When looking over the old maps, occasionally there are names on some of the shops, and they just jump out at you. This map here shows Superior Piston Ring on Lincoln Rd just north of Wyandotte. From the old days of zoning, when small industrial buildings ended up in residential neighbourhoods.
I wondered if this place was still around. So I grabbed my camera and jumped in the car to check it out.
Sure enough the building is still standing.
If Superior Piston Ring was an old Automotive Supplier or just a “garage” I’m not sure. But you never know what history lies in those non-descript buildings.
Oh come on, Andrew, you can’t tell me that the bold use of both verticle and horizontal siding doesn’t take your breath away? Striking!
Hey I used to live right across the street from that building! State farm insurance used to be in there in the early 90’s.
The worst part of it is that you only have siding on the front of building, where you’d typically see the beautiful architectural brickwork of a classic commercial/industrial building. I mean, what’s the point of siding if you’re just going to put it on one side??
Andrew :
I was in that old building many times when I worked for a automotive parts company in 1962 as a driver and then when I worked in a garage. At that time they also used to rebuild carburetors for cars, you would take to old one in and they would exchange it for a rebuilt one. They where one of a few places that would rebuild carbs then.
Thanks Bernie, sounds like they had a pretty long run..
As the new owner of Superior Piston Ring Co. I’m always interested in the companys history. In 2008 I merged Superior with Hydra-Seal, Inc. and we are located in Menomonee Falls, WI(a Milwaukee suburb). I would like to now if the company mentioned is is the same company I bought that had been located on Epworth Blvd in Detroit? Any information about Superior that you or your bloggers want to share would be appreciated. Thanks