Modern Garage in Far East

[abstamaria]

Thank you, Ody.

Andy

 

[Ferrari-lover]

Any new picture of the garage or cars?

 

[Kiwi Tinbender]

Andres--I have spent a couple of nights going through your thread, and I have to thank you; not only for your expertise and vision, but for the wonderful way you phrase and respond to all of our questions and comments. I have learned a great deal about many things here, not just Garage Design! I hope you and your wife enjoy your retirement, and, for a New Zealander living in the US, let me add my voice to the mix--Our Garages bring us together, establish a community of sorts, and reinforce the idea of `Home`, even though the ideas of such things are as different as we all are. Thankyou once again.

 

[gospeedv8]

I have enjoyed this thread very much. Thank you!
This is by far the best garage I have ever seen.
Beautifully modern and with excellent automobile-content.
Especially because there are some Lotus and other icons parked in your garage.


My best


Dragi

 

[abstamaria]

Thanks very much, Kiwi Tinbender. I am glad you liked the garage and found some interesting things in the thread. Yes, you are right; there is a great sense of community in this forum. The connections are quite real.

Thank you too, Dragi. There are so many wonderful garages here, and I enjoy the detailed tours given by their owners. Like you probably, I am a Lotus man at bottom. The very focused philosophy appeals to me.

I am afraid I missed your posts. The garage is done, and I am probably dangerously close (probably past!) the line when anything added will only detract. I was playing with my pocket camera, which I found can take photos black-and-white photos with only one color showing. I selected red, and the following is resulting photo. Except for the Dino, which rendered grey, the photo looks like a normal one, as the garage is so simple and just plain white.

Summer is creeping into Manila, and it seems like a hot and dry season ahead.

Best,

Andy

 

[noelalford]

Andy, I thought you would like this. Not as nice as your place but I bet you could decorate one of these apartments quite minimally!

http://www.chonday.com/Videos/parking-lamborghini-sky-garage-singapore

 

[abstamaria]

Wow, that is amazing. If I had a way of parking my old racing Lotus in my living room, I would still have it. (Peter Egan, writing in Road & Track, said if had a Lotus 23, he would do just that and watch TV sitting in it.)

Best regards, and I hope the weather is all right where you are.

Andy

 

[abstamaria]

Update

To answer some messages, I am afraid I have little to report on the garage. I have not added anything new (except the wall brackets for the great creeper I found for the MaxJax).

I have been using the garage as intended though, and the Stratos is now in the service bay for an oil change and general maintenance. The car has absolutely no rustproofing or undercoating, so the lift is handy for inspecting the underside and squirting 5-year rustproofing lube into crevices, panel gaps, and so forth. I used to do that on my back with the Stratos on jack stands; for that job the MaxJax will prove heaven-sent, I am sure.

Best regards to all,

Andy

 

[CuoreSportivo]

Re: Update

The Stratos is just so beautiful in its own way... Simple and effective as Scandinavian design, but still all the way through Italian!

Stratos is my dream car, so if you ever get tired of her, just send her to Denmark by ship, and I will put my Italiens on the same ship back to you ;-)

Great to hear an update from you Andy.

Best regards

Jacob

 

[abstamaria]

Yes, Jacob, that is true. Perhaps that is because the Stratos's form was dictated by its function, and nothing was added purely for adornment. The Stratos has an attitude, however, and it seems to say it doesn't care whether one likes it or not, whether people find it beautiful. It has only disdain for the requirements of everyday life, said Car & Driver when it reviewed the car in 1976. Perhaps that is part of its appeal.

A personal footnote: The pretty, pleated headlining of the Stratos is quite surprising, considering the character of the car, which did away even with upholstered door panels and window winders - it's like finding some lace on Sharapova.

That is a mighty tempting offer. I long to visit Denmark again.

Best personal regards,

Andy

 

[abstamaria]

Tamburini

Just a note to remember Massimo Tamburini, who died a few days ago. He designed what must be the most beautiful motorcycle in the world.

 

[BeachBoy]

Every time I see a new post from you in this thread I know I'll see a work of art.

Once again you deliver.What a beautiful machine.

 

[abstamaria]

Thanks, BeachBoy. The Ducati and the Lotus before before it are very focused machines with nothing superfluous on them. That is why they are so beautiful, I think. One cannot take a bad picture.

Best regards,

Andy

 

[Member199]

beautiful

 

[abstamaria]

Thanks, Member199!

Andy

 

[Woogeroo]

Re: Update

I have been using the garage as intended though, and the Stratos is now in the service bay for an oil change and general maintenance. The car has absolutely no rustproofing or undercoating, so the lift is handy for inspecting the underside and squirting 5-year rustproofing lube into crevices, panel gaps, and so forth.

What kinda rust proofing lube are you using, may I ask?

I think I need some of that for my old chevy truck.

-W

 

[abstamaria]

Hello, Woogeroo. What I have been using for many years is LPS #3, which comes in a spray can? I need something I can spray into seams and crevices, and which is liquid when dispensed. The LPS product with its small red tube is handy for that. It dries into a waxy coat.

I did a quick check on current reviews; here is a good one that reviews other products as well -

http://www.thehulltruth.com/sportfi...123560-test-corrosion-inhibitor-sprays.html#b

However, it seems to me you may need a heavier duty product for your Chevy truck! Anyway, I hope that is helpful.

Regards, and enjoy your travels in your Chevy.

Andres

 

[thomfr]

Andres,
The best compliment for a garage is to be used as a garage. Otherwise it wil be a showroom.
You should be proud of it. I love it!
Thom

 

[Brian R]

Re: Tamburini

Just a note to remember Massimo Tamburini, who died a few days ago. He designed what must be the most beautiful motorcycle in the world.

Yes. The British press (who I think know something of beautiful motorcycles) called him the "Michelangelo of motorcycling".

As usual your photograph is stunning.

 

[abstamaria]

Many thanks, Thom, Brian. I appreciate it.

Andres

 

[Woogeroo]

abstamaria,

thanks for the reply and the information.

-W

 

[48RON54]

Wow..... I had to subscribe to this thread so I can look it up when I get home. I am really impressed. What a gorgeous house and garage!!!

I want to go home and throw a bunch of stuff away now.

 

[adstock]

Absolutely beautiful house and garage! Your Elan looks incredibly fun

 

[abstamaria]

Thank you, 48RON54. I hope you enjoy the garage.

Thank you, too, adstock. Yes, the Élan is a lot of fun. I've had it since 1977!

Best,

Andres

 

[Nolift911]

Andres - excellent taste, execution and generosity in letting us into your life, home and garage.

I have enjoyed your posts immensely. I assure you that I speak for everyone that has read this epic, every post is enjoyed with intrigue and respect.

Thank you fine sir and I look forward to many more.

 

[abstamaria]

It's very nice of you to say that, p-dawger. Thank you! The minimalist approach is probably what made the garage different and interesting. It is otherwise simple and not too expensive to build. The difficult part is keeping stuff in check - we car guys naturally collect things and I am no exception!

Best regards,

Andres

 

[Jvvmusme]

How are your retirements plans evolving ?

 

[Hostyle]

Wow... I just went through all the pages. I'm gobsmacked. From the exquisite taste in cars and bikes (love the 748r!) to the design concept and philosophy used throughout to keep it uncluttered, just unbelievable. Great, great job!

Is the 748r your only bike or do you have any other bikes? An MV Agusta would make a nice bike to ride and to look at

 

[abstamaria]

Thanks for remembering, Jose. Time passed quickly since I retired from my firm last year. I had to set up a small office to complete a few projects, so that has been keeping me busy. They should wind up within the year, so I hope to be able to report how retirement is then. I'm looking forward to attending to my old cars.

The garage is fine and the same. I hope your fine collection and the MaxJax are working well.

Best regards,

Andres (presently in Hong Kong)

 

[abstamaria]

Thank you, Hostyle. It's good you enjoyed what has become a long thread and liked the garage's very minimalist style. I had Monsters too, but the 748R was special. I had to stop riding, but kept the 748R in the living room for a while. It was too beautiful to let go of, but eventually I did sell it to a friend. That Agusta is gorgeous.

Best,

Andres

 

[Hostyle]

That's to bad Andres. I dread to see the day that I have to stop riding. I hope that day is still far away for me at 31.
The Monster is a great bike as well. My girlfriend rides a '12 796. Not the most powerful bike, but huge fun and it brings out the hooligan in me. It's not the best bike for my license Hopefully I can start building my own bike shed somewhere in August when I get the keys to my new home. Then I'll get some better pictures of my 848 and my girl's 796 up.

The MV Agusta's are stunning and the sound of the new triple gave me goosebumps. Last monday (national holiday in NL) there was one racing at a local street circuit. The noise it made... incredible. It made me miss my Triumph 675.

All the best!

Erik

 

[abstamaria]

Green Roof

Let me just share with you this photograph, taken with a mobile phone the other day. It looks like a field, but actually is the green roof on our garage.

We had a difficult summer - dry, unusually hot, and very tough on plants. They withered, and large patches of brown dominated the roof. But with the first rains, the roof turned green and bloomed. We see this from the kitchen and the bedrooms. Really lovely.

Best to all,

Andres

 

[ODIS]

Re: Green Roof

Beautiful!

 

[abstamaria]

Didn't see your post, Ody! I'm happy you liked the roof garden.

Best,

Andy

 

[Dennis Cavallino]

Just saw the news, "how is Andy doing?" I thought. All friends and family are ok, I hope?

 

[abstamaria]

Yes, Dennis, we are fine. Thank you. The storm brought a great deal of rain, and there was much flooding. But we are all right. I hope you are keeping well.

Andy

 

[Dennis Cavallino]

Good to hear!

We still wear shorts instead of shawls.

 

[JYank]

You and your house and garage are truly an inspiration! Thank you for sharing your time and pictures. Your thread is one of few that I have read every word. You are a true gentlemen.

I wish you and yours well.

 

[48RON54]

All this is about having a place where you can have a good time, after work or in weekends. Some use the garage as a proffesional working space, some use it just for fun, others are int the middle.
Anyway, your place is very original and you have a great car collection there!
Keep posting pics!!
Corsario

azxqs

Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Denwood]

Andre, I dropped into your build..and 50 pages later, I had to post. First of all, I completely respect the minimalist approach. I have a 9500 square foot business presence (LEAN design) that demands very high organization, but my shop at home is a mess. I also am very excited to see your green roof. My business (it needs a build thread!) home is a converted warehouse with a net zero approach over a complete gut and rebuild. It's a surprisingly efficient space. Given that last winter, 20 days were below -20C, our largest natural gas bill was $242 to heat 9500 sq/ft. A green roof was very much part of the plan, however we could not manage it structurally. Your roof is stunning. We also modeled seasonal solar paths so that installed windows would maximize internal light, and reduce electricity use...much as you have maximized natural light. It's safe to say that you've inspired me to really push the envelope in my small renovation with a goal of zero clutter, and the "if it hasn't been touched in 5 years..see ya" mentality. Thanks so much!