Media giant buys Detroit home for reporters to track city

[Toolbox]

What kind of a crack was that, Tool?

Living up to your name, I see.

I wasn't aware that Joanne's was a drag restaurant back in 74, gee, I'll have to ask my dad.

Doesn't change the facts as they are. It was my dad's idea to call them "Minivans" as well, and was first introduced as such with Chrysler's rollout of the vehicles. Sorry to disappoint you.

The crack was the cherry flavored kind.

I am a huge cock, what can i say.

I wonder if your dad knew Manrooter?

So your dad invented the term "minivan", big deal! They used to be called station wagons.

VW started their station wagon [[minivan) in 1950. Here is a 1951 example. Very stylish for the time.



Here is an early 60's Chevy Corvair Greenbriar Van.



When you are confronted with the facts you stick your fingers in your ears and scream loudly. I guess if you can't hear the truth your version of history is still true.


Ever see a Subaru 360 van? it's real mini minivan.



I guess all this is fabricated, like the moon landing?

[Det_ard]

I guess all this is fabricated, like the moon landing?

Great, now watch Gannon and Mauser come running.

[Gannon]

HEY! I don't have to run anywhere.

Just because they faked the moon landing doesn't change any of the facts here.


Tool's got this one...and with IMAGERY to die for...those early VW vans are simply scrumptious...everything else is so butt-ugly it is obvious why our car companies are in such dire straights, while VW was able to flip Porsche's take-over attempt back upon them.


I wonder what cars this new news bureau will have, and with what address they'll insure them...

[Gannon]

You still got your vintage VW, Toolbox?!

[Gannon]

To be fair, Lorax, we're not taking anything from your father's contribution to Chrysler's CURRENT success with this concept, certainly they took it further than any other manufacturer, and at the right time...it just wasn't anywhere NEAR the first mini-van, excepting the use of that term to describe it.


Cheers

[jbd441]

Detroit is going to get a corporate journalism community in its ghettohoods. I hope it works. Then lots of corporations will turn Detroit's ghettohoods into a New York-esque community filled with very expansive dwellings making ti very hard to buy a decent home in Detroit's ghettohoods.

Isn't that called gentrification?

[Lorax]

The crack was the cherry flavored kind.

I am a huge cock, what can i say.

I wonder if your dad knew Manrooter?

So your dad invented the term "minivan", big deal! They used to be called station wagons.

VW started their station wagon [[minivan) in 1950. Here is a 1951 example. Very stylish for the time.

Here is an early 60's Chevy Corvair Greenbriar Van.

When you are confronted with the facts you stick your fingers in your ears and scream loudly. I guess if you can't hear the truth your version of history is still true.


Ever see a Subaru 360 van? it's real mini minivan.

I guess all this is fabricated, like the moon landing?

LOL!!!

The "cherry" crack was good, too bad you've never experienced one. And as for being "huge", LMMFAO!!! Let's just say if you have to go there, it probably ain't true.

What's fabricated here is your assertion that these vehicles were anything close to what Chrysler put out- and if they were so "groundbraking" and such raving successes, why were they consigned to the auto graveyard?

Just because some Bozo printed a Wikipedia page doesn't make it true. I think I'll refer to the boxes of evidence I have archived from his nearly 40 years with Chrysler, and instead of acting like a , a little humility might suit you better, Tiny Tool.

I may be alot of things, but liar is not one of them. I'll be happy to send along, or post here exerpts from the book my dad's writing when the time comes.

Yes, you are living up to your Schvantz Status. Do you do parties other than the ones at Joanne's?

[gravitymachine]

lorax;s dad

[Bearinabox]

...a little humility might suit you better, Tiny Tool.

There really needs to be a Derisive Snort emoticon. Lowell?

[Lorax]

lorax;s dad

Gravitymachine:



Do you really want to go there?

[Hypestyles]

curious... what's the plan for the reporters to interact with the community?

[Lorax]

curious... what's the plan for the reporters to interact with the community?

From what I understand, Time will have reporters staking out Toolbox and his treasure trove of snap-on implements at Joanne's on 8 Mile Road. Apparently he's been known to teabag the customers, so they wanted to get an interview with those who have experienced the Tiny Tool & the Tea Bag.

[Sstashmoo]

Geeze Lorax, You got on the most prolific web forum in Detroit, the car capitol of the world and make a claim that you know someone who invented something auto related-a type of vehicle, and then can't believe the fur is flying. What you're saying is probably true, but expect a little scrutiny when you go public with it, especially here. Hats off to the old man, we owe them birds some respect.

[Lorax]

Geeze Lorax, You got on the most prolific web forum in Detroit, the car capitol of the world and make a claim that you know someone who invented something auto related-a type of vehicle, and then can't believe the fur is flying. What you're saying is probably true, but expect a little scrutiny when you go public with it, especially here. Hats off to the old man, we owe them birds some respect.

Thanks for having my back on this one.

What is amazing is the vitriol of this Tool Time Twinkie who is wedded to his WikiwatcheePedia.

I only corrected someone's error in detailing the minivan's history, didn't mean for it to hijack the thread.

[Jimaz]

Nice Greenbriar. We used to start ours with a screwdriver instead of a key. No, it belonged to us. Honest!

[Stosh]

Thanks for having my back on this one.

What is amazing is the vitriol of this Tool Time Twinkie who is wedded to his WikiwatcheePedia.

I only corrected someone's error in detailing the minivan's history, didn't mean for it to hijack the thread.

Pardon me for interjecting my opinion on this one.

I happen to know personally, a whole lot of people that worked for that corporation during and before the time of the minivan's conception at Chrysler that claim to have invented the damn thing. Some I know that actually sued the corporation. And lost. It's a pissing contest of sorts among Chrysler's white collars, and even some of the blue collar.

Just thought I'd put this into perspective. And scanning some of those boxes of evidence you have might just give you a little more credibility. Just like asking others to do the same?

[Toolbox]

From what I understand, Time will have reporters staking out Toolbox and his treasure trove of snap-on implements at Joanne's on 8 Mile Road. Apparently he's been known to teabag the customers, so they wanted to get an interview with those who have experienced the Tiny Tool & the Tea Bag.

Why are you so obsessed with my penis?

[Lorax]

Why are you so obsessed with my penis?

I wasn't aware you had one.

But since you're on the subject, as I recall it was you who referred to yourself as a "big cock", "Manrooter" LOL!!!, you call yourself "Toolbox" have this fascination with Joanne's Drag Bar, if indeed it really is one. What is someone suppose to think?

Sounds like you're overcompensating for something that's missing.

[Lorax]

Pardon me for interjecting my opinion on this one.

I happen to know personally, a whole lot of people that worked for that corporation during and before the time of the minivan's conception at Chrysler that claim to have invented the damn thing. Some I know that actually sued the corporation. And lost. It's a pissing contest of sorts among Chrysler's white collars, and even some of the blue collar.

Just thought I'd put this into perspective. And scanning some of those boxes of evidence you have might just give you a little more credibility. Just like asking others to do the same?

My father is also aware of a couple of individuals who tried, unsuccessfully, at co-opting his concept at Chrysler. My dad's been written up in national magazines as the conceptor-creator, and, as I mentioned, we have the documentation to prove it.

There was a concerted effort by Iacocca to deny any of the old Chrysler people their due when he came in, and the old resentments continue today. He was able to continue working until early retirement in December, 1987, [[his choice), and indeed went on to work briefly for Modern Engineering on chassis improvements for Ford's early 90's Lincoln limousines. He actually made more money heading up Modern's Lincoln project than he did his final years as head of Advanced Design & Engineering for Chrysler.

I will post some of the items at a later date. Will need to figure out how to scan old-fashioned slides, though!

[EastsideAl]

That house is on the nicest block in the West Village. There are several large beautiful houses on that block, which looks just like the Indian Village blocks to the east. Those interested should take a look at it on Google Streetview or some such.

Should be an interesting perch from which to watch what's actually going on in this city.

[Toolbox]

LOL!!!

What's fabricated here is your assertion that these vehicles were anything close to what Chrysler put out- and if they were so "groundbraking" and such raving successes, why were they consigned to the auto graveyard?

VW had a run of over 50 years with the Type II vehicles. I don't need a wiki page for this information. Is the Benson Ford Research Center not a verifiable source?

Do a little research on Ben Pon Sr.

1947 sketch for proposed VW Type II.'

pon.nl

The year is 1947. The businessman Ben Pon is travelling from Amersfoort to the small German town of Minden, where he has an appointment with the British authorities who, so soon after the war, are now in charge of the Volkswagen factory. Pon is eager to speak with them as he has absolute faith in the quality of Volkswagen and he is determined to become the Dutch importer for Volkswagen. His visit is to have unexpected and far-reaching consequences.

On Wednesday, 23rd April 1947, Ben Pon was sitting a table with the British, discussing with them his ideas for importing Volkswagens into the Netherlands. However, on this day he did something else: he held out his notebook, and with his pencil he drew a rough sketch of a rectangular delivery vehicle. It is really nothing more than a box on wheels, with a driver's cab at the front and an engine behind it. History does not say how others present at the meeting reacted, but one thing is certain: it was a revolutionary idea for the time, as ingenious as it was simple, with a large cargo space on a small area. According to Pon the vehicle would weigh 750 kg empty and be able to carry loads in excess of 750 kg. Pon seems to have based his development on the so-called Plattenwagen, a primitive-looking vehicle with rear-wheel drive that the Volkswagen engineers had developed for internal use within the Volkswagen factory. Just like the Plattenwagen, the vehicle envisioned by Ben Pon would have to be built on the chassis of a Kever.

Pon's brilliant idea was initially put on ice - but not for long. One year later [[Ben Pon and his brother Wijnand having in the meantime become the first official Volkswagen importers in then world) a message came from Volkswagen.

Heinrich Nordhoff, the new boss of Volkswagen, and the technical director Alfred Haesner had decided to develop Ben Pon's idea. They gave a green light for the development, and so Ben Pon became the inventor of the Volkswagen Transporter.
His simple design for a small transport vehicle became the blueprint for the future. As recently as 1990 the lines he sketched out with his pencil remained clearly recognisable in the form of the successful Volkswagen Transporter.

[pffft]

This has got to be the mother of all threadjacks...

[lilpup]

This has got to be the mother of all threadjacks...

Yeah, a little moderator editing removing off-topic posts to a junk thread would be nice. One message board I peruse established a separate sub-forum as a receptacle for overly argumentative trash posts like these.

[DetroiterOnTheWestCoast]

Bump

I used to live at 1100 Parker [[next door to the Parkhurst) and that is definately the nicest block of Parker. As I recall, when I lived on Parker that was Jimmy Schmidt's house.

I now live in Oakland CA; anyone who thinks that Oakland is one big hood has never been here. It has its bad areas to be sure [[in the flatlands) but the Oakland Hills are wonderful. And unlike Detroit, there is a wonderfully diverse population in Oaktown!