For What It's Worth.... Alot of the display transmissions, archival info, prototypes, etc were donated to the Ypsilanti Automotive Heritage Museum (AKA the Hudson Museum). Jack and his volunteers are going through several truck loads of stuff that was donated to the museum from the factory and many of these items will get put on display in the future.
The roads are the Willow Run Airport runway system located adjacent to the plant. I was in that plant years ago. I worked a GM in Lansing and needed to look at some equipment they were storing in an out building near the plant. When you're inside that place it's quite a sight, long and skinny and steeped in history. It's sad to see these building put out of commission and often leveled but I guess it's the times we're in. The only part of the Oldsmobile plant in Lansing that is left is Building 70 (the administration building) that was built in 1970, slated to be demolished. Also Building 66 which is an Engineering building and wasn't part of the original plant. It is used by the Lansing Grand River plant. All of the early structures are long gone including the Toolroom, Buildiing 40 where I worked most of my career.
Fuck GM. They are nothing but USA whores now too. Does any large US corporation care about saving America for the next generations or do they only care about the bottom line in the next quarter? I have lived and died for GM since I started working in 1977 for dealers. Although I still cant bring myself to buy imported cars due to they dont help this country either. When a large corporation decides to try and help America and her children, I will be there for them, with my money and my support!!!!
Cool pics of the plant, but what a bummer that it closed. Poor Detroit and poor America. What a difference 60 years makes. What's it going to be like 60 years from now?
Someone posted this here awhile ago and is worth a look at. http://public.fotki.com/Kos/members_photo_galle/wiilow_run_bomber/?cmd=fs_slideshow
Sad for sure. Linked article says 300 workers left for 5 million square of building. I'd say the writing was on the wall. 5 million square ft. is 1000ft X 5000ft. so was about 3 football fields wide and over a mile long as it says.
I worked at the Baltimore GM plant at Broening Hwy for a few years. They started out as a truck line back in 1935. Then did passenger cars and trucks, then Astro vans. Plant was outdated and finally succumbed to the economy and is now gone, but the Allison transmission plant carries on in White Marsh Md.
Our governments sold us out decades ago! Don't tell me the Japs didn't pay their way into the biggest market in the world with the intent to take control of it-and our "blind", self righteous politicians gave them all the help they needed! And any asshole who ever bought a new Jap car played a part in creating this fiasco as well. Never will anything Asian be in my driveway unless it's on fire! What an idiot some of you say-well sorry, but if I had my way, stinkin, Honda and Toyota plants would be shutting downlants that support a foreign economy-not the plants of the companies who BUILT this continent into the envy of the whole world! And places like Walmart and Harbor Freight and Princess Auto that peddle nothing but cheap import shit and support a foreign economy and who have run mom and pop out of business-would be gone too! The only way this steep downward spiral will be levelled out is if we support our own manufacturers-Buy American! We need to buy America back-even though we didn't sell it! But it's bloody hard to find clothing -and even some processed food that's from our Home and Native Land...(like how the fuck can Pacific salmon that's processed,frozen and packaged in China be labelled "Canadian) This rant was supposed to make me feel better,but I feel worse-the reality of where we stand is depressing-better go ogle my Studebaker and think of "thngs progressive"
Does this mean we can get rid of I-94 now? Seriously, though, it is sad. On the other hand, there's been an uptick in GM employment in Flint. They brought back 750 laid-off workers. -Dave
That and 600 will be added to LGR in Lansing this fall. It's a long haul for all of us in Mid-Mich. Our house values dropped 25% - 35% in the last few years with litte chance of recovery in my lifetime. This as the rest of the world marches on. So be it. Our town has knocked down, it seem any historical building that doesn't suit the need of our current Mayor. Hmmmmm..... I don't live inside the city limits so I can't vote there and according to them, don't have a say in thematter anyway. The aircraft that came from Willow Run with the quickness to production and the numbers is pretty amazing.
The sad thing about many Americans is short term memory. Ask most that lived through WW2 about Willow Run and they will know what it contributed to this country. As that Generation sadly fades away so do places like Willow Run. As a native Detroiter it's very sad to see what has gone on with our Automotive Industry and I will always try my best to support the American Auto Industry. My Dad's GM paycheck out a roof over my head, clothes on my back, and food on our table. I only wish they didn't have to go to other country's to have product built in order to compete with the Koreans, Chinese, and soon to be Indian products. The workers in those plants kept our nations economy strong - floridians who moved south to retire and buy homes, boats, golf stuff - retired autoworkers - they bought vehivles from RV manufacturers in Indiana, They bought boats, they bought Harleys, new cars, they paid construction workers to remodel homes. Earning a descent wage and putting some of it back into the economy is what made our country strong --- think about it right now many have lost their jobs or are infear of losing the one they have and they tighten up the spending and the devastation trickles down to others. Please Buy American!!!!
Has anybody given a thought as to WHY these huge Automotive Corporations moved out of the US, and invested billions to build new production facilities in foreign countries? You aren't going to like it, and it's NOT meant to start trouble, but the reason is super high workers wages, medical benefits, and retirement costs. That together with the cost of heating, taxes, environmental regulations, etc. Move to a foreign country (where it's warm) build the modern, upgraded facilities you need to remain competative, pay shit for wages/benefits/taxes, and no regulations, and the profits go into your pocket...and you STILL get to sell your cars in the US for big US bucks. In 1967 the R.E. Deitz Company in Syracuse found that instead of making parts for their lighting equipment at one end of the building and sending them to the other end to be assembled, it was CHEAPER to Ship the parts off shore for assembly, Ship them back to the Plant assembled, and THEN Ship them out from the Plant...for most of the reasons stated...
Repeal the NAFTA! Was supposed to help American workers................ NOT HELPING!!!!!!!!!!!!! peace
During the Viet Nam war Hydra-Matic made M-16 rifles. The "gun job" was in a separated area in the building. In the '70s GM was planning to offer a rotary/wankel engine. It would have been available in the '75 Monza/Starfire/Skyhawk. That's why the tunnel is so high in those cars. Hydra-Matic was tooled up and ready to build the engine. Long story, but pretty much at the last minute the plug was pulled on the program. The tooling and mostly new equipment was repurposed, sold, and scrapped. There is a promotional photo for the '53 Ford that was taken on an overpass in front of the plant. As I remember the plant is visible in the background, even though it was no longer a Ford facility.
My dad worked there when I was a kid. I remember taking the plant tours. It is a MASSIVE place with a ton of history. My dad had arms the size of my torso when I was little from hanging doors on Buicks. Before anyone cared about ergonomics he would carry 4 doors at the same time off a rack and over to the line. Hold them up with his hip while he started the bolts and ran them down. He obviously has life long health problems from doing this. Technology and ergonomics made the manufacturing jobs easier. This is what caused the current wages to be higher than what the job warrants. No one can tell me that my dad didn't deserve the 30k a year he made in the 80s (busting his @ss) working 50+ hours a week. A lot of memories. Very sad.
On that same note, a steel girder bridge put up about 10 years ago in Northern Minnesota was built with Japanese steel...pretty sad given the Iron Range is quite a bit closer than Japan. The reasons for the use of foreign steel were purely economic - in a purely business case, steel is steel. If you can get the exact same (or better) product for less money...
Too big to fail, so we bail them out, now we are sad when they decommision a building and downsize to help give us taxpayers back our money, then we're pissed when jobs go away. I'm no fan of politicains, but it's no wonder they stopped listening to us, we have the attention span of a 6 year old on Red Bull.
In exchange for agreeing to keep the facility open, tax abatements were granted for the assy plant adjacent to the trans plant. Long story short, after some time had passed GM violated the agreement and closed the plant. Thr township sued GM. The court found that GM had not done what they promised, but that GM's commitment to the township was based on "puffery"(not genuine) and because of that was not enforceable. Apparently GM's word was no better than a fast talking used car salesman.
China or other Asian countries are very unlikely candidates, more likely production will remain in the US, but over time will migrate toward open shop states, aka right to work. Detroit and the rest of the rust belt simply aren't economically viable compared to Texas, or other Gulf coast states where the UAW lacks influence.
from an earlier news article: the six-speed transmission line would shut down immediately; production is being consolidated with the Toledo plant because of the steep drop-off in demand for new vehicles. The Toledo plant produces the same type of transmission as Willow Run, but it is also in the midst of retooling to produce a front-wheel drive six-speed transmission. The other products I'll have to research a little.
For every megaplant that goes down here in the US, another one springs up in China. Buy an American part today.
The Jalopy Journal
