Ford Proving Grounds... 1928
 

I was cruising youtube this morning and found the above video. Apparently, those Model A Fords are bombing around the Ray Dahlinger built Ford test track which doubled as an airport for Ford execs of the day. Great footage.... To read the rest of this blog entry from The Ford Barn, click here.

Re: Ford Proving Grounds... 1928
 

Wonder how many test drivers they lost a week ?

Re: Ford Proving Grounds... 1928
 

Hi,
Nice video,...
I do also find some old fun...!!
Here is a picture from a " Dirttrack" day in 1930 in Copenhagen DK.. As you can see, they are testing the Cars very hard...

http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/310/flyingmodela.jpg

Re: Ford Proving Grounds... 1928
 

Wow, that looks like fun but brutal.

Re: Ford Proving Grounds... 1928
 

Something very odd about this photo, almost as if its drawn. Only one face has any detail, of course I guess this could be distortion from the camera, however the wood almost looks cartoony?

Re: Ford Proving Grounds... 1928
 

It sure does.

Re: Ford Proving Grounds... 1928
 

:rolleyes:They drive like that in Jersey all the time...

Re: Ford Proving Grounds... 1928
 

Sometimes in those old pictures someone would trace the outlines to make the pics less blury. Especially true for old newspaper photos.

Re: Ford Proving Grounds... 1928
 

if it was a 30 tudor ,it would have looked like me out in the Idaho desert chasing rabbits in the 60s Yahoooo

Re: Ford Proving Grounds... 1928
 

(( Re: Ford Proving Grounds... 1928
Wonder how many test drivers they lost a week ?))quote.
How many Camera men did they go threw???

Re: Ford Proving Grounds... 1928
 

That photo looks like an artist's rendition. Notice how the entrance ramp has a nice low slope of about 15 degrees, and then it suddenly changes to 45. I think if you actually hit that 45-degree section at any speed, you'd wreck the whole structure. And would you get that much lift from the front wheels after all the inertia was absorbed by the impact?

Re: Ford Proving Grounds... 1928
 

The structure, albeit a little crude, is rather stout, should easily take an A at a retry good clip. Notice removal of front bumper and bumper braces, so it wouldn't ram the increased angle.

Re: Ford Proving Grounds... 1928
 

What are they doing at the end of the video...fishing out the one that didn't make the curve at the beginning? :D

Re: Ford Proving Grounds... 1928
 

What exactly is stout about it? The what appear to be 1x1's that its framed out of which the larger lumber is resting on? Look what is supporting the ramp sections, its not stout.

Re: Ford Proving Grounds... 1928
 

I have a few old newspaper photos 8x10's that have whiteout backgrounds and enhanced lines, common practice back then. Bob

Re: Ford Proving Grounds... 1928
 

It's 1928 footage. I'm the one who uploaded it. This was part of an old newsreel. This footage also appeared in "The New Ford" , a 16mm film produced by the Ford Motion Picture Laboratories.

Ray Dahlinger(no relation) was one of Henry Ford's close associates who oversaw Ford's farming operations, Greenfield Village, and special projects such as this one.

Who's Brent?

Re: Ford Proving Grounds... 1928
 

I have yet to see anyone drive anywhere near as daring as that in their A

Re: Ford Proving Grounds... 1928
 

Next moon shot they ought to take an A and drive it on the lunar surface...then leave it for civilization to admire!

Re: Ford Proving Grounds... 1928
 

Ummm.. You should me drive mine. :)

Re: Ford Proving Grounds... 1928
 

I drive mine that way and it scares a lot of people.

Re: Ford Proving Grounds... 1928
 

You want to see some real stuff, buy the first season of The Fall Guy. Most episodes opened with a montage of historic car stunts.

Re: Ford Proving Grounds... 1928
 

Really, Cant see any 1x1"s, how about the 6x6 posts and the 6X8's on the ramps?? Actually looks overbuilt, You don't build much with wood do you??

Plus, the old growth true dimensional wood was way stronger than the nominal dimensional fast growth crap available today!

Re: Ford Proving Grounds... 1928
 

IF they are 6x8s on the ramps which they look more like 4x6s to me, they are not what is supporting the ramps. Look underneath the left side ramp and you will see what is actually supporting the ramp. I may be mistaken, but it doesn't look strong from that point of view, perhaps they are larger than I think. Maybe there are actual stringers I can't see in the picture.

And yes, I do a fair amount of working with wood, thanks.

Re: Ford Proving Grounds... 1928
 

Someone mentioned a longer video of this newsreel... if someone has a link they could post, that would be great !

Thanks,

SC Frank

Re: Ford Proving Grounds... 1928
 

Frank,

The longer version is on "The New Ford" a film put out by Ford in 1927 to promote the Model A.

I have a VHS copy that was sold some years back, but don't know if it's still being sold now.

Re: Ford Proving Grounds... 1928
 

Thanks Luke - I'll keep an eye out for a copy.

Regards,

Frank

Re: Ford Proving Grounds... 1928
 

Ford built the first concrete runway in the US there and is in use as the straight portion of the proving grounds. In 2003 I traveled in the National Air Tour and got to touch down on that section in a Stinson Tri Motor.

Re: Ford Proving Grounds... 1928
 

I think you are slightly off there.

Ford Airport (Dearborn)
"1928-29: Grass runways are paved—the first concrete runways in the world."

What I find really odd is the road I live on has a section called "the concrete mile" which was done by the Edison concrete company in 1912. I find it odd that a road was concrete before any runway? If anything I would think concrete runways would be far more beneficial!

Re: Ford Proving Grounds... 1928
 

That's pretty neat. Too bad there's no sound. It brings new meaning to "Built Ford Tough."