Need ideas for creative storage of parts & projects

[Just Gary]

Where do you store your parts cars, future projects, & spare parts? Rental storage units? spare bedrooms? Rich uncle's barn?

With no basement, my small suburban DC garage is packed with non-automotive stuff, the wife's modern iron and a modest workbench/tool storage. By the time I roll in the Chevy, there's no room for cool swap-meet treasures and the like.

Help! I need some ideas http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

[Petejoe]

rent a storage garage, or build yourself a pole barn out back.

[spudshaft]

This would be a good survey/poll topic. I have my 2 car garage LOADED, my attic is full, I have some in the crawl space under my house, some in my parents' attic, and a parts car deposited on my parents' farm.

[Tackett]

I'd say to avoid storage units if at all possible. I needed to rent one for "a few months" while I was moving to LA. By the time I found a place with the right garage, etc... I could have thrown all my shit away and bought new stuff (mostly tools) for the price I payed to store it.

$100 a month adds up faster than you think...

[CruZer]

No matter what you do,it won't be big enuff!!!!!!!!!

[Bruce Lancaster]

I think all of us on HAMB are headed for the same fate:

"Daily News, April 7, 2023...page 6, column 4...Crazed Packrat Loner found dead under collapsed pile of indescribable junk...
'Old car magazines back to 1946, said an EMT, shaking his head in disbelief...and rusted scraps of old cars even in the refrigerator'"

[4t64rd]

[ QUOTE ]
With no basement, my small suburban DC garage is packed with non-automotive stuff, the wife's modern iron...

[/ QUOTE ]

I think a re-examination of priorities is in order...

How much room does she take up?

Clothes, shoes, cosmetics, shoes, food, window treatments, vegetables, shoes, and those bulky things she only uses once a month... it all ads up.

Tell her to leave and use the new found space for greasy car parts.

Her side of the bed alone would make an excellent spot for fragile windshields... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Seriously

I bought an metal shed from Home Depot 10' x 16' for about $300 (probably more now, that was about 6 years ago). Set it up on a wooden platform on some bricks in the yard, and seal every nook and cranny so the bugs and rats don'r get in. If you are contemplating a rental unit, the shed would pay for itself in 6 months. Also, Aluminum step vans, Once you put the word out, anybody in a 50 mile radius will be asking you to tow them away. Sometimes they even come with free engines too.

[fordiac]

start going vertical. get lots of shelves, have a cleaning party, put stuff on (dare I mention...) ebay...

seriously go through all the stuff and decide wether you would like to keep that piece, or work outside in the cold.

[praisethelowered]

What the hell? Off the topic of this post, but I have been looking for an Aluminum Step Van for months- as the chassis donor for a project. Trying to find a 16 foot long one with a narrow track front end and straight axle. If they are giving them away I'd love to know where?

[36-3window]

i was running out of space too,and was sick of paying for a rental garage. the city wouldn't let me put up another garage in the backyard,so i bought one of those "instant garages" from COVER IT that you see advertised in hemmings,etc. i wouldn't keep anything nice in it,but it does store a couple bodies and motorcylces

[Reverendcolin]

[ QUOTE ]
No matter what you do,it won't be big enuff!!!!!!!!!

[/ QUOTE ]
Ain't it the truth.

[RPW]

When I brought my house I made it clear, the daily driver will be parked outddors. The bikes and garden stuff is in the garden shred. I do not have much place but I take good care of what I have...

[Levis Classic]

I need to now go vertical - 12 foot ceilings in this storage unit!

[the duke]

I know this dosn't answer the question, but to me its amusing. An older fellow I know has a real good machine shop that he runs himself and hes really good, but his entire pole barn (which is probly 40' by 100') is stuffed full of engine and sprint car parts. In the largest room hes got engine blocks stacked 4 blocks high and entire walls covered by heads stacked on each other. Just thought it was amusing http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif.

[Fatchuk]

It takes till yer old to collect that much stuff and then you die....And some guys like us are waiting to buy it cheap....so save all you can for the our kids and help protect the enviornment....fatchuk

[BARNETT]

The Home Depot/Lowes storage shed is a good idea. Luckily the house we're buying already had one...that's where misc. household stuff, bikes, shovels and odds and ends go. My garage is for sign painting and working on cars. No household storage. Once a little bit of stuff starts creeping into the garage everything else follows it. Next thing you know, it's no longer a garage...it's a storage shed. Shelves are very good. Work bench/shelf combos that you can get at Sam's or H.D or Lowe's are also good because then you havve surfaces to work on and shelves to store things, up off the floor. Plus, they usually stack.

[Bumpstick]

Do what I do. If you've got a flat roof. Put what can withstand the elements up there. My house is situated so that no one can see the stuff (I hope). Got a frame, fenders, doors all wrapped in plastic for future projects. I check on it every now and again just to make sure it doesn't blow away. Even with the stuff up there I still don't have enough room! -stick

[4t64rd]

[ QUOTE ]
I have been looking for an Aluminum Step Van for months... If they are giving them away I'd love to know where?

[/ QUOTE ]

Sorry, these vans are in FL.

[Smokin Joe]

Sheds out back are good. Make sure you keep the stuff up off the ground. Pallets work to raise the floor above the snowmelt and watering that gets under the sheds.

It's amazing how much stuff you can fit under the bed, behind the couch, in the computer room, etc.

If she brings anything into the garage, (other than a cold beer and sammitches for you) accidentally spill oil on it or use the grinder around it. Leave tools and greasy engine parts on the hood of her car. She'll find someplace else for her stuff and you won't even have to ask. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Oh yea, the good trick is to make the garage door opener go bad. She'll start parking in the driveway rather than lifting the door manually. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Tinbender]

Sorry, cant help ya.

[Smokin Joe]

You must be the ringleader of the bike snatching ring in Spokane tinbender. I even see the lock cutters on the far wall! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Rocky]

I got a rented "model A" size garage across town for a measly $30 a month. My swap meet stuff resides in there and my 53 stoodie is stored in a friend;s garage. The 37 Willys and 53 Nash are stored outside, next to an Iowa cornfield, an hour from home. A donor-car cavalier is parked in a tree-line where the stoodie is kept and my baby, the 36 chevy pickup is in the garage, right under my bedroom....My 400 sbc block is cleverly hidden under my desk at work..daily drivers are in the driveway and on the street.
I think I'll score one of those Home-Depot sheds to keep my mowers, bikes, BBQ and yard-care machines in. Who knows? Maybe there'll even be enough room for a 400 s.b. in it.

[hotrodladycrusr]

Smokin Joe's single... I can tell! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I built shelves in the rafters in my garage. Lots of stuff up there that I haven't seen in years. (thanks for reminding me I should really clean it out http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif ) I've got lots of "garbage picked" old kitchen cabinets up in the garage and lots of the "clean" parts are in the guest room under the bed and in the closet.

[manyolcars]

For the cost of a Home Depot building, you can buy enough materials to build a sorage area 3 times bigger.

[metalshapes]

I have a Race car in my laundry room,
I have an other one with no driveline I was going to hang off my livingroom wall,with painted skidmarks behind the wheels, but I was to late...
I should have done that BEFORE the G/F moved in...

[MercMan1951]

Attic space?

I am in the same situation, except that my house is full of MY stuff, I'm not married (yet). I have a 2 1/2 car garage, a 2 car driveway in front of the garage, a single width car drive next to the house, and the street. I don't have a basement, and that may be one of the biggest disadvantages to this house. The driveway, garage, street, and attic space is near capcity!

My garage attic is full, and the house attic is almost full - of car parts, that is. The spare bedroom has been converted into the workshop (for house stuff) which would otherwise be in the basement that I don't have.

I thought about renting storage space, but at $150.00 a month for a 10'X10' area, I ended up having a friend with an unused 1 car garage store the stuff I absolutley needed out of the way. For free. Think about it. If you bought a killer set of wheels at a swap meet, say, you paid $100 for them...if you spend $150 A MONTH (which for a car sized locker is cheap) to store them, over a year, you've spent $1800 to keep those $100 rims & whatever other JUNK you need to keep dry and cozy...worth it? Maybe not...same goes for car storage. If you pay 2 grand for a primo project car, but have to store it for a year before you can work on it, that's $3800 you have invested now, and you aven't even started it yet!

The thing about working on cars is, not only do you need room to have all your tools and workspace, but you need a place to store all the parts you take off the car you're working on!

I still have a hard time with the Merc in the 2 1/2 car garage I have. I am looking within the next year to find a house with a bigger yard, bigger garage, and a basement.

I fully intended to build a shed out in the back for all the non-car stuff...but I found out AFTER I moved in that if you have a free standing garage here, you can't have another free standing structure (shed)...I got screwed. Make sure you check your local zoning requirements, as much as I hate to say it, before spending money on a shed.

My advice to you is to make shelves, and use ALL available storage space in your attic or crawlspace. Seek out the help of friends and relatives, but don't be a burden. Ask people you know if they would consider storing some stuff temporarily for you. You'll come out ahead in the long run.

[30roadster]

my attic got full so i went and got fencing wire and a box of threaded eyelets.... not i've got 4 quarter panels and two hoods from a 51 chevy hanging from the roof... it adds a certain ambiance or spatial " feel" to the two holer...er two car garage http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif- here is one of the hoods....
http://www.webbed-toe.com/roadster%20gallery/images/bodynofloor.jpg
where there is a will there is a way!

[tokyo]

i am in the same situation. no room...i got my 49 dash behind our couch, and one small closet with all my tools and small (like 94's ) in there...my trunk of my car is teh mobile storage shed...someday i might get some room to do something...

[choprods]

http://tristatecarports.getwebnetcom/ these are sold all over[check code] and are cheap- a 20x 21 with8' walls and all sides closed in and a garage door on one end is $2100.00 erected on your lot[bare with gravel] or concrete of your own] in less than one day- I just sold one to a neighbor that is 24x 41 8' tall wall- fully enclosed- with walk door and one 8x10 garage door was put up in 8 hrs for 5300 dollars http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gifcant build it yourself cheaper! Ill take a pic of that one tomorrow and attach it here to show what they are like. you can find a dealer near you Im sure....

[slazzen]

i just bought a old bread truck for $1000 it runs and is about the size of 2 large sheds inside

[safariknut]

[ QUOTE ]
I know this dosn't answer the question, but to me its amusing. An older fellow I know has a real good machine shop that he runs himself and hes really good, but his entire pole barn (which is probly 40' by 100') is stuffed full of engine and sprint car parts. In the largest room hes got engine blocks stacked 4 blocks high and entire walls covered by heads stacked on each other. Just thought it was amusing http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah and I think he might be on this board also!

[Tman]

I have a 10x18 foot shed (the chalet) out back. It has a shed roof, 16 foot wall on the south 8ft on the north. It has a loft that is jam packed. I have 12 bikes stashed thorughout.My touring is on my 3rd buddies place, they are all good pals and let me work in their shops. The 54 is outside in the alley, my 54 wagon is stored at a pals house. No shop sucks, I make do, I hope to change this by this time next year. God willing I find a lot I like.

[kritz]

i just finally got around to getting my garage organized...one thing i found helpful in organizing parts, pieces and miscelaneous crap were plastic milk crates. i found mine behind a grocery store late one night...but seriously. they can hold a great deal of weight, are stackable, and can also be screwed into the wall (used as a cubby hole with the base against the wall.) granted, they don't hold a ton of stuff, but when used in combination with some decent shelving for big stuff, really cuts down on random clutter.

[Rooster]

Enjenjo(courtesy of FatCat!) has a VERY organized system. Of course he's got this big ole 50X100 barn, but I digress... I've modelled my beginnings at serious organization after what I saw there. EVERYTHING in racks and boxes. they used rack systems usually found at Lowe's and Depot. Those metal racks are Awesome! And they throw em out every time they redo the lawn and garden center! I couldn't afford em last time when the scrap yard owner wanted a 1500percent profit on what he'd paid Lowe's, so I built mine from 2x4's and some 2x6's for the heavy stuff lower shelves. TOTALLY VERTICLE! I've also begun slowly accumulating pastic industrial containers for storage of grouped parts/assy's on those shelves. I made a radiator "rack" out of old bunk bed frames and put plywood a neighbor was going to throw away between them rahter than have more than one solid upright per set. I've made 30' of wheel racks 4 stacks high so far so I've got most of my wheels stored properly.
And YES of course I've got stuff hanging in every conceivable fashion from uncovered walls and the ceilings.

I've got more room than some, with my 2car garage and 18x45' out back. OOPS almost forgot to mention the 8x16'. That one's interesting too. I made it from a pallet that a nice new Japanese milling machine came into a local factory, in. It's my understanding that the lumber came from NW America for returning Japanese freighter, was made into pallet-box and return shipped. It came through Port of LongBeach, I know that from the box. I added 2x4's to one side and across the top(sloped), roofed it and vinyl sided it with the city's blessing of a construction permit. I store not only my lawnmowers in it, but have interior components stacked and hanging as well as wiring and dashes. Hell, my lawnmower shed has been further around this world than I have!!!And BACK!!!!!

Ya GOTTA go VERTICLE !!!!!!!

[wingnutz]

"SHIPPING" containers..., you could buy them for $500-$700 for 30' long..., or rent them for $25-$45 a month! They are secure, stackable, and moveable! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

I don't know if you can do this in DC but it works in all states except California...! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Currently I'm using a spare bedroom in my apt. for the valuable stuff...; Radiator shell, headlights, dash, etc...,
Got the body in a friends garage attic above my Willy's Jeep and the frame is two hours away until spring! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Mark

[choprods]

Here is two of the buildings I mentioned yesterday- 24x 41[5300.00] and 12 x21[1500.00] both 8 ft wall height

[choprods]

larger one

[wingnutz]

Gary55

What is your situation...? Do you have a yard? Are there Subdivision restrictions for Sheds, Tents, and or carports? http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif DC is congested and might not allow anything other than what you got!

I lived in neighborhoods that didn't allow for any perminent structures (structures with concrete pad is considered perminent) other than the exsisting dwellings.

But there are ways around that rule by using a tent with "pavers" or a large enclosed car trailer (tight but it's a mobil garage!) or the shipping containers that can be delivered right to the house and set on the ground..., (they encompass the floor doors and walls) again they're mobile!

I've seen cube vans, Semi-trailers, and campers gutted out to fit a car inside! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

I guess it depends on what you can get away with; in your neighborhood! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Have fun and make something "cheap" work! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Mark