Crane Cams is well known in high-performance and racing circles for its line of camshafts and engine valve train components. The company just closed its doors this week and fired all its employees. Crane Cams and Crane Technologies Group were founded by Harvey J. Crane Jr. in 1953 as Crane Engineering Inc. in Hallandale, Florida. In 1979, Crane Cams became an employee-owned company. Some operations moved to Daytona Beach in 1981, with the remainder of the operation and employees relocating here in 1985. Mikronite, an industrial technology firm in New-Jersey, bought Crane in 2006. Recently Crane has gone through a series of small layoffs but signed a 10-year lease. So the closure surprised Volusia County and State Officials who were working with Crane Cams to keep the company open and in the community. This is bad news for the moderate-displacement engine builders who relied on Crane for cam and ignition solutions.
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48 Responses to “Crane Cams Closes Down”
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I have been using Crane Cams is both my race cars and motorcycles for years, In fact on Friday of last week I ordered a cam package for one race car from Crane …… guess I shouldn’t expect delivery of it tomorrow huh?
Where is all this good old bail out money from Osama Obama now? Don’t forget: Yes we can …. Yes we can …. bullshit!
Over & Out,
Jeff
I think it’s bad news in general, not just for those that were customers of Crane. I’ve used their cams and ignitions in stock H-D hop ups for a long time and always liked their product. I think it’s bad news to see yet another long time American innovative company fall by the wayside. Especially when these guys made high quality stuff and it seems others are proftting off making junk but managed to sell their product through a slick marketing plan rather than producing a kick ass product with a great track record.
Jeff, if you want to go there, then you should consider another slogan, “Mission Accomplished”. The only mission bush accomplished was raising the national deficit more than all of the previous Presidents combined.
Hoyt …… UNTIL OBAMA ARRIVED!!
Over & Out,
Jeff
Jeff Nicklus. You contradict yourself. You wrote in this blog that as a republican you are against private bailout! But now you want Obama to bail out Crane Cams? You can’t even agree with yourself. What Bush did for this country? Worse than nothing. He destroyed it. Ruined it. financially and morally. Destroyed our reputation all over the world. And much more. The worst US president ever. All historians already agree on this. I bet you are going to benefit from Obama presidency, but you will be the last one in this country to understand and realize. Did republicans gave an ovation to Obama yesterday evening? Yes. Do you know anyone who is missing Bush? No, if you answer the truth.
Jeff,
Just because “The “Bush Bike” was built at the request of the Republican National Committee for the use of The President of The United States of America, George W. Bush, during the Presidential Re-Election Campaign of 2004″ mean that you need to be bashing our New President of the US.
Have a little pride in your country as I know you do, Brother and letting the biys here in the coffee shop ruffle your feathers! Please treat the New President of the US with the same dignity and respect as you would like.
President George W. Bush has been lied to by his staff (haha Dick Cheney and Haliburton) and lied himself for self enrichment through the American Tax Payers! He put this country in the worst economic conditions in 40 years and has damn near taken us back to the Great Depression of the 30’s. History shall speak for itself.
Brother you can bash me all you like here and I will still shake your hand at the next rally…say Saturday in Daytona?
Boss Hawg
That is funny, Obama has been in office a month and Jeff is asking why the economy isn’t turned around yet. I guess your boy W did a much better job on tracking money.
Hmmmmm, how much did we spend in Iraq that isn’t accounted for and where did the $350 billion stimulus package that Bush gave out go????????????
I am sure it is with his buddies in Texas.
To the guy named Jeff. Come back into this world. There are no more true republican values in this country since Reagan. Bush has always been dumb, placed and elected by his father’s friends. Cheney was the worst of the worst republicans, a very crooked politician. Travel all over the world (like I do) in respectable countries, and hear what other republicans around the globe think about the Bush administration. A disaster from A to Z. And W is writing (with a lot of help) a book to try to correct his image. How come my country elected Bush 2 times in a row? Bush/Chesney just played on fears, rallying all the country’s rednecks ready to shoot a gun at the1st pretext. Sad, very sad that the US went so low as to violate all the rules of democracy by lying, hiding, torturing, declaring war without authorization, and chasing terrorists in the wrong places on purpose (Haliburton).
Jesus you guys …. I am just ringing your chimes …. Get a sense of humor. As I have stated before NO COMPANY SHOULD GET A BAIL OUT! Not even Crane!
As for Obama …. He is a fucking joke! I support the Presidency but I will never support this socialist puppet. Sorry Boss!
Over & Out,
Jeff
Boss,
With this new project I won’t be in Daytona until mid next week. Call me and I will give you my cell number so we can hook up in Daytona.
Over & Out,
Jeff
Chris Hamilton, JJJ, jspfc, Hoyt et al,
In the words of my friend Greg Hoeve, and I quote:
…..”I love fuckin’ with you guy’s. I got a hard on for it. It adds a sparkle to my day to see how tweeked you can get. LOL”……
And that about sums that up!
Over & Out,
Jeff
Jeff,
Understood Brother! I still love your work no matter who you support.
I will be at Bike Week thisFriday, Saturday and Sunday. I will try to do a day run if possible the next week weather permitting since I am only 2-1/2 hrs away.
All the best with your new order, My Friend!
Boss Hawg
Where did the term HUMOR go in this World? Was it lifted from schools like open PRAYER? Jesus Christ almighty, You would think Obama would have better shit on his agenda than Gitmo, Prayers and making history at this point. Maybe he should help teach people about humor and having fun?
JJJ,
You are full of yourself tonight, chill the fuck out you are annoying a lot of people on Cyrils site tonight.
BTW: Get a real name posted or have some people on here atleast know who the hell you are liek they do us.
The loss of Crane is really sad news. I, like many, have used their cams and ignitions in both cars and bikes… gonna miss them.
Score another victory for the half breed
Where’s Rock Star? He must still be banging CRANE CAMS unemployed women with his LITTLE piston shaft.
They must have a huge amount of data in their R&D department.
I wonder where all of that information will wind up?
Indian seems to keep getting resurrected, There must be someone out there that can keep this brand name alive.
That’s a shame, but it’s a mistake to immediately blame macroeconomic factors- sounds like a Mikronite consolidation issue to me;
Beware of an employer that still rents their digs after 50 years in business…….
Granted, bailing out every idiot that should have never been able to buy a house in the first place- and bought a bike with the phantom equity- is a huge problem, but the time to whine about it is over;
Less talkie-talkie, more action, Obama.
Fuck Obama and the horse he rode in on. Todays headline in a major city newspaper has asshole Eric Holder wanting to reinstiuting a U.S ban on the sale of AR15’s to stop the bloodshed in Mexico.All the speeches Obama made about no pork —-when I get in office,,,,,the vary first month in office he signed the biggest pork bill in the history of this country 787 billion dollars—how much is that a pound????
Fuck Obama and his bailouts: Give me freedom and stuff your bailout shit.
Cade
Cade. Unfortunately your statement below is 100% false. To write a lie doesn’t make it the truth. (use a spell checker, first). Why don’t you all talk only motorcycles?
“the vary first month in office he signed the biggest pork bill in the history of this country 787 billion dollars—how much is that a pound”
Cade, republicans have guns and no ideas. I prefer ideas than guns. In november, McCain had no idea that the economy was in bad shape! (The fundamentals are very strong, he said). You must live in a cave.
Hey Kick, since you can read why should I use spell checker? There is nothing false here. You are in denial about the pork. We are talking about motorcycles here aren’t we when when we talk about another American company going away (Crane) You can stick the bailout up yours too.
Jeremy ,
You don’t know anything unless someone tells you something. You have NO idea .
Cade
Jeremy,
You keep your ideas and your President and I will keep my guns!
Over & Out,
Jeff
Jeff and all. It is fun screwin’ with the angry mod on this blog. But, since I plan on running a .600 Crane Cam in my 95 inch, i better hury.
There is supposed to be a separation between church and state….it should be between Bikes and State!!
too funny.
Wackenstien
Bikernet Forever!
Crane are one of the most recognised brands in the world.
Held in high regard for the quality and also their designs.Many say they were the best cam to put in an evo,big block Chev and many others.
With that brand recognition and the R&D knowledge that hopefully has not left with the disgruntled staff there should be a company worth re-starting.
Hopefully someone will buy it cheap, get back the experianced staff and get it going again.
That is capatlism, no matter who the President is.
Let us all wish the poor employees the best in their search for employment.
And Jeff did someone steal your wind up Mickey Mouse as a kid??…lol
oh, it is now about “being funny” ? Yeah Right.
You know what is funny? Bush has been contracted to give 10 speeches, each for $150k. Someone (people?) are paying him to “speak” ? Now, that is funny.
roll the tape Letterman….”Great Moments in Presidential Speeches”.
Hoyt,
There should be some great TV with the out takes from his speechs ….
I just received my shipment via UPS from Crane ….. I received the cam and kit I ordered last week! I must have just gotten in under the wire! Life is good!!!!!
Over & Out,
Jeff
James (Kiwi),
It was a Mighty Mouse Watch! Mickey Mouse was a girley boy !
Over & Out,
Jeff
I am sad to see this company go! I grew up in Ft. Lauderdale (50’s and 60’s) and knew Harvey and I used his cams in my Austin Healey 100-4M.
Then I lived and studied in Japan (1970 – 79) and bought a cam grinder that Harvey re-conditioned and I had it delivered to HKS-Japan. That was the start of HKS making cams.
I have good memories of Harvey and Crane Cams.
Harvey, where ever you are, God Bless. You were a great pioneer!
Luckey Dodge
Wacko ,
There is nothing funny about where America is right now and for dam sure, nothing funny about where it’s headed.. We were in deep shit when this so called president we now have was elected but we are headed deeper into the abyss than any of us can imagine. Man, I hate this news about Crane Cams. They are state of the art products from an American company. Oh by the way since we now discuss Letterman….He SUCKS.
Is there anyone at Crane reading this blog? If so please speak up, What happened? Did your biz just reach the end of its life cycle? Bad mannagement? economy? cost of materials? divorce? embezelment? outdated product? what the hell hapened to such a great American brand? Sad news.
damn… bad news!
Also… doesn’t anyone else post on this blog? 😉
no need to get all pissy with me, I am just busting chops! I love this blog.
This is really bad news for the company, the employees and the community. I used to live in Daytona and Crane Cams was a big part of the community with very good people.
It’s very sad to see that it’s going away so fast. Their products are great but with everything on the market right now and the economy, it was just a question of time. They already downsized pretty good a couple of years ago. And with companies like S&S or TP seeing huge drops in their sales, sub-manufacturers had to suffer.
That’s a bunch of people looking for a job there and believe me, there is not a lot of work in the area. That’s why I left. Nobody wants to work for Rossemeyer unless they really have to and they usually don’t stick around too long.
I thought the purpose of this was to comment on Crane Cams not turn back into the political bashing blog. There are times and places for everything.
Sorry to see Crane go, It was a great AMERICAN manufacturer with great products. Hopefully someone will take advantage of all their knowlege and keep it going.
The way the economy is and the way it is headed is the reason Crane and every industry including motorcycle manufactures,vendors,etc; is why politics, and political bashing is happening. It is easy to see and understand all this. People should be free to express their views. Freedoms continue to vanish in America. One thing WE all have in common is….WE are all different. You are right 100% when you state that Crane was a great American manufacture with great products and the loss of Crane does cause people to react in different ways. Everything seems to be political and politics will continue to screw things up.
Brock
Agreed Lee. Let’s focus on the subject.
Sorry another business is gone.
Rember one of their first drag racing sucesses, Pete Robinson.
Put crane on map.
A retired autoworker whose pension is in Jeapordy.
General Motors is teethering on bankruptcy.
There needs to be some trade restrictions, Free Trade is not really free trade.
Thanks Mr. Wimmer enjoyed your comments and use your products.
Customer of Overkill Motor Works, Rogers, Ohio
Hi Lee.. Hey… here’s a thought.. You have the machines and the know how…. how about you resurrecting Crane. Just a random thought… see ya pal…
ok cyril can u make a blog page just to bash the prez so the rest of us can read about what really goes on in the world of biking
dragon,
Bashing the Prez was OK as long as the person being bashed was Bush …. wasn’t it? Remember what goes around comes around!
Over & Out,
Jeff
The end of an Era. Kind of makes we wonder how many other standards of the horsepower glory days we will see disappear before this economy turns around. I used Crane products in my bikes and chevy engines for years. My hope, like many of you here, is that someone grabs up the resources and continues a great product.
If anyone is iterested in saving CRANE CAMS there is a petition you can sign at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/CraneCams
…times they are a changin…
why?
NO BAIL OUTS …. NO EVEN FOR CRANE CAMS!
Over & Out,
Jeff
Sucks hard Crane was a good reliable company for the bike industry.We will all miss them.R.I.P