According to my calculations I will need 144 paver blocks to give me a 36 inch strip of bricks across my driveway just like at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Yesterday I was able to pick up 117 but the lady I bought them from said she has 27 more she will give me.The seller at one time lived on Prospect Street in Flint and found them buried out by the street in her front yard. Some have a little asphalt on them but I am sure I can clean that off with a little elbow grease.
I was surprised at how heavy they were to pick up. I am guessing they weigh close to 10 pounds each. It is amazing that they have survived all these years through all the harsh winters we have here in Michigan.
I should end up with a few extras because I already had 4 paver blocks and 1 Indy block. I am not really sure how we are going to make the cuts for the partial blocks. These blocks are nothing like the pavers you buy at Home Depot.
The seller I was buying them from was selling them because she needed the money to pay her property taxes. I paid $100 for 144 bricks. I bet if she would have thrown the bricks into the back of a truck and went down to the Back to the Bricks car cruise last week that she could have sold them for 5 to 10 buck a piece. Then the buyer could mount their metal commemorative dash plaque on it. But I'm glad she didn't think of that and that I was able to purchase a little piece of downtown Flint for my driveway.Here is a photo of the block that started it all. The Culver Block from Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The inscription says W.C. Co., Culver Block, Pat May 21 1901.
Interesting articles found on the Internet about the Culver Block.3.2 million pavers originally were laid to make the IMS track.
Paver brick article
Indy pavers do not have the same dimensions as today's modern day pavers (Home Depot type). This will pose a design problem. According to Plan A, I had originally intended to use modern concrete pavers for the entire 36 inches and just place this one special paver in the center. So on to Plan B. That plan would require obtaining enough old pavers to pave the entire 36 inches. Downtown Flint, Michigan was at one time paved entirely with bricks. Over the years they were either removed or asphalted over. This only left part of Saginaw Street still paved with the red bricks. I wonder what they did with all the old pavers?? If that doesn't pan out, there is always Plan C. I have already started acting on Plan C (I guess you can tell I am not too optimistic about A and B). Plan C requires obtaining enough old pavers (from anywhere) to do one row. That row will be the center row with all other rows paved with new concrete pavers of the Home Depot variety. I have already purchased several pavers off of eBay. One paver was from an old