807 Comments for Studebaker Stamping Plant

these engines were sold to the scrap yard across the street some time ago for $100 each, since then they have been sold for $500 to a man from venezula, about 2800 of them, which are being moved out of the condemed building and loaded into intermodal shipping containers headed for venezula. these were all used in m35's and taken out for a reconditioning program through am general that fell through. some have dates of the last service on them ranging from 1991 to 1995, from what i could see. none have oil in them and have been sitting in a leaky warehouse since with all the intake and exhaust ports exposed. so they are pretty much junk. they were basically cut out of the trucks with tourches and put on makeshift skids. most of the building has already been torn down by the city to make way for the transpo bus garage. the building is on the corner of sample and prarie in south bend, in. these are neat to look at but are more headache than they are worth to move, sell, store or repair. good luck roberto, maybe he will make his 1.4 million dollar investment back in venezuela...

mike's got it on this one. It's the remains of a chain conveyor. If ya go forward about four-five pics, you'll see a pair of them leading up to a balcony from either side.

My husband owns a 1948 Packard. They are really beautiful cars. Not many around anymore. This is a fascinating photo (like all of Mr Motts photos! :-)!

I would like to correct your statement that Studebaker aquired Packard.
It was the other way around.
Packard bought Studebaker.
I believe these engines came from an order that AM General got to replace a number of engines in military trucks.Rumor was that these used engines were bought by a surplus dealer from South America and shipped there.

Motts--
this would make a fantastic screensaver!

Motts--
You have an amazing eye! I suppose that goes without saying, though, since every shot you take is stunning. But capturing the light in this one, most people wouldn't even look twice if they saw it.

I once helped a friend & his mum clear out a store cupboard at a leisure centre where she worked.

One item we took out was a stretcher like this. We were told to be careful because it was very heavy.

So much that with someone on the barers might have to be stetchered off if they didn't lift properly!

A water droplet on the lens.

The studbaker plant was very beautiful. They tore it down about 6 or 7 years ago. it was hideous on the outside but man makes me wish I had seen the inside. real pleasure to see a town Im from on here.

Whats the blur around the mid left side

Soon enough the Power Train Automotive in Buena Vista, MI is going to close if it hasn't completely closed already. But if Motts wants to take pictures of the abandoned Pioneer Sugar plant in Carrollton, MI. that would show unique machinery. Michigan is begining to be a waste land of closed factories. And many zombies of the un-employed wander here too.

OK .. does anyone else see the orb and the old man face in the center of the pic? Or am I just going nuts?..
BTW.. I L O V E Motts pictures!

My very first thought when I took one look at this photograph was the movie "Star Wars".

Those platforms jutting out like that remind of some of the large ships in the Empire's fleet.
I can just see Darth Vader standing on one of these platforms cursing Han Solo.

Signed: An American Soldier stationed in Germany.

I love these pictures and would love to go through anything I could find in here. Im directly related to the founders of the Studebaker corporation and anything I could find on my family history would be awesome. Plus this place just looks fascinating.

Can you imagine the noise from a plant that size in full operation? I did a job for a small stamping firm in southern Ontario, and just standing in the parking lot it sounded like an earthquake starting up! A rhythmic rumbling that you could physically feel coming up from the ground.