Restomodding a house has America swooning; restomodding a car divides us. Why?

[sugarwood]

https://www.hemmings.com/stories/restomodding-a-house-has-america-swooning-restomodding-a-car-divides-us-why/

[herr_oberst]

I'm an American and I'm neither swooning nor am I divided. Hemmings, in the future, please refrain from speaking for me.
Thank you.

[RANDY P]

Because you touch yourself at night.
.
rjp

[2.7RS]

Opinions are like asses... everyone has one

I read it on the internet!!!

[asphaltgambler]

Depends on the vehicle, historical value, and most of all what's the mod's? I will tell you from personal experience, people with money - I mean real money does not always guarantee taste. Good or otherwise. One or two things 'off' in a restomod vehicle, not working within a theme, blatantly apparent. A house? not so much as the scale is significantly larger...........

[MrBonus]

Because I have to daily drive my house.

[masraum]

because outhouses, lack of indoor plumbing, and central HVAC are not particularly charming.

Personally, I like restomod as long as it's well done, and as long as it's not done to something that's particularly rare and/or special.

And I think the problem is assuming that this is collective. "Everyone loves a restomod house" "Some people hate a restomod car"

I know that there are folks that don't particular like a restomod house. Taking an old house that's well built with character that's maybe MCM, craftsman, victorian etc..., and then gutting it to install stainless steel and granite counter tops and knocking down every wall to make it "open concept" is NOT my cup of tea.

But then most folks want something that is "in" and comfortable. Along the same line, most folks want the same from cars. That's why there aren't that many old cars running around. 99% of people want the "new hotness" not the "old and busted."

If I got an old American car from the 60s that had drum brakes and a hot motor, I'd want disk brakes, at least on the front. I might also upgrade to power steering and brakes since that was probably an option on those old cars so easy to add with original parts. I'd probably also upgrade suspension and wheels and tires because getting good tires and reasonable acceleration, braking and handling on a 4000# car with 14x5 or 14x6" wheels is not going to happen.

[matthewb0051]

Originally Posted by asphaltgambler

Depends on the vehicle, historical value, and most of all what's the mod's? I will tell you from personal experience, people with money - I mean real money does not always guarantee taste. Good or otherwise. One or two things 'off' in a restomod vehicle, not working within a theme, blatantly apparent. A house? not so much as the scale is significantly larger...........

I've owned a 1890's Victorian house in Watertown NY. Proper 12 foot(ish) ceilings and actual rooms that weren't all open. A wonderful thing.

Also lived in a plantation bungalow on Schofield Barracks Hawaii from the 1890s give or take. And a 100 year old house in El Paso.

Luckily none of the above had been remodeled to a fashion of open floor plan and the history was all there.

There are some HGTV shows where the hosts really screw up very old homes and modernize them for what they perceive as being for 'today's living'. IMHO it just ruins the old home. If you want to do that, do it to a newer home that has no history and character.

As for cars, I agree with the taste and money quote above. I love watching some of the shows on MT but some of them are cringe worthy. For example, Iron Resurrection: guys do incredible work then put modern day 20 inch or larger wheels that do not match the lines or character of a 1950s, 60s, or 70s vehicle. Most recently was a 50's pickup that came in with Cragars that looked decent and the end result wheel looks all wrong.

[herr_oberst]

Front wheels look good, fill the arches perfectly.
Rears are a swing and a miss.

Rest of the truck looks really good. Perfect stance.

[matthewb0051]

Oh yeah, the Hemmings article mentions Chip and Joanna Gaines from Waco. They became one trick ponies on their remodels when their first show was on air. Open everything up, make the kitchen twice the size of the living room and also put the kitchen in the living room. And at times, when you open the front door to one of their houses you would walk directly into the dining table which had been located to the entry way (I wouldn't call it a dining room because it was part of the living/kitchen/dining combo).

I'm not swooning either.

[matthewb0051]

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

Front wheels look good, fill the arches perfectly.
Rears are a swing and a miss.

Rest of the truck looks really good. Perfect stance.

The truck came in looking that way. They just had to replace frame and suspension and had to make a few very minor body tweaks due to the new frame. They didn't even repaint it.

Edit: those wheels remind me of that spider web stuff the kid on Orange County Choppers did on EVERY bike he built.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by matthewb0051

I've owned a 1890's Victorian house in Watertown NY. Proper 12 foot(ish) ceilings and actual rooms that weren't all open. A wonderful thing.

Also lived in a plantation bungalow on Schofield Barracks Hawaii from the 1890s give or take. And a 100 year old house in El Paso.

Luckily none of the above had been remodeled to a fashion of open floor plan and the history was all there.

There are some HGTV shows where the hosts really screw up very old homes and modernize them for what they perceive as being for 'today's living'. IMHO it just ruins the old home. If you want to do that, do it to a newer home that has no history and character.

As for cars, I agree with the taste and money quote above. I love watching some of the shows on MT but some of them are cringe worthy. For example, Iron Resurrection: guys do incredible work then put modern day 20 inch or larger wheels that do not match the lines or character of a 1950s, 60s, or 70s vehicle. Most recently was a 50's pickup that came in with Cragars that looked decent and the end result wheel looks all wrong.

Yeah, I can see upgrading wheels on old vehicles to 15-16", maybe 17", just to be able to get decent rubber on them, but the folks putting giant wheels on are doing them a diservice on so many levels.

Originally Posted by matthewb0051

Oh yeah, the Hemmings article mentions Chip and Joanna Gaines from Waco. They became one trick ponies on their remodels when their first show was on air. Open everything up, make the kitchen twice the size of the living room and also put the kitchen in the living room. And at times, when you open the front door to one of their houses you would walk directly into the dining table which had been located to the entry way (I wouldn't call it a dining room because it was part of the living/kitchen/dining combo).

I'm not swooning either.

Ugh, horrible stuff. The problem is that, I think, the average public wants/loves that stuff. These are the same folks who have appliances for cars and don't care about anything other than getting from A to B in comfort. (which is not a bad thing)

[matthewb0051]

Here's my NY house. You can see the front window isn't original. It would have had 7 or 8 foot windows, two of them. Also the front wrap around porch is gone. We paid about $150k in 2006 and sold it for $155k in 2009. Zillow estimate is about $223K now.

Edit: the house you see to the left is huge and same vintage as are all the houses on this and two other streets. The neighbor's house in the photo has a barn/garage that is as big as my house.

[matthewb0051]

Just up the street. It was a great place to live.

[herr_oberst]

Now THAT's a widow's walk! What a great building. The more you look the more you see.
Is the architect a 'name'?

[matthewb0051]

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

Now THAT's a widow's walk! What a great building. The more you look the more you see.
Is the architect a 'name'?

No idea. Watertown was some sort of textile or other manufacturing town back then. There are 3 streets Paddock, Flower, and Ten Eyck and all the houses look like this or other gingerbread. Other areas of the town are old just smaller and not as grand.

Here's a couple of other from my street:

[herr_oberst]

Whew!

[A930Rocket]

Originally Posted by matthewb0051

No idea. Watertown was some sort of textile or other manufacturing town back then. There are 3 streets Paddock, Flower, and Ten Eyck and all the houses look like this or other gingerbread. Other areas of the town are old just smaller and not as grand.

Here's a couple of other from my street:

I’d love to have a house like those, especially that interior.

[rfuerst911sc]

I am not influenced by what others say or do . Restoring cars is about the owners passion . You may or may not like where their passion takes a project but it is not yours . Do I like everything that Singer or others do with a Porsche ? Nope . Can I appreciate the work involved ? Absolutely .

The pic above of the pickup , I like it . Are the wheels period correct ? Nope . But as a modern interpretation of an older hot rod I like it . There is no wrong or right in my opinion although there are extreme examples that just make you sick

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by masraum

because outhouses, lack of indoor plumbing, and central HVAC are not particularly charming.

Personally, I like restomod as long as it's well done, and as long as it's not done to something that's particularly rare and/or special.

And I think the problem is assuming that this is collective. "Everyone loves a restomod house" "Some people hate a restomod car"

I know that there are folks that don't particular like a restomod house. Taking an old house that's well built with character that's maybe MCM, craftsman, victorian etc..., and then gutting it to install stainless steel and granite counter tops and knocking down every wall to make it "open concept" is NOT my cup of tea.

But then most folks want something that is "in" and comfortable. Along the same line, most folks want the same from cars. That's why there aren't that many old cars running around. 99% of people want the "new hotness" not the "old and busted."

If I got an old American car from the 60s that had drum brakes and a hot motor, I'd want disk brakes, at least on the front. I might also upgrade to power steering and brakes since that was probably an option on those old cars so easy to add with original parts. I'd probably also upgrade suspension and wheels and tires because getting good tires and reasonable acceleration, braking and handling on a 4000# car with 14x5 or 14x6" wheels is not going to happen.

Bingo! Brakes, suspension, and get rid of that many turns lock to lock worm gear steering.