Highland Park Ford Plant 1913-1915

[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]If you read pages 361 and 362 of "Ford Methods and Shops" copyright 1915, it is mentioned that brown metal primer was spray painted on the bodies and if needed, smoothing out and touch up was done with a brush by a man with a "critical eye." After the primer dried it was sanded. The subsequent color primer coat and finishing coats were flowed on and a brush was also used on on certain spots. The paint was rubbed or "mossed" between the color coats. [/FONT]

 

Great Article and even better subject Matter Jive Bomber!

...According to the 1915 Edition of 'Factory Facts from Ford',
A Production record was set at 2768 Model T's in one 24 hour period (3 Eight hour shifts)
or about 2 per minute/115 per hour at Highland Park.
This figure would be a 'record to date' rather than 1920's Average Days Production/"One every 60 seconds"
which is what I think you may be referring to.

 

A few more pages in regards to Highland Park circa 1915....








... Men without hats

 

.


The Highland Park Ford Motor Band featured many newly transplanted Europeans
most of which received free English language lessons in one of the Ford self improvement schools.











Other 'Branch Offices' as of October 1915....












.

 

My brother in law was a supervisor in records, he just retired about 10 years ago. My brother and I have been all through the place. I've walked the cat walks up in the ceiling in the area they call "The Crystal Palace", that run side to side out over the main floor where the crane used to run. The whole ceiling is glass as far as you could see. Even the Vault where old prototype pics were. You could go through there for hours. It must have been something in it's day. We all work for Ford and my place ( the old Continental / Edsel plant ) stores material there also so I go there 1-2 times a year. The place is in such bad shape.

 

I worked at a Ford dealer within a few miles of both the Ford & Packard plants for almost 20 years. I would still be working there had not the owner closed the place. What a great area that was. Sad to see what it has become.

 

yeah dude. soylent green

 

Another great nod to Detroit history.

And what James said earlier. The Piquette plant is right around the corner and offers tours. It's owned and run by a private group of enthusiasts and they just recently finished their restoration of the place.

The Highland Park plant, in your story, is mostly still standing. I remember when a majority of it was being torn down to make way for a ghetto strip mall that was supposed to "transform" the city of Highland Park. It didn't transform shit... It just made room for a bunch of ghetto stores. In fact, one store is actually set up in part of one of the old plant buildings too. It's called Foreman Mills and it allows you to see part of the inside of the old plant without having to sneak in.

Most importanly is the main office building you see on the post cars. It's still standing and has not been completely vandalized like the Michigan Central Depot. I believe that Ford still owns the property and is trying to figure out what to do with it since restoring it, at this time, is not an option.

I don't know when, or if, you've ever been to Detroit. I would seriously love to get you together with our GMBs and show you around this place if you ever decide to come up. You won't be disappointed.

 

I give tours of that building to every out of towner I get the chance too. I just took Jason (oneyellowtub ) from the Poor Boys TN Chapter on my Detroit Automotive tour this June before Sins of Steel. It's a shame they cnat do something with it to preserve it. There are also little Ford plants in the Suburbs in places like Plymouth , Northville, and Flat Rock. Another interesting thing is that Henry Ford lived in the Boston Edison neighborhood of Detroit before building his Fairlane Estate in Dearborn

 

The 20th Century was called the "American Century", but it could've just as easily been the "Henry Ford Century".

 

The tours of the plants and Dearborn, Boston, Estates was one of my hot rod highlights this summer. Matt was a great tour guide of the "Motor City" and all the historic plants. If he offers you a tour, JUMP at the opportunity.

Thanks Matt

 

And I got to see where my lil yellow tub originated

 

HA! I thought the same thing. I only saw ONE, but he was holding in his hand.

 

I was down near the old Ford building here in Omaha last night and decided to get a photo of it. They also built Model Ts here starting in 1916. That's Omaha Fire Station No. 4 right next to it.
Some info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omaha_Ford_Motor_Company_Assembly_Plant

 

At that time the bodies were painted by dipping them in a tank of water with paint floating on top of the water. Picture 6 looks like a cleanup or finish drying.