sekine models
Hey there.
You r testing my memory . Sekine ended 25 years ago but let me see what hasn't been clouded by a miss directed youth. QC was excelent it was performed exclusivly by the 6 senior management all of which were from the head office in Japan. Only 2 frames were actually assembled in canada 1 mens and 1 ladies all the rest came prepainted and assembled from Japan ( cranks derailers,levers all mounted.) these bikes fron Japan came large crates 1 containing assembled frames the other containing assembled hubs rims seats and handlebars. the Japanese bikes came less decals and emblems. The bikes assembled in canada came primed ready to paint. When these bikes were assembled parts were taken from bins and it was quit common to run out of a part and the assembler would grab another bin but of a different model of derailer or brake lever for example. There may well be a lot of Johny Cash type bikes out there(assembled from a bunch of missmatched parts). You also have to remember this was a training center and a good number of the people working there could not read or write and some had no formal schooling at all.Launguage was also an obstacle as the management spoke broken english and many of the native employees only spoke cree or ojibway. When acklands took over they quickly found they were in a business that was doomed most of the staff had left and of those remaining most didn't care about anything other than the weekend.
As for what parts went were if it fit it went on nobody really cared unless they were stealing it for themselves. I started working there at the beginning my first job was unloading the assembly equipment in the empty hanger my last job was loading it on a truck after the auction.