Saleen Troy Assembly

While out at lunch today, I spotted a sign reading "Open House" in front of a building that hasn't had a sign on it since it was a Stanley Garage Door factory some time back in the late 90s. This wouldn't have raised an eye, but I knew what was inside. The owners have a habit of displaying their wares in the large front window, and you can only see so many S7s before you figure out that the old garage door plant is the midwest base for Saleen.

I swooped back to work, begged my boss for the afternoon off, and hightailed it out to the daycare to grab the kids - you only get so many shots at a racecar factory, and we weren't missing this one.

Saleen's Troy, MI assembly plant is micro-OEM facility. If you've been in a "regular" auto assembly plant, this is the Matchbox (or is it HotWheels?) version. Chasses come in one end, supplied by Ford, and are processed on two separate assembly lines. The main line is for Mustang conversions. That is too limited a word, the cars are stripped when they arrive and given new VINs indicating Saleen as the OEM. The parts that are stripped off the cars are graded for quality and shipped to a variety of recycling shops around the US that get the parts to owners and shops that need them for repairs. They are not sold as new. The chasses are painted if a Saleen color is selected, then go through what the rest of the OEMs call "final assembly". About 5 cars a day process through the Mustang line, starting with interior extraction and working through undercarriage, suspension, engine work, interior insertion, and final trim. Final trim frequently includes replacing the bonnet.

The paint line is a work in and of itself. Saleen has the expertise and equipment in-house to produce a fully baked factory primer/color/clear process and does so on all painted vehicles. They recently received the contract to paint the 08 Dodge Viper. Working with the RIM material for the Viper parts requires a unique buck assembly to protect the shape of the parts during the bake cycle. Each group of trims is painted as a body so that all parts will match exactly when the car is assembled. This commission comes on the heels of the Ford GT, a car fully painted and assembled at Saleen, short of the drivetrain insertion.

The second line in the plant processes vehicles delivered from Ford that will keep their Ford VINs. These vehicles receive factory-certified Saleen powertrain upgrades, such as the supercharger on the Ford F150 Harley Davidson. Up to 15 trucks can process each day, meaning a car carrier is showing up to unload and pick up about 8 times a week. The supercharger was designed out of Saleen's California headquarters, like most of Saleen's offerings. Troy Assembly includes several test cells for flowbenching and a brand new Dynojet for powertrain validation. If you're going to claim 400 horsies, you better be able to show you've got them. One of the modified trucks was strapped down during our visit, and plunked down a very respectable 390hp and 440ft-lbs at the wheels.

Saleen are pretty much the only OEM that is expanding in MI. The facility opened to build the Ford GT, as Dearborn wanted it done close to home, and Saleen have a very good relationship with them. An engine plant is on the drawing board - plans to bring 281s in from Ford for stroking out to full 302 spec are on the table. This will further expand not only Saleen's capabilities for modifying Fords, but the ability to produce very specific crate motors. A possible retro roadster project is also on the table, as witnessed from the assorted body and frame bucks observed around the plant.

I hope to secure a future tour that can include my camera. It's a great treat to visit an assembly shop that isn't beating me over the head over a paint defect for once. At Saleen, it didn't appear to be an issue.