Where's the toolings?
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Carpenter Local 745
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 5,794
Likes: 11
From: on da beach
Where's the toolings?
Have you ever wondered what happened to the sheetmetal toolings that made the classic bodies from earlier years?
Wouldn't it be cool if a new truck, say 1955 f100, was made with the original sheet metal toolings.
Ford should put that body on a modern chassis.
There must be a warehouse with all these goodies stored up somewhere, any ideas?
Remember the last scene of Indiana Jones, where they showed the Arc of the covenant being stored in a warehouse? Similar but not quite the same!
What does Ford do with this stuff?
I guess I have too much time on my hands to think of these things!
Wouldn't it be cool if a new truck, say 1955 f100, was made with the original sheet metal toolings.
Ford should put that body on a modern chassis.
There must be a warehouse with all these goodies stored up somewhere, any ideas?
Remember the last scene of Indiana Jones, where they showed the Arc of the covenant being stored in a warehouse? Similar but not quite the same!
What does Ford do with this stuff?
I guess I have too much time on my hands to think of these things!
Hotshot
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 18,423
Likes: 9
From: iowa
Last I heard the toolings are stored outside after Model year change for a period of 10 yrs then sold for scrape metal. I have been to one of the Ford plants around detroit to pick up hydraulic pumps to be sent to a rebuilder (I drive truck, so I was hauling them to OKC to a company that did this) adn I saw some of the toolings for some model of vehicle sitting outside gathering rust and that was what I was told at the time.
Thread Starter
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Carpenter Local 745
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 5,794
Likes: 11
From: on da beach
I was wondering if FORD would sell that stuff. I know it would be impractical, but it would cool to see real new NOS rides and parts. This idea vs. that modern classic styling.
I guess FORD is not in to creating or maintaining enthusiast's desires, I know that they must cater to the masses, or go out of business, we can't have that.
I know that the aftermarket supplies the fanatics, like us, with the parts we need.
Only the final consumer can create the next classic.
1991 Explorer?
I guess FORD is not in to creating or maintaining enthusiast's desires, I know that they must cater to the masses, or go out of business, we can't have that.
I know that the aftermarket supplies the fanatics, like us, with the parts we need.
Only the final consumer can create the next classic.
1991 Explorer?
Post Fiend
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 24,418
Likes: 3
From: San Francisco, Ca.
Wasn't one of the original tooling dies for the AC Cobra (AC Bristol) bought by some company in Southern California?
I think they're making repoduction AC Cobras from aluminum.
Carrol Shelby gave them a thumbs up when he visited the shop.
I lost their website.
Would be real cool if someone found the tooling for the 53-55 or 56 F100's.
I think they're making repoduction AC Cobras from aluminum.
Carrol Shelby gave them a thumbs up when he visited the shop.
I lost their website.
Would be real cool if someone found the tooling for the 53-55 or 56 F100's.
Super Moderator
Joined: Apr 2004
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Seems to me I heard the '55, 56 style was sold in South America for quite some time.
Well, nostalgia buffs always like the idea of bringing back the oldies, but really, those trucks had some serious limitations and while I think it's too bad Ford didn't do a look-alike job like the HHR, Ford is not in business to support old car hobbiests...
Well, nostalgia buffs always like the idea of bringing back the oldies, but really, those trucks had some serious limitations and while I think it's too bad Ford didn't do a look-alike job like the HHR, Ford is not in business to support old car hobbiests...
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Hotshot
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From: NW burbs of chicago
There must be a warehouse with all these goodies stored up somewhere, any ideas
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Elder User
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The price of keeping a wharehouse up and running is got to be too high to justify keeping old tooling that will never bring a major profit to the company again. Think about it. My electric and water bill are high enough for 1100 sq ft home. I would thinkg a hugh warehouse for just the minimum utilities and insurance would be big bucks per year. Also, the old designs would not meet crash worthyness requirements to be approved to be built.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Jul 2004
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Considering that your average die for fabricating body panels probably weighs at least 30,000 lbs and may require 3-5 dies to completely form the panel, that's why there aren't many around. I work at an assembly plant with an adjacent stamping facility and you would not beleive the scale of the equipment required to stamp something like a hood or door skin. While a multi-stage press for such a low volume operation isn't necessary, moving and storing the dies requires some major equipment costs and alot of floor space.
Hotshot
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 11,697
Likes: 3
From: Marengo, Iowa
Iused to work those stamping facilities, and it takes many dies to produce just one piece, sometimes an entire line would be dedicated to just one quarter skin. All the differnt cuts, contours and bends take many steps to complete. The dies are stored outside, but would only require polishing to use them again as that material is quite hard.The presses to run the dies are huge though, but I wouldn't be surprised the aftermarket uses the same type equipment.
Hotshot
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 18,423
Likes: 9
From: iowa
The hydraulic pumps that I hauled where huge also, the ones that run those presses, I had 9 pumps on the trailer and they added up to a combined weight of 47,000lbs if that gives you an idea of how big they are. And that was just the pump.
Hotshot
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 11,697
Likes: 3
From: Marengo, Iowa
When they installed the new 180 ton (I don't remember well, it probably was much heavier, that was 11 years ago) press, they had to put 6 FOOT deep footings for it. Ran 6-10 dies at once, automatic feed. More steel there than I had ever seen in one place before. Many of the presses I saw there were set up with a big flywheel that spun, then when you hit the buttons, it would engage the air clutch, rotate the crank and make one round. You could feel the floor shake when it hit down, even if you weren't right there. Had one ran automatic that stanped through 1/4"steel, bumper mount plates, could feel the floor shake in the front of the building when it would run, could tell every hit.
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