Friday, August 20, 2010

Pre-Cruise Friday Part 5: Emergency Vehicle Alley


The police and fire departments had a really neat display of emergency vehicles, right down the street from all the Mustangs. This was my favorite area of the Cruise so far.

Old school vehicles.




The "meat wagon", a Vietnam era ambulance.
Inside the meat wagon


This Troy Police car was built with funds siezed in drug raids.


Watering the kids.


Paddy wagons, old and new.



Pre-Cruise Friday Part 4: Ferndale Stryker

The U.S. Army's TACOM set up this Stryker vehicle on the median in Ferndale. Several TACOM employees were there to answer questions. I asked about IED survivability, and they explained that while the Stryker was designed before the Iraq and Afghan wars, and was not equipped to handle roadside bombs, they are retrofitting them with a thick aluminum underhull, offset from the main hull, which can help absorb the blast energy. The next generation will be designed with a "double V" hull.
A large vehicle, it was designed to fit inside of military transport planes.


It looks light and airy, but actually there isn't a ton of room inside. The gunner sits below the gun (to the right and behind of the driver) and can control it remotely while looking through periscope prisms and a camera screen. The driver space looked tight.





Pre-Cruise Friday Part 3: Ford in Ferndale

Next I headed south to Ferndale, where Ford has set up "Mustang Alley".


This Dewalt Superduty concept was pretty neat, and it was the only vehicle I saw at the Cruise that could probably cut itself up into little pieces.



Police Mustang (the strobes are flashing, but it is hard to see)

CSI Transit, lots of room for "samples"

Mustang Alley

A mockup of the Taurus Police car. I don't think it is the real thing, because it didn't have any kit inside of it, and had a console shifter.


Not content to let Chrysler show off too much, Ford also brought a monster truck, but no crushed import under this one.

The new Boss 302



More views of The Boss




The new Ford Explorer was there. I though it looked good, if a bit like the GMC Acadia. The rear glass does not appear to open, and neither do the rear quarter windows, a departure from the 2010 Explorer.


Moving on...

Pre-Cruise Friday, Part 1: Mopar Land

I started off Friday's quick tour at the corner of 13mile and Woodward, where Chrysler set up shop.


A gorgeous Coronet.

The Mopar guys bought this Honda at a junk yard and then squashed it. It still had baby toys and other junk inside of it.



Some sort of custom Jeep truck concept, the "Nukizer". I'm not sure about the front end interpretation.


Fiat 500

Some old Mopar dragsters

An old 500?

A Mopar golf cart? I hope this isn't a new business direction for Chrysler.


A better view of the poor Honda.

Pre-Cruise Friday Part 2: On The Corner


Awesome color for a Mercedes -- Construction Orange


Barn Fresh GMC

Eastern European troop transport?


Smooth wagon

Unsure, looks British

The Valentine Vodka barrel truck (I'm not sure Vodka comes in oak barrels, though)


Beat up DeLorean

Very high center of gravity on this one... probably won't do well at the track. Or offroad.



Way chopped truck

Grand Torino (no Hmong though)


This Mustang came all the way from New Jersey





Ford GT

Junky goodness


Replica (?) GT40



California 'Vette