Some Interesting Ford History

[YellowRose]

07-02-2010, 02:29 PM
simplyconnected
Administrator

Join Date: May 26 2009
Location: Royal Oak, MI
Posts: 1,099




Gary, Eaton Detroit Spring is a little company right across the street from the (now leveled) old Tiger Stadium. The original sign read, "Limp in - Leap out".

Then the next generation took over and changed the name to Eaton Detroit Spring.

At Ford, we twisted our own springs in our Monroe Plant. Monroe is a 'specialty' plant that made catylitic converters, sway bars, steel wheels, chromed bumpers, and coil springs. Monroe Michigan is more famous for Monroe Shocks, Lazy-Boy chairs, and General George Armstrong Custer (his birthplace). There is a huge statue of Custer on a horse, downtown. The high school kids get a big kick out of painting a certain hanging horse appendage, different vibrant colors (without getting caught). (Yes, it's a small town.)

Since Ford made so many changes to her parts plants, Monroe was cast into Visteon, and now I believe it is no longer Ford at all.

So... aftermarket places like Eaton, are enjoying new-found business. Their products are very good because they are licensed by Ford and GM to build OEM springs (they have the blueprints). Their forte is leaf springs. Yes, expensive because they engineer and build springs any way you want them.

Other aftermarket spring companies are much more reasonable if you just want OEM springs. - Dave
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[YellowRose]

Some Interesting Ford History

Yesterday, 06:19 PM
Alan H. Tast, AIA
Experienced
Join Date: Jan 5 2008
Location: Gretna, NE
Posts: 112




Quote:
Originally Posted by KULTULZ
The M-CODE I referred to should have read SPORTS ROADSTER (62/63). This model would have had a tighter suspension (spring rates) and would most likely give you the handling you want while still giving a nice ride (IMO).

If there is a different spring rate for "M"-series cars, I haven't found it yet. There are different load ratings based upon body style (HT vs Conv) and with/withouth AC, but I haven't stumbled acrossed a part number for a version ID'd for HD (yet). Let me know if you find some .
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Alan H. Tast, AIA
Technical Director/Past President, Vintage Thunderbird Club Int'l.
Author, "Thunderbird 1955-1966" & "Thunderbird 50 Years"

[YellowRose]

Some Interesting Ford History

Yesterday, 07:29 PM
KULTULZ
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Join Date: Apr 6 2004
Location: ROCKVILLE, MD.
Posts: 729




Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan H. Tast, AIA

If there is a different spring rate for "M"-series cars, I haven't found it yet. There are different load ratings based upon body style (HT vs Conv) and with/withouth AC, but I haven't stumbled acrossed a part number for a version ID'd for HD (yet). Let me know if you find some .

....hmmpf...

Correct you are. It goes heavier with each model year though.

One would assume that FORD would have stiffened the suspension on the Roadster.

You would have to then talk directly with EATON TECH and come to a consensus on the spring rate(s).

Guess there were not that many Roadster moon runners back then...
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[YellowRose]

Some Interesting Ford History

Yesterday, 07:34 PM
KULTULZ
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Join Date: Apr 6 2004
Location: ROCKVILLE, MD.
Posts: 729




Dave,

That is very interesting info.

Yeah, FORD sold P & A to Visteon when Nader (Sp?) was in power. He wrecked FORD MOTOR COMPANY (IMO).

I did not know MONROE was once a part of FOMOCO. I guess Allied Signal picked it up with AUTOLITE?
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[YellowRose]

Some Interesting Ford History

Yesterday, 10:10 PM
simplyconnected
Administrator

Join Date: May 26 2009
Location: Royal Oak, MI
Posts: 1,100




C'mon Gary, I never said Monroe shocks were owned by Ford. I said, Ford had a manufacturing plant in Monroe, Michigan. Read it again.

Ford sold to Visteon? No. Visteon was a spin-off mirroring GM's Delphi. Visteon was a wholly owned subsidiary of Ford Motor, designed to force the union into another contract. Visteon cost Ford over $500M for bankruptcy protection.

Nadar had more to do with GM than Ford. Nadar's book, Unsafe at Any Speed, pretty much left Ford vehicles alone. Nadar later cited the Pinto gas tank and he wrote a letter to Wm Ford re: a $20 cruise control switch.
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"We've got to pause and ask ourselves: How much clean air do we need?"
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[YellowRose]

Some Interesting Ford History

Yesterday, 11:09 PM
Alan H. Tast, AIA
Experienced
Join Date: Jan 5 2008
Location: Gretna, NE
Posts: 112




Quote:
Originally Posted by KULTULZ
Dave,

That is very interesting info.

Yeah, FORD sold P & A to Visteon when Nader (Sp?) was in power. He wrecked FORD MOTOR COMPANY (IMO).

I did not know MONROE was once a part of FOMOCO. I guess Allied Signal picked it up with AUTOLITE?

You mean Jacque Nasser, right?

This may be off-topic and also highly opinionated, but I think part of the reason why the Retro 'Bird never really was promoted after its initial release was because it was Nasser's "baby" during the late '90s-early '00s. When Bill Ford took the helm shortly after the '02 was released, people on the 16th floor of WHQ were pretty quick to distance themselves from the Nasser years, with the Retro 'Bird being one of the most visible contributions of his tenure.
__________________
Alan H. Tast, AIA
Technical Director/Past President, Vintage Thunderbird Club Int'l.
Author, "Thunderbird 1955-1966" & "Thunderbird 50 Years"

[YellowRose]

Some Interesting Ford History

Today, 01:11 AM
KULTULZ
Super-Experienced
Join Date: Apr 6 2004
Location: ROCKVILLE, MD.
Posts: 727




Quote:
Originally Posted by simplyconnected

C'mon Gary, I never said Monroe shocks were owned by Ford. I said, Ford had a manufacturing plant in Monroe, Michigan. Read it again.

Ford sold to Visteon? No. Visteon was a spin-off mirroring GM's Delphi. Visteon was a wholly owned subsidiary of Ford Motor, designed to force the union into another contract. Visteon cost Ford over $500M for bankruptcy protection.

Nadar had more to do with GM than Ford. Nadar's book, Unsafe at Any Speed, pretty much left Ford vehicles alone. Nadar later cited the Pinto gas tank and he wrote a letter to Wm Ford re: a $20 cruise control switch.

FORD sold it's Parts Division. I was in a dealer at the time and saw the damage that was done. Service part quality was totally different from assembly parts quality. Most any hard part used for new car warranty was now reman by supplier(s) in Mexico. It was so bad at one point that if you sold a rack over the shop counter, you had better have another in stock as the first would most likely be defective. They also completely destroyed the P & A part numbering system.

They also went to the cheapest vendor supply or we won't buy system and the resulting drop in quality and availability. A customer would buy a $40,000 vehicle and you couldn't get a set of floor mats for it.

I remember Visteon very well.

Monroe was a misunderstanding on my part.

Visteon- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visteon

I also meant Nasser, not Nader. Mistake on my part.
__________________
-MEL DIVISION- (1958-1960)

-MERCURY SUPER MARAUDER AFICIONADO (BONAFIDE)

[YellowRose]

Some Interesting Ford History

Today, 01:12 AM
KULTULZ
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Join Date: Apr 6 2004
Location: ROCKVILLE, MD.
Posts: 729




Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan H. Tast, AIA

You mean Jacque Nasser, right?

Yes. Thank you for the correction.
__________________
-MEL DIVISION- (1958-1960)

-MERCURY SUPER MARAUDER AFICIONADO (BONAFIDE)

[YellowRose]

Some Interesting Ford History

Yesterday, 11:09 PM
Alan H. Tast, AIA
Experienced
Join Date: Jan 5 2008
Location: Gretna, NE
Posts: 112




Quote:
Originally Posted by KULTULZ
Dave,

That is very interesting info.

Yeah, FORD sold P & A to Visteon when Nader (Sp?) was in power. He wrecked FORD MOTOR COMPANY (IMO).

I did not know MONROE was once a part of FOMOCO. I guess Allied Signal picked it up with AUTOLITE?

You mean Jacque Nasser, right?

This may be off-topic and also highly opinionated, but I think part of the reason why the Retro 'Bird never really was promoted after its initial release was because it was Nasser's "baby" during the late '90s-early '00s. When Bill Ford took the helm shortly after the '02 was released, people on the 16th floor of WHQ were pretty quick to distance themselves from the Nasser years, with the Retro 'Bird being one of the most visible contributions of his tenure.
__________________
Alan H. Tast, AIA
Technical Director/Past President, Vintage Thunderbird Club Int'l.
Author, "Thunderbird 1955-1966" & "Thunderbird 50 Years"

[YellowRose]

Some Interesting Ford History

KULTULZ suggested that these posts on Ford history be moved out of the thread on 62 Suspension that they were in. So I did. This was about the only way I could move them though. Hopefully, they are all intact. It is always interesting to learn more about the company who made our tbirds and learn from those who have some knowledge in this area.