Every garage or shop needs the basics. Tools, lift, compressor, stereo and a fridge. If you plan to do serious work, or have anybody come by to help, a refridgerator with cold beverages is a must. Garage fridges are never bought new, ever. They are cast offs and freebies. The best part of a fridge, make that second best after the cold beer, is their usefullness in personalization. With no cash value, they can be defaced. Stickers, spray paint, Sharpies all go into making a better fridge. What is on the metal box reflects the lives, interests and influences of the grease monkeys in the garage. You can even carbon date the fridge by the style of decals on it, the band decals and overspray patina. Here is the freezer door of our overworked fridge at the clubhouse. Send me some pics of your shop cooler. The rounder and more art deco, the better. Ray
mine shortly after i decided to start pinstriping about a year ago. not the greatest now that i look back at it but i was sure proud of it at the time
One of the coolest things i ever saw was at an old shop in San Juan Capistrano called Headers by George. He had this cool fridge with a lot of very rare old decals on it and lots of pinstriping. When the fridge died, he mounted the door to the wall of the shop on the hinges and then had the wall painted with beers and food "Inside" Too Cool!
I've got a 1933 GE globetop monitor that looks just right in the garage but I'm using a backup computer and can't post pics of it! Very cool art deco design. Anyone else got something similar? Max
A picture of our 1942 Fridgidaire fridge. Reatored at Ricks Restorations as seen on Tv. I love it. Doug
Here is our 1948 Philco. I picked up out of our local bargain paper for $30. I had to fab a new handle bar for it and repainted all the letters gold. I ordered up some vintage pepsi decals for it that should be in next week.
Don't let the freezer section go to waste, put two holes in the side of the fridge and a 25-50' roll of copper, one side from your shop compressor and the other to your moisture collector and then to your tools. You will never have moisture in your lines! The high end paint shops but these from thier suppliers for about $2500.00 or so and you have one in your shop for just a few bucks! I did it 10 years ago and love it, just gotta drain the trap often or get a auto drain.
Best part about a shop fridge is it never needs cleaned! I think we're going on about 15 years now...
My Philco. Rescued it, all the appliances, light fixtures, etc. from an early 50's house that was being torn down. It was still plugged in and running! Took it to the shop and plugged it in, only had to defrost it once in the last year and a half. I just finally gave it a half ass cleaning last week.
Actually, I do have a refrigerator in the garage but it is so disgusting I would rather not post a picture of it.
Believe it or don't. They were throwing a '48 GM hotpoint away at work. I got it and was cool as grits. It had been modernized as a test for the A/C shop. My son saw it and knew it was for him. $50 offered and he unloaded it.
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