Old Cars = New Houses

What to do when the automobile industry goes bust? Turn junked cars into houses! That's what Rob Boydstun did when his metal works company got caught in the economic downturn. Brainstorming with engineers on his team, he developed an efficient system to manufacture economical, energy-efficient prefab houses using recycled steel. In just 45 days, Boydstun's new company, Miranda Homes, can deliver pre-engineered walls and panelized roofs to the building site for speedy assembly.

Of course, Boydstun isn't the first businessman to mass-produce steel houses. Sixty years ago, trendy Lustron Homes rolled off an assembly line in a former aircraft plant. Orders poured in, but only 2,498 Lustrons were built. Perhaps they were just a bit before their time.

• Junked cars morph into green manufactured houses (The Oregonian)
• What is a Manufactured Home?