Folks Of Interest How many of you are true garage builders ?

Been a home builder since day one and do side jobs for friends. Figured out over 40 years ago. I'm just too damned cheap to pay someone else do it.

 

Not just built the engine, but a proper Pontiac engine! Well done.
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My current garage project -almost done.

 

Here Is mine today. One day I will have the dream shop but no time soon.

 

Just finished my shop addition last year, looking forward to having a HEATED shop this winter.

 

Great addition! I'd get a 6" I beam and mount it under those two beams you already have in place. Mount it about in the center of where the pickup is setting instead of the center of the shop so that it serves one bay. Buy a trolley and a chain hoist from Harbor Freight and you will have one of the handiest shop tools you can imagine. Put two trolleys on it and you can lift bodies and frames and set them on tables or body dollies ......one handed. Motors will be a breeze.

 

Here is our mess(my son and i) we do pretty much everything except upholstery and Chrome


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I built 12 cars out this little garage in 18 years. This was the last one. I did everything except for the engine machine work.



Here she is done.



This will be the first car from the new shop.



-Abone

 

Jeff, you need more stuff in your shop. I have some junk I would bring over.

 

No garage...the only things I can think of I haven't done outdoors is machining, full paint jobs (rattle can not included I can paint just in a borrowed space lol) and upholstery...but I'm about to attempt the latter

 

Count me in, how else would a fella get any therapy

Edit for a little more work to the car hole

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And the winter work area behind that wall and garage door

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LOVE THE FOOTBOARDS ON THE BIKE

 

I do everything except paint and interior as well.

 

YELLOW (NOT LIME GREEN) 1951 OLDS IN THE TWO CAR GARAGE CIRCA 1956 (The Olds Sedan was painted a Lime Green in late 1957)

Hello,

In our old 1946 post war, tract home in Long Beach, we had a two car garage. Every third house had a single car garage, but a bigger yard. So, there was a trade-off of sorts. The single car garage could get a 1964-65 El Camino in it with room to crawl out of the driver’s door. But, the passengers had to get out in the driveway.

The 1951 Olds Sedan spent its time outside in the big concrete area, but not as many times inside of the 2 car garage. My dad left at 5 am to go work in Los Angeles and my brother kept odd teenage hours. When he bought the 58 Impala, that car was inside of the two car garage, every time. But, for a while until we got the hang of it, the Buick had to be moved out to the street and the Impala parked on the left side of the garage. Then the big Buick filled its spot on the right side.

The two car garage had a side door and a dual cement sink. Two big cars could fit side by side. The opening side door space was useless with a 57 Buick Roadmaster in the right side and the 58 Impala in the left,. Open the door and crawl into the open 58 Impala window was one way to get access to the driver’s seat. It created problems.

But over the years, we learned to back the Impala out with the big Buick parked in the right side. The backup cemented driveway work area was big enough to maneuver the Impala. (even without power steering, just plain old teenage muscle and determination)

We never did any long term hot rod projects in this 2 car garage. The exception was, (for the times we needed the overhead 2x4 rafters with our temporary column supports) for removing and installing motors in the 1940 Willys Coupe. The high open beam 2x4 rafters needed several extra cross beam supports and then a 6x6 pole bolted to those rafters for the downward stress relief.

Hooking up a chain pulley did the removal and installation several times over the months, working on the Willys Coupe. Removal of the 4 cylinder stock motor and trans, installing the 283/6 Stromberg SBC and 3 speed LaSalle transmission were the two times we thought we would use the 2x4 custom rafter engine supports.

But, after the 40 Willys coupe was up and running with the 283, there was no need for the use of the rafter supports. Little did we know, several months later, there was a need to remove the 283 in the next phase of rebuilding for the C/Gas coupe class and install the 292 671 SBC rebuilt motor and trans.

Jnaki

As the title goes: HOW MANY OF YOU ARE TRUE GARAGE BUILDERS ?
My brother and I fall into that category. Not only did we destroy that post war “Rumpus Room,” we made a 1.5 car, garage door. There was no way to drive a car(s) in the normal way. So, we took out the entry French Glass Doors, cut away the side walls, took out two casement windows, put in a bigger support beam, restructured the frame around the new garage door. We looked at an empty 2x4 frame that was the new garage door. We kept the original wood siding as we needed something to match and cover up any raggedy edges on the sides. (And to appease our mom’s scrutiny…)

The new 2nd garage was a workplace that had a work table, benches, cabinets and could house a 1940 Willys coupe inside with the door closed. It was possible to work on various parts of the Willys coupe, but space was tight. If we took out the work table or made it thinner, then there would be more space to work with open doors. We took the Willys doors off if we needed to work inside during a rainstorm or at night.

How small was this rec room conversion as a work space for our Willys coupe? The Willys could be rolled in place complete with fenders and bumpers, but there was no room to walk around and work with the doors open or hood up. Work in the trunk, yes. Work in the front engine compartment? Only if we moved a welding table, a workbench and parts storage area over, then there was room to do some work. But, the garage door was lockable and secure.

Most of the time the work was done on the concrete slab outside of the garage door. When it rained, a giant canvas tarp stretched out with clothes line wires to the actual clothes line supports for a huge covered tent. The stretched canvas also was a giant shaded area great for summer time outdoor hot rod building and modifying.

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/what-is-on-your-shop-door.1140967/page-4#post-12992670

These old post war tract houses did have room to build a nice second, double car garage. The yards were wide enough and deep enough for such a build. The new double car garage could have been expanded with space to work and park our two teenage cars. Logically, we felt it was a waste of money and time since, both of us were ready to leave the house in a few years for college. What would our parents do with 2- two car garages and a work room in the deep backyard?

But, for a daily drive in and out situations, 4 people with 4 cars in a two car garage had two cars always outside. The sedan delivery was one, and a VW van was the other. My mom and dad’s individual cars were in the garage. (A Chevy and big Buick. )

Thanks for the support…
1958 Check out the tucked in, 58 Impala (chromed roof vent) on the narrow left side of the two car garage.

When we sold the house in 1998, the “newish-looking” 2x4 supports were still bolted to the original color, wooden, cross beams, high up in the rafters of the normal, 2 car garage. (the 6x6, floor to rafter, support beam, was cut up and used for beach firewood, many years earlier.)

 

Re-built my first 265 Chevrolet engine in a horse barn stall. I was thirteen. Hay worked great soaking up the spilled oil. Second rebuild was in my parent's garage when I was fifteen.

 

I am also a backyard builder. I have done most of the work on my projects, paint, interior , body, mechanical. I just put up a shop 4 months ago. It has been easy to get used to. For years I'd worked out of my carport, wasting time getting my tools out, and having to stop short of finishing the job so that I had time to put all my tools back. I always had to make sure everything was weatherproof. ( tools, supplies, project. This new shop has spoiled me, it's nice to be able to find a stopping point, turn off the lights, and be done. It is much easier and saves my time.

 

Spending my kids inheritance on something to get me more than 2 car's working space. 60' x 34' and room to store a 40' toyhauler inside. Of course I'm out of room already and it's not even finished yet, but........

 

What my son and I can't do - my buddies can (in their garages).

 

Like the truck! What I can see of it.

 

I am a garage builder, never had a shop with equipment to work with. The only thing I have paid to have done is machine shop work. I assemble the engines after that. I do all my own fab work, all my own body work including painting and wiring. As for upholstery, I have only had 2 seats upholstered by a pro, one of which I had to redo myself because he made it too thick with padding, all the other upholstery was repro kits. I had to give up on the last headliner job because the pins and screws in my neck won't allow me to bend it much. I have had glass made, but I installed it.
There is not one nut or bolt on my cars that I have not refinished, replaced or repaired. All my cars were built in either a one stall or two stall garage..sometimes outside, including frame off builds (that gets crowded).
My 32 coupe is the exception to that, I bought it already put together.

 

I used to work in the street but cars weren't as wide as they are today and people had a sense of timing to know when to pull over to let the other guy go, so it was no real issue.. With the hopped up bird brains driving todays streets you can forget working on the street..

 

I Don't Build Cars For The Exercise....It Makes The Beer Taste Better At The End...

 

All built by me in the garage. I built the motor, I helped build the tranny, I assembled the 40 some odd pieces of the body. I did all the body work. I farmed out the custom alum hood and the welding on the frame. I painted it with a bunch of rattle cans. Upholstery and top was farmed out. Wired it my self.

 

Damn near perfect..

 

yup..I do almost everything myself except machine work and upholstery. Typically never had money so I learned to do what needed to be done. Built my first engine at 16 which went into a 57 Chevy pickup I bought for $900 bucks. Since then a couple of mid sixties pickups, a Harley, 57 210, and now a 31 Model A pickup.

 

I've been working on a 28 Model A sport coupe for about 10 years now. I built my own chassis (Model A frames are pretty simple), overhauled the engine, transmission and rear end, built a seat from the rear seat on a 70's Bronco and I'm now in the process of doing the body work. When I started I was working full time for DTNA. Now I work for the Social Security Administration, at least they send me a check every month. The only thing I have farmed out so far was the machine work on the engine. I may farm out the final paint, but that check I get isn't that big so we will see. I might actually hit the street next summer.

 

After.....

before

 

I guess I am. I build the cars, and I build the garage they get built in. That counts, right?


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All of my Hot Rods have been home garage built.