Modern Garage in Far East

[abstamaria]

Thank you, D. Jocke. Örebro, Sweden, must be a lovely place to live in. You are very lucky.

I am happy you enjoyed the thread. I tried to keep it focused on the garage and sometimes the cars, but stories about dogs and friends crept in. Keeping stuff in place is still a major effort. Every year, during the slow period between Christmas and New Year, I go through my small office in the city and sort the papers that accumulate on desks and in drawers. I throw so much away.

That is a good-sized garage. I wish I had that depth. The advantage I have is that I have a separate garage for the “regular” cars, which also has large storage shelves. That is quite difficult to keep neat. With two young boys and many hobbies, I can see the challenge that confronts you! Your boys are at a special, very nice age, by the way.

There are no Type 116s here; I have always liked the way that model looks. That is very serious power in such a light car. Yes, you should keep it as long as you can.

I have not visited my friend or the car he built in a while, but will make it a point to do so.

Best,

Andy

 

[abstamaria]

Tool Box Casters

The only change I've made to the garage is quite minor. The rubber caster wheels on the Proto cabinets began to fall apart, so I replaced them with these red polyurethane casters.

They look quite good, I think.

My best wishes for the holidays and the coming New Year.

Andy

 

[Puch]

It is a new year, we need more updates! : )

 

[G20-Budo]

What a wonderful thread, and a beautiful garage! I very much enjoy how clean everything looks. We visit PI every other year or so (my wife is Pinay).. perhaps on our next visit I could meet you?

Take care and enjoy the garage.

 

[abstamaria]

Perhaps a change is needed

It has been such a long absence for me from Garage Journal. The garage works beautifully, as I have been saying, and I spend much time there, but I am thinking of a new car and have no place to park it.

We have vacant property that is adjacent to my home. It is a lovely lot on a ridge, with large adobe rocks and a wonderful view of the valley, but those same attributes make it a challenge to build on. It will make a dramatic site for a home designed by a creative architect, but a garage will require that we remove the very large rocks that make it interesting. I am reluctant to do that.

In the meantime, I removed the MaxJax lift, which required only the removal of ten bolts. I placed the arms in the storeroom and the posts in one corner, as shown in the photo. It looks too cluttered for me, and I do want the lift permanently installed, so a new garage might be necessary, should a new car come.

 

[amgsl55]

and what may that car be?

your posts aways bring excitement by the way

 

[jimmie jam]

Andy, thanks for the update! It's good to know that you and your family are O.K.. You are an inspiration to many of us. For myself, just a photo every now and again keeps me going...

J.J.

 

[abstamaria]

Thanks, amgsl55, Jimmie.

The new car is still up in the air. I've had the Mazda MX-5 (Miata) for a while; it's been a wonderful, reliable car, but a few months ago I thought I would get something more involving. The Miata has been so friendly and engaging, though, that I thought I should keep it.

The prospect of a new garage in addition to the present one is exciting. It would probably be a square, perhaps 12 meters by 12 meters. Let's see how the plan progresses.

Andy

 

[Stuart in MN]

This could be fun. Keep us posted if (and when) the design progresses.

 

[welder4956]

Andy - we were there in the Philippines in June and wished we could have had time to contact you for a shop tour. We spent almost a week in Legazpi, then a week in Catanduanes, back to Legazpi for a couple of days, 4 days in Boracay and 3 days in Manila. We were pretty worn out when we got back to Manila and just spent time visiting with the wife's family. Manila traffic is such a pain. Hope to catch you on a future visit.

 

[abstamaria]

Yes, Manila traffic is terrible, welder4956, and it will get worse. At least you went to the provinces and the beaches. I hope you had a good time.

Yes, a new garage would be fun, Stuart. We just commissioned the topography study, which will determine how feasible the project is. It is a beautiful lot, though, and I hate to remove the rocks. I will try to take photos soon.

Andres

 

[abstamaria]

Rain Car

The quest for a “rain car,” one that I could use for recces or in uncertain weather, which led me to an old Mercedes Benz SLK and then a new Mazda MX5, eventually led me also to consider whether I should get a more interesting alternative, seeing that my horizons no longer reach into the infinite as they seemed to before. That pointed to a Lotus or the Porsche Cayman, smaller sports cars that were a tier or two above the Miata.

 

[abstamaria]

Cayman

Old age and an untried dealer swung me away from the Lotuses, breaking a decades-old loyalty. I have become old and less adventurous. That left the Cayman. The Cayman in late 2016 evolved into the 718 with its turbocharged four-cylinder motor, replacing the much-praised, naturally-aspirated six.

It was of course hard to find fault in the Cayman. I visited the Porsche dealer, looked at the Caymans, and pored over the books and brochures they gave away. The Cayman was obviously a sensible choice, but it didn’t immediately move me, however.

Peter Egan once wrote that a sports car enthusiast is always torn between two choices. One is the girl next door who cooks well, is pretty, understands your hobbies, and gets along with your friends. Life with her will be happy forever. The other is what he called the “schizophrenic taxi dancer,” beautiful beyond imagination -- she sears your dreams at night -- but you can’t bring her home to meet mother. He was talking about cars, of course.

 

[RickP]

Now that you're talking about taxi dancers, we need pictures! Seriously, let us know what you're thinking about (hoping to buy) and we'll help convince you that it makes perfect sense. This is GJ after all!

 

[abstamaria]

Epiphany

I will try to post pictures, Rick.

The Cayman has creases where the front fenders (or wings) merge with the bonnet. I only noticed those creases in photos and didn’t like them. While I was disposed toward the Cayman, I visited the Porsche dealer again to see whether the creases would bother me and, if not, confirm a purchase.

The Porsche dealer is also the Lamborghini dealer, and the two brands share a building. As I was walking to the Porsche showroom, a white Lamborghini Huracan drove in and parked on the driveway that runs through the common building. It was loud, but the appeal to me was visual. I was struck by how it looked in the shadows of the driveway, white, glowing on that cobblestone pavement. I lingered and just stared at it. It looked impossibly low, particularly from my vantage point on the sidewalk, the rear deck almost horizonral, and so radical. Its appeal was almost sensual, in a take-it-or-leave-it way. I had seen Huracans before, of course, but this one pulled irresistibly. Perhaps that was because I was subconsciously comparing it to the Cayman in the showroom. I was indifferent to the Cayman and could live without it. I wanted the Lamborghini.

It is quite interesting that what began as a search for a no-frills, dependable sports car pointed ultimately to a schizophrenic taxi dancer.

 

[thomfr]

If you can (that is personal to everybody) go for it! Enjoy it!

And please go for it in a real color not a tone! One of the things I specially like about your cars (beside the Miata grey, sorry..) is that you buy real colors instead of tones..

Thom

 

[Bob Heine]

Andres, would that be a Coupe or Spyder?

The picture of the Spyder, with the Porsche beyond really does make your point.

 

[RickP]

Re: Epiphany

I will try to post pictures, Rick.

The Cayman has creases where the front fenders (or wings) merge with the bonnet. I only noticed those creases in photos and didn’t like them. While I was disposed toward the Cayman, I visited the Porsche dealer again to see whether the creases would bother me and, if not, confirm a purchase.
. . .
I was indifferent to the Cayman and could live without it. I wanted the Lamborghini.

It is quite interesting that what began as a search for a no-frills, dependable sports car pointed ultimately to a schizophrenic taxi dancer.

I can definitely see what you mean about those creases in the Cayman. They just look a little strange to me -- I wonder if Porsche added them for aero effects?

I wholeheartedly vote for the taxi dancer! Not that my vote counts, but you can't take it with you, right? I'll bet that a brand new Huracan would be as dependable as you need it to be. And even if it's not, you do have a backup car or two;-)

 

[RickP]

Andres, would that be a Coupe or Spyder?

The picture of the Spyder, with the Porsche beyond really does make your point.

Bob -- thanks for posting the photos. Your ability to find the exact photo to make your point constantly amazes me! Where (how) do you find them?

 

[Bob Heine]

Bob -- thanks for posting the photos. Your ability to find the exact photo to make your point constantly amazes me! Where (how) do you find them?

Rick, I usually Google the car brand and model and look through the images. This time I used AutoTrader because they had several white Huracans. Finding the Porsche in the background was just dumb luck. Having six Saturdays (aka retired) each week also helps.

 

[RickP]

Rick, I usually Google the car brand and model and look through the images. This time I used AutoTrader because they had several white Huracans. Finding the Porsche in the background was just dumb luck. Having six Saturdays (aka retired) each week also helps.

Not a bad gig -- where do I sign up? I can start this Saturday!

 

[Boosted1]

Re: the Huracan, I recently drove one on track at speed for a few laps.
It was a very fun and engaging car.
Also drove a 458 and 911.
I had the most "fun" in the Huracan...

 

[abstamaria]

Monoceros

I have a German friend who expresses the same sentiment as you, Thom, but I’m afraid its too late. The car arrived just last week, and it is what Lamborghini calls “monoceros” (unicorn, I believe) white. At least, it goes with the house.

Thanks for the photos, Bob. While the spider is quite attractive, I preferred a coupe. I also chose the RWD version and was quite happy Lamborghini offered this now.

I took a photo of the car before I took it for a spin.

 

[RickP]

I'm glad you went for the taxi dancer! That is a beautiful car. How did it perform on your first drive?

 

[abstamaria]

It was great, Rick. It has a very different personality from the Italia. I plan to take it for a longer ride tomorrow.

Andres

 

[abstamaria]

Site for separate garage

Surveyors came the other day to plot the topography of the lot on which we might build a small garage. The lot is adjacent to the parcel on which our house sits, but higher in elevation. I thought I would give you an idea of how the lot looks now. It is the green area to the right. Notice how the street next to the lot begins to descend.

 

[abstamaria]

Huracan

Acquiring the Huracan has meant that I would lose the workplace in my garage. It is so much wider than the Miata, so I had to remove the MaxJax posts. That is why I need to build a separate garage for it and the Italia; I would keep the older cars in this garage and reclaim the workshop.

The Huracan was (and remains) quite a stretch for me, but I thought that if I should buy one while I could still drive. It took Lamborghini four months from the time I ordered it to finish the car and another two months for it to get here from Italy. It is so different from the Italia, especially in the way it looks, so at the moment I am happy, however imprudent getting it sometimes seems to me. The contrast is clear from this photograph.

 

[markviii]

Wow! Nice addition to the garage! And why not enjoy it while you can. We'll watch the progress on the new garage. There are always "next" projects and this is yours!

We're finishing up on our new home and getting use to the space and where to logically put things. I'm still looking for things we packed up to move to the house - thought we had marked all the boxes for the move 100 feet to the northeast, but I'm still missing the everyday stuff that I had specially set aside so I could get my hands on it right away. Best laid plans... I refuse to buy new things because they will turn up eventually.

Chris

 

[abstamaria]

Thanks, Chris. I'm excited about the new garage, even if the terrain makes it a challenging project.

It is always difficult to move in. Good luck, and I hope you are able to sort in your head where things should go. That's an elaborate process for me, and I often need to draw locations and make lists. Good luck!

Andy

 

[abstamaria]

Huracan

The Huracan is of course an excess, and I am often embarrassed to admit I bought one. I hesitated to post the acquisition here. For some reason, “Lamborghini” sounds more profligate than “Ferrari,” and that may be because of the relative newness of the brand, its deliberately avant-garde design, and maybe the market that it attracted. Still, to me the most memorable cars in terms of style have been Lamborghini – the Miura and the early Countach. The Miura shared the same designers as the Stratos. Accordingly, I thought I should spend what remained of my retirement pay and buy the Huracan.

The Huracan did not disappoint. It is very different from the Italia, as I expected, and, although my first impressions are that the Ferrari is better developed and more upscale in details, like toolcases and so on, the Huracan provides good contrast in that it is so radically different, sitting in the garage nect to the svelte Italia.

 

[amgsl55]

Nice pick up with the huracan Andy, I'm sure you will enjoy the drama of the raging bull. Good luck with the new build. I have just returned from a visit to the architects for a reveal of the next house. It will be an in situ concrete poured house with a 2 level garage incorporating a car lift between the 2 levels. I can hardly wait to build but my wallet is pretty frightened...especially when it comes to furnishing the garages.

I am fortunate to have friends with a wide range of exotic cars and I have always enjoyed being in the huracan and aventador SV, though I'd say a huracan performante will definitely be one to buy if I have any loose change.

 

[abstamaria]

Thanks, amgsl155. That will be an amazing garage. Would it have a large footprint? I assume you would need space to maneuver a car into the lif. The site for the additional garage I am thinking of is some two storeys higher than the ground floor of my home, so I almost need a lift to get there.

Good luck!

Andres

 

[Dennis Cavallino]

The Huracan is cool. My mom and stepdad where looking at a Gallardo SE (#001), which was white too. Although I like the bright colors like green and orange on Lambo's, white suits them well. Have fun with it Andy!

 

[abstamaria]

Many thanks, Dennis. Yes, green and orange are Lamborghini's signature colours. I hope you are keeping well.

Andy

 

[morshane]

That s a cool toy, I hope you will have a lot of fun With!

 

[abstamaria]

Thanks, Morshane! Yes, it's pretty cool. The rainy season is upon us here in the tropics, so I haven't been able to use it much. But it's great even just to look at it in the garage.

 

[abstamaria]

House

When I was reading up on the Huracan before I placed an order, I came across a promotional photo by Lamborghini. For a split second, I thought it was our house in the background. I took that as an auspicious sign. Our house (the black-and-white photo) is in the old modern style, which is almost a hundred years old now, so I suppose there are many examples worldwide.

Andy

 

[ad2330]

Re: Huracan

Acquiring the Huracan has meant that I would lose the workplace in my garage. It is so much wider than the Miata, so I had to remove the MaxJax posts. That is why I need to build a separate garage for it and the Italia; I would keep the older cars in this garage and reclaim the workshop.

The Huracan was (and remains) quite a stretch for me, but I thought that if I should buy one while I could still drive. It took Lamborghini four months from the time I ordered it to finish the car and another two months for it to get here from Italy. It is so different from the Italia, especially in the way it looks, so at the moment I am happy, however imprudent getting it sometimes seems to me. The contrast is clear from this photograph.

Great thread, awesome setup, and a stellar pair of machines you have sitting there! What a sweet compliment to some of your classics.

Good luck with your next build!

 

[Thirdyfivepickup]

Really enjoyed reading your thread. Its a perfect mix of cars, garages and you. It shows that worlds apart we are all really the same at our core...

You're a good guy, keep the updates coming!

 

[abstamaria]

Many thanks, Thirdyfivepickup. Yes, that is the same impression I get, reading the many wonderful threads on this forum.

It’s time for us to do work on the house now, repaint, repair, and so on. We’ve lived here a long while now.

On my way to work this morning, headed to the driveway, I snapped a photo of the garage with my phone.

Best wishes for the New Year, all.