A Blast from the Past...The Ford Engineering Research Complex, 1985

[P. A. Schilke]

Hi Folks,

Here is a blast from the past. I was in the middle of my career but I knew many of the movers and shakers of Ford including Henry Ford II (the duce as he was called) thanks for my management of Off Road Racing. Hope you enjoy a blast from the past. I particularly like the designers at the CRT tubes using PDGS, a Ford developed software. I managed the installation of the computer workstations in these conditioned corridors in Building One, Truck Operation. A major tear up of the building. Today Catia surpassed PDGS, but it was a very powerful tool at the time...Ford was a leader in 3D design. Anyway, enjoy!

Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

Sponsored

 

[Msfitoy]

Hi Folks,

Here is a blast from the past. I was in the middle of my career but I knew many of the movers and shakers of Ford including Henry Ford II (the duce as he was called) thanks for my management of Off Road Racing. Hope you enjoy a blast from the past. I particularly like the designers at the CRT tubes using PDGS, a Ford developed software. I managed the installation of the computer workstations in these conditioned corridors in Building One, Truck Operation. A major tear up of the building. Today Catia surpassed PDGS, but it was a very powerful tool at the time...Ford was a leader in 3D design. Anyway, enjoy!

Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

Nice info Phil...1985 was the year I started at Ford Design...

 

[RedlandRanger]

Where are the answers to the trivia questions?

I know some of them were within the document, but couldn't find most of them.

 

[P. A. Schilke]

Where are the answers to the trivia questions?

I know some of them were within the document, but couldn't find most of them.

Hi Rob,

I bet they did not scan the back of the pamphlet and likely the answers are there...?

Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

 

[RedlandRanger]

Hi Rob,

I bet they did not scan the back of the pamphlet and likely the answers are there...?

Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

Bummer!!! Those were some interesting questions!

 

[1medic]

Phil, this is a great blast from the past. This reminded me of my first new Ranger I bought in 1988. It was a great rig.

 

[Ed Venture]

Phil,

Great blast from the past! My father worked at the EEE facility for a good chunk of his career at Ford. I remember attending some of these open house type events, which were always cool for a young car kid.

I think one of my fondest memories was visiting my dad at the office when he was at EEE and seeing the one of the support pillars that had a framed cutout of the finished drywall exposing where Henry Ford and some members of his engineering team measured and marked their height. I remember Henry Ford not being very tall, but one of his engineers must have been 6' 6". You hear what a hard nosed leader Henry Ford was, so it was just fun to see that even he engaged in work place shenanigans from time to time.

Great stuff!

Best,

Ed

 

[gfitzge2]

Hi Folks,

Here is a blast from the past. I was in the middle of my career but I knew many of the movers and shakers of Ford including Henry Ford II (the duce as he was called) thanks for my management of Off Road Racing. Hope you enjoy a blast from the past. I particularly like the designers at the CRT tubes using PDGS, a Ford developed software. I managed the installation of the computer workstations in these conditioned corridors in Building One, Truck Operation. A major tear up of the building. Today Catia surpassed PDGS, but it was a very powerful tool at the time...Ford was a leader in 3D design. Anyway, enjoy!

Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

That's pretty cool. I started with Ford at Kentucky Truck Plant in 1989. We were part of Truck Operations and not subject to V.O. standards. We did eventually fall under V.O. after Ford got out of the heavy truck business. Even as a plant electrician I was fortunate to be able to get involved in a couple of launches. When CLT (Commercial Light Truck, now F250 through F450) moved from Oakville to KTP I got to spend some time in Dearborn and be on a launch team. I remember PDGS. KTP had a contract draftsman in house for several years converting old PDGS drawings over to Autocad.

What a great experience. I also was involved in the HN80 launch when Ford was still building Heavy Trucks. Many folks may not know that Ford once built class 8 over the road tractors. They eventually sold that to Freightliner and they branded then under the Sterling name. I miss those days, they were good times.

 

[FunInTheSun]

For a little-known adventure into Ford history, you might plan a side trip to Fort Myers for a day if you ever go to Florida. Check out the Edison-Ford summer homes and workshop. I just posted a bit more about it in the Ford postcard thread. An excellent way to spend a day.

 

[gfitzge2]

For a little-known adventure into Ford history, you might plan a side trip to Fort Myers for a day if you ever go to Florida. Check out the Edison-Ford summer homes and workshop. I just posted a bit more about it in the Ford postcard thread. An excellent way to spend a day.

Those look pretty interesting. I didn't know about them. I will definitely put them on my things to do list. That's about a 15 hour drive for me so I will have to figure out a trip to bundle it with. Hmm it is only a few hours drive over to Homestead speedway. South Florida sounds best in the winter.

That reminds me that I haven't been to the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn in several years. I used to spend some time in Detroit and would stop in, if I had some extra time. I see that they have a new auto racing history display (presented by GM, ironically). For any one interested the Henry Ford Museum is not just Ford history but really American history. Locomotives, airplanes, cars and industrial displays. Well worth the trip. That is just a 5 hour drive for me. Now I have the itch for a road trip.

 

[FunInTheSun]

Those look pretty interesting. I didn't know about them. I will definitely put them on my things to do list. That's about a 15 hour drive for me so I will have to figure out a trip to bundle it with. Hmm it is only a few hours drive over to Homestead speedway. South Florida sounds best in the winter.

That reminds me that I haven't been to the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn in several years. I used to spend some time in Detroit and would stop in, if I had some extra time. I see that they have a new auto racing history display (presented by GM, ironically). For any one interested the Henry Ford Museum is not just Ford history but really American history. Locomotives, airplanes, cars and industrial displays. Well worth the trip. That is just a 5 hour drive for me. Now I have the itch for a road trip.

i spent about an hour in the Ford Museum. You’re right about the history part. They had a Presidential Lincoln limo on display.
I was there on a Vendor visit, amd had a little time to kill. I got there just before closing. Very cool museum. Looks like it would take a few days to really do it justice.

Sponsored