A man who bought an abandoned car factory in Detroit is determined to get it running again

A man is restoring an abandoned car factory using vintage motorcycles, industrial robots, and a race garage as the foundation for a new kind of automotive hub.

Located in Detroit, the site includes five separate buildings that have suffered years of damage, including break-ins, fires, and water leaks.

Despite these issues, the vision is to bring life back to the factory through a mix of passion, history, and engineering.

In weekly YouTube episodes, Andy Didorosi – the man behind the plan – documents the process as the space evolves from forgotten to functional.

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Where the Real Work Happens Inside This Abandoned Car Factory

The project began in Building One, originally built by Link-Belt over 100 years ago.

Today, it serves as the factory’s design center, filled with old project cars and occasional community events.

From there, each building is being assigned a unique purpose, from logistics to fabrication to full-scale race preparation.

Building Two is now the core of the race garage.

Inside, rally cars are repaired and prepared for competition, including a Subaru that won a championship before colliding with a tree.

This space also houses fabrication equipment, design mockups, and the Battlegate project, a 3,000-pound reinforced steel gate being built in response to repeated break-in attempts.

Other buildings serve equally important roles.

Building Three is the logistics center, where parts are shipped and received.

Building Four, known as the high bay, is reserved for large-scale builds, including fire trucks, buses, and a prototype for an affordable truck under the new Mutiny brand.

Heavy power, compressed air, and industrial tools are already installed, but roof leaks remain a serious issue that will require repair before work can scale up.

A Bigger Vision Powered by Vintage Motorcycles and Industrial Robots

The factory also holds a growing collection of vintage motorcycles.

More than 30 bikes are stored on site, most of which are non-running due to long periods of inactivity.

While not a current priority, Andy plans to restore them over time if there is interest in that type of content.

One of the most ambitious parts of his plan involves industrial robots.

A fleet of ABB and Fanuc machines has been acquired to support future manufacturing.

These robots are capable of precision tasks and could eventually help build custom components.

Programming them has been slower than expected, but progress is underway.

A chassis dyno sits ready for car tuning, purchased from Michigan State University and nearly unused.

The site also features a functioning print shop in Building Five.

This space once printed envelopes and now produces high-quality screen prints, with all machinery brought back to working condition.

It offers a modest revenue stream to support the rest of the project.

This abandoned car factory is being rebuilt with care and purpose.

Each space contributes to a larger vision that blends automotive culture with creative production.

With vintage motorcycles in storage, industrial robots ready to work, and a race garage already in use, the factory is slowly but steadily coming back to life.

Keep up with Andy’s journey here.

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