Reborn in 1977

Chapter 450: Making Three of Everything

January 1, 1978.

Finally, it's '78!

Although it's a holiday today, all the workers in the Yunhu Mechanical Factory's auto repair class still came to work overtime without a single absence.

Chen Fan squatted on the ground, pulled a part out of the kerosene basin, wiped it clean with a rag, and carefully examined it.

I have to say, as expected of old Soviet products that can last half a century, they are really sturdy and durable.

These discarded auto parts, aside from being a bit lacking in precision, are truly maxed out in durability. It's no wonder that 50 years later, you can still see unmodified, original GAZ-69s in some countries. These things are really solid.

The reason they were scrapped was due to problems with some of the more delicate parts, and engine aging causing malfunctions, requiring major repairs to be usable, but the overall structure was hardly affected.

If Chen's father didn't want to use these cars as a reference for research and development, as long as the damaged spare parts were replaced, the cars could still shine.

After confirming that the main components could all be used normally, Chen Fan was not in a hurry to reassemble them, but instead polished and refurbished all the parts, even a screw.

The most important thing was to soak the steel components in kerosene first, to remove all the surface oil and rust, and then polish and even paint them.

The master craftsmen in the auto repair class were also happy to join him.

What's more enjoyable than repairing cars? Building them!

Usually, they would at most repair some small parts or replace a machine, but they never had the opportunity to completely dismantle an entire car.

This is just like how many young boys in later generations liked to take apart bicycles and radios. Taking things apart is a man's romance, something deeply ingrained, let alone taking apart a car!

Of course, being able to put it back together after taking it apart is what's really awesome, otherwise, just like when they were kids, they would take it apart into a pile of parts that couldn't be put back together, and they would only get a beating.

Although Factory Director Yang wouldn't beat them, he still felt a bit of a toothache when he saw this scene.

I just attended two days of meetings, arranged a pilot program for the 'Five Basic Principles of Factory Management,' and then thought about coming over to take a look today since it's New Year's Day, but I didn't expect to see this.

Four cars, all disassembled?!

Not only were they disassembled, but there were also many new parts on the shelves next to them.

He walked over to take a look, picked up a wooden ring, and asked curiously, "What is this for?"

Auto Repair Class Leader Ding Guangsheng glanced at Chen Fan not far away, and said with a smile, "This is a steering wheel. It will also be sent to the paint workshop for painting, coloring, and waxing, just like the faceplate of a sewing machine. It will look good after it's painted."

He pointed to a few pieces of wood next to him, "These are also for it. They will be assembled together with iron parts to make a complete steering wheel."

Fortunately, the factory has made sewing machines and has special machines for processing wood, otherwise it would be a troublesome matter.

He didn't know that Chen Fan only bothered because he saw this kind of machine, otherwise he would have just refurbished the old one.

This time, Chen Fan really utilized the resources of the mechanical factory to the extreme. In his plan, he definitely needed the help of several eighth-grade workers, otherwise he couldn't stand the rough style of the original model.

Factory Director Yang clicked his tongue and turned to look at Chen Fan, his expression a little strange.

Didn't he say he was going back to Lujiawan for the night?

He's been soaking in the factory for two or three days in a row, and he's never gone back.

He also pulled Lao Zhou to various workshops to trial-produce parts, and the material costs were several hundred yuan. Some things looked like they were going to be used on cars, but some things, even those experienced workshop directors and eighth-grade workers, couldn't tell what they were for.

What exactly is this kid doing?

Just as he was pondering silently, Ding Guangsheng said in a low voice, "Factory Director, don't look down on Xiao Fan just because he's young. I'm afraid his skills are even greater than Engineer Chen's."

He was referring to Chen Fan's father.

In the factory, technology has always been king. Whoever has the best skills, everyone will admire. Therefore, some old workers have more face in the workshop than the director.

In the beginning, everyone was still doing it for Old Chen's sake, and Chen Fan himself was also a celebrity, so they were all polite and let him mess around.

But after one day, everyone was submissive. Whatever Chen Fan asked them to do, they would do, including Master Zhou. They wouldn't even ask a question, and would only humbly ask for advice in their spare time.

Chen Fan was not stingy either. He also earned a lot of experience points from these workers, and integrated the theories he had learned from books before crossing over, as well as his knowledge and experience, with the practical operations he learned from the workers, and was able to realistically meet the current situation.

Now he can be considered an automotive expert, and he can answer everyone's questions fluently, and he can also explain them in a simple and understandable way, so that people with low education levels can understand, which can naturally convince everyone.

Factory Director Yang hadn't come for two days, so naturally he didn't know this, and couldn't help but widen his eyes, "Lao Ding, don't fool me!"

Xiao Fan can compare to his old man? Isn't that a joke?!

Ding Guangsheng, "Why would I fool you?"

Then he secretly glanced at Chen Fan, who was still tinkering with parts, and quietly took two pieces of paper from the side and handed them to Factory Director Yang, "Look for yourself."

Factory Director Yang looked at the drawings, first frowning slightly, and after a few seconds, his eyeballs almost popped out, "These are car design drawings?"

When Chen Fan's father was still around, he often pulled him to discuss how to build a car, so he had naturally seen many such design drawings.

These are two interior design drawings, one is the center console and the other is the seat.

The center console uses a combination of wood veneer and leather design. In addition to the instrument panel, there is also a clock embedded in the middle, and a hidden storage box in front of the passenger seat. The overall design is seamless, and you can feel what is called "high-end" just by looking at the simple drawings!

Compared with the drawings that Old Chen used to explore and design by himself, there is no obvious change in technology, but the visual experience is far beyond.

And that seat is really made in the shape of a sofa. In addition, there is a three-speed adjustment function, and then two slide rails are installed on the floor, so that it can be moved back and forth.

They even raised the seat and made a headrest and a lumbar support.

Some very common and common functions in later generations have not yet been popularized at this time, or have not yet been popularized in China.

Even high-end cars such as Hongqi and Shanghai will refer to foreign luxury cars in the late 1970s and introduce some similar design elements for their own models.

One of them is adding a headrest to the seat.

Before this, almost all designs referred to GAZ and Volga, and the seat only reached the shoulders, and the head had no protection at all.

Factory Director Yang, who saw this design for the first time, naturally found it novel.

While Factory Director Yang was coercing Ding Guangsheng to take out more drawings for him to see, on the other side, Chen Fan checked the main components and said to Master Zhou, "Let's stop here today. It's rare to have a holiday, and it's the weekend. Let everyone go back and continue on Tuesday."

Master Zhou didn't even raise his head, "Take a day off, make up for a day. If I don't touch this thing for two days, I can't sleep."

An old worker beside him also smiled and said, "Consultant Chen, you young people have a lot to do, so go back and rest first. We old guys don't have to work when we get home. We'll take advantage of these two days of factory rest to pull a few eighth-grade workers from the workshop and make the key parts you need. When you come on Tuesday, we should be able to assemble the main structure."

Today is New Year's Day, which also falls on the weekend, and according to regulations, we get a compensatory day off on Monday.

In this era, there are no make-up days. Besides every Sunday, there is only 1 day for New Year's Day, 1 day for May Day, 2 days for National Day, and 3 days for the Spring Festival, for a total of 7 days of holidays. If it falls on a Sunday, a compensatory day off is given on the first working day.

So this year's New Year's Day can be a two-day holiday.

For ordinary families, two days is barely enough to clean the house and visit the elderly, and then it's gone in the blink of an eye.

But a large part of the people here are old workers. Master Zhou, the oldest, is already over 50 and has grandchildren. The youngest is also over 30, and their children basically do the housework. So they have nothing to do during the holidays, so they simply come to the factory to study the car designed by Chen Fan.

The situation of those eighth-grade workers is similar. What's more enjoyable than studying new things when they go home to rest?! Moreover, unlike the regular work of the auto repair class, if they don't come, the auto repair class will definitely find other eighth-grade workers. How can they let this happen?

Naturally, they will fully cooperate!

Seeing their firm attitude, Chen Fan had no choice but to say hello to Director Yang and leave on his own.

When Chen Fan walked out of the workshop, Director Yang immediately called Master Zhou and Ding Guangsheng aside, "Make a copy of Xiao Chen's complete set of design drawings, and then make a set of spare parts according to it."

He coughed dryly, "For backup."

Ding Guangsheng and Master Zhou looked at him together. After several seconds, Ding Guangsheng said, "You want us to make a copy!"

Master Zhou looked indifferent, "What I told the workshop was to make three copies of each!"

Director Yang was slightly stunned at first, then nodded with relief, "Yes, yes, not bad, not bad."

Ding Guangsheng's expression changed, first he coughed dryly, then pointed to the pile of Volga parts and said in a low voice, "Director, this is what I think. Xiao Chen's car design drawings are obviously based on the GAZ car, but these Volga parts should not be wasted either."

Director Yang's eyes rolled slightly, "What do you mean?"

Ding Guangsheng smiled honestly, "I just think, why bother twice for one thing? Can we ask him..."

Director Yang nodded slowly, then patted him on the shoulder with a smile, "Good idea, I'll leave this matter to you. I'll wait for the day when you complete the task successfully!"

After saying that, he put his hands behind his back and walked out with a sway.

Just kidding, you want me to find Chen Fan and ask him to design another car? I'd be skinned alive!

Well, let Lao Ding try first, and we'll talk about it later.

Afterwards, Ding Guangsheng's face was dull, and his expression gradually distorted. When he couldn't see anyone anymore, he put one hand on his hip and pointed to the empty workshop door with the other, complaining to Master Zhou, "Lao Zhou, look, look, look, is there such a thing? Why let me talk about it? Who is the director anyway?"

Master Zhou nodded indignantly, "That's right!"

After saying that, he turned around, put his hands behind his back and went to ponder those new parts. Anyway, no matter who goes to talk, he just waits for the new drawings, and he doesn't feel any pressure at all.

......

The new home is very close to the machinery factory, separated from the machinery factory gate by only a main road.

After crossing the T-junction in front of the gate, continue south for a short distance, then turn left into a small road lined with thick plane trees. After passing two households, you will arrive at his home.

Opening the door and entering the yard, two tabby cats jumped out of the bamboo bushes on the wall and landed on the ground with a "Meow, meow" sound.

In just two or three days, the spirits of the two cats have changed greatly. Even though it is still daytime, those two pairs of eyes are glowing green, and the sharp light appears and disappears from time to time. The claws are hidden in the seams of the fingers, only revealing a little bit of the claw tips, and the body is always tense, as if it is always ready to attack.

It's so cool here. There are so many mice for them to catch. Although there is competition from nearby cats, those domestic cats are simply not their opponents. They have never won a food grab.

Now, no mice can be found in this yard, and even the surrounding area is almost extinct. The owner said to guard the yard, so they dare not run far, and can only wait for the mice from afar to string over. Otherwise, with the two of them, they could clean up the mice in this area.

It's a pity that so many mice killed can only be eaten outside, and they have to wash their paws and mouths clean before they can come back, otherwise they are not allowed to enter the yard. In this way, there is no way to store food.

The two cats were a little resentful. When they saw the owner's eyes sweeping over, they immediately lay obediently on the ground, "Meow..."

Chen Fan nodded with satisfaction, "Continue to patrol and stay alert."

After saying that, he entered the house.

The two cats followed the imperial decree, and with a swoosh, they jumped onto the wall through the bamboo bushes and disappeared into the bamboo forest.

After a while, they stood up at the same time and looked in the direction of the street.

I saw two girls walking quickly towards this side, one holding something in her hand, and the other holding a small leopard cat in her arms, and soon they arrived.

Ban Jin in Jiang Lili's arms glanced at the wall and showed a bit of disdain in her eyes, and continued to doze off.

Hmph, none of them can fight.

Jiang Tiantian walked to the front of the yard, preparing to call for the door, and seeing that the door was not locked and there was no bolt inside, she pushed open the yard door while shouting, "Xiao Fan, we're here."

Chen Fan heard the sound and walked out of the house, with a particularly bright smile on his face, "Just come, why bring anything."

Seeing Chen Fan, Jiang Lili decisively threw Ban Jin on the ground and ran over excitedly, "Xiao Fan, Happy New Year."

Jiang Tiantian smiled and turned around to close the yard door.

Ban Jin, who was thrown on the ground, was a little depressed, but she didn't want to lose her temper. Just as she raised her head, she saw two ignorant cats actually laughing?

Hmph, I can't fight the owner, but I can't fight you?

Immediately, she flashed onto the wall, meowed at the two cats, then jumped onto the branches, flashed a few times and disappeared.

The two cats were immediately furious. How dare you, little brat, take the initiative to provoke us? Immediately, they followed without hesitation. The owner only said not to be presumptuous in the yard, but didn't say it wasn't allowed outside. I've been looking at this cat with displeasure the day before yesterday, and today I have to show it some power!

Chen Fan ignored the three cats, greeted the two of them, "Happy New Year, Happy New Year."

Then he took the net bag from Jiang Tiantian's hand and led them inside, "If you ask me, you should go and spend New Year's Day with your aunt and uncle. I'll be fine alone."

Jiang Tiantian followed him into the door, took off the scarf around her neck, and said with a smile, "We are all here, how can we let you spend the festival alone."

Jiang Lili also smiled and said, "We will be here in the morning and go home in the afternoon, it's the same."

Chen Fan has a home in the prefectural committee, so naturally he won't hide it from them. On the night he came here, he went to where they lived and told them the address of the new home. The next day, the two sisters came to the door after get off work, and waited for a long time at the door because Chen Fan was busy in the factory. And it's almost New Year's Day, and they know that Chen Fan is here alone, so they said they would come and spend the festival with him. If it weren't for this, Chen Fan would still be piecing together parts in the factory.