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Maybe a good idea?

FM Former Member
I was thinking last night, after talking with some friend who live in Grosse Pointe and thinkin' a bit on what's happened to the Detroit/Iron Triangle area.

Wouldn't it be neat, and make terrific sense for Detroit to embrace it's glorious past and become "The Motor City" for real? Change the name to Motor City, open up the doors to any and all motor sports, offer manufacturers massive tax incentives to re-locate to that area. Advertise that there is a huge "at the ready" work force and pretty much turn-key industrial areas/building/etc. all set for renovation/occupation/restoration.

Invite kit car builders/manufacturers, power boat manufacturers, engine builders, super tuners, Speed Vision Execs, and the like to come to town for a tour, hotel stay, and a blow job. Ramp it up a bit and actively lobby the SEMA folks to hold their big event there. Re-surface and build the down town into a SWEET GranPrix style circut. Let the film industry know that anyone filming an auto commercial or if in need of some inner city high speed footage, that Detroit/The Iron Triangle is there to cooperate.

Host a few insane X Game reality shows like maybe one called "Car Jack" where the contestants have to fight their way to the top floor of an inner city Detroit parking garage, boost a waiting car parked on the top floor, and crank it down the ramps to the grown lever. First one to crash the down gate and slide into the street/finish line is the winner. No holds barred cage fighting and car theft in a REAL decaying urban setting.

Let investors know that things are gonna change, get a Nascar oval track going, boat racing on the lake, air plane racing through the city canyons and round the sky scrapers. Off road racing through the blasted neighbor hoods, LeMans track circling the city, And gradual upgrades and rebirth throughout. Manufacturers would be welcome to build test and endurance tracks for their products. Court Shelby America, Rouch, Nobel, and the like to relocate to Detroit. Maybe release the Motor City edition of the new Challenger, that kind of thing. Superb motocross track with jumps between building, monster truck events through abandon collapsed building rubble and ruined roadways. If it has an engine, it's welcome in the Motor City. Maybe get a few bands in there using while building as practice areas/recording studios, sound stages taking up the entire former Ford factory building. Film, video, music. Full auto weapons, untaxed Canadian booze and under age hookers. Skyscraper bungy jumping and inner city hang glider launches from fifty story roof tops. Ultra-light racing between and through open garage floor levels.

Just thinking that the whole Iron Triangle has EVERYTHING including history on their side if they could just embrace who and what they are and get things moving again. If only a few tuners move in to start with and one TV show gets filmed there, the gold rush will begin. A little You Tube, Face Book action wouldn';t kill, and anything that Leno does to promote it or get involved would put the whole thing over the top, and you KNOW how much Leno supports American industry and Detroit iron. He'd be a HUGE help and it wouldn't take but a mention on his program. Get Sinfeld and Letterman out there with they Porsches for a test and tune at the new track. Ask the SCCA to have a hand it things. A few European super car builders.

It wouldn't take ANYTHING to get it started and once up and running, you couldn't stop it from happening.

Maybe? Possibly not a bad idea . . .

Spread the word around the web and lets all scoot out there and grab up some abandon inner city property before the prices skyrocket.
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FM Former Member
I was thinking last night, after talking with some friend who live in Grosse Pointe and thinkin' a bit on what's happened to the Detroit/Iron Triangle area.

Wouldn't it be neat, and make terrific sense for Detroit to embrace it's glorious past and become "The Motor City" for real? Change the name to Motor City, open up the doors to any and all motor sports, offer manufacturers massive tax incentives to re-locate to that area. Advertise that there is a huge "at the ready" work force and pretty much turn-key industrial areas/building/etc. all set for renovation/occupation/restoration.

Invite kit car builders/manufacturers, power boat manufacturers, engine builders, super tuners, Speed Vision Execs, and the like to come to town for a tour, hotel stay, and a blow job. Ramp it up a bit and actively lobby the SEMA folks to hold their big event there. Re-surface and build the down town into a SWEET GranPrix style circut. Let the film industry know that anyone filming an auto commercial or if in need of some inner city high speed footage, that Detroit/The Iron Triangle is there to cooperate.

Host a few insane X Game reality shows like maybe one called "Car Jack" where the contestants have to fight their way to the top floor of an inner city Detroit parking garage, boost a waiting car parked on the top floor, and crank it down the ramps to the grown lever. First one to crash the down gate and slide into the street/finish line is the winner. No holds barred cage fighting and car theft in a REAL decaying urban setting.

Let investors know that things are gonna change, get a Nascar oval track going, boat racing on the lake, air plane racing through the city canyons and round the sky scrapers. Off road racing through the blasted neighbor hoods, LeMans track circling the city, And gradual upgrades and rebirth throughout. Manufacturers would be welcome to build test and endurance tracks for their products. Court Shelby America, Rouch, Nobel, and the like to relocate to Detroit. Maybe release the Motor City edition of the new Challenger, that kind of thing. Superb motocross track with jumps between building, monster truck events through abandon collapsed building rubble and ruined roadways. If it has an engine, it's welcome in the Motor City. Maybe get a few bands in there using while building as practice areas/recording studios, sound stages taking up the entire former Ford factory building. Film, video, music. Full auto weapons, untaxed Canadian booze and under age hookers. Skyscraper bungy jumping and inner city hang glider launches from fifty story roof tops. Ultra-light racing between and through open garage floor levels.

Just thinking that the whole Iron Triangle has EVERYTHING including history on their side if they could just embrace who and what they are and get things moving again. If only a few tuners move in to start with and one TV show gets filmed there, the gold rush will begin. A little You Tube, Face Book action wouldn';t kill, and anything that Leno does to promote it or get involved would put the whole thing over the top, and you KNOW how much Leno supports American industry and Detroit iron. He'd be a HUGE help and it wouldn't take but a mention on his program. Get Sinfeld and Letterman out there with they Porsches for a test and tune at the new track. Ask the SCCA to have a hand it things. A few European super car builders.

It wouldn't take ANYTHING to get it started and once up and running, you couldn't stop it from happening.

Maybe? Possibly not a bad idea . . .

Spread the word around the web and lets all scoot out there and grab up some abandon inner city property before the prices skyrocket.
FM Former Member
If not a permanent move, then for a really fun filled Motor Head vacation. Maybe the rental car companies could offer high performance cars at the airport, if only Corvettes and the new crop of Pony Cars. Hotel package deals could include high performance driving lessons at one of the tracks and a performance car rental. Flying lessons, parachute lessons, possibly one or two of the technical schools could relocate there. Vintage trolley restoration, an old steam engine circling and going through the city and across the country side. One of those cool, see-the-country in an old train with restaurants and sleeper cars could make it a destination. Harley Davidson could open a plant and build the Motor City Edition Harley, the Hells Angels could open a chapter just for old time sake. Detroit could be a destination for Cruise of America with the main drag opened up to cruising and flame thrower contests. All of the McDonalds would be the ol' skool double golden arches style buildings, drive in theaters and burger joints, car hops and such.

Maybe even planned neighborhoods that mimic the 50's in architecture and such. Old housing styles, old cars, vintage music. Possibly even retirement villages where it's the fifties or sixties all of the time, even the TV and radio channels are programed with the old shows. You get to live out your final years as you lived as a teenager.

Who knows . . . it'd be a wide open book, a blank sheet. Anything is possible because there's pretty much nothing left there now.

Get just two industries, tuners, manufacturers, etc. interested and the idea would just spread like crazy. EVERYONE is aware or the Motor City, maybe even get the MOTOWN SOUND back on the charts. PLUS there's the whole European factor to consider. Folks in France and England are nuts for that part of American automotive history, the era of the Big Three. Wouldn't it be neat if some of the European super car builders would relocate to Detroit? There are SO many high end/high speed prototypes being built in Europe, lets get them (and their technology) over here. Bet that Lotus, TVR and the like would LOVE to grab a piece of American Motor Magic and especially in the original Motor City.

The real possibilities are practically endless, you know? Just gotta throw out a line or two and start things rolling. If Detroit and the Triangle doesn't see this idea and take it to heart, they DESERVE to crumble and die. They're sitting on a dream and only have to act on an idea to make history. To be more than they EVER were before.
Michael McKelveyMichael McKelveyAnn Arbor Supporting Member
How do you define the Iron Triangle?

In the past we had a real F1 Grand Prix on the downtown streets.

Now we have the so-called Grand Prix on an island - Belle Isle.

We have unlimited hydroplane racing on the river with insane speeds.

We have the Woodward Dream Cruise that attracts a million people.

Southern Michigan has the Michigan International Speedway.

The North American International Auto Show just concluded.

You propose some interesting ideas.

Some similar things are already happening.
edsnovaedsnovaBaltimore - BCW 52 MG TD Supporting Member
The idea of going big with this is good. Lot of your ideas are good. Not sure about Hells Angels though. Midwest is Outlaws territory, last I checked. The feds busted a bunch of 'em a couple years back for terrorizing the poor wittle Hells Angels Detroit chapter... Just sad, really.

The main question I would have though is, what is the scale? All the kit makers are producing where they are producing. You want them to open new factories? For what customers?

Or you want them to relocate to a place that is cold and full of unions. That might be a tougher sell than you think. I like unions, man, but if I was an entrepreneur I'm sure I'd have a different idea about them.

The foreign relocation stuff is aces though. Bring in TVR, yeah. And maybe this guy too! http://www.suffolkjaguar.com/

I love me some C-type action. If I was the entrepreneurin' type & had $60-$80-large for a toy I'd surely go with that over a Cobra...

Made in De-Troit would be some icing on that.
Jim KellyJim Kelly2013 SAS coupe-Fiji
I don't know if this is just a case of middle age (and unfortunately old age) angst, trying to deny reality and substituting something else. I was raised in Oakland during the 50's, when small businesses flourished and downtown thrived. Of course, there were problems, but commerce was king because the labor market could supply the necessary skills. What happened?

Call it progress, call it the natural change in demographics, call it whatever you want. The reality is that Oakland, much like Detroit, became redundant. As the job market demanded more skills, the existing labor market, largely uneducated and older, becames less desirable. Couple that with strict environmental laws, a litigious society, and a government that "talks the talk" of being business-friendly, but can't "walk the walk", and economies of scale tumbled, cast about, then went offshore, first to the US south, then really south. Depending on our politics, which do seem to change with age, we have lots of sources to blame: an inadequate, spoiled, uneducated work force; a government that sold us out to foreign interests; multi-national corps with no loyalty but to themselves, the new ethnic group in the neighborhood who work cheap, ad nauseum.

I have been, in various times in my life, a student, motel maid, bartender, gas station attendant, laborer, gardener, boxer, fireman, builder, fisherman, and business owner, having been in the work force for over 50 years. I know lots about work, but not a lot about workers, urban planning or renewal. I do know that these kind of "big picture" scenarios lend themselves well to candidate sound bites: "I'll fund the schools to re-educate our workers to bring back the good jobs our fathers had, yada, yada . . "

However, there seems to be no way to avoid the dislocation, financial misery, and social upheaval that accompanies large-scale job loss. Maybe the next generation, or the one after, will have the skills, capitol, and desire to bring back the former glory of old cities.

In the meantimee, if folks on this site are serious, and not just blowing smoke, put your money where your mouth is, and pony up for some investment. Start a few REIT's: (real estate investment trusts), buy up the land that you see as undervalued and loaded with potential. Oh yeah, while you're at it, you may want to hire a couple neighborhood guys for goodwill. The presnt occupants might not see the "yuppification" as good for them in the long run, and chase you right out de hood.
Stan GalatStan Galat
Cities and nations rise and fall. People do what they want to do. They go where they want to go. Business goes where the profits are best, and the obstacles to entry are lowest. It's nice to dream about how we'd like a city to be, but it's a bit like dreaming about what it might be like to be fabulously rich and famous.

Detroit is broken, and has been for many, many years.

We're all standing on the shoulders of the generations who came before us, and we've pretty effectively spent down the accumulated wealth of 300 years of production in the new world. Manufacturing is what made this country great- but the profits in manufacturing small goods in the United States are less than elsewhere, and the regulatory structure throws up a LOT of obstacles to entry.

There are factors that could change this. Higher global energy prices could make shipping stuff around the world unprofitable, which would mean more local production. But short of some fundamental changes, the US is locked in a post-industrial cycle.

The Pollyanna answer is a "better educated work-force, to compete in the information age"- but as a culture, we really don't want to put in the work required to make that happen.
FM Former Member
OK, I'm not a psychologist nor an urban planner, although I do PLAY one on speedsterowners.com.

I can't believe that I'm actually, honestly ever trying to answer questions and defend an idea that I had while sitting on the living room couch, but . . . well . . .

Micheal: I guess that I would make the three points of the Iron Triangle-Detroit, Dearborn, and River Rough. It would be nice to be able to include Flint somehow in a renewal plan since that area needs help badly, but things need to start small and manageable in order to succeed. Plus they're close to or on the river and water-based activities/sports will need to play a part in The Plan. It's encouraging that there is already similar things already in play.

Ed: I'm including the Hells Angels mainly because their brand is SO much wrapped up in America itself. Can't you imagine a A Hells Angels Edition Harley. A boutique where the Skull and Head dress is on jackets. scarves, and belt buckles being snapped up by the motorplex tourists? The scale will be whatever it is at first. The tax incentives and the desire to be a part of/be included on the ground flor of the resurrection of Motor City will help draw folks in. Cheap land and standing building along with government money for renovation and rebuilding will, hopefully, be an incentive to relocate or at least add a second manufacturing site for some companies, large and small. There are a lot of people in small shops, specialty builders, limited manufacturing, machinists, engine builders and such that are living and working (and sometimes failing) where they are, just because they happen to be there. No real ties to their locations. These folks would add SO much life and interest to The Plan. If a specialty car manufacturer were located in Detroit and all of the necessary suppliers and sub contractors were surrounding them, the building process could be streamlined considerably. Growth might occur or at least some lessening in the time to market surely. Over-all things would improve. Then more will hear of it and maybe make the move and more growth would follow. Possibly a Specialty Car Gran Prix to kick some life into things. Maybe even the small manufacturers could pit their supercars against the Big Guys. And if the Big Guys won't show, then at least the times and speeds would be officially posted to taunt them. Bet that BOTH "Top Gears" would want to have a car in competition . . .
FM Former Member
Since the Big Three made it work in the Detroit climate I'm sort of thinking that other manufacturers, tuners, etc. might be able to do the same. Maybe the trick would be to invite manufactures like SAAB to set up shop. They're all but failing and seem to LOVE the cold. I'm really not sure how the weather would play into this, but I would figure that the tax breaks and renewal subsidies and cheap labor and general sense of rebuilding and excitement might over come some of the road blocks.

As for the unions, it would be a situation where, in smaller shops, unions would be an issue. In the shops specializing in electronics/injection/fuel mapping and such, unions have never been a part of that sector. In other heavy manufacturing, the workers would have to make their choice, stay an unemployed union man working in the Quickie Mart or come do what you love and were trained for, at a good wage with personal pride in what you do and no union dues or shop boss holding they hand out. Decide now, what's your future and where do you wanna be. Chrysler ain't comin' back but Tesler is here now. I would think that there are enough non-former auto workers in the Southern States who can turn a wrench fairly well and would love a break in life and a change to build supercars. The Northern work force came from the South originally after the depression following the Civil War, they may well come North again. It IS another Depression after all, regardless of the new spin put on things.

David: I, of course, agree with everything that you mentioned. How could one not? I would offer that, although hard manufacturing might not return to Detroit, soft manufacturing could make a play and work out well. Composite materials and fiberglass replacing stamped steal fenders and uni-bodies. light weight chassis components from boxed metal, carbon, and aluminum sheets folded and bent into monocoques.
Plastics rather than metal piping, etc. Service and software will be an important part of the process. It would take extensive software design and implementation to get an engine up and running strong and clean and a small shop would be WAY more apt to succeed in this rather than the old manufacturing model. The Plan wouldn't bring GM back to life, it would offer a new life to the smaller vendors and sub contractors who helped build and supported GM originally. Along with a renaissance in auto building, design, and innovation would come a real need for services. That sector would have a big role in The Plan. Not a bad thing at all if it's a part of the whole and not the end game of a former manufacturing giant.

If this could work ANYWHERE, Detroit is the PERFECT place to begin. Everything is already in place, there's already money available, the infrastructure is there and largely waiting, even the plants are in place.
FM Former Member
Jim: Oakland is another weird example of a place going under for no reason. With such proximity to SF, it ought to have turned into a bedroom community and prospered. Instead . . . doomed. But, and I hate to say it, it IS in California and everything is different there. Mostly for the better, sometimes not. It's physically and ideologically the edge of out world.

I think that Detroit is a perfect place for The Plan to work simple because it IS Detroit. The city that essentially won the Second World War, the life and blood of the American Auto industry which changed the face of the world. The only city in the world with a locked spyder-gear rear end named after it.

I would imagine that the financing would have to go the route of most large endeavors, sitting before congress, a "Detroit, if not Now? WHEN?" committee made up of automotive manufacturers professionals and promoters, the group with Tesler, SEMA, Barrett-Jackson, Shelby, SCCA, Nascar, etc and a committed group from the Detroit Planning Group who are authorized to make decisions. Hopefully a few promoters in the media like Leno, Trump, or the like, and select others. Who knows really, I don't know anything about this lever of financing, but I work to one degree or another in promotion and the like. Can you just imagine the headline, in French, "America Rebuilds the Motor City ! !"

IF something like this could get started and grow, starting with the small specialty or super car market and the motor sports end of things, it could honestly become the engine that restarted the economy. The jobs provided and workers needed for the rebuilding would be considerable, the various trades represented would include everyone, if things began to roll out there would be a growing list of people wanting to get in on it or attach themselves to it and they would bring jobs with them. Burger King would SURELY become a sponsor and give out paper crowns to any and all. The momentum would be insane. And hopefully the local hoods in the hood would be interested in rapping and break dancing on the side walk out in front. Wearing paper crowns and Burger King hats on backwards, of course. Be nice to get them involved for sure . . .
FM Former Member
Stan: You're right, folks do what folks do. Detroit has been busted up forever, two or three decades now. But what I'm suggesting is do-able on a small level at first because it IS busted up and would only take a small push in this direction to change the direction. Not urban renewal or any government program, not Job Start or that crap, just a few serious automotive builders. tuners. and the like willing to relocate or even begin new with some government/city incentives to make things easier. With the web and motorsports television.media SO big right now, the time is PERFECT for this. Top celebrities are now motor heads, we watch other people buy cars at auction on TV for an entire week, two Top Gears and the muscle car has returned. Investment pouring into electric and alternative drive lines. What would make more sense than a central famous location for all of this new research and manufacturing. And what would be a better place than one called The Motor City ? ! ? !

One city. Boston completely rebuilt two blasted areas, Scollay Square and the South End and re-entered the game as a world class city. New York surgically removed Times Square and changed it's face. Disney moved into a swamp in Florida and changed the world. One city, Detroit. Not the whole state, just the city.

It could happen, really.
FM Former Member
I think TC is running for Mayor of Detroit. He probably read where all his predecessers had made a ton of money from being in that position. Sorry, couldn't resist that remark, but that WAS part of the problem!

The world needs visionaries. Unfortunately, it usualy doesn't treat them very well. Trouble is most of us can't, or won't, put in the effort neccessary to get from here to there. The devil is in the details. Dare I draw a parallel to our current national health care issue? If you, or someone, can pull this off, I think you'll have to do it by carefully running below the radar. As soon as others smell money out there, greed and regulators will stomp on the whole scene.

I think is was J D Rockefeller who said he, "got rich by accomodating others. When they wanted to sell, I bought. When they wanted to buy I sold". Of course it takes some deep pockets to play that game, but the time is sure ripe for something like that. Sometimes I think a "benevolent dictator" IS the most efficient form of government!
Jim KellyJim Kelly2013 SAS coupe-Fiji
I don't think we're short of ideas or ideology. Just imagine the hundreds (or thousands) of Masters' and Doctoral theses written on inner city revitalization. The ideas are out already out there. I know I sound pessimistic, and I don't really mean to. Visionaries are our society's "miners' canaries". They can and do alert us to coming trends, although usually of such magnitude that little working stiffs like us throw up our hands, and tend to our own little areas of influence, jobs, 401(k)'s, etc.

When an idea gets traction is when someone with mega-money and/or influence starts talking it up. Smart money rarely comes in early, only when the downside risk is minimized. I had some contact with urban renewal in the 70's in San Jose, CA. It was amazing how little government did in those days, other than to provide a couple of staffers to process building applications. There was no organized framework.

All that being true, we all need to dream, and to try to make our dreams a practical reality. Our reach should exceed our grasp, so keep talking. I'm with you, man, in my old school, grumpy way.
tmpusfugittmpusfugit
Actually the entire Detroit area is undergoing a transformation right now. Suggest you visit and start counting mosques. Also, may I suggest you visit the Target store (and others) in Dearborn....I was there recently, working with Ford near their world wide headquarters, and found store signs in English and Arabic....the largest Muslim enclave in America and growing rapidly. Not trying to pick on anybody here, Muslims or otherwise. Detroit has lost more than 1/2 it's tax paying population in the last xx years...it is in very serious trouble on many fronts....perhaps Bill can confirm this or correct me if I am wrong?
FM Former Member
OK, bored with this one . . . had another idea this morning.

First off picture an old fashion sewing machine treadle, but manufactured with modern materials and design, still keeping the essential function. Now picture it set up so that the treadle plate actuates a flywheel with free wheel set-up (a bit like that on a bicycle) where the plate depresses and spins a flywheel of sorts but keeps spinning on inertia until it stops.

Now imagine that flywheel attached to a generator with reduction wheels in place so that a smallish amount of spin at the treadle end produces a multiplication at the flywheel end. Essentially spinning the generator with less effort than usual.

Now install these hinged plates and generators/flywheels beneath the road way at every toll plaza in America. Every car that comes through will hit the plate twice, front and rear wheels. One car after the next. Trucks will hit it four or mor times, unicycles just the once. Free electricity 24 hours a day from multiple sources.

Now install similar smaller units at the entrance of every government (or private building,) at the bottom and top of escalators in department stores. Beneath those spinning doors in hotels and such. Anywhere and everywhere that there is foot or vehicle traffic, install a row of them. At every stop light in every city in the country. A line of them in front of the alter rail. Take communion and help free yourself from the Muslim energy stranglehold. Put one under every prayer rug in every Mosque in Detroit. Praise Allah and free yourself from the Great Satan's energy stranglehold.

Politics and religion tend to be contradictory in their doctrine at best . . . .

In your own house even, hook one up to a small lever in your hall way. Every time that you head for the kitchen of bathroom, just give it a push. Place these little levers everywhere in every building in the US with a little sign that reads, "Push me once for luck!" Like a mechanical chain letter, nobody can resist a little extra luck in their life.

With enough of them in heavy traffic areas, there's bound to be a decent return on the effort. Free motion translated into free electricity . . .

New idea. Screw Detroit, if religion is taking hold, government initiative is a waste and free enterprise just can't compete. too bad, let 'em all prepare for that "next life" their current one is doomed.

Give a bum bread and a bible and he eats today. Give a bum a gun and he feeds himself forever. It's my new idea for inner city disadvantaged. The "Give a Bum a Gun" initiative. Get guns off of the street and into the hands of the homeless. Makes as much sense as those worthless job fairs . . . at least it's "pro-active." Don't you love new speak?
Maybe?
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