Comments on: Room with Bath – On Wheels (Jan, 1951) http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/09/06/room-with-bath-on-wheels/ Yesterday's tomorrow, today. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:12:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.4 By: John Potter http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/09/06/room-with-bath-on-wheels/comment-page-1/#comment-1056797 John Potter Mon, 09 Jun 2008 23:12:25 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/09/06/room-with-bath-on-wheels/#comment-1056797 Louie's Cadillac is truly the American dream vehicle. I have been following it in the popular mechanics magazines for 50 years. There was another remarkable vehicle, a 1951 Cadillac, with a total of seventy-one (71!) different dashboard instruments covered in an article in Science and Mechanics. Not as spiffy as Louie's car, but a great achievement, nonetheless. I have many other fond memories of non-automobile home inventions, including the attractive, tile-topped kitchen divider/table/dishwasher combination, including detailed plans. It was remarkable that people built such contraptions, and even more remarkable that the magazines wrote articles on them, which plans for others to copy. I really loved one handyman's solution to his two vicious Pomeranians, Tico and Tina, who had to be kept apart from each other or "the fur would fly". Their row house backyard was filled with ramps, steps, gates, pens and sections of grass, with gates and chutes manipulated by an intricate system of pulleys and ropes, all to keep the two mutts apart. And, of course, detailed plans! Louie’s Cadillac is truly the American dream vehicle. I have been following it in the popular mechanics magazines for 50 years. There was another remarkable vehicle, a 1951 Cadillac, with a total of seventy-one (71!) different dashboard instruments covered in an article in Science and Mechanics. Not as spiffy as Louie’s car, but a great achievement, nonetheless. I have many other fond memories of non-automobile home inventions, including the attractive, tile-topped kitchen divider/table/dishwasher combination, including detailed plans. It was remarkable that people built such contraptions, and even more remarkable that the magazines wrote articles on them, which plans for others to copy. I really loved one handyman’s solution to his two vicious Pomeranians, Tico and Tina, who had to be kept apart from each other or “the fur would fly”. Their row house backyard was filled with ramps, steps, gates, pens and sections of grass, with gates and chutes manipulated by an intricate system of pulleys and ropes, all to keep the two mutts apart. And, of course, detailed plans!

]]> By: KS http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/09/06/room-with-bath-on-wheels/comment-page-1/#comment-1047758 KS Mon, 03 Mar 2008 13:53:39 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/09/06/room-with-bath-on-wheels/#comment-1047758 I saw the car and the video there for the first time in November 07. I was amazed! A car that changes its own oil!! wish mine did that! I think this would make a great movie, certainly it couldnt be any worse then the garbage hollywood has put out this year. I saw the car and the video there for the first time in November 07. I was amazed! A car that changes its own oil!! wish mine did that! I think this would make a great movie, certainly it couldnt be any worse then the garbage hollywood has put out this year.

]]> By: Brian Grittner http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/09/06/room-with-bath-on-wheels/comment-page-1/#comment-698465 Brian Grittner Fri, 09 Nov 2007 05:21:13 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/09/06/room-with-bath-on-wheels/#comment-698465 Louie Matter's son, Joe Mattar, was our mechanic when we lived near San Diego in 1963-1964. Shortly after my 12th birthday, April 1964, Joe was working on my father's car when he noticed me staring at the car and trailer under a tarp nearby. Joe went and got the keys to his father's remarkable 1947 Cadillac, pulled the tarp off, opened the passenger side front door, and offered me a seat. Joe explained the car and showed me some newspaper articles about the car. Louie came out of the shop briefly and asked me what I thought. I was amazed. To this day I'm amazed by what Louie accomplished. Louie Mattar is now deceased, but Louie's Cadillac is on permanent loan to the San Diego Automotive Museum in Balboa Park, San Diego, California. I plan to visit there someday. Brian Grittner, Little Canada, Minnesota Louie Matter’s son, Joe Mattar, was our mechanic when we lived near San Diego in 1963-1964. Shortly after my 12th birthday, April 1964, Joe was working on my father’s car when he noticed me staring at the car and trailer under a tarp nearby. Joe went and got the keys to his father’s remarkable 1947 Cadillac, pulled the tarp off, opened the passenger side front door, and offered me a seat. Joe explained the car and showed me some newspaper articles about the car. Louie came out of the shop briefly and asked me what I thought. I was amazed. To this day I’m amazed by what Louie accomplished. Louie Mattar is now deceased, but Louie’s Cadillac is on permanent loan to the San Diego Automotive Museum in Balboa Park, San Diego, California. I plan to visit there someday. Brian Grittner, Little Canada, Minnesota

]]> By: Firebrand38 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/09/06/room-with-bath-on-wheels/comment-page-1/#comment-482333 Firebrand38 Sat, 08 Sep 2007 03:44:04 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/09/06/room-with-bath-on-wheels/#comment-482333 Thanks Mike. With that lead I looked up the web site. http://www.sdautomuseum.org/ I always like finding out "whatever happened to" something in one of these old magazines. Thanks Mike. With that lead I looked up the web site.

http://www.sdautomuseum.org/

I always like finding out “whatever happened to” something in one of these old magazines.

]]> By: Charlie http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/09/06/room-with-bath-on-wheels/comment-page-1/#comment-480814 Charlie Fri, 07 Sep 2007 18:09:49 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/09/06/room-with-bath-on-wheels/#comment-480814 Wow, really? I live in San Diego, I'll have to check that out. Wow, really? I live in San Diego, I’ll have to check that out.

]]> By: Mike Brown http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/09/06/room-with-bath-on-wheels/comment-page-1/#comment-480791 Mike Brown Fri, 07 Sep 2007 17:59:08 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/09/06/room-with-bath-on-wheels/#comment-480791 That's the same car which appeared on TV periodically back in the 50's and 60's, where they could change a tire or the oil while the car was driving. It's in the car museum in Balboa Park in San Diego, with a player showing videos of one of the TV shows. I saw it there in July. That’s the same car which appeared on TV periodically back in the 50′s and 60′s, where they could change a tire or the oil while the car was driving.

It’s in the car museum in Balboa Park in San Diego, with a player showing videos of one of the TV shows. I saw it there in July.

]]> By: Firebrand38 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/09/06/room-with-bath-on-wheels/comment-page-1/#comment-477488 Firebrand38 Thu, 06 Sep 2007 17:59:01 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/09/06/room-with-bath-on-wheels/#comment-477488 Apparently Mr. Matter had better things to do than smoke dope. In 1954 Louis Matter of San Diego, California and two friends completed the first non stop motor trip from Anchorage, Alaska to Mexico City, Mexico, a distance of 6,391 miles. http://www.antiquechevrolet.com/ I seem to recall that Popular Mechanics covered that story as well. Apparently Mr. Matter had better things to do than smoke dope. In 1954 Louis Matter of San Diego, California and two friends completed the first non stop motor trip from Anchorage, Alaska to Mexico City, Mexico, a distance of 6,391 miles.

http://www.antiquechevrolet.com/

I seem to recall that Popular Mechanics covered that story as well.

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