As a young engineer I worked at that plant for 8 years. You initially walked in through the front entrance and into the Engine Plant where they made the six and eight cylinder engines. Walking through the area brought back many memories for me It was a very interesting place to work. Walking from the front to the end of the building from start to finish of the assembly line each engine component was machined and the engine progressively assembled with the finished engine started up and run for several minutes at the far end of this building. Many engines were produced each day. These were high quality engines and probably many are still running well today.
Yeah, I'm a Holden guy through and through, but I did my apprenticeship with Ford. I'll admit, they were some damn well designed engine's for the time. Some of the power numbers people reliably run on them these days is pretty impressive.
Holden should have never been sold to an American company. All it ever did was cost us tax payers, whilst lining the pockets of the US government. Holden should have grown and became a leader. Instead, they sold out to the competitors. We need a new Aussie car, home grown and owned. Holden is dead because of General Motors. I won't pay them another cent while I breathe, especially if they start selling here again.
This site should NEVER be demolished! It’s heritage and significance is living proof that this country can make cars beautifully. Ford and Holden! There will come a time when we will need these factories to produce our defence vehicles and I’m talking about a possible WAR not too far away!
Around mid 70's i worked there on engine assembly lane and late on engine testing. It's like watching a movie from another life time. Thanks for the footage mate.
Thank you for your look inside the Geelong Ford Factory...im glad ya got in before it gets trashed...this is a piece of Australian history...and is absolutely awesome to see, especially growing up a Ford boy! Thank you!
I'm verry happy you didn't steal anything. Many people would walk through there and steal posters and try sell them. Thank you for respecting this buildings history
I am the doobs mentioned at 2:40, I was a sparky in the engine plant worked in pretty much all the business units. Glad you took this video, something I can show my son when he grows up, when I was at high school there's used to be plant tours on little train.
Ayeeeee, there he is…the notorious Doobs 😂 had a feeling you’d come across this one day haha, cool as! The lads in the photos stumbled upon it too. First I’ve heard of the train tour, would’ve been a great experience as a youngin’
@@urbexgecko the old train tours in geelong and broadmeadows they had tractor trailer (2 sets in geelong i think they had 2 sets in broady) a little bit like the trains they run around eastern beach but not in closed, a small tractor (a ford of course and 4 trailers painted ford blue of course signage and all) the tours were done by retired ford employees, you would sit in the seats in the trailers and they drove you around the plant, there would be some one standing on the back with a microphone and you could listen in on the head phones provided (very loud in the press shop well over 118 dbs we had our own sign language but that's an other story) we were offered to do a tour of broady before it closed and broady were offered to do a tour of geelong unsure about touring the casting plant (never like that place) a lot of fun would be had when this tours came through i you were driving the cranes or a forklift or the of the tractor- trailers(used for carts dies around the place) or one of the tugs a lot of horns blowing and carry on, when i did a tour with my high school around 1978 and again in 1982 while doing a course at the gordon tech we had to walk around can not remember when the started the tractor but they ran right up to a couple of weeks before closing, mainly school tours but they did have some tours where retires and family could come through
Awesome Trev, really painted a picture with this comment. I would never have thought something like that would be allowed at such a workplace (especially during business hours), really good of them to put in the effort and facilitate that despite the loud noise and risk. Sure the tyres would've been flat as, but I really regret not riding around the place on one of those trike carts now haha. What was wrong with the casting plant?
@@urbexgecko i used to ride around on one of those trikes if i was not on the forkilft or tractor i am pretty sure they had solid tyres the casting plant was a dirty place to work i only was sent there a couple of times very early after starting there i some areas you would look like at the end of the day that you had been working in a coal mine (black soot)very dusty, dirty years later my brother worked there breathing in that stuff is not good for you
I've lived in Geelong for 37 years and this is the first time I've seen inside this building. I've always wanted to see it so thank you. Such a shame Geelong has lost all it's big manufacturing company's.
I worked for a company that supplied parts to Ford and spent a lot of time in the Geelong plant and You Yangs proving ground. So this bring back memories
I still remember having my medical in that medical centre when I was going through the process of getting employed as a 16 year old. Didn't know what hit me. Lol The old V8 line was still there just behind those front offices but disused. A few Cleveland's still hanging on the line.
Two thumbs up to a global economy. It is a real shame that both Ford and Holden are gone cos once it's gone it's gone, cos all those skills and knowledge can't get passed on its lost forever now. Now welcome to a land of consumers and retail.
3:10 was used for engine block storage after machining and waiting to be assembled i have pictures if you would like to see them i worked stamping plant 1983-2016
you would have known a guy( david g) he later became a foreman his bother also worked there, i started in the press shop in 83 i remember the old door line was sent to help there a couple of times( putting that little tri-angle in the front door frame), also remember the hood line was sent there a few times to set the clinching dies (hydraulic presses)
(1) Lights have to stay on due to safety reasons as there are many sharp objects that trespassers can injure themselves on if it was dark. (2) The roof was dangerous to walk on, I’m happy you didn’t fall through it. Those signs were there when the place was a buzz with activity. (3) All hearing test facilities have sound booths. (Ford still tests the hearing of their employees) (4) Australia made a free trade agreement allowing imported cars to enter without tariffs the way other countries in Europe and America tariff protected their cars. This was done to allow Qantas two fly in America and Europe in return for allowing cars not to be tariffed coming into Australia. When we sold Monaros to the USA, and Fords to Europe, they had tariffs to import these cars yet at the same time Germany could send Mercedes Benz Audi an other cars, USA sent F100 and Rangers all through the free trade agreement THANKS FOR THE TOUR, PLEASE DO WHAT REMAINS OF BROADIE
Hey mate I worked at one of the new business in there that’s is a defence contractor, some of the guys that work there also worked at the Ford factory too. If you are going to go back I can come and tell you want most of the machinery is what it does. When I was in my teen we would sneak in and have a good look around before they started gutting the whole place. 👌🏼🇦🇺
Cheers Jordan, will keep that in mind. Shame I didn't have someone knowledgeable with me on the explore, definitely would've stuck around longer If I knew what I was actually looking at haha. Nice! What were the other buildings like, anywhere near as good as this one?
I worked there when it was the original toolroom 2002-2012 until marand took over we used to do a lot of work for Marand we had the biggest scanner in the southern hemisphere did a lot of scanning off the aluminium mould for the milatory jets
About 3 years ago my work picked up an old Lathe out of there that had been sold off which weighed 13 tonne and we took it over too Karratha in W.A to the new owner
We used to cart portable press (weighting about 9 tonnes) around the press shop on a tractor and trailer some of this presses ended up going to ixl back well in south Geelong
That was fascinating, thank you. Though it makes me sad, too. It is an amazing building, and should be heritage listed. Thank you for being respectful, and not disturbing anything.
Nah this made me wanna cry to be honest 😢😢😢 all the beauty that was made HERE and the BEST cars to ever roll off this production line. XK,XP,XM,XT,XR,XW,XY,XA,XB,XC,XD,XE,XF,XG,XH. To EA,EB,EF to AU,BF,BA,FG,FG-X 😭😭😭 WE WILL MISS THESE BEAUTIES FOR AS LONG AS WE CAN❤❤❤❤❤
Thank God I wasn't the only one feeling that way. And to think that there were good times shared there and all the other things of a normal workplace going on there too
Mate, I love Ford, it's in my families blood, but and I hate to say it, they weren't that good. Matter of fact they required soo much ongoing maintenance repairs and works it was ridiculous.. Holden Ford Mitsubishi even Toyota aus, couldn't compete with just how much better jap built vehicles were to our domestic built specials. Yeah I loved my falcons, but it wasn't until Ford and holden ditched it that everyone realized. Fucking sad so many jobs went and we don't have the aussie options anymore, but fuck, I'd never buy an aussie built car over a jap mainland built Toyota for example.
Crazy to think my XG back in 1993 was built there and taken home by a proud Ford employee. Pleased to show his wife, kids and friends his new Ute. Now its going to waste. I just hope Ford reopen the plant but since the concept of cheap RWD sports sedans is lost on a fair majority of non car enthusiasts it'll never happen.
Thanks for showing me geelong ford, i always wondered what was behind the front entrance so u showed me it was awesome. I get very emotional every time i drive past the factory in order to access geelong & great ocean road. Thank you
Pretty sure that Geelong was the engine plant. I remember going on a tour of Broadmeadows as a kid watching the huge robot arms build Capris for the failed push into the US
Yep 👌🏻 Didn’t know Broadie ever did tours, was that a school excursion? Went to Fawkner Primary, they definitely should’ve hooked us up with a tour haha. Would’ve been pretty spectacular to see as a youngin’
the little booth around the 9min mark is a hearing testing booth. most places use mobile ones but they were obviously a large enough facility to warrant their own on site one. I think employees are supposed to be tested annually for OHS and determining if PPE and other measures are effective enough
went to mobile testing booth's after the old medical center(which is the one he was in) were closed and moved into the stamping plant about the same time the employment office was moved
Grew up in Geelong. Still get there regularly and drive past the old Ford factory every time. I remember when they shut it down. Everyone in Geelong knew people that worked at Ford. I had friends and family that worked there. It's amazing to randomly come across this on YT. I always feel like I'd like to go urban exploring in this way, but haven't had the nerve. You had some especial nerve in walking on that roof in spite of the warning sign about doing so 🙂 And some burning questions spring to mind. I guess Ford still owns it. Why haven't they sold it off? Maybe no one wants it. But surely they could sell off much of the equipment, etc inside, but looks like they just abandoned it. And, as you asked, why on earth would they have the lights going? - seemingly racking up power bills for no reason.
You should Roger, it definitely starts off as forcing yourself to go into places despite your entire being telling you not to haha. It becomes second nature after a while, but I'd be lying If I said I wasn't bricking it for this one in particular, and it really shows haha. A lot has changed since this was filmed some years ago, Ford sold parts of it and retained some.
Been curious ever since a kid as well,dream come true and so satisfying to finally know. Been told it doesn't look like that anymore unfortunately. Aye that's sick! SHIEY explores some insane,red hot stuff and mentally motivates me to when I'm being a pussy haha.
I know you could have got into trouble for this video, but otherwise it would have disappeared into oblivion as it now has. Just a small glimpse at what was one a thriving business
It may have been a "thriving business", but I think any business would thrive with all the handouts companies like this got, which includes all the tax breaks business's get. It was a huge slap in the face to us taxpayers, that they shut this down after all the money that was given to them. At least the handouts have stopped for this particular "business". This goes for Holden and Toyota too. They are the real welfare cheats.
the press shop was in the building on the right hand side where you waked in you went into the engine plant and the old medical centre and the old empolyment office the press shop is just behind the old toolroom (which is now being run by marand they moved in 2012 taking over all the milling machines ) i also worked in the toolroom from 2002 -2012 when marand took it over parts of the old press shop and the old canteen ( the small white building you can see from melbourne road are now used by metal corp
Ah ok,that answers some questions I had thanks Trevor. Got a shock when I saw the building on the right in full swing haha,and was wondeing what the white building was.
Always wanted to know what was behind those brick walls. Thank you. I drive past the Broadmeadows plant regularly and it always tears me up. Also fishermen’s bend with Holden
Thanks for taking a risk to show us this video. I would have taken one of those hard hats. It makes me sad seeing this place closed down, i grew up in Geelong born 73, ive had mates work at this plant. Can i ask people one thing? Please stop spraying graffiti on this part of Geelongs history.
Incredibly sad to see and the frozen in time office area was creepy, so was the medical isolation cell. But one thing this video does expose is look how old fashioned this production line is. This whole factory looks like it's frozen in the mid 1970's. The computer gear looks early 90's. Ford hasn't invested a cent to make this a modern robotic car factory as you see everywhere in Asian countries. My God Australia is going backwards fast. RIP Australia 😥
all modern computers were stripped out almost straight a way only leaving things with little or no value, as well as vending machines by coke cola and coffee/food vending machines( all owned and operated by out side venders) all computer files and company employee records were sent to head office in america ?
Some of this stuff needs to be in a Ford/Automotive museum. EG old school V8 blocks, body part presses especially the X Series. Can you get down into the bowles of the factory ?
Cheers for the heads up mate! Unreal to imagine all of that is now gone,hurts a bit. I'll have to get back one day once it's a business park just to spin out even more.
It's weird so much stuff is just left there, like they had to evacuate. You shoulda grabbed a Ford hard hat so if you got caught you could yell at security "hey what are you doing in here!"
The amount of usable assets in there is incredible. Small business owners / auto shops could utilize all those work benches and roller tables... companies don't sell the stuff because it has all been depreciated on their taxes and they would have to pay capital gains on the amount received... so then give it away as scrap instead of just letting it rot away where it sits.
What year the 6 cylinder line was a chain driven line in the 80's then moved to the back end of the building and that was the area used for storage and later on the V8 assembly I worked in the press shop 1983-2002, tool room 2002-2012 press shop 2012-2015 shipping 2015-2016
I worked in Cheltenhan in the mid 90’s as a first class fitter turner and it was apparent then that without a huge, huge investment the automotive industry couldn’t compete. These old machining centres are antiques and were in 1996 when I had a tour of this facility. From there I worked in former East German plants that were shuttered because they were fifty years older than the Geelong plant. I worked in Hambach, France at the Smart car facility that was very current at the time but like Australia there was little demand for the product and it was closed up as well. The blokes I worked with in Aus were some of the most resourceful I have had the pleasure of working with.
I’ve been down that main road in front of the building so many times, and I’m honestly surprised I didn’t actually realise it shut down… I also didn’t realise the sheer size of the place! What an absolute unit! lmao Seriously hope there aren’t any plans to demolish the building any time soon!
It would be nice to see ford restamp all panels from the xa to fg falcon and fairlane range and possibly build new xd falcons and sell them in dealerships
Not possible all stamping dies have been scrapped I worked in the stamping plant and we were scrapping dies, jigs and fixtures right up to closing we ran enough parts to last 10 years? after the last car was built but only the latest panels for the falcon and Territory all older parts dies (xt,xw xy, ect) were scrapped a long time ago scrapped a lot of them loaded them on to truck and sent them of to sim's metals
@@Classickoolcars when we are scrapped the pressing dies we had to make sure they could not be used again there were case's of old tooling ending up at other manufacturers who would make sub standard panels used to cut holes or prop them on the ground would do the trick
If anyone's wondering that audio chamber is for hearing tests. Mechanics are (well, supposed to be) regularly checked for hearing damage. Personally I have a 5db loss in one ear
the engine plant was shut down a few weeks before the last car was built (there are pictures of this on the internet) the last 6 cylinder & last V8, the medical center in the front offices had not been used for many years, the employment center was moved into the old boiler house / laundry( the small building in between the two main buildings) and then moved into the white building on north shore road it was the old pay role office, satellite canteen, locker room& gym where the injection hub was set up, the old computers where use or kept if it was being used for basic functions, an old ford saying (why buy new when old will do) an other ford saying was ( i have short arms but have deep pockets )
You will have a lot of legacy systems still in use because 1. They are just as accurate as a new one. 2. They have paid for themselves and continue to work with little maintenance required. 3. Training engineers on how to use a new system takes time and money. From what I understand, factories do not want to take the downtime to implement a new system and hamper production. If the old system still is viable, they will continue to use it.
Nope, they look age appropriate, the auto industry moves damn slow with this stuff. For example, the year before Holden announced their closure, all their dealerships finally upgraded from Windows XP. This was only because the management software ERAnet forced them to update
@@urbexgecko worth the drive I’d say! Pity they ain’t there anymore though I’d seen in another comment you mentioned it’s all been re done and occupied with new businesses. Still would love to take a pic out the front with the big ford sign if that’s still there! Great vid btw!
No Ford patches after the 90's they were embroided with your name and the Ford logo I have some of the original patches but not on the overalls you can have them if you want
Had interview for a job there in late 80's , turned out offered a forklift job emptying bins but put on at Toyota Pt Melbourne as a forky on assembly line . the next week . didnt stay long there . Pity we dont make cars there now . should be used for making something instead of dodgy Dan wasting a billion $ cancelling Comm games
Hey mate just subbed to your channel, seen your channel on Abandoned Angel cool content mate and what an amazing find the Ford factory so cool ill check out some of your other videos.
9:15 audio booth is where you would sit to have your hearing tested, it is sound proof you would sit locked in there with head phones on they would test your hearing by running a load of sounds ranging in pitch and you would have to push a button which you held in your hand they would test each ear and record the results this would be done every year and they would keep a record on your hearing loss
When we left for the final time there were two a lot of them left hanging on the out side fences these had hat were only introduced in about 2010 and they were worn in the press shop and some parts of the engine plant and the casting plant any one entering the these areas had to wear one can you imagine wearing these 8 hours a day driving cranes, tractor(only in side the building) also operating and stacking on a press line
What a unique channel name and style of Urbex, (really like it!!!)- Mr. Gecko; ha not sure what else to say I do love Gecko's but not the kind ruling (no offense to Lizards @ all) . . 😛😉😊😘.
Changed a lot 6 cylinder engibe line use to be near the top wall where you climbed up the ladder (1980) and down the north side of the building motors were assembled on a chain loop the V8 engines were assembled right down the bottom as time went on the V8 were the fazed out (all V8 were lnported) and the old 6 cylinder line was fazed out after the new 6 cylinder was built at the bottom late on the new V8 were the built back near the top including the supercharged one for the GT wee assembled from imported parts so it changed a lot between 1983-2016 I was sent there a couple times over the time I worked for ford's but spent most of my time in the press shop (1983-2002 I) toolroom( 2002
@@urbexgecko Yeah! I remember being impressed by some new whizbang stamping plants they had got from overseas. They sent us home with some merch which included a promo pamphlet for the EF series Falcon. That was the best Falcon ever, sexy as! Owned one in later years.
@@shauninthebody i think that would have been the tri- axis press and combination line (depends what year you went through)or the B5 blanker or my be after line 21 and a tryout press and a blanking press were installed in 2006 the total for the line 21 press with out tooling 35 million dollars(i have pictures of the line 16-17 press lines installed before i started) early 70's they were 8 million dollars for two manual press lines the last press line to be put in before i started was line 19 in 1976, i went through the plant on a school tour around 1978? just after some one was killed in the press shop i had know idea i would end up working there i did an other tour when i was doing a material handling course in 1982 applied for jobs there many times, before starting in late 1983( the dole in the 1980's was 40 dollars a week ford's weekly wage was 256 dollars a week) you can see the dismantling/cut up of the press shop on you tube video's(ausdecom)will also give you a look a how big the really place was
correct engine block made at the ford casting plant (north shore geelong) now demolished then transported to the engine plant for machining and assembly the head's cam shafts and crank's were also made at the casting plant but later on the head's were cast in mexico shipped to geelong then machined and assembled in the main plant in geelong before being sent to the engine plant, piston's and rod's were made by an out side company
Pistons and rod's were made by a company called lunwin's in breakwater Geelong they also made some of the Ford badges and also some of the Holden badges(gts front grill, monaro badges) my 2 brothers used to work for them 1 brother ended up working at the casting plant he ended up doing an apprenticeship (fitter and turner) before leaving now work's on the Melbourne met trains
Claiming the tower is ladder that was used to get to the old bridge crane the can also see the old railway tracks in the floor which go back to when the building was first built
You are walking throught what used to be the cranckshaft machining section . Those offices were where the supervisors used to keep the records of the day production. How did you get in?
The chair at 9:08 is creepy. It's an isolated room in an isolated room. I half found myself looking for wrist restrains like it's an electric chair, or a torture booth. This is where worker's are sent if they have too many toilet breaks. 😛
8:47 thank you for that because that would have been my late grandmothers office she was head divisional nurse for shell she retired from shell in about 95 and then worked with ford until probably about 2005?
