Garage renovation

[Damn True]

Heya,

My fiance and I are renovating a house to live in after the wedding. All I care about is the kitchen, office and garage. The rest is 100% up to her. So the really important space (to me at least) garage needs to be super functional, comfortable to work in, and not look terrible. I will need TONS of storage for the combined detritus of our two lives.

Id like to hit you guys up for photos of the parts of your garage that you are particularly proud of.

Gimme some ideas.

Thanks,

True

[yody]

this is ALL you need to see;
http://www.ultimategarage.com/UltGar2y.htm
http://www.ultimategarage.com/subterr2.html

[Damn True]

Ok, how about garage ideas for guys who don't have eight ferraris?

[yody]

lol

[Damn True]

JEEEEZUS, THAT GUY HAS A DYNO!

I wonder if he'd like to adopt a 36 year old Portugese dude?

[96Z28SS]

JEEEEZUS, THAT GUY HAS A DYNO!

I wonder if he'd like to adopt a 36 year old Portugese dude?

Or how about a younger 31 year old Portuguese dude?

[DarkBuddha]

this is ALL you need to see;
http://www.ultimategarage.com/UltGar2y.htm
http://www.ultimategarage.com/subterr2.html

WTF?!?!?!?!!! That's enough to incite a peasant uprising!

[vanzuuk1]

that is sick.

now i am going to my garage , and in order to get in my car i have to climb in through the open window of my car, its a little cramped in my garage.

when i pull the car in both mirrors are almost touching.

I am still happy to have the car and a garage to put it in.

[myclone]

this is ALL you need to see;
http://www.ultimategarage.com/UltGar2y.htm
http://www.ultimategarage.com/subterr2.html

Once again I find someone else that has stolen my life.

[Bill Howell]

True,
How tall is the ceiling in your current garage. If it is 11.5', I highly recommmend a lift. That way you get one extra car in it. However, check for garage door clearance too.

[toxicz28]

Geez! The one guy's basketball court is bigger than my house!

[Rubes]

True,
How tall is the ceiling in your current garage. If it is 11.5', I highly recommmend a lift. That way you get one extra car in it. However, check for garage door clearance too.

My ceiling is only 10' and I got a lift. You cant put a truck underneath, but my slammed malibu wagon or even my Judge fit fine. If your short, even working under it is not bad. But just for storage, 10' should be fine. Oh, and like Bill said, dont forget to be carefull the first few times you open the garage door or you'll be replacing a windshield.

[Damn True]

True,
How tall is the ceiling in your current garage. If it is 11.5', I highly recommmend a lift. That way you get one extra car in it. However, check for garage door clearance too.

Hmm, I'll have to check into that.

[dropit69]

wow ..some people have just to much money..cant tell im jelous huh..lol..as they always say a garage can never be big enough ..mine is 42 wide 30 deep and is still too small..

[Damn True]

Ok, enough talk about the garage belonging to Yody's sugar-daddy. Let's see your garages.

[shmoov69]

Ok, how about garage ideas for guys who don't have eight ferraris?

Ok no posts from SW then!
All I got to say is get some GOOD AND HEAVY work benches. Something from heavy steel would be best because you can just clamp the ground to the table and set the item on the table and weld away! When it gets a little crudy, whip out the grinder and make it shiny again! Must have air/heat. Mine has got a unit in the wall like a hotel room has. But my shop is not very big either (24' x 32'). Make a wide and tall door, mine is not wide enough to get my trailer in to work on. And cabnets would be nice also to keep the dust and paint and such out of all the goodies that you have got from past projects. Nice wall for pegboard for misc. crap that you don't use too often. Lotsa lights and even more plug in's. Seperate compressor room for the noise. Drain in the floor is a nice touch. Water in the garage is nice too! Ooohh, oohh! Maybe a couple of those exhaust doors with hoses so you can run it in the winter and not loose all your heat by opening the door and still not die! TV with satelite so you can watch the race in-between wrench runs. And LOTSA insulation to make it efficent. Small fridge (or big one if you are a heavy drinker!) for refreshments! Lift is a nice touch also! If you had the extra space, a seperate room or area that you could do sanding/painting and all the dirty work so the rest of the garage would stay halfway clean <me really wants!
My garage doesn't have all that, but it would be nice! Here is a couple pics of mine.

[dropit69]

shmoov69..yep right on all touches ..i got heat ..no air..water ..hot and cold..a bathroom ..and i put outlets at like 4 feet high that way dont have to bend over ..and oh yeah i put an outlet between my garage doors..think i use that one almost more than any others..and i got a drain in mine for these cold ass IL winter washes..:-) ill post pics when get a chance..

[DarkBuddha]

Ok, enough talk about the garage belonging to Yody's sugar-daddy. Let's see your garages.

You asked for it...

[DeepBlue68]

I recently bought a book called "Ultimate Garage Handbook." It's from the Motorbooks Workshop line of books, and is written by Richard Newton. It's pretty good for general reference and some cool ideas and pictures of awesome garages. He tells you how to do a lot of stuff yourself and gives price and time estimates for a bunch of different projects. If you're just looking for a book to get the wheels turning (in your head I mean) and some basic how-to, this would be a great one to pick up. I got it for $16 at Barnes and Noble, 20% off.

[BonzoHansen]

True, how big a footprint are you working with? That might determine some things; especially how inventive you might need to be. My attached garage is ~21x24. Not big, but not small either. The lack of size is making me get creative.

Here are some thoughts I have, as I am in the middle of an ongoing garage makeover.

1. Safety - I have actually thought about sprinklers. But 4 extinguishers, a CO2 & smoke alarm will have to do. And a hose.

2. Flooring – If you are starting from scratch, make a nice floor. It makes work nicer and will pay for itself in resale, IMO. Cuts down on dust too. I plan on expoxying the floor this fall, using the u-coat-it product.

3. Lighting – Here I am sorely lacking. I will be tripling my lights, but on separate switches so I don’t have to turn them all on at once. I will also be painting the ceiling & walls a semi-glass white to get some reflective qualities. I also have some retractable garage lights, those yellow ones that don’t break easy. Those are a must too.

4. Electricity – I added a 60-amp sub box in my garage when I had the house service bumped to 200-amp. I will be running a dedicated compressor circuit, a bench circuit, etc.

5. Storage – Can you have enough? My quarters are cramped. I have been adding overhead storage for all sorts of stuff. I have a big one over my bench for bulky (but not heavy) stuff. I am also working on a sliding parts bin setup using full extension drawer slides. I have some attic storage for stuff like seats.

6. Benches - I built a large rolling bench I built. The top is mdf w/hardboard top I can quickly change when it gets nasty. I have some bench top hanging on the wall in a permanent fashion. I also will have one that hangs on the wall w/hinges that I can set up if I needed – space dictates that need. And a stool or two.

7. HVAC – Heat is not your problem. I have none at this time. Brrrrrrr. I’m too cheap for this. I setup shelves sized for milk crates so I can take things that freeze (like paint & aerosols) into the basement in the winter. Maybe you need AC? I do too, but a big fan is all I get right now.

8. Lift – If you have room & $$, a lift is a no-brainer addition. This would be #1 on my wish list, but I need a bit more ceiling room. I have a metal post right in the middle of the garage and a l/b beam right across the middle (I have a rancher). Its that beam that kills my headroom. When I put the new roof on in a year or 2, I actually plan to find an engineer to help me with new roof framing so I can take the ceiling up and get rid of the post & beam. Then I can look for a lift. I want a 2-post/4 point lift, not a drive on, so I think I need footings poured too.

9. Windows/Door – I will add a door if I reside the house. A window is nice, plus you can put a fan or ac unit in it.

10. Radio/CD/TV/Internet – I need tunes & baseball in the garage. I bought a wireless card for my 2 million year old laptop, very helpful. If it is gutted, wire it up with CATV & Ethernet.

11. Water – A slop sink would be nice. Running hot & cold would be a bonus.

12. Air lines – hard lines off the compressor make for shorter hoses.

13. Fridge – that would be nice. An oven for powder coating?