  ISLD (12.241.148.103 - 12.241.148.103) |
According to the Detroit News, Ford is going to begin offering tours of the Ford Rouge again. Sign me up! | ||
AEB (205.188.208.135 - 205.188.208.135) |
Good - add that to the list of auto heritage activities. | ||
Craggy (141.217.119.160 - 141.217.119.160) |
I remember quite vividly a field trip to the Rouge plant back in the 70's. We got to see them making steel, the assembly line, etc... It was a great tour. We walked up on the catwalks and everything. | ||
Kathleen (68.61.100.57 - 68.61.100.57) |
That is such a coincidence. As I was going through some Albert Kahn sources last evening, I came across a reference to Rouge Plant Tours coordinated by the Henry Ford Museum and thought that I would call for information. I'll check out the DetNews article and follow up!! | ||
jjaba (198.81.26.237 - 198.81.26.237) |
I have several recollections on the Ford tours. Every year in about 4, 5, 6th grade, teachers at Noble School on the Westside would order a bus and take their class to Ford Rouge Plant. My dates would be 1949-52. We would all get a booklet of the map and I drew a line on our route each time. We saw the glass plant, steel plant, engine plant, and final assembly. It was exciting, and for many, it showed us our future on the "line." I remember taking public tours from The Rotunda with my family. The Rotunda was the Ford reception center with all of the new models there on display. When our bus number was called, we'd board and drive off as a group with a guide on the microphone. A third memory was from the Ford Reception Center in front of the Edison Institute Museum campus. That was quite an operation with the museums and the auto tours right there. I am delighted that Ford is giving Rouge Tours again. Please post the details. jjaba | ||
ISLD (12.241.148.103 - 12.241.148.103) |
Here's the story, jjaba: http://www.detnews.com/2002/autosinsider/0210/09/a01-607754.htm I just went out in the garage and polished my blue oval! | ||
ISLD (12.241.148.103 - 12.241.148.103) |
Speaking of blue ovals, have you ever seen the roof of the oval-shaped building across from Henry Ford Museum?  | ||
Kathleen (68.61.100.57 - 68.61.100.57) |
Wonder how long it will be before they are actually able to offer the tour? Sounds like they have a bit of work to do first. Any chance that it would be in 2003? | ||
jjaba (198.81.26.237 - 198.81.26.237) |
As a recollection on the Detroit News chatline, a guy recalled going to The Rouge tour. He watched the wrong colored fenders and mismatched seats being installed. At the end of the line, he saw a whole lot-full of mismatched cars. He said that shortly thereafter the tours were discontinued with Ford saying "they didn't want the Japanese to get get our good technological ideas." It was a funny story. jjaba | ||
wert1 (67.26.10.34 - 67.26.10.34) |
that place its not safe to go in too. | ||
the rock (67.243.206.118 - 67.243.206.118) |
It is a good sign that the tours at the Rouge are opening up again. We had tours on the Eastside too. Most recently I toured the Chrysler Cherokee plant on Jefferson and Conner about 5 years ago. Before that it was the Hudson Motor Car plant at the same location, just on the East side of Conner. I think that was in 1949. | ||
Lowell (165.121.213.175 - 165.121.213.175) |
Rock, if you toured a Hudson plant, we're going to have to change your name to 'Rock of Ages' LOL. Maybe you could be the warm up band for the Stones. All this reminds me when they asked Bob Dole if he wears boxer or jockey shorts and he replied, 'Depends.' I took the Rouge Hot Strip Mill tour when it was open. It was awesome. Auto assembly is also wonderful. Last one I saw was Lake Orion assembly in the eighties. These tours could add a tourist attraction to Detroit and the auto companies could make money selling tour tickets as well as cars. Ford could say, 'We don't actually make money selling cars, all our profit is in showing them being built.' | ||
jjaba (198.81.26.237 - 198.81.26.237) |
Lowell is right again. The profit is in the pop corn. For all of my years either on buses or driving past GM Headquarters my Dad (Alva Sholom) would tell us that GM was a bank, not really a car company. Their job was to enslave you into payments so you had to go to work for one of the auto moguls. He loved the great grand conspiracy and sure as hell, we never were in debt for a car. Take the bus, Gus, until you can pay for a car. It was the best advice I ever got and I've never given those sons-a-bitches a dime in interest and I drive nice cars. jjaba | ||
jjaba (198.81.26.237 - 198.81.26.237) |
The Rock has taken tours of Packards, Hupmobile, Marmon, Edsel, Locomobile and Desotos also. He remembers when cars suddenly came off without cranks in the front end. He was there the day Henry Ford ramped down his first Model T on Manchester Ave. in Highland Park, Michigan. He;s the guy with that slick Cris Craft Woody out on Lake St. Clair. The Rock gets around. jjaba | ||
jjaba (198.81.26.237 - 198.81.26.237) |
When I was in college in Kalamazoo, The Rock was installing bumpers at Checker Cab. Now, he's a regular on The Forum, still wearing his green plastic visor and safety glasses. jjaba | ||
the rock (67.243.206.167 - 67.243.206.167) |
jjaba- you and Lowell will be the defendants in a libel suit I plan to file against you two.( Come to think of it, I think our 4th grade class did tour the DeSoto plant which was out in your neck of the woods. Livernois near Ford Rd? ) And speaking of Checker Cab, not only did our firm represent them when their drivers got into accidents, but I saw three antique Checker Cabs just last weekend out at the Gilmore Auto Museum. Gilmore is located near Kalamazoo, and maybe you have been to this outstanding auto museum when you were at Western, although I am sure you found it very difficult to get away from your studies. Gilmore is a collection of cars that is in a very unique setting ( housed in about 8 different barns out in the country). I think that Richland is the closest village. We spent about three hours there. They have among others, a classic 1929 Packard as well as a beautiful Packard "woodie", several Lincolns, a Model J Dusenberg. '47 Cadillac coupe, and a collection of Pierce Arrows ( no, Lowell, I did not tour their plant in NY 80 years ago, ). However, they did not have a Crosley. Still looking for one. I think the collection totals more than 150 antique and vintage vehicles. A must-see in my book. | ||
jjaba (205.188.208.135 - 205.188.208.135) |
Not being a Westsider, The Rock makes a mistake again. The Desoto works, some of the bldgs. by Albert Kahn is at Wyoming and Mc Graw, East of Wyoming. You can see it marked "Chrysler" on I-94 the next time you head to the Metro Airport. The expressway is South of the factory. Just don't sue me if you hit somebody while looking for it. jjaba |
