A PETROLHEAD who bought an abandoned factory stuffed with classic muscle cars and 35 motorbikes has revealed plans to turn it into a dreamland.
Andy Didorosi snapped up the site in Detroit, Michigan, in what he said “may be the best or worst financial decision of my life”.
YoutubeAndy Didorosi bought an abandoned car factory in Detroit, Michigan[/caption]
YoutubeThe avid petrolhead plans to start his own car brand[/caption]
The property was stuffed with classic cars and bikesYoutube
The factory itself is actually a complex of four buildings, with two workshops, offices, an archive and a vast warehouse storing a glut of retro motors.
According to Andy, the business was established way back in 1925 by the Link-Belt Company – a manufacturing firm that lives on today making industrial cranes.
It grew into a huge industrial estate, housing everything from rail linkage beams to a Pepsi-branded vending machine.
The property then fell into disrepair when the company moved out, but they left behind a “load of great old stuff”.
This included a “reasonably accurate” weighing scale that had sat there for almost a century, as well as some original printing plates for branded letters.
The crown jewels of the haul, though, came in the form of the classic cars and bikes left to rot in the warehouse.
For example, there was a retro Dodge Charger, worth around £30,000 today, and a horde of 35 motorcycles.
Based on videos uploaded to Andy’s YouTube, these included fan-favourite models like a police spec Honda and a selection of ’90s-style Yamaha cruisers.
Each could be worth several thousand pounds in their own right, while the whole collection could net upwards of £300,000.
However, Andy is reluctant to sell them, joking: “Is 35 motorcycles too many?
“I don’t know I’m not the cops.
“When you buy an old car factory, it’s not hoarding, it’s inventory.”
There was also a number of half-gutted project cars, with an eye-popping multi-coloured hatchback left with bits hanging of it as it was semi-converted into a souped-up racing model.
Having snapped up the factory, Andy now plans to restore it to working order and even use it as a base to start his own car company.
He said: “It’s like a big fantasy factory, but full of all my buddies and cars and stuff.
“Would it be cheaper to knock it down? Yes.
“It would be a lot cheaper to knock this factory down and build a new one – and that’s what most people do.
“But I love this place. I grew up around these old factories and I wanted to save one.”
It comes after a mum showed how she was moving into a double-decker bus with her five-year-old and kitting it out on a shoestring budget.
Meanwhile, The Sun exclusively revealed which colour of car is most likely to be involved in a crash.
This included a retro Dodge Charger, worth £30,000Youtube
There was also a police spec Honda cruiserYoutube
YoutubeThe collection as a whole could fetch up to £300,000[/caption]
YoutubeThe factory was first opened in 1925[/caption]
Though it’s safe to say some things were added more recentlyYoutube