Modern Garage in Far East

[floridaguy]

Re: Rolf's Garage

To round up, I thought I might add a picture of Rolf's own garage. Full now (he can't say no to a good car), many fine cars have come from this working garage. It is a great place to visit. Happy Easter to all. Andres

I see a couple of nice looking VW's. The L334 Glacier Blue is a looker and the L473 Alabaster, I can not make out the year. Anyway nice garage with even nicer toys

 

[abstamaria]

I knew you would catch the VWs, volkyrican. Rolf is quite fond of them and always on my case to get one.

By the way, the cream MG TD in the middle is the car that he and his wife drove all the way to Munich.

Andres

 

[Bobby.T]

Andres,

What tool cart is that in your avatar? It looks really interesting...

 

[abstamaria]

A Stahlwille Rollmaster, Bobby. There is a thread on it in the "tools" section; the link below should take you to there. It's a cool item. Andres

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=45377&highlight=Stahlwille+rollmaster

 

[abstamaria]

My old garage

This is my old garage and home, where we lived for 24 years. The garage was originally designed for two cars, but in the end housed 5 small sports cars. It became quite tight, I had no room to work, and the regular cars had to be parked on the driveway. This was the basic reason we decided to move. It was a pleasant home though, and I have many good memories of it.

 

[abstamaria]

New property

The property in which we now live had been on the market for many years when we first looked at it. No one wanted it. The house was a rectangular concrete block, built in the 60s, and the lot itself, as I mentioned before, was an odd, elongated shape. When we told a relative who knew the property that we were interested, she made a sour face and said it was ugly.

What I immediately saw though was the carport and the 2-story garage/staff quarters. The space they occupied was ideal for a garage I thought. Cars could be parked side-by-side, and I could drive any car out without having to move any other car. The picture shows how the garage and carport looked when I first saw the place. I have attached a current photo from the same perspective.

 

[abstamaria]

Old carport

The old carport - a simple steel frame and GI-sheet affair - was nice and long, so the property was exactly what I was looking for. I just noticed now that my wife is standing in the shadows in the old photo. When I snapped the comparison photo today, she unexpectedly rounded the corner, stepping out from almost exactly the place where she stood in the old photo. What a coincidence.

Summer is at its height here, so the grass has suffered. We just installed a sprinkling system though, so that should help the parched areas. The grass pavers have been a welcome alternative to the cement and gravel driveways, which used to bake in the sun.

 

[abstamaria]

Basically, we enclosed the carport.

Although no one was living on the property when we looked at it, a 1955 Chevy Bel-Air 2-door sedan sat in the carport, as if to illustrate its suitability for vintage automobiles. The old garage/staff house and the carport are of course gone now, as with the Bel Air. Where it stood is now enclosed, as shown in the current photo.

Many people saw the property before us, but its poor condition and appearance must have turned them off. Because it could not be sold, I was able to buy it at a low price. I was lucky. I hope this little saga has not been too boring!

Regards to all,

Andres

 

[markviii]

Andres,

I love the before/after pics! (I've wondered about the original condition of the place since I started following your thread.) Being able to envision what you know can come to be and making it happen is a true gift. Tom has that ability also.

Chris

 

[jimmie jam]

Andres,

All I can say again is WOW. Your vision to create a home for your family and lifestyle surrounded by one of your loves is truly remarkable. I remember that my father would tell me as a teenager: "if you are lucky it will only cost twice as much to go first class". He then followed with: "quality doesn't cost more...it lasts longer". I have found this to be true for the most part and have tried to live with this ideal, obviously you have too.

Please, keep sharing with us. This is great stuff!!!!

Jimmie J.

 

[Brian R]

I'm blown away. I'm embarrassed to admit I thought you bought it kind of as is (I think this is ok because you never posted before and after and kind of ok to assume since you didn't note - LOOK WHAT I'VE DONE TO THIS PLACE!)

Which considering how awesome a transformation you have been able to accomplish we would allow you to brag a little.

I'm ramblig. I'll end with great work and documentation. Thanks for sharing.

Brian

 

[Brian R]

One other note - I love the grass pavers and think I will be installing some at my house this summer.

Brian

 

[abstamaria]

Thanks, Chris, Jimmie, Brian. I have no more foresight than most people, but had the advantage of having thought through what I needed for the garage beforehand. When I saw the place, I already had a template and it fit that. I was lucky.

Yes, the grass pavers I think are a good idea.

My best,
Andres

 

[LoRollinLS]

The difference in those before and after photos are unreal. Nice Work! May I ask, how many years did it take to get to this state?

 

[Wingnut65]

I'm not sure I would have had the vision that you did for your diamond in the rough. And I'm an architect!.

Congrats on a beautiful transformation! How long did it take from carport to masterpiece?

 

[abstamaria]

Planning and Construction

Thank you, LoRollinLS, Jeff. I had been thinking about the ideal layout for my garage for some time and superimposed it on the carport when I first saw it. It fit! To be honest, the house itself was secondary.

Still, it took us over 2 years to come up with the final design and 2 more years to construct, but that includes the house, too.

Here is a picture taken on the 2nd floor of the house, after we had removed what we didn't need. I am horrified each time I see that picture, but, at that point then, it was too late to turn back!

Best,

Andres

 

[jvitez]

You have a beautiful residence, property, and garage! Palm trees always make this Canadian prairie boy smile.

I particularly love the crisp rectilinear design of the garage, the symmetry the doors impart, plus the subtle texture each door brings to the building without overshadowing the actual shape. Very elegant. White is the perfect color, for both a tropical building and a Modern design.

I too love Modern design. I would have loved to design our own house that way, but flat roofs are expensive, high maintenance, and impractical here due to our snow loads. Very few people use them here. If someone does, they need a commercial roofing company to install the torch-on membrane, etc, so the price really escalates. But in the Philippines it's perfect, especially for the Modern design.

Your home is a bastion of serenity. Ahhhhhhhhh Beautiful!

Thank you very much for sharing, and the excellent photos.

BTW: MG....911 Turbo......Dino.......

 

[Trojan]

Andres,

I am new to GJ and just stumbled upon this thread today. I must admit that this morning I had trouble getting much work done as I was distracted reading through the post. Amazing. Thank you for sharing the dream that became reality. I have enjoyed reading all of the information, included that which is not specifically garage related. Though I'm not sure I could live in a house with such a modern design, I have always been drawn to the minimalist nature. I have rather broad tastes as I like FLW as well as the likes of the Green Brothers (Gamble house in Pasadena, CA). I look forward to following along from here.

Kind Regards,
Karl

 

[abstamaria]

Thank you, jvitez. Yes, most guests remark that the house has a calming effect. It must be the straight lines and the spare furnishing. I am happy you like the style.

Flat roofs can be a liability here, too, because of torrential rains. The green roof is intended also to provide additional security against leaks. Where you live must be spectacular.

Andres

 

[abstamaria]

Thank you, Karl. The Gamble House is Arts & Craft style, isn't it? Jim (993james993) explained to me that that style represented a return to a more simple, less elaborate design ethic, so your preferences seem consistent. By the way, I love Falling Water and once visited Taliesin West.

My best,

Andres

 

[abstamaria]

Postscript

We finished the garage several months ago, so there has really been little to report. I carried out some repairs on the cars, such as installing a new starter in the MG TC, where they sat in the garage, but today thought I would use the “work” area, my first time to do so.

It was a pleasure to work there. The lights were fine, and I enjoyed having the tools and materials all in the same bay. I had the airconditioning on, of course.

When I finished for the day, I thought the garage looked really good, so I took the photo below for posterity. I confess I cleaned up a bit first (it was messier than that) but the place tidied up very easily; that is one advantage of a "minimalist" garage.

I am thinking seriously of a MaxJax. If I do get one, I plan to paint the posts red, to blend it into the place.

Andres

 

[BoostAddiction]

Love the Stratos!

I wish my garage floor was as clean.

 

[Scuderia-F1]

Re: Postscript

We finished the garage several months ago, so there has really been little to report. I carried out some repairs on the cars, such as installing a new starter in the MG TC, where they sat in the garage, but today thought I would use the “work” area, my first time to do so.

It was a pleasure to work there. The lights were fine, and I enjoyed having the tools and materials all in the same bay. I had the airconditioning on, of course.

When I finished for the day, I thought the garage looked really good, so I took the photo below for posterity. I confess I cleaned up a bit first (it was messier than that) but the place tidied up very easily; that is one advantage of a "minimalist" garage.

I am thinking seriously of a MaxJax. If I do get one, I plan to paint the posts red, to blend it into the place.

Andres

]

Andres, this pic of your Stratos (I´m a big fan of Stratos´) in your awesome garage is so nice, that I tend to use it as wallpaper on my laptop if it´s ok!?

 

[Morrisman]

Hi Andres,
I must admit I read several pages of this thread before I actually realised your location, then one of your references to 'carabou grass' had me looking a little closer, and I realised you live not 100 miles from me!

I live in Angeles City, about 2 miles from Clark Airbase, as it was once known.

My wife is a Filipina and our daughter was born here in Angeles, and we lived her for nearly ten years before we made the move to England in 2002.

A year ago we came back for a short holiday and one thing lead to another and within two months we had packed up all our stuff, rented our house out, and we had moved back to Angeles.

I am truly impressed with your garage and car collection, definitly not the sort of thing I expected to see in Manila, though I know there are some very impressive cars in the PI.

I have been to the new race track in Clark a couple of times, to watch the drag racing: Clark International Speedway. A couple of my long time friends here, John Risya and Ken Kepner always have at least one car going down the track. Maybe you know these guys?

Some ten years ago I put together a small 'jalopy' and it was eventually sold to a guy in Manila, who apparently still has it and drives it occasionally. It was something I put together very quickly and sort of lost direction, not sure what the design was meant to be, so it lacks a little in style, though with a 350 V8 it certainly didn't lack in power.

You mention in an earlier post that you have a friend with a hot rod in Manila, so I wonder if this may be the same guy? I beleive he owns a truck/transport company.

There are a couple of hot rods around but none that I have seen on the road. This one is a race-only roadster owned by an American guy in Angeles:

Here is the Camaro that John Risya has raced for some 20 years here, a very well known car. The photo was taken at the new Clark Speedway a year ago:

Here is my current project, a replica 1928 Model A pickup hot rod with a 350 Chevy powerplant:

And to bring this thread neatly back on track, here is my current garage project, in Angeles:

It won't be in the same league as yours, but I do plan to try and keep it minimalistic and clean downstairs, and it will have an upstairs storage area to store all the non-essentials, rather than have them piled up hither and yon.

I'm a metalworking guy, so sparks, grinding dust, weld spatter and off-cuts tend to dominate my floor space a little more than is ideal.

Here my own Sketchup design for my garage, oh, and there's a house for the wife:

 

[abstamaria]

I am happy you like Stratos, BoostAddiction and Scuderia F1. They aren't too well known. Of course, you are welcome to use the photo, Scuderia F1.

Welcome, Morrisman. I see you started a thread. I have replied there, and will plan to send you a PM on friends in Angeles City.

My best, Andres

 

[Scuderia-F1]

I am happy you like Stratos, BoostAddiction and Scuderia F1. They aren't too well known. Of course, you are welcome to use the photo, Scuderia F1.

Welcome, Morrisman. I see you started a thread. I have replied there, and will plan to send you a PM on friends in Angeles City.

My best, Andres

Thanks Andres!

What do you think of the new "one off" Scuderia based Stratos?
I think that it´s an awesome project (just as P4/5).
Ok, it´s not like the "original", but I think it´s an awesome "modern" Stratos!

Regards,

Anders

 

[abstamaria]

I love the "new" Stratos, Anders. I find the dimensions (smaller than the Ferrari on which it is based) very appealing. There is a picture of it in Alitalia livery, and, at first glance, I thought it was the old Stratos. I hear they are planning a small production run. I would love one, but it is very, very expensive.

You are referring to Jim Glickenhaus' special P4/5? That is stunning, perhaps the most beautiful contemporary Ferrari.

I am a great fan of the old P3s/P4s. Dino Martin (the son of Dean) converted one to street use in the early 1970s. That made quite an impression on me. My all-time favorite, though, is the 206SP. If I had all the money in the world and could have only one car, that would be it.

Best regards,

Andres

 

[Scuderia-F1]

I love the "new" Stratos, Anders. I find the dimensions (smaller than the Ferrari on which it is based) very appealing. There is a picture of it in Alitalia livery, and, at first glance, I thought it was the old Stratos. I hear they are planning a small production run. I would love one, but it is very, very expensive.

You are referring to Jim Glickenhaus' special P4/5? That is stunning, perhaps the most beautiful contemporary Ferrari.

I am a great fan of the old P3s/P4s. Dino Martin (the son of Dean) converted one to street use in the early 1970s. That made quite an impression on me. My all-time favorite, though, is the 206SP. If I had all the money in the world and could have only one car, that would be it.

Best regards,

Andres

I´m so glad that you too like the "nuevo" Stratos!

Oh yes, I was indeed referring to Jim´s "one-off", I also a big fan of his newer Scuderia based P4/5 Competizone!

You have a great taste in cars Andres!

Best regards,

Anders

 

[993James993]

Re: Postscript

We finished the garage several months ago, so there has really been little to report. I carried out some repairs on the cars, such as installing a new starter in the MG TC, where they sat in the garage, but today thought I would use the “work” area, my first time to do so.

It was a pleasure to work there. The lights were fine, and I enjoyed having the tools and materials all in the same bay. I had the airconditioning on, of course.

When I finished for the day, I thought the garage looked really good, so I took the photo below for posterity. I confess I cleaned up a bit first (it was messier than that) but the place tidied up very easily; that is one advantage of a "minimalist" garage.

I am thinking seriously of a MaxJax. If I do get one, I plan to paint the posts red, to blend it into the place.

Andres

Andres, your discipline in adhering to minimalism is amazing. In all of your posts I never understood that you were still working on your beautiful garage. Sure, you were doing minor changes, but we all do those types of things. You have a wonderful space, filled with exquisite toys. I've very much enjoyed reading your 'blog' here at GJ over the past year.

 

[Dispar Vulgo]

Hi Andres,

very nice house and cars, especially the Stratos (great fan of Lancia's and Alfa's).
Correct me if i'm wrong but isn't that a Carlos Scarpa dining table?

Greetings Mark

 

[orange02ss]

Hi Andres,

Just spent the last couple hours reading through this thread and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I love the garage, house and cars.

I have been debating about how to build a new garage and house on Guam and am going to use many of your ideas. I especially like how you don't have to move cars to get to the others, seems like that is all I do right now with my stateside shop. Also love the grass pavers and the planted roof.

The Stratos is awesome, I have only seen one in person and that was in Clearwater, Florida when I was living out there. It was in a classic car dealership back in 1999 and I believe they were asking around $35,000 back then.

Thanks for sharing!
Robert

 

[abstamaria]

Thank you, Jim. It’s not easy, keeping the place “minimalist,” as I seem to be pruning stuff perpetually. I am working now on what used to be the car workshop, and that is proving more difficult to do, as a lot of things have migrated there. The arts-and-crafts style you introduced me to is quite interesting. I hope when you have time that you will continue to pursue and build your interpretation of an arts-and-crafts workbench and tool cabinets. That would be wood, probably?

Andres

 

[abstamaria]

Thank you, Mark. I am a great fan of Alfas, too. My Japanese friend, Hasegawa-san, is an Alfisti.

Yes, that is Scarpa's Doge table, designed in 1968, I recall. It's unusual you recognized ut from those small detail shots.

Regards,

Andres

 

[abstamaria]

Thanks, Robert. Yes, I recommend the green roof and grass pavers for a warm climate. Mine have been keeping temperatures down noticeably. If you are lucky, as I was, you will find a rectangular lot that will allow a long garage. The good thing is that that shape lot doesn't seem to appeal to many. Good luck.

The Stratos was inexpensive for a long time. They were not very well known in the US, and, with no concessions to comfort or practicality, attracted only a few. I am happy you like the car.

Best,

Andres

 

[Dennis Cavallino]

Be fortunate you've found something rectangular, our house was build at a triangular lot. Only a round one will be worse, but we fell in love with the place right away.

 

[Dispar Vulgo]

Hi Andres,

I recognised it because I own a Carlos Scarpa Quatour dining table and when I bought mine (15 years ago) there was also a Doge table in the showroom.
I have two '69 Giulia's, a '85 Spider and a '79 X1/9 (My first car).
Giulia's need to be restored but for the moment, lack of time and place.
We moved to France 6 years ago where we restoring a nearly 200 years old house, with no garage just a little workshop where I can work on my motorcycles.
Maybe i'll bring them over later.

 

[abstamaria]

Concourse

I had to look up the Scarpa table you have, Mark, as well as where you live in France. Both seem very beautiful; that modern table must be stunning in a 200-year-old house. Post photos when you have time. Even your little workshop will be interesting to many.

I brought the Stratos today to the local sports car club concourse, held usually on lawns by the sea, but this year in a hall to support our club secretary Sophie's annual car show. It is her show's 20th anniversary, and the Stratos was her first winner, so I promised her I would show it.

Many interesting cars have begun to come in, including a 1960 Giulietta and a later GTAm replica, both race cars, which should be interesting to Mark and the other Alfisti here.

The white car in the foreground, not well known generally, is exquisite and my bet for Best-of-Show this year.

 

[orange02ss]

Wow! Nice 2000GT.

 

[nate379]

Place looks cool but I'd be afraid to walk in there even with wearing one of those clean suits, never mind mind actually to get any work done! My walls were white once too... before I fired up the grinder the first time

 

[Stuart in MN]

Re: Concourse

The white car in the foreground, not well known generally, is exquisite and my bet for Best-of-Show this year.

A Toyota 2000GT...I had a scale model of one when I was a little kid, I always liked their style. Most people have only seen the one-of-two convertible that was used in the James Bond movie You Only Live Twice.