Abandoned Ford Factory Tour

[DFB FGXR6]

Found this video published 3rd of March 2022 -



I'm not sure how they guy was allowed in to do that, I guess he was trespassing in the name of video content. Either way, it's so sad seeing it like that.

[DJM83]

Thats super kool.
Was hoping to see a left over turbo engine sitting there.
Wonder if it has any signage there still.
Might be going to Geelong AFD and would love some pictures.

[Crazy Dazz]

Apart from a few bits of tech, that place looks like it was abandoned some time in the 1960's or 70's.

Interesting comment from guy who supposedly worked there, that Ford started progressively shutting it down from 2010, 3 years before the official announcement.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Crazy Dazz

Apart from a few bits of tech, that place looks like it was abandoned some time in the 1960's or 70's.

Interesting comment from guy who supposedly worked there, that Ford started progressively shutting it down from 2010, 3 years before the official announcement.

I have mentioned this a few times elsewhere, but I have believe that while the announcement was made in 2013, the decision to shut was made in late 2010. This was when the Australian built Focus was dumped, and the engine plant was given a stay of execution. The FG was only two years into it's life cycle, so running the plant for another few years to recoup development costs. I have read from a few over the years that plant maintenance was minimal in these years too.

[FairmontGS]

No coupe quarter panels. :(

[xr8territory]

Well i am sure that is the last time someone sneaks in there! Expect all those those A4 folders to be collected tomorrow as well.

I cant believe he didn't pick up that phone at 4.46 and see if there was dial tone

[CyberWasp]

Check out that GT 351 Falcon Image on the wall at 4.14...
The image below is F6 325..

Are these known sketches?

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by xr8territory

I cant believe he didn't pick up that phone at 4.46 and see if there was dial tone

Judging by the voice, and words, of the cameraman he would'nt be old enough to know how to use a dial phone

[FERG_51]

I work for a Ford dealership and when we did training for the PX Ranger they loaded us on a bus one day and took us the the Geelong factory for a tour and I couldn't help thinking at the time that the place was well over due for some maintenance and a tidy up. The writing was on the wall and I didn't realise at the time. They also took us to You Yangs for a tour as well. Sort of a thank you for our services to the brand I guess, was great full for the privilege.

[mad2]

brother-inlaw was there a few years back to do some work on something. he mentioned that it looked like it be started up as there was still alot of 'stuff' still there making it look as tho everyone was takin a break. pretty sure there was a "Grand Sale" on facebook or some where with all the fixtures being sold off.

dunno why the vid says Abandoned Ford Factory Tour as it was never abandoned, it was sold off along with Broady to the one buyer. during the our little pandemic it was used as the one stop shop for your corona shot. been there twice for that.

[Franco Cozzo]

Wonder if it will turn into housing, its a HUGE location, right near a freeway in the northern suburbs of Melbourne

[Adamz Ghia]

Never mind

[Bill M]

Someone was selling workbenches from there on facebook marketplace a few months ago.

[mad2]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

Wonder if it will turn into housing, its a HUGE location, right near a freeway in the northern suburbs of Melbourne

from what i read awhile back nothing was mentioned re housing ........ but things can change. from memory i believe "Industrial Estate" was mentioned?. plus if used for housing there would be A LOT of soil clean up needed.

Originally Posted by Bill M

Someone was selling workbenches from there on facebook marketplace a few months ago.

and a few other items like lockers etc.

[xkxlxm]

I wouldn't be totally surprised if the odd car part is still sitting in there somewhere; under a floor, in a basement, or in a closed-off and forgotten area.

I understand the fascination with the old factory. I wouldn't mind being in there to have a look, to wander around, thinking of what used to take place there.

[vbomber]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

Wonder if it will turn into housing, its a HUGE location, right near a freeway in the northern suburbs of Melbourne

https://www.assemblybroadmeadows.com.au/ this is gong to replace the factory

[DFB FGXR6]

These are some pics I have screenshotted of the casting and stamping plants, taken in January 2022 -























These areas have been stripped bare. I think the idea of there being anything of interest or value left in those plants is pure fantasy. Anything of value to Ford would be long gone, the rest is scrap.

So sad, how many people earned their living to bring up a family, paid for a house or car within those walls. The legacy lies in the cars that were made because of that plant, the cars we love and cherish.

[mad2]

Originally Posted by vbomber

https://www.assemblybroadmeadows.com.au/ this is gong to replace the factory

pretty well what gtown will have done to it....... dunno when tho.

[Adamz Ghia]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

These are some pics I have screenshotted of the casting and stamping plants, taken in January 2022 -

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These areas have been stripped bare. I think the idea of there being anything of interest or value left in those plants is pure fantasy. Anything of value to Ford would be long gone, the rest is scrap.

So sad, how many people earned their living to bring up a family, paid for a house or car within those walls. The legacy lies in the cars that were made because of that plant, the cars we love and cherish.

I sometimes still think about how as a country we had an industry where we could design a car from the ground up and build it right here, and we ****ed it all away, from the government all the way down to the consumer. Such a shame.

[oldel]

I love this kind of urb-ex stuff, during I ended up watching a lot of the proper people on YT - amercans but they have gone to Japan, China, Asia and Europe. But lots of interesting USA stuff too mainly schools (some had a shooting range), mental asylums, hospitals or defunct theatres and them parks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvB6_NpuNOI most recent vid, I'm only about to watch it now, but you can get their homepage from that.

E: another fav was from maybe ukraine 7 years ago or more, had Russian bases, their space shuttle and abandoned aircraft and ground force water planes to cross the black sea (ekranoplan?)

[Bossxr8]

So many memories in that place for me. 15 years I spent in that engine plant. Weird seeing the loading bays which used to be full of Barra's in stillages waiting to be loaded into the broady run trucks completely empty.

I wonder when this was filmed, because last I heard the engine plant had pretty much been stripped bare?


And FYI, the storage room he goes into with the robot and the racks on both sides of the walls was the engine block storage area. The robot would pick up the machined blocks and place them on the underground conveyor that went across the aisle way to the assembly line on the other side.

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

Wonder if it will turn into housing, its a HUGE location, right near a freeway in the northern suburbs of Melbourne

Nah, Pelegra group bought it and it's available for industrial use now. Marand Precision Engineering use the old tool room in the stamping plant to manufacture parts for the F-35 fighter jet, and Metalland have taken over the southern part of the stamping plant for steel sales.

Apparently they had plenty of demand for companies wanting to use sections of the plants for industrial use.


I think this video must be outdated by a few years, cause i'm positive the site has been refurbished and handed over to the new owners.

[xkxlxm]

We might be able to make some nuclear submarine parts there.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

So many memories in that place for me. 15 years I spent in that engine plant. Weird seeing the loading bays which used to be full of Barra's in stillages waiting to be loaded into the broady run trucks completely empty.

I wonder when this was filmed, because last I heard the engine plant had pretty much been stripped bare?


And FYI, the storage room he goes into with the robot and the racks on both sides of the walls was the engine block storage area. The robot would pick up the machined blocks and place them on the underground conveyor that went across the aisle way to the assembly line on the other side.

I was hoping you would chime in, thanks for adding some first hand knowledge to this thread. Was the place as old and worn as it looks in some of the pics and video?

Like you, I think that video may have been filmed some time ago and I actually questioned it when I spotted the publish date for the video considering the pics I had seen of it stripped bare in January.

[Crazy Dazz]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

Wonder if it will turn into housing, its a HUGE location, right near a freeway in the northern suburbs of Melbourne

This is the Geelong Plant. Nobody wants to live in Geelong.

Yes, the video is a couple of years out of date, but only a few. The property wasn't sold until a few years ago. Around 2019 IIRC.

The Facade is actually Heritage Listed, and as far as I know the whole thing is being refurbed as Industrial Space.

[Peuty]

This thread reminds me of the video Ford published showing the manufacturing cycle across their plants

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_t5MK2YcqLw

I wish I could find the original high quality version, but even still, this low res version still gives me goosebumps as I imagine all the Falcon's I have owned trundling their way down that line.

[Adamz Ghia]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

Nah, Pelegra group bought it and it's available for industrial use now. Marand Precision Engineering use the old tool room in the stamping plant to manufacture parts for the F-35 fighter jet, and Metalland have taken over the southern part of the stamping plant for steel sales.

Apparently they had plenty of demand for companies wanting to use sections of the plants for industrial use.


I think this video must be outdated by a few years, cause i'm positive the site has been refurbished and handed over to the new owners.

I managed to get a look inside the engine plant when I went for my Covid jabs. This video must be years old as the inside is pretty much empty now.

I wish the council or some one would do something regarding the graffiti on the highway side of the building. Sad to see it like this.c

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

I was hoping you would chime in, thanks for adding some first hand knowledge to this thread. Was the place as old and worn as it looks in some of the pics and video?

Like you, I think that video may have been filmed some time ago and I actually questioned it when I spotted the publish date for the video considering the pics I had seen of it stripped bare in January.

It was always maintained to a certain degree. Machines and facilities got a lick of paint every few years. It was never as bad as shown in the footage, cause there was never that level of dust and bird poo that had obviously taken hold since it was locked up.

I think the video is most likely from around 2017/8. The blank signs out the front of the plant give it away, cause they have Fortek branding on them now, and have for at least 2-3 years maybe?

Originally Posted by Crazy Dazz

This is the Geelong Plant. Nobody wants to live in Geelong.

What planet do you live on? The population here is booming, so many people are moving out of melbourne since covid that the demand for land and housing here is just off the charts.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Crazy Dazz

This is the Geelong Plant. Nobody wants to live in Geelong.

Yes, the video is a couple of years out of date, but only a few. The property wasn't sold until a few years ago. Around 2019 IIRC.

The Facade is actually Heritage Listed, and as far as I know the whole thing is being refurbed as Industrial Space.

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Would make for an epic place for a fresh food market I reckon + restaurants/cafes inside, kinda like Preston Market but on a much larger scale.

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

Would make for an epic place for a fresh food market I reckon + restaurants/cafes inside, kinda like Preston Market but on a much larger scale.

I'd assume it's all zoned industrial. Access to the geelong port and highway make it prime industrial land.

If I recall correctly a windmill manufacturer was set up there at one point, the giant blades were coming straight off the ships in pieces at the port and transferred the couple hundred meters up the road to the plant, where they were semi-assembled before being sent out to the windfarms out Rokewood way?