Projects Getting ahead of yourself

It's not too uncommon to accumulate new & used parts when the price is right in anticipation of installing on the project tying up part of your garage, but where do you store all the parts?

I have stored parts in the rafters of the old garage, in the house in closets & in the guest bedroom, recently while remodeling the old garage to make a living space for our daughter, we found a box full of brand new rubber under the bed in the guest bedroom that I had purchased for the wagon and believe it or not when we were running new wiring in the old attached garage I found a set of 1932 bumper still wrapped in newspaper & plastic that I believe I bought for a coupe project I had more than 35 years ago.

I was pretty stoked about the bumpers but a little sick when I took the paper & plastic off and realized that through the heating and cooling cycles the chrome being wrapped up must have sweated and started to rust, warning, don't store chrome parts in a insulated garage.

In recent years I have started using plastic storage bins and storage cabinets to keep parts, I also have a notebook that I write down the parts I have bought, I now keep everything in the garage, being somewhat of a slow learner, thinking ahead and adopting some organizational skills have made everything run smoother. HRP

 

This spring I went through my shop like a Midwest tornado. I was tired of having no space in my 30x40 barn. Started assembling shelves I already had and built a bunch more to get all the ‘junk’ off the floor. I was moderately amazed at the parts that I had bought but ‘lost’ in the mess. I still have a bunch of boxes to go through and sort labeled ‘garage’ or not labeled at all left over from our move to the country 8 year’s ago.
I’m still looking for all the parts to my corvair steering box that I want to reverse and use on the bucket I’m presently building...
r


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Yup
I like buying parts when I find a deal and keep them for a project.

I built shelves out of angle iron and it’s the width of a clear plastic storage box with the flip lids and only high enough that the storage box fits and I can’t stack crap on top
I label all the boxes with similar stuff ie:
Engine, trans, interior, etc
When we moved 3 years ago I was blown away by all the junk and stuff I collected and completely forgot about, and in most cases had to rebuy to finish the project.
This house I got organized and it’s a challenge staying this way but it’s been 3 years and I’m doing ok.
Lol

 

A pile up the wall,a few box's here an there,some in the garage rafters an shed out back. That's most of a hotrod that is only a plan, build of parts in my head,not actually anything bolted together. I even named that drawing in my head"Hubba Hubba" as its a 24 Hupp grill shell an 1917 Hupp roadster cowel with windsheild an dash a mung lots more. Likely will never build it,even though nearly all the parts are here. Too many things too do,an keeping my old high school hotrod running. Barrel of work drive is 1/2 full,but the other 1/2 an't filling.

 

I still can't find the original seat belts out of my '67 Corvette. that I had stored in a box somewhere. When I moved to my new shop about 12 years ago, I know I moved all the boxes I had packed at the old place. I'm sure they're here someplace (probably packed up with some non-automotive stuff), but I haven't found 'em yet. (BTW, have you priced a set of correctly restored set of C2 seat belts lately?)

I also have a new rule for myself : "Don't buy anything until you have checked your stash!". I have been finding lately that I have a lot of "good stuff" that I don't remember buying. Every day is like Christmas.

 

Throughout the nearly 35 years of my three cars' nearly equal "project" period I had parts in my shops' upper storage as well as the front garage storage and I'm here to tell ya, that will test your orgizational skills for sure.

 

So the ''cram & jam'' boxing method I use isn't the way to go it seems...

 

I built my garage with a great walkup storage in the attic. Problem is rebuying what I already have. Plenty of stuff up there but it is not organized. I think it's time to go through it all, straighten it out and sell off all the stuff I don't need so I can make room for more.

 

I learned a long time ago to label every box with it's contents...

 

I only felt the need to do that in the last few years when I realized I might never finish ANYTHING.
At least my wifes' new significant other will appreciate it if I die before then!

 

My wife says that I never finish anything and I tell her that is so I always have something to do.

 

I have a attic in my garage with an outside walk up - it’s full of car parts - if there is ever an earthquake get the hell out of my garage!

 

I need to be more selective with what I inventory.
I have a lot of parts that I probably wouldn’t use anyway since you can buy so much aftermarket these days, like the 302 I have in my shed. At most is use the block if I ever built that engine for a project car.

I’m going to the swap meet next month and sell anything I know I can buy if I need it, and keep my stash to things that are hard to find and not reproduced like y block parts.


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Started marking boxes several years ago. But, there are still times when I ask myself, "where'd I put that box marked with such and such?"

 

I've been getting rid of stuff for the last few years. Stuff I'd collected over the years I knew I'd never use. Sold some, gave a lot away. Still have a few things stashed I want to incorporate into my car when I get time. This car will probably be my last project [yeah, I know, we all say that, lol], so I'm only looking for stuff when I need it now.

 

Last spring during a garage cleanup I got rid of all cabinets with doors and drawers. I realized that if I put something in a drawer it's gone. They just filled up with crap anyway. So the cabinets and most of the contents went away. Now I use open shelving units with clear containers for the small stuff. That and good lighting helps a lot. Still have way too much shit.

 

I'm still lucky enough to have a pretty good memory, but I need to make parts inventory lists for things I've already bought for projects. If it's a long term project that I buy parts here and there for, I stash the parts in the car. I've got a mustang that I buy parts for every month and someday I'll have everything to put it together pretty quickly.
My shelves, on the other hand, are a mess, though they are "organized".

 

I'm not organized, too much crap, "American Pickers" would have a good time here , Hershey is weeks away so the yearly cleanout / rearranging is in full swing now. I'd really like to have all the parts for the projects on their own shelves and labeled so the next guy knows what is were. Bob

 

Guilty! I have a lot of 40 parts stashed in the attic,in the house, under workbench, boxes etc. More than I will ever use but just can't bring myself to part with them yet.Every time I sold something in the past, I needed that part a few months later. Have NOS grilles, gauges, clocks, restored dashes, garnish moldings etc-getting hard to find.
Also some very nice org running boards-can't bring myself to haul to dump!

 

Sounds like you would be real popular at Turlock!

 

Shed garden......I keep buying used plastic sheds when I get them cheap also. If I get anymore it will be like a maze back there.....who needs a backyard anyhow.

 

Less grass to cut, more time for projects.

 

I use to joke about paving the whole yard and painting it green. HRP

 

That’s not a joke

 

When I was gathering parts for the wagon I never intended to use a 5 speed transmission so I had bought a rebuilt C-4 a few months after that a good friend passed away and his wife wanted to sell his 84 Mustang, he had purchased the car new but the body was rough but he had rebuilt the 302 & the 5 speed transmission, the car only had about 4000 miles since it was rebuilt.

The price was cheaper than a new crate engine and that's when I decided to use the transmission, I finally sold the automatic a couple of years ago. HRP

 

Yeah, but you need to repaint fairly often... Astroturf is the answer, but it's not cheap... LOLOL...

 

Sooo you had 32 bumpers you forgot about from 35 yrs ago ? Yes you post to much..........

 

But think about how much your post count keeps going up with all the negative comments you make about my post. HRP

 

You bitch too much.

 

I really need to go thru my stuff and make an inventory list! I used to think I could remember what I've bought for my project, but with my last bout with cancer and resulting complications my memory has really suffered. Also that way when I'm gone my grandson will know what is stuffed in the storage totes and on the shelves for it, if I don't get it finished up.