Old gas stations

[Ghostsoldier]

Rob

 

[Fading Fast]

My dream has always been to buy and convert one of those Tudor-style Pure Oil stations into a home; I have found several that could be candidates in various Florida cities, but alas, all of them are typically situated in the not-so-desirable urban core, and not on a picturesque wooded lot in the suburbs or in the countryside, which I would prefer.

Rob

That would be a really, really neat thing to do. I've seen a few old (and no longer on an active track - can you image, or sometimes they've been moved) train stations turned into houses, but the right gas station could be awesome. I would image it would take some serious environmental work and checking to make it safe.

 

[Ghostsoldier]

I would image it would take some serious environmental work and checking to make it safe.

Or, to have it physically moved to another lot...an operation which would probably cost as much as buying the building itself, or constructing a similarly-themed house from the ground up.

Rob

 

[Fading Fast]

Or, to have it physically moved to another lot...an operation which would probably cost as much as buying the building itself, or constructing a similarly-themed house from the ground up.

Rob

Your cool idea is not something one does to save money. As someone who recently renovated a 1928 coop apartment and wanted to retain as many original details as we could and restore to true '20s accuracy as much as we could - doing that is not the inexpensive route.

Everything today is oriented toward a few standard options - once you want to do something different, the cost goes up and, in truth, the contractors, suppliers, etc., still aren't happy with you anyway - they want simple, easy, repeatable.

We bought a smaller apartment, in part, so that we'd have more budget to devote to the renovation.

 

[LizzieMaine]

The original Pure cottages were, although they don't look like it, prefabricated buildings made of steel panels faced with brick that bolted together at the site -- and they were designed to be movable if the company lost its lease on a location. So if you did get hold of one, moving it would theoretically not be as complicated as it might sound as long as you had the tools and equipment necessary to dismantle it, and as long as its basic structure hadn't been compromised by rust or remodeling.

 

[Ghostsoldier]

The original Pure cottages were, although they don't look like it, prefabricated buildings made of steel panels faced with brick that bolted together at the site -- and they were designed to be movable if the company lost its lease on a location. So if you did get hold of one, moving it would theoretically not be as complicated as it might sound as long as you had the tools and equipment necessary to dismantle it, and as long as its basic structure hadn't been compromised by rust or remodeling.

Holy Toledo, Batman! That's awesome news, Lizzie...I never knew that!

That's definitely food for thought...my "plan" is something I wanted to implement when I retire from the county, in about 10 to 15 years...sell the house I'm in now (which is almost paid off), and use the proceeds to make the "Tudor dream in the country" come true.

Knowing that they are modular opens up a whole new avenue of possibilities to explore!

Rob

 

[Benzadmiral]

The white car with the Rock Hudson look-a-like in front is a '53 Stude. They were far more streamlined than anything else from that era and were often re-powered with Chevrolet and Chrysler engines to set top-speed records at Bonneville.

Felix Leiter's famous "Studillac" from the novel Diamonds Are Forever too, no doubt.

 

[GHT]

That would be a really, really neat thing to do. I've seen a few old (and no longer on an active track - can you image, or sometimes they've been moved) train stations turned into houses, but the right gas station could be awesome. I would image it would take some serious environmental work and checking to make it safe.

Some serious costs too. What sort of laws do you have about defunct fuel tanks? You spoke about making a railway station a home, check out: Horsebridge Station.

 

[Fading Fast]

Some serious costs too. What sort of laws do you have about defunct fuel tanks? You spoke about making a railway station a home, check out: Horsebridge Station.

Fantastic - I've seen that one before (I'd bet in one of your prior posts). Love the red and cream bus too.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Holy Toledo, Batman! That's awesome news, Lizzie...I never knew that!

That's definitely food for thought...my "plan" is something I wanted to implement when I retire from the county, in about 10 to 15 years...sell the house I'm in now (which is almost paid off), and use the proceeds to make the "Tudor dream in the country" come true.

Knowing that they are modular opens up a whole new avenue of possibilities to explore!

Rob

You'd be right in line with the current "tiny house movement." The trick would be to find one that's in reasonably original, unmolested condition and yet is still solid enough to withstand being taken apart and put back together again. Somewhere away from salt air would be a good place to start looking.

 

[GHT]

Fantastic - I've seen that one before (I'd bet in one of your prior posts). Love the red and cream bus too.

I went to a wedding there some years ago. The couple were into re-enacting so the station was done up WW2 style with tape across the windows, sandbags and all the paraphernalia of wartime Britain. It was just brilliant.
Long time ago now, I posted a picture of a quintessential English village scene. I can't remember the thread but I do remember one of the responses: "I could live there." (So could I.)

 

[3fingers]

Oh my. There weren't many downstate Pure stations, but there are several surviving around Chicago. I need to start working on my wife to convince her that we need one of the cottages.
Unrelated, but I've been listening to some old HV Kaltenborn commentaries lately. He was sponsored for a time at least by Pure Oil.
"You can be sure with Pure."

 

[EngProf]

Felix Leiter's famous "Studillac" from the novel Diamonds Are Forever too, no doubt.

Having never read the book, I suppose that it was written in the early '50's when Cadillac engines were an improvement over the stock Stude engines.
In the latter '50's and onward no one would swap in a Cad engine - just Chevrolets and Chryslers.

 

[Ghostsoldier]

You'd be right in line with the current "tiny house movement." The trick would be to find one that's in reasonably original, unmolested condition and yet is still solid enough to withstand being taken apart and put back together again. Somewhere away from salt air would be a good place to start looking.

I've got my eye on a few, knowing what I know now, thanks to you.



Rob

 

[2jakes]

Monument Valley, Painted Desert, Sacred Mountain Enco Gas Station.

Easy Rider!

 

[Fading Fast]

I've got my eye on a few, knowing what I know now, thanks to you.



Rob

I'm rooting for you - if this happens, it will be an awesome project.

 

[GHT]

My dream has always been to buy and convert one of those Tudor-style Pure Oil stations into a home; I have found several that could be candidates in various Florida cities, but alas, all of them are typically situated in the not-so-desirable urban core, and not on a picturesque wooded lot in the suburbs or in the countryside, which I would prefer. Rob

Rob, just like fashions change, so too does desirable living areas. You speak of Florida, you only have to look at the changing fortunes of Church Street Station to see what I mean. As long as an area isn't drug or crime infested, it's well worth taking a bet on. Who knows, your restored garage could be so popular that you might have to convert the workshops to provide a B&B for the many people who stop by. Stop dreaming and start scheming.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Having never read the book, I suppose that it was written in the early '50's when Cadillac engines were an improvement over the stock Stude engines.
In the latter '50's and onward no one would swap in a Cad engine - just Chevrolets and Chryslers.

DAF was from 1956, and Fleming would have done his research and writing in 1954-55.

 

[Ghostsoldier]

Rob

 

[Ghostsoldier]

Rob