History Steve McQueen’s Command Center

Man that’s so damn cool. While my algorithms have been pushing videos of his house as of late



Pretty cool place really.

This truck and the “command center” made me immediately made me think of Jason Lee ( skate boarder turned actor turned photographer) and his pickup truck taking cross country trips taking photos while living out of the back of the truck.

Something about that mix of nomad and adventure just really hits the mark in an old truck.

 

I have a friend who drove his stock 1 Ton cross country, east to west coast and back. I have a half ton, 130 k personally driven miles, 15 years dd/only vehicle. My 1949 Chevrolet half ton truck is stock suspension, 261ci engine, '68-'70 Saginaw/Borg-Warner 3sp+od, 3 on the tree.

 

I my estimation part of what makes Steve, and for that matter Paul Newman, so relatable is they didn't collect cars as much as they drove them.

 

Ruggedly purposeful. Like Steve. The ability to stand up in it is huge.

 

need more pics of the shell!

 

When I think of sleeping in the back of a truck I think of Jerry Slover's big deuce truck, also Bob Rothenberg's Big Fella. Lots of on the road room for camping in their canvas covered stake beds.

 

@Ryan ........Eat the cake, drink the wine, make the trip......
I have always wanted to go to Bonneville. Now that I am the same age as dirt, I know I ****ed up.
Don't be like me !!!!!!

 

thats not an everyday rig . . .

 

Interesting, the listing indicates that no one looked very close at the engine, or they would have spotted that it's a 261...has the captains bars over the starter, and the serial number ends in 54N, which means it's a 261 Jobmaster from a 1954 6000 series truck.

thanks for the rerun

 

If you're the same age as dirt, then you still have a ways to go.... I was standing in the only gr***y area at Firebird Raceway near Boise, in between rounds of racing. A friend was standing next to me, who is known for his dry sense of humor and outlook on life...... Right behind us were two young boys standing in the only spot that was not gr***. They were kicking the dry dirt into a frenzy of dust and laughter. I didn't even look at my pal, I just commented that I don't remember when I was their age, standing around kicking at the dirt and raising a dust storm. James didn't even turn around, he simply said, Bruce, when you were their age, there was no dirt.... OUCH !!!!

 

A member here that lives close to me cruises and camps in an Avion (think airstream) slide in on his slightly OT truck.
I dig these Alaskan pop up style slide ins


I’ve got a 49GMC long bed and will probably round up or build a vintage camper shell.

I picked up a Higgins (PT boat company) pull behind pop up camper a couple years ago.
Looks like a pop up military tent with an aluminum bottom

 

Your not as old as dirt, but dirt was brand new and clean when you came along lol
Ryan these gentleman speak truth!
That trip is on mine and the Mrs bucket list. We want to run it in a converted school bus, which most likely will be off topic, but maybe not.
Dan

 

I wish I still had the camper that came on my truck when dad bought it in 1977...oh well....I'm not Steve McQueen, so it doesn't matter.

 

A little more to the thread...... I had a good friend many years back, who was a master craftsman when it came to building cars, and as meticulous as one can be. During a trip to Oregon, he saw a '41 Chevy pickup, which was owned, and still being used by a plumbing company. He tried to by it, but as always, it was not for sale. He left his card, saying if you change you mind, please call. Well, the owner did just that some years later. My pal drove that critter just as it was, with original paint and the company name on the doors, for a while... He was commissioned by Hickey Enterprises to design and make a mold for a hood scoop to be sold by the company. In return, he got a W30 Olds engine and automatic trans.
So in true hot rodder style, he squeezed that pair into his Chevy pickup..... He did so with no body mod's, and even incorporated the original floor shifter onto the ******. Then he went street racing. Needless to say, he had more fun than should be allowed.
Then one day his phone rang.... His wife answered, and the lady on the other end says, Hi, this is Ali, and my husband would like to know if that old Chevy truck is for sale..... Nat said no, I don't think so. Ali told her that Steve had an old truck like that when he was a kid, and that it would be great for staying incognito when hauling around a motorcycle.
Sorry, still not for sale. This went on for some time, until the decision was made to sell the Truck, reluctantly...
A couple years later, Nat and Ray are driving down the Coast Hwy when Nat screams out.... STOP THE CAR !!!!! Did you see that. That's the Truck, all covered with mud, and a bike in the back. Turn around... She stomps into a little restaurant and asks where the owner of that truck out front is.... She told he is holding court with his buddies in the back room..... She barges into the room and sees Steve at one end of a large table, with men in suits all around. Hi Nat, he proclaims, what up... I'll tell you what's up, I just pulled your keys out of that filthy Truck and can't believe you let it get that dirty, and leave the keys in it, and throws the keys at him. Just to let you know, I have a set of keys for the Truck also, and if I see it like that again, I'll take it back !!!! Ray walked in just in time to hear Steve say, okay guys, what are we going to do after this meeting, and they said in unison, we're going to wash the Truck......
The Truck was later painted tan with brown fenders........

 

McQueen also got away on his 1947 Indian chopper, a similarly low-key vehicle.

 

In summary, Steve McQueen. IYKYK

 

Be honest now.... would YOU steal a truck from Steve McQueen?

 

This must have been when McQueen was on his sabbatical from acting, just living out of the truck and riding his bike! I'm reminded of the truck Pat Ganahl had as well, or the same perspective with Jim Babb's "Big Elmer" camper!

 

I have pondered building my own for the F100. I just need to see how a few pieces were fabbed. I can't afford build a giant press, so mine will have to be ala manual labor.

 

I have never understood why people outside of racing have an inflation with Steve McQueen!

There is much revisionist history by the unwashed m***es about him, within the racing community he is barely a footnote and is generally not well respected!

The legit actors turned racers are Paul Newman







and James Garner who owned cars because not allowed to race however he found a loophole which allowed him to compete in off road events

 

Um, I guess over 100 motorcycles and over 100 vintage cars isn't considered a collection? He even rented a parking garage at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel with cars even his friends didn't know he kept there until after his death. Cool dude? On that we can all agree.