a test drive, why run outside? Is it necessary?

At this time, Ding Guangsheng, the head of the auto repair team, walked over and smiled at Chen Fan, "Teacher Chen, I have a question I'd like to ask."

Chen Fan quickly said, "Don't dare to ask for instruction, just say what you want to say."

As he spoke, he took out a Yulan cigarette with a filter tip, took out one and handed it to him. Seeing that Master Zhou also came over, he handed another one out.

Then he put one in his mouth, leaned over to the lighter Ding Guangsheng handed over to light it, and exhaled a puff of smoke.

After Ding Guangsheng lit his own, he lit one for Master Zhou next to him, and then asked, "I wanted to ask, after the modification of these two cars, is it possible for our machinery factory to build its own cars?"

Chen Fan looked at him and smiled, "Did Director Yang ask you to ask?"

Ding Guangsheng shook his head, looked at the car behind Chen Fan, and sighed, "Of course Director Yang wants to build cars. Besides him, we car repairmen have also had such dreams.

When your father was here, he often came to our workshop to do experiments. Originally, we didn't have such a big ideal, but watching him constantly do experiments and draw design drawings, we slowly had this dream in our hearts.

Those who work in mechanics, how many don't want to build cars?"

He turned to look at Chen Fan, and said with a smile, "You are stronger than your father. He spent nearly ten years and couldn't draw a complete car design drawing, but you can!"

Chen Fan pursed his lips, paused for a couple of seconds, and then said softly, "It's not that I'm stronger than him, it's that I've seen the information he left behind. And..."

He looked back at the off-road vehicle behind him, "This set of car drawings is not original, it's mainly a replica. Without these cars, I wouldn't be able to draw it."

Among the old books he received, there were indeed several books related to automobile manufacturing, as well as the notebooks left by Chen Fan's father.

But as Ding Guangsheng said, there was indeed no complete car design drawing, but more of design ideas.

The help these materials gave Chen Fan was not as great as what he learned from searching short videos on the Internet and at the university before he transmigrated.

After all, at that time, ordinary car engine and vehicle design drawings were easily found online.

Of course, what can be found online is not something particularly good, but it is already much better compared to the current technology, even the entire vehicle structure diagram is available.

Unfortunately, none of them have been tested in real vehicles.

Power performance, safety, durability, reliability, wind resistance, high temperature resistance, high cold resistance...

The tests required for a new car to be launched are numerous.

Even in this era, many things are not yet perfect, but necessary performance tests cannot be lacking, so Chen Fan did not dare to borrow too much from the future, unless it was a car that had already been launched.

As for the current materials, rather than saying that they helped him improve, it is better to say that they gave him a quasi-standard for the current technology, so that he knew how to improve on the basis of existing technology, so that the things he came up with would not be too outrageous.

Ding Guangsheng naturally didn't know these things, it was still whatever Chen Fan said.

Hearing his words, Ding Guangsheng nodded with relief, and then said, "Then do you think we can build cars now?"

Chen Fan smiled, "We can definitely build them. Originally, with the current conditions of the machinery factory, as long as we are willing to disassemble a car to measure the parts parameters, from the engine to the chassis to the body, we can produce them ourselves, and then assemble them.

As for the electrical system, which is the most common in later generations of cars, it is a shortcoming of the machinery factory, but it is not completely unsolvable.

Finding other units of the local committee to cooperate and produce a new car is still possible.

Hearing Chen Fan's words, Ding Guangsheng and Master Zhou were both full of excitement.

They didn't care whether it was imitation assembly or independent research and development, as long as they could build cars.

When the factory sets up a car production workshop, they, as the workers most familiar with cars, will definitely be transferred to produce cars. Not to mention promotion, being a car production worker is more promising than a car repairman?!

But when Ding Guangsheng came back to his senses, his heart stirred, and he looked at Chen Fan and asked, "Listening to you, besides replication, can we also design our own?"

Chen Fan smiled slightly, "We'll talk about that when Director Yang and the others return."

He didn't want to say the same thing twice.

But this wait lasted for half an hour.

Director Yang and the others returned to the auto repair workshop by car, grinning as they got out.

Deputy Director Li got out of the passenger seat, raising both thumbs high, "Good, it's indeed better than the Shanghai sedan."

Director Yang walked quickly to Chen Fan, asking with a face full of expectation, "Can we build this car ourselves?"

Chen Fan touched his stomach and sighed, "Even the emperor doesn't mistreat his hungry soldiers, can we eat first?"

As soon as these words came out, everyone burst into laughter.

Deputy Director Li waved his hand and shouted loudly, "Let's go, everyone to the small cafeteria today."

The crowd cheered instantly.

A moment later, in the small cafeteria of the office.

Chen Fan first shoveled down two bowls of rice and drank a bowl of soup, finally filling his stomach.

Driving is also very tiring. He drove 10 different types of cars in the morning, and then test drove them again when he returned to the machinery factory. He was already hungry, so he wasn't in the mood to talk about development with them.

Only now, did he slowly sip his tea, scanning the few people who were eating and chatting, but also looking at him expectantly from time to time.

Director Yang, Deputy Director Li, Chairman Zhao of the Trade Union, Secretary Zhang of the Communist Youth League, Director Qian of the Women's Federation, all the factory leaders were present. Plus, Ding Guangsheng, the head of the auto repair team, and Master Zhou, and finally Chen Fan, exactly 8 people at one table.

Chen Fan put down his teacup and grinned, "I know you all want to build cars."

As soon as these words came out, the seven people at the table straightened their backs and stared at him without blinking.

Chen Fan turned to look at Director Yang and smiled, "Before, you said you wanted me to give the factory some advice, are you not planning on that anymore and just want to build cars directly?"

Director Yang raised his eyebrows slightly and laughed, "No, no, I still want to hear your opinion. After all, young people have many ideas. You are not only quick-witted, but also understand technology. If you have any good suggestions, don't hide them."

He himself knew very well that it was impossible for the machinery factory to transform into an automobile factory all at once. First, there was no suitable equipment, and second, there were not so many qualified employees.

Even if they started building cars, they would have to start small and slowly, using finished cars to exchange resources from higher authorities, and then slowly transfer other product lines, or directly shut them down, and concentrate manpower and material resources on automobile manufacturing.

This would be a very long time, possibly several years, or even more than a decade.

During this period, of course, other product lines could not be ignored. A proper arrangement method had to be found.

Deputy Director Li and other leaders also nodded in unison, especially Chairman Zhao of the Trade Union.

Nowadays, the Trade Union really considers the workers, from workers giving birth, to managing kindergartens and schools. After the children grow up, if they don't get into a technical secondary school or university, they still have to find ways to arrange jobs for them. When they reach adulthood, they have to organize social gatherings to find wives for the men and husbands for the women. After they have children, they have to visit them and express their condolences.

These are still major events, and there are countless minor events every year.

Giving gifts during festivals, mediating worker disputes, seeking benefits for workers, and listening to their demands.

Of course, there is also no shortage of organizing workers to hold meetings, study, organize sports meets, and cultural performances…

Even in terms of production, the Trade Union can intervene.

For example, organizing labor competitions for increasing production and practicing economy, skills competitions, and so on.

Oh, and one more thing.

Reversing verdicts for people from that period of time is also the job of the Trade Union!

Look, how can such a Trade Union turn a blind eye to the future development of workers?

Therefore, as soon as Chen Fan said this, Chairman Zhao immediately beamed, with undisguised appreciation on his face.

If building cars affects other production lines and workers, he will definitely not agree!

Chen Fan glanced at everyone and said seriously, "I know everyone is concerned about building cars, so I'll talk about this first. But before talking about building cars, I want to ask you a question."

Director Yang raised his chin, "You say."

Chen Fan, "What kind of car do you want to build?"

Director Yang looked around, a little puzzled, "Isn't a car just a car? There are only two types, either trucks, or sedans or jeeps."

He said with a smile, "With the conditions of our factory, it's good enough to be able to build cars. Of course, we'll build whatever we can. Unless one day, the higher authorities agree to us establishing an automobile factory and stipulate which type of car we must build, but at that time, it won't be our decision to make."

Chen Fan laughed understandingly, "Uncle Yang, if that's the case, then your car building will never amount to anything."

He stared at Director Yang, "You have been engaged in enterprise management for so many years, you must be very familiar with production and management, but you are very unfamiliar with the market. What I mean is, where is the market positioning for the machinery factory to build cars?"

Deputy Director Li shook his head next to him and smiled meaningfully, "If we can really build up an automobile factory one day, of course, whatever the higher authorities say is what we do, where does the market positioning come from?"

Director Yang also smiled and was about to remind Chen Fan to be careful with his words, but Chen Fan shook his head very seriously and said to them, "Having buying and selling is the market. It is not only capitalism that has a market, socialism also has a market. Mr. Li believes that 'the nature of commodity production depends on what economy it is connected to. Connected to a capitalist economy, it is capitalist in nature; connected to a socialist economy, it is socialist in nature'."

Seeing that Chen Fan even brought up Mr. Li, everyone present instantly breathed a sigh of relief.

Then it's okay.

Chen Fan continued, "For example, if the machinery factory wants to buy a truck, what is the first thing you think of buying?"

Deputy Director Li blurted out, "Of course it's a Jiefang."

Chen Fan smiled and nodded, "Yes, this is FAW accurately targeting the truck market through Jiefang trucks. The same is true. If the machinery factory wants to build cars, it must accurately locate the market. What kind of cars do we want to build and sell to what kind of units?

Then, we must design the most suitable cars according to the needs of these units, so that everyone who uses them says they are good, and is willing to repeat purchases and recommend them to other units.

Only in this way can we quickly open up the situation, gain a firm foothold,…"

He turned to look at Director Yang and said meaningfully, "The most important thing is to get the bargaining chip to ask the higher authorities for a price, so that they agree to the restructuring of the machinery factory, or the establishment of an automobile branch factory. Instead of saying that we can't produce results in building cars, and pack up the equipment and personnel and leave!"

Director Yang nodded in agreement after hearing this, "That makes sense."

He looked up at Chen Fan and said seriously, "Anyway, you know everyone's opinions. As long as the conditions are met, we definitely want to build cars, but we don't know much about these situations. If you have any good ideas, just say them. Whether they are suitable or adopted, we will seriously consider them."

Then he laughed, "Of course, your reward will not be small either."

As soon as these words came out, there was another burst of laughter at the table.

Everyone has understood these days that if you want Teacher Chen to work hard, you can't just give him something real.

Of course, Chen Fan doesn't take the initiative to ask for it. He is very happy to give him anything. This "degree" is very well grasped, otherwise it will be too much and he will make mistakes.

Chen Fan said with a smile, "Then I'll just say it directly. In fact, building cars is not difficult. Except for big factories like FAW, Second Auto Works, and SAIC, most other automobile factories started from auto repair.

For example, the predecessor of BAIC was the Second Automobile Repair Factory in the capital. According to horizontal comparison of conditions, they were not as good as our machinery factory at that time."

Not to mention anything else, could BAIC at that time have as much equipment and materials as the machinery factory?

Back then, they relied on forging tables and hammers to build the earliest batch of miniature cars in my country, the "Sputnik" car, and even the engine was hammered out!

(Sputnik car in the late 1950s)

In comparison, the conditions of the machinery factory are much better.

After giving everyone a boost, Chen Fan poured a basin of cold water on them, and then said, "But compared to big automobile factories, we still have a big gap. Therefore, my suggestion is that we can choose to produce miniature trucks that are relatively easy to produce, but have extremely high demand."