If you’ve spent any time road tripping, you know this country is home to numerous giant-sized versions of regular items. I myself just happened upon a giant barrel that serves snacks. That barrel was made in Flint, MI and today we come to you, Jalops asking for help finding another giant item with a flint connection: A three-story tall V6 engine built for the short-lived AutoWorld theme park.
This V6 is beyond fascinating. From the video:
“The designers of this three-story-high engine definitely weren’t worried about the gas mileage. They were more concerned that visitors to AutoWorld leave with an understanding of just how that engine, under their car’s hood, operates.
“It weighs 10 tons and actually works, with sections cut away and with special lighting you can see spark plugs firing and fuel moving through the system.
“To give you a better idea on just how gigantic this engine is, consider these facts and figures: the flywheel is as tall as a basketball hoop, the radiator fan is even bigger. And the oil filter is two-and-a-half feet long. If you wanted to put this engine into a car, the chassis would have to be at least 150 ft long.”
I’m sorry… a car that is at least 150 ft long? A 1974 Cadillac Fleetwood Sixty Special Brougham is a lengthy car, coming in at around 20 feet. So take about eight of those and line ‘em up, and there’s your car. Damn.
Anyway, AutoWorld, if you’re not familiar with it (and most people in Michigan appear to have not heard of it either), was a Six Flags operated indoor theme park and museum dedicated to the automotive history of Flint. The idea was to bring tourists and revenue to the dying city – ironically dying due to the automotive industry leaving.
It didn’t work. It opened in July of 1984, and closed its doors in January of 1985. It lasted maybe six months.
But the real mystery is where the three-story engine ended up. Was it torn down along with the building when it was demolished in 1997? Or does someone have it hidden away? It’s a huge engine, so I can’t imagine you can hide it without someone taking notice.
Do you know what happened to the giant engine? Did you happen to be one of the measly few hundred thousand people who actually visited the attraction? We want to know. Comment below or email us.