Folks Of Interest Gene Winfield selling his Mojave complex

Thanks, I hope someone will post it here Maybe I'll try to out bid Mark for something , right sure you will

 

I saw him at the Ventura Nats over the weekend. Looked like he was having fun.

 

just saw a very short video of Gene on a big site that starts with the letter I. at his shop being interviewed answering a couple of questions about him selling his place, etc. he was pissed at what some people have said that he is being told what to do by another person. he is adamant that he is doing what he wants when he wants to do it. wants everyone to just accept that and move on to another topic

 

Here's the listing for the property.

https://www.redfin.com/CA/Mojave/8201-Sierra-Hwy-93501/home/187332415

 

Wow, are you kidding me! $595K with 2 homes on 5 acres! In my area $595K will barely get you a 60 year old 3bd/2ba on a postage stamp sized lot in the worst ghetto area of town! My rental property is currently in escrow for $750. Also, I love the desert! Now you got me thinkin'................

 

Sounds like you're moving! Congrats! @evintho

 

Think hard unless you like wind

 

The ad states it's been used as a "wreaking yard". I dunno, might be hard to get rid of the smell

 

Not everyone looking at the listing know anything about the property. It’s just a general discription.

 

Over the years there have been a lot of photos of his back lot and shop posted by people who were there. All in the innocent look where I was mode but when people see photos of your stuff pretty soon somone with less than honest intentions decides that they need to pilfer some of those things out in the back lot or the real low lifes breaking into his shop to maybe steal things that they will have big value later.
I met Gene the first time at his booth if you can call a small dining canopy and a table a booth at Pleasanton in 1998 and got to visit with him for a bit as he was in a rather quiet spot out about 100 ft from where Tex Smith and Tom Medley were set up selling their books. I was running short on spending cash when I got to Gene's spot and all I had money for was a pair of Chevy Bow Tie earings for my wife that she still has and wears to rod trots once in a while. Since then I have seen him at the Portland carshows a number of times and got to take his metal working class. Like every other rodder and custom car person who has met him I call him a friend.

One maybe met Gene story comes from 1962 when my dad took my sisters and I on a road trip to Chula Vista from here in the Valley and we did a lot of the tourist spots on the way down including The Trees of Mystery and Chandilier grove. The one big trip Dad took my sisters and I on. I even got to buy a set of Bongo drums in Tijuana.
Dad decided to drive though the Mojave and up through Reno at night to beat the heat of daytime driving in a car with no AC in his Black 57 Olds4 door hardtop with the J-2 tri power in it.
We stopped in a little shop out in Mojave for some reason that I think may have either been a U joint or the drive shaft rubbing and The guy at the shop really wanted the tri power setup off Dad's car.
dad didn't sell it and we got on our way but to this 15 year old kid at the time that guy had a pretty cool place.

Here's hoping that someone decides that a move to Mojave to set up shop in a famed building and have room to build a new building on the place if they wanted to would be a good thing. Gene already proved that you don't have to have a fancy building in a high profile high dollar area to draw customers who want top level work.

 

I would be more concerned with the environmental clean up that might be required if it was a wrecking yard. $600,000 might be a paltry sum if you have to clean it up.

 

Price seems good. I kinda doubt the "wreaking yard" thing was official, I think that's just what the realtor is calling it. Around here, a 5 acre yard with a salvage license attached to it is worth a fortune, places like LKQ have a hard time getting salvage licensed on new properties so they buy out old ones for big dollars, although that might not be true in the California desert, I don't know.

Very cool place though, I hope he finds a buyer and I hope they do something cool there. Also excited to hear about what Gene's new thing is going to be.

 

I’d think with old cars around the property, a shop with a sign , whoever is listing it made an assumption. Sure doesn’t look like a salvage yard to me.

 

Not wanting to derail this thread completely but around here it is almost impossible to get a loan on a commercial property if there is a chance there are environmental issues with the land like having old cars stored on it and the government here would feed babies oil if they could get away with it. I can't imagine what it would be like in California.

 

I saw that as well. He wanted to make sure that everyone understood HE was making his own decisions, and not being forced to sell by anyone.

 

It's also close to El Mirage !

 

Compared to most picture I have seen in recent years lt looks like the property has pretty much been cleaned out. Between potential environmental impact inspections and potential clean ups and building repairs and service updates. I don't think the asking price is the smoking deal some think it is. Glad Gene is looking forward and moving on. I understand that he was married at one time in the 50s. Does he have any family that will oversee his museum and estate just in case he does not make it to a 150?

 

You cannot have over a certain number of cars on a property without having some sort of license.

Salvage yard is one way of doing it.

 

That makes sense.
But I’d bet some judicious sleuthing could turn up that information.

Is his place in a remote location?
All I know of it was following the link posted here and looking at the pics.

 

Let me preface my comments here with the statement that I don't know Gene personally, nor anyone in his circle. My comments are based solely off of my observations on social media and the like.

There has certainly been a lot of drama surrounding Gene on social media lately. Security seems to be an issue at his location. At the same time, there is a much younger female appearing with Gene regularly on social media, and you can't deny the possibility of impropriety, especially for those of us who have no idea what's actually going on. Again, not saying that there is, just saying that it could be interpreted as having an appearance of impropriety. Gene is 96 years old, and with all due respect to Gene, Father Time remains undefeated, and the elderly are often vulnerable targets for manipulative people. Even legendary custom car builders. Gene has posted videos recently saying that the decisions he is making are his and to leave him alone, but Jeremiah Denton looked OK on video too. I think mainly people are concerned for Gene and that he's not being subject to the undue influence of those around him who may not have his best interests at heart.

I sincerely hope Gene is doing well and that he's making the decisions he's making on his own, under the guidance of individuals who he can trust and who are doing right by him. I agree with others who have applauded Gene's desire to direct where his residuals go while he is alive. His legacy is much greater than a brick-and-mortar building in the middle of the desert.