We’ve all played the “What If…?” game, and any good hot rodder has played it with regards to their dream garage or shop and had a huge list of things they would want to see in their dream garage. What I want to know with this BangShift Question of the Day is how big would you make it, and what would be the top three items you would want in it? Is your ultimate shop 2000 square feet or 20,000? And what would your most want to have in it with regards to equipment or features?
I’m thinking my top three items would be a lift, shelves/cabinets/work benches, and complete compressed are system that could keep up with anything I could dream of. I already have welders, and a fair amount of tools. I clearly want more of everything, but if I had to choose only three things, I can acquire the rest over time. Plus, those three are expensive.
But this isn’t about me. If you were to design and build your dream garage, how big would it be, and what would the top three features/tools be that you would put on your must have list?
2500 square feet, built in floor car lift, power overhead hoist, heat / ac.
All I needed was a 2,000 sq.ft. house with a nice patio and back yard with a two car garage (for the wife). However out back would be a 30,000 sq.ft. garage tall enought to have two lifts, air, floor drains, heated, a couple of benches and space enough to park the motorhome inside out of the weather. Working on the later of the two.
My 1320 sq ft shop is already big enough, I just need to get rid of some projects that aren’t getting done, and taking up room.
And one thing a shop does NOT need is a TV set. Not if you want to get anything done in the shop, that is.
I have learned that no matter what, the garage I presently own is never big enough.
I finally built my dream garage after 40 years of laying on my back in the mud and muck. It is a 36×40 monster with a lift, but guess what, its not big enough. Right now it has five cars in it in various states of rebuild. Have to play valet just to get to the lift. It only proves one thing, they are never big enough.
I think Einstein had a global unifying theory about this. It went something like:
Junk always expands to fill all available space.
1300 sq. ft. w/ full fabrication facilities, plus another 1,500 or so for cars and junk would be enough. I’m about 2/3rds of the way there.
I grew up in the biggest house in the (modest) neighborhood, then my parents sold it, invested the money, and moved into a tiny rental so they could travel instead of doing yard work. I think everybody was happier in the small house. Important lesson.
Maybe Ford could sell me the River Rouge plant for a “garage” . . . .
Near my house is a shop that went out of business. Cinder block and brick construction with double garage doors on both sides for easy in and out. It has floor drains and a walled off wash bay that can easily double as a spray booth. The front has a nice air conditioned office area with a bigger room that would be perfect for displaying my collectibles and sitting area for a big screen. It also has a barbed wire topped fence lot that is paved around the building and large gravel back area. Its a corner lot and has access to the main road and side street with parking and nice landscaping in front. Its in a quite neighborhood and right down the road from my house. I dream about it every time I drive by it and thats 2 or 3 times a day.
Well, my dad (82) has a 40 x 80 pole barn and it is full. Therefore my shop will have to be at least 50 x 100. It will have at least 2 lifts, all imaginable welding and cutting equipment, plus a complete machine shop with a flow bench. I am not mentioning hand or power tools as their presence is implied.
I read that the Pontiac Silverdome sold for 65K a couple years ago. That would be big enough. For a while.
The BatCave.
36×48; 4 bays downstairs, 10×10 garage doors in the eve wall with 12′ ceilings and one (maybe two) lifts for working on and storing extra vehiculars. Floor drain a must in at least one bay for washing cars in the winter. The upstairs would also be ground level and would be attic trusses– majority woodshop and a separate walled-off room for the mower, bikes, garden tools etc. Heat and AC both floors.
I figure this would give me room to park 10 cars downstairs, so my brother can park his fleet inside instead of letting it sit outside and rot like it is now.
My other floor plan would still be 36×48, but one half of the downstairs would be woodshop; attic trusses upstairs with half being for the mower and bikes etc and the other half finished out nice with couches, tv, bar, and exercise equipment.
Im going with 50×100, one 16 foot bay door frain in floor concrete driveway 30×50 car port for sand blasting at least 16 foot ceilings for a lift. id like to have iron worker in there and a full set up for panel fab. Here in Nova Scotia tin worn eats metal.Oh and a nice fully adjustable rotissery.
I have a 60×64 pole barn with a 2 car wide enclosure in it that is concreted. I’m trying to find a cost effective way to concrete another 2100 sqft. A work in progress and my organization skills sucks.
I have a theory about garages, they’re like purses for girls, no mather how big they are they will always be full.
Didn’t HotRod or CarCraft do a story about dream garages a few years ago with floor plan and all? I’ll be rebuilding my garage soon and was looking for the best garage floor plans.
I was thinking 20X40 with a second story above it (so no big lift… maybe a pit?). It needs air and electrical everywhere so nothing is in the way, good ventilation/heating/AC and a hanging area with a couch a fridge and a closed storage area that can double as the compressor room so you don’t go deaf.
Of course if larger is monetary available… sky becomes the limit, I could imagine an industrial type building with cars and toys on the floor and living quarter on the second floor à la Krass & Bernie.