I came across this link today, has a ton of vintage photos of some of the insides/outsides of auto factories that once flourished in Detroit. I think old photos like these are cool... http://dlxs.lib.wayne.edu/cgi/i/ima...ccfe9d56b07d6;page=index;c=cfai;g=localhistic Click on "Browse All Images".
This story is only losely realated but one I think you'll like. Last year when I was in Detroit my buddy took us around to all the old auto factories, Ford, Packard, Stude ect... I was shocked at how they all just appeared to have shut the doors one day and never come back. At what was left of the Stude factory (it was burnt to the ground a few years ago) I decided I would take a brick, no big deal. Later at the airport my bag ended up being a little over 1lb too heavy to check, again no big deal. I opened it up and looked for something to "carry on", the brick caught my eye and I jokeingly took it out and told the clerk I would take this out of the bag and on the plane with me..... She told me that would not be a problem and if anyone gave me trouble, have them show where it says I cant have a brick (911 rules you know!). Anyway, I did it and let me tell you, if you want to see some worried looks on peoples faces, carry a brick through an airport, board a plane with a brick in your hand, you'll get lots of comments, questions and confused looking passengers. Just dont carry any toothpaste!
I go to school in Detroit and have explored in the packard plant and the fisher body plant. The original T factory is being restored slowly and is open for tours on saturdays in the summer and fall. The abandoned packard is a real trip and is in total ruins its huge. I also found the kelsey hayes factory that is a total wreck . Eventually I am going to find something in one of these buildings!
Thanks for the picture links. My Grandfather worked for Fisher Body and Budd Wheel Company back in those early days when work was hard to come by. Those two guys with the tack hammers working for Hudson Car Company reminded me of some of the stories he told me. Thats the way cars were meant to be built. Very cool pics.
I think our own Dirtyt snapped some pics last year of the Kelsey plant... And TT66: I found another website with lots of pics of the Fisher body plant, in ruins: http://forgottendetroit.com/fisher/index.html http://forgottendetroit.com/fisher/history.html http://forgottendetroit.com/fisher/photos.html Detroityes.com has many facinating photos of Detroit in ruins. Here is the model T plant: http://detroityes.com/industry/02modelt.htm Click "express" to view the various buildings on the site. Facinating stuff.
A guy on another board I'm on found a 31K mi. 56 Caddy in a parking garage in downtown Detroit a couple yrs. ago and is driving it now. Keep looking! http://www.cadillacpower.com/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=569.0;attach=3503;image
I don't really take any pictures because I get all excited. There is a abandoned 48 plymouth sedan out side of the packard plant its pretty beat but still fairly solid. The fisher was last used as Carter color so there are big giant spray booths that are falling to pieces. There is a willys factory downtown that is being turned into lofts or something downtown it has the original painted willys logo on the side of the building. Detroit is a real trip lots of abandoned shit everywhere.
That's a cool story about the Caddy...any more details? Rummaging thru the old photos, I've only come across a few abandoned car pics, and of course- those are what I like to see. Usually nothing more than some modern shitbox burned and stripped, but like you said Duke about the '48 Plymouth, I think there are some oldies hiding out there still.
Wow check out the bodies in the back ground!!! HEAVEN!! http://dlxs.lib.wayne.edu/cgi/i/ima...=x-eb01a016;viewid=EB01A016;start=1;resnum=15
chaddillac, can you tell who the boss is in that photo? I sitting here trying to envision what it was like back then. The old factory had to be hustle/bustle all the time...now, when you look at the pictures, it's kinda depressing...just too bad things have changed so much in the U.S. The first site mentioned has other sites that show the old hotels and other businesses that thrived during those days...cool.
On the Lodge (M10) service drive, north of Wyoming, on the northbound side, there's an AD GM truck (like a 1 and a half ton) and some other old cars. I spent some time down there at the "new" 911 response center a couple summers ago, and let me tell ya, if you're not afraid to cruise the streets, there's alot of stuff to be found. I just wouldn't recommend doing it at night! Dad took me over to a couple junkyards on the East side too. There's lots of stuff out there, I just need to make time to find it! Jay
The Jalopy Journal
