Ford Rouge Factory Tour

[Johnny248]

Talks of unions and Ford reminded me that I have been wanting to go on the Ford Rouge Factory Tour. Couple of questions for you guys out there.

1. Do we have any Ford Rouge employees on BITOG?

2. Has anyone ever gone on this tour? or another factory tour?

3. The website lists certain non-production dates, and is open from 9:30-5:00 M-S. When is the best time to go on one of these tours? I am very interested in seeing how the entire process works, and I don't want to go when everyone is on lunch lol

4. Overall, how good is this tour? Is it an accurate look at a modern day factory? or is de-tuned to show you only what they want you to see?

5.How long does the tour last?

I can't believe that I come from a three generation of "Big 3" family, and have worked in auto industry since I was 16, and have never seen the inside of an actual plant.

 

[expat]

I once went on a Ford, Dagenham (U.K.) factory tour in the 70's, during the height of Union/Management conflicts. even as a kid, it was an Eye Opener.
Interesting to see how cars were assembled. but you could 'Feel' the 'attitude' in the air.
Dagenham has now been closed for many years.

 

[meangreen01]

I did the tour three years ago. I didn't call ahead to check production schedule and fortunately that didn't bite me in the butt as the lines were up and running.

Rouge makes the F-150. The tour has you up on a catwalk around a section of the assembly process. You can see the interior door components being assembled. You see the doors being installed on the cabs, windshields being installed, seats put in, etc. It was a few years ago so my poor memory is surely leaving things out.

From part of the elevated platform you can look out through windows into a final test area where the truck is run on rollers.

As you're leaving the tour the bus driver points out the famous bridge that has labor significance.

Time on the tour if you count the bus to/from the Ford Museum(which I'm pretty sure is the only way you can do the tour) was about 1.5-2 hrs IIRC.

I thought the tour overall was worthwhile and did it as a weekend getaway in which i did the the museum also. Museum and village are awesome, if your into that kind of stuff.

Edit: I was looking to see if I had any pictures, then remembered they don't allow pics of the assembly area.

 

[Kestas]

I went on a similar tour back in the mid 60s when I was a kid. We toured the Rouge steel mill and the assembly plant where the new Mustang was being built. They were building the Mercury Cougar on the same line, mixed in with the Mustangs.

I remember sparks flying all over the place, almost into the tour group, from the spot welding.

I know the former Ford Rouge steelmaking facility is now Severstal. I'm not sure what Ford owns in the Rouge complex.

 

[willix]

I went on the tour at the Ford Hyland Park in St. Paul MN in 1965 that was 45 yaers ago. they were building T-birds.

I was 8 yrs old.

 

[LS2JSTS]

My Grandfather worked for Ford at Piquette, then Highland Park and then for another twenty or so years at the Rouge. He had some great stories from those years.

I haven't been inside Michigan Truck since it was stil Dearborn Assembly and assembling the Mustang. I would love to be able to inspect that roof they have on Michigan Truck now, that sounds like quite the system.

FWIW, you may also like to go through the original Piquette plant. It is owned and run by the Model T Heritage people.

http://www.tplex.org/

ps...I have some pics of the inside of the Wixom plant today...they would only make you sad.

 

[MNgopher]

I took the Rouge Factory Tour about 5 years ago. It was definitely worth the time. As others have mentioned, you get to walk around on a catwalk above the actual production line looking down on it. When we did it, you could spend as much or as little time as you wanted watching. Plan on at least a few hours. We didn't take in any of the rest of the facility but it looked like plenty of neat things!

I still vividly remember taking a tour of the St. Paul Ford plant when they were making Rangers. Made quite an impression at the time!

 

[Johnny248]

Originally Posted By: LS2JSTS
My Grandfather worked for Ford at Piquette, then Highland Park and then for another twenty or so years at the Rouge. He had some great stories from those years.

I haven't been inside Michigan Truck since it was stil Dearborn Assembly and assembling the Mustang. I would love to be able to inspect that roof they have on Michigan Truck now, that sounds like quite the system.

FWIW, you may also like to go through the original Piquette plant. It is owned and run by the Model T Heritage people.

http://www.tplex.org/

ps...I have some pics of the inside of the Wixom plant today...they would only make you sad.


I'd like to see those Wixom pictures...

 

[Spector]

I did the BMW tour in SC a few years ago, the Robotics are incredible.