What a great story, but I am so knocked out by "Daisy", being a 66 Chevy c-10 owner and in love with that whole era of body styles. Nice!
Cool story and a great house, although it hurts a bit to hear that it's been "updated". Those updates often look like the survivor custom that made it decades untouched until a new owner had to put some late model bucket seats, a tilt column, and some 20's on it. My own house was built in 1960, but with much less spectacular architecture. A lot of original elements are still there too, but mine were quite neglected. My house feels a bit like my old car projects, a never-ending constant churn of smaller projects and things that break.
We are pretty heavy into MCM. In all honesty many of the interior features of these houses do not mate to our modern living. Open living rooms are great but the kitchens are often tiny galley kitchens and need to be gutted. Like adding a T5 and more HP to your Yblock powered hot rod
Those unaltered, one owner mid-century homes are still out there, but the number is dwindling. I looked at one last year; on the plus side they hadn't changed a thing since it was built, but that also meant the place was flat worn out...it needed a new roof, new plumbing, new electrical, and on and on.
Yeah, Nothing like love at first sight....I think it was third grade and she was a '51 model.... that's another story. Nice to be able to go back in time. Nice pick up, even a V6. Don't let that thing idle while you are fueling it, you'll never get it full...and to think that GM did a diesel version based on that block that was called a 'fuel pincher'. Thanks for taking us on a ride-along
Having lived in a 1951 field stone rancher for the last decade, this statement is right on...for me at least. Respect the history and aesthetic, but make it livable (and safe...re: electric. Yikes.) Bitchin' house in the photos though...and the truck looks great @J.Ukrop!
As a city mechanic driving around, in an "old money" upscale suburb of Orlando, I witness oh-too often these MCM homes being leveled, for new ones. Honestly there is one architectural firm in town, designing some very exciting homes, that pay homage to that time period. As for that home and the truck, less is definitely more. Both are timeless IMHO.
Hope the flippers with the Kilz Primer White, Black Trim and White Owl Gray everyting else haven't "Mid Century Moderned" that jewel.. And Mom must have been one strong woman to shift the hydraulic clutch in that GMC!
I grew up in an 1855 Victorian, and it was a full time project! Weird plumbing, ceramic knob wiring, no insulation, drafty windows, but what a beautiful home! Seen some homes from different eras that were beautifully restored and tastefully updated in keeping with the style of the home, and others that were, well, not so much...
Our local builders are starting to adapt many MCM exterior features to new builds. Way happy to see the swing back!
[QUOTE="J.Ukrop, Whenever I’m home, I make sure I swing by that house—with one stipulation. Regardless of the season, I make an effort to drive or ride something old and park out front.[/QUOTE] All the more reason, when the V8 version of your roadster is a reality, to drive your Banger roadster in an adventure across the country to "home" and leave it there for Mom and Dad to drive and you to enjoy when you visit . Far into the future you will still own and appreciate your first hot rod , that you built yourself! A true future barn find in the making! https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/building-my-first-roadster-in-san-francisco.1204990/
Hey that's Joey's Mom's daily , you ought to see the pics of her driving his roadster around San Francisco. here\https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/building-my-first-roadster-in-san-francisco.1204990/
Hello, We have always grown up with Mid Century Modern homes in Long Beach. The Bixby Knolls area had its share of those architect designed Mid Century homes. The angles, the wood sides, and a middle of the house courtyard with a glass enclosed wall for a 360 degree coverage. When one of our friends had a gathering at his house, we were all amazed at the construction and design. It was certainly different than our tiny 2 bedroom house on the Westside of Long Beach. From Mid Century design compared to the stock tract home build with every 3rd house having a two car garage. But, it was a great place to grow up, in either area. We all learned to grow up and adapt to all things that were a part of our 50s-60s lives. It did not matter where we lived. Although we still would like to live on the water in Alamitos Bay. Currently in So Cal, Mid Century homes in the Bixby Knolls area are going for some outrageous prices. Due to the fact that they have architect’s names to go along with the designs. Back then in 57-65, they were just houses for our teenage gatherings. Nestled into the next block over were the larger homes that had Estate sales that gave up some treasures. Our Chevy sedans just look great sitting out in front for those classy houses. The cars just seemed to fit into the design. In 1960, a black 58 Impala looked right at home. Jnaki As the architects had their own way to design homes, the Mid Century design was wide spread all over So Cal and elsewhere. No row houses as Long Beach was a spread out city with the newer areas expanding for suburban living. Some original Mid-Century homes are for sale and it might take a lot of upgrading for them to get back to pristine condition without changing the design. But, they are classics. You just have to like it the way it was originally designed. Palm Springs was also home to a lot of Mid Century designs and builds. Locally, we saw them almost daily at our friend’s houses. At the time, we never went to “estate sales” as there was nothing that applied to our teenage tastes. A few years after high school and college, our tastes changed and the estate sales (and antique stores) were interesting again. Now, it is back to the original concept of happy with what we have and therefore, estate sales/antique stores are a thing of the past. With the new generation coming around and the older generation moving on, there are “estate sales” still going on today in our neck of the OC. In talking with our teenage granddaughter, she and her friends are into “Estate Sales” due to the fact that “vintage clothing” is sometimes a great way to find them for rock bottom prices, instead of the abundant “up scale” vintage clothing stores. So, anyone interested in a pristine, vintage Madras shirt from 1962? Ha! Our contribution to a “mini-mini” estate sale…
Why does everyone paint a MCM home grey today…so sad to see somebody “update” something some timeless…hell I love my Blue Bathroom and Green bathroom in my 59 MCM home
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