40th Fiero Anniversary Celebration
Posted: Tue Jul 11, 2023 1:19 am
I arrived in Pontiac on Sunday night. I haven't been to the USA in a while; my first time in Michigan.
I came with my friend Guy and his 1988 Fiero with an LZ4 engine swap. My Fiero is not currently roadworthy, as it is missing its front suspension. I don't like rushing things to meet a deadline.
Today, we checked out the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation. It had a lot of cool stuff, lots of it from about a century ago. This is a sample of what stood out to me:
Old trains
Old cars
Douglas DC-3
Multi-spindle milling machine, used for surfacing many (tens?) Ford engine blocks simultaneously. It had brazed carbide tools. 1930s era?
Multi-head (8) drill press for drilling things like water pumps. Each head was adjustable, and was driven by a dual U-joint shaft connected to a central power source.
Older steam engines, with oscillating beams.
Newer piston steam engines, with expansion in multiple stages.
Electric power generators.
Farming equipment.
Harbor (Horrible?) Freight is legendary on the internet; I've read about it in forums, but never had the chance to shop in one. I need to spend some time in one going aisle by aisle. I think I'll be buying a well-rated bench grinder from there.
I don't have pictures; Being unfamiliar with Detroit, I don't want to bring too much attention to myself walking around with a camera in my hand looking touristy. My friend and I speak French to each other (as we always do), but that probably makes us stand out to anyone that hears us...
I came with my friend Guy and his 1988 Fiero with an LZ4 engine swap. My Fiero is not currently roadworthy, as it is missing its front suspension. I don't like rushing things to meet a deadline.
Today, we checked out the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation. It had a lot of cool stuff, lots of it from about a century ago. This is a sample of what stood out to me:
Old trains
Old cars
Douglas DC-3
Multi-spindle milling machine, used for surfacing many (tens?) Ford engine blocks simultaneously. It had brazed carbide tools. 1930s era?
Multi-head (8) drill press for drilling things like water pumps. Each head was adjustable, and was driven by a dual U-joint shaft connected to a central power source.
Older steam engines, with oscillating beams.
Newer piston steam engines, with expansion in multiple stages.
Electric power generators.
Farming equipment.
Harbor (Horrible?) Freight is legendary on the internet; I've read about it in forums, but never had the chance to shop in one. I need to spend some time in one going aisle by aisle. I think I'll be buying a well-rated bench grinder from there.
I don't have pictures; Being unfamiliar with Detroit, I don't want to bring too much attention to myself walking around with a camera in my hand looking touristy. My friend and I speak French to each other (as we always do), but that probably makes us stand out to anyone that hears us...