History Do you like old auto factories?

Lots of the midwest is covered with old factory sites, with or without remaining buildings. Some, like the Packard Plant in Detroit, have gotten a lot of face time in the news lately as “ruin*****”, others are largely forgotten even by the communities where they’re located.

If you’re like me, and you like auto factories and part suppliers from years gone by, why don’t you join the social group I started: “Rustbelt Historians: The Motor Cities Appreciation Group”. Lend your knowledge, if you’ve got it, or ask your questions to help prompt memories and research.

If you can’t find the group, PM me and I’ll send you a group invitation.

-Dave

 

Why, yes. Yes I do.

 

http://silentbuildings.com/

 

Thanks Shooter.......nothing sadder than the Motor City.

 

This one's been posted before, but definitely worth a look...http://www.detroityes.com/home.htm

Being into urbex, this IS my sort of thing, baby! (a little Austin Powers there.. ) I have a lot of other sites/links that cover abandoned buildings, but they aren't necessarily automotive-related.

 

i work in a 100+ year old factory. US steel Gary works

 

I worked in this place:

http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/wwiibayarea/for.HTM

while doing a movie back in the 80's-it was turned into the TUCKER plant by Francis Coppola, and we shot a bunch of****embly line scenes in this place. Spent a couple weeks there, it was a spectacular old building, right on the water in Richmond, CA. Never thought the 80's would seem like so long ago...Jeeeez, I think I must be gettin' old...I think it's now a trendy restaurant or something...

Eric
hoof22

 

I love old factory buildings. I live in the small mill town of Amesbury Massachusetts. For three hundred years the town was home to hundreds of manufacturing companies. It all started with saw mills cutting timber for the Ship Industry then the mills expanded to Textiles, and then Carriages became the main industry for a hundred years. But then carriages were displaced by the automobile and in the early days of the Automobile body's were hand built here for several companies then shipped by train out to detroit to be put on chassis. By 1932 the depression and big industry spelled the end for this little town now less then a dozen mill buildings stand were there were once a hundred

 

This one is pretty cool: http://darksatanicmill.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/fiat_21.jpg

http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Fiat_Works.html

 

I had fun one night doing Google street photos looking for old auto related places. The*****s piston ring company in St Louis is now FBI headquarters. A lot of the places are now vacant lots.

 

I think that's the one featured in the original version of "The Italian Job". Looks like it anyway but I'm too lazy to look it up right now.

 

Here's a few to visit for the Fisher 21 Body plant in Detroit:

http://www.forgottendetroit.com/fisher/photos.html

http://www.urbanadventure.org/members/2002trip/usa/detroit2-fisher.htm

 

Here's a pic of the Hercule's building in Evansville IN.

http://www.coachbuilt.com/bui/h/hercules/hercules.htm

 

sucks to see our country like this but there sure a lot of cool pictures coming from it. i especially like the fiat building/test track

 

Hell no worked in a hot**** slave drivin ford plant for 34 years

 

Except that most of these facilities were abandoned or demolished as obsolete even when American manufacturing was still on the rise: I'm thinking of places like Ford's Piquette Plant, which hasn't produced a car since the 1920s; or the Bay City Chevrolet Plant which was long ago demolished and replaced with a modern facility that still makes GM parts.

-Dave

 

Any old factory is kool, car related probably more.
Workin at one might just be not as kool though!
Hoof22 Eric, ive seen the Tucker movie and i have a vivid memory of the scenes in the plant, which were probably the best of all movie. Musta been pretty jaw droppin to be there while they were filmin!

 

It was a fantastic experience ...I worked on that movie for a few months, and got to do all kinds of incredible things...I even met Alex Tremulis and spent the day with him-(he designed the Tucker, and was technical adviser on the film). Really cool guy...

We also hung out with Tom Sparks for a lot of that time...he was a super guy, and spent most of his time on the set hanging out with all the mechanics and body men on the set...It was a very special time in my life, an amazing experience and something that I'll never forget!

Eric
hoof22

PS: Here's a video about Tom:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c57X31h-F_s

 

I worked in a place in St. Louis that I was told was an****embly plant for Model A's. Not sure if its true or not but was a cool story.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overland_Automobile
There is a building in Boston on Overland St. that was a dealer and since been rehabbed many times and they have a mural of the overland in the lobby.

 

AMAZING! Thank you!

 

Prosciptus,

I notice that the Long Beach****embly Plant (opened 1931 Ford) is not marked on your map,

Is that because there is a f***ing nissan storage facility there now?

It was located just up the Cerritos Channel in Long Beach Where E. Harry Bridges Blvd curves and becomes S. Alemeda Street.

It appears to be a large car lot right on the channel when looking down from google maps.

 

Eric,

I looked at the link and there seems to be some discrepancies on the website,

They show a picture of the Long Beach****embly plant circa 1950ish and they Wrongly claim that the plant was located in Richmond.

Here's what the Government website shows as in Richmond"



And Here's the Long Beach****embly Plant on opening day, April 21 1930



http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/wwiibayarea/for.HTM

You'd think that the gubernmint would know something about history??




.

 

Hey MOE!: (in my best Curly voice...)

WOW, they do look A LOT alike!! So you're saying that the picture they're showing of the Richmond Plant is actually the one from Long Beach? I didn't look all that close at the older pictures. I do recall the huge TUCKER lettering they put up on the plant for the movie, and the color picture at the top is the plant in Richmond, for sure. HUMMMM...Now that I look closer, the buildings do look like they were probably designed by the same architect, but see the distance from the roof line to the top of the upper storey windows? Looks like different buildings...very similar in every respect, though. Makes sense they would use the same design for more than one plant, eh? Save lots of $$$ in the process...I wonder how many other FORD plants used this same basic design? Interesting...

Eric

 

This is a bit of nostalgia with Henry's best:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4KrIMZpwCY