It’s been a long time coming…several months, two tri-axle dump truck loads of dense gravel, at least thirteen yards of concrete, and enough sweat equity to pay for everything, but the time has finally come. But within hours of reading this words, BangShift Mid-West HQ will be in the process of getting a garage, and from the bottom of my heart, I speak the truth: it’s about f***ing time! Finally, no more bargaining for a place to store the car while I spin wrenches. No more laying on searing hot blacktop, or keeping a lookout for velvet ants as I work in the grass underneath a shade tree. No more using rain and snow as an excuse to not be in the shop. Storage, workspace, and so much more…yeah, I’m excited. First things first: the air compressor I’ve used once, ever, is going in. That will be the start of some fun projects that hopefully take flight sooner than later…that paint gun is calling my name.
Which leads me to today’s question of the day: what would you put into a brand-new garage that isn’t a car or a lift? Are you the memoribilia-collecting type? Would you have a kegerator in a corner? What about a bathroom…hey, if the shop is big enough, surely you aren’t going to want to leave just because you have to take a tinkle, right? Sound system for tunes as you are on the creeper changing oil, or a flat-screen for the times when you are out in the garage “working”? Would you have the massive cart of tools, or would you have an air compressor that could run an aircraft hangar and have impact wrenches at the ready? Let me know what ideas you have…I could use them!
Some old cars and motorcycles.
Congratulations on your new space ! I know the feeling you are having. Ask yourself, did you build it to Do Something / Fab something in it or did you build it to store shit and polish your rims ?
Less crap = More.usable space = Much more fun !
Let the dust settle and in any case Enjoy !
Well first thing is first. You need a good, large, biggest you can afford tool box. It will get filled eventually. Next a good steel top work bench. Something you can drop a transmission on. Gives you a nice place to work. Rebuild things, weld things, build things. After the work bench you need storage racks, a place to put old parts, hang the brooms, keep supplies out of the way. A cupboard to store your chemicals, your brake clean, paint and polish supplies.
Once that is handled the compressor needs air plumbed, and 220v outlets installed, these come in handy once a welder finds its way to the shop.
The next big thing is lighting, bright lights. Lots of them, hang the sun from the ceiling of the shop. Its nice being able to see what you’re working on.
Finally once its setup and useable a fridge, flat screen with laptop hooked up, and some form of stereo (hopefully working with the tv). This is great to use for reference material, have a youtube tech video on while you’re working or just general entertainment.
The final and easiest thing is chairs. preferably something that wont light on fire if a spark from a grinder hits it. Having your better half, kids or buddies come over is great, having a place for them to sit and not get in the way is better.
Shelving, music, plumbed air…
My gawd build a bathroom, if you’re at the point where you could do it and can deal w/ the plumbing and have the permit. Your friends/neighbors come over, get drinking beer, and a ten-foot radius around the outside walls become a pee swamp. Alternate; buy a porta-pottie and pay to have it cleaned out every now-and-then.
Otherwise collect up every bizarre-ass sign, banner, license plate you come across (avoid re-pops that anyone could by for $30) and get nailing them up.
Absolutely! Put a bathroom in. And make sure it has a washer for your greasy work clothes. My wife is just about as big of a gearhead as I am. But she will not stand for our greasy clothes to be washed in her nice washer in he house.
1st Bathroom
2nd Fridge full of Budweiser
3rd Lift
4th 1969 Road Runner 440+6
5th 1966 427 Fairlane
May as well DREAM Big
Courtney Hansen
Urinal cause you dont buy beer you rent it , and the old lady frowns on the budds leakin on the lawn , KICKass stereo
Fridge for soda and beer. A stash of munchie food so you don’t have to clean up just to grab a snack.
Definitely a bathroom, one with hot water.
A heater of some kind for when it gets cold.
Shelves and benches, lots of them. They will get filled faster than you can imagine.
Stereo. This is necessity.
Make sure you have internet access. Can’t tell you how much easier life is when you can just open a Youtube video or Google something when you get stuck.
Somewhere to hang shop clothes.
Something to distract you when you are about ready to take a hammer to whatever it is that’s pissing you off at the moment.
A crappy chair/sofa.
A restored and functional International Harvester refrigerator to chill the beer!
1. A full Bathroom. You want a Shower and hot Water. If you ever get drenched in old, trans fluid, brake fluid. Being able to get clean ASAP with out having to run threw the house is a good thing.
2. First aide box.
3. Think about the lay-out. Where are you going to do what? Paint here, wrench there??… Then run your hard lines to disconnect points. That or just run air hoses, so you can just have a short run on the floor. Visitors, Children and the women folk tend to trip on the hoses.
4. After watching a buddy use a old Commercial Kitchen dishwasher as a parts cleaner, I want one for my own use. That and a Good Solvent parts cleaner tank. A heated water pressure washer is good equipment to own as well.
5. Small media blasting cabinet. Sand or Glass Beads. You want something to use for parts under 1 foot by 1 foot. .
6. If you weld: Make sure at the welding area you have the correct Plug with the proper sized wire, Correct Volts & Amps of service.
Don’t have a 30 amp breaker, a 30 amp plug when your welder needs 50 AMP plugs and pulls 40 amps of 220 3 phase and your barn is wired for single phase.
7. Start with some pallet racks. Put in storage area’s before putting in cars.
Pallet racking can be had New, and in sections 6 foot high. I have some I bought at Menards in my Storage locker and some in my home garage,
8. Find, or make some carts/dolleys for engines. You will always end up with more engines then stands. If you have some angle iron welded in to a square frame with 4 wheels. Then you can roll the engines under a bench, or between the uprights of pallet racks.
9. Heat Source. Placement and fuel is a decision of your own. I plan to get a waste oil burner in the next garage, Even as an alternative heat source. I will filter and burn my cooking oil as well as car oils. No more trips to dispose of something.
10. If your going to do very much painting: Put up a booth. Too late for a floor down draft system, yet you can do a lower wall daft system. A furnace squirrel cage blower, some furnace ducts. Filters. Vent outside of building away from heat scores. If nothing permanent, yet you plan to paint cars Welding curtains and the stuff to hand them. Put plastic up on the ceiling. Put ion a duct and fan set up. So when you want to paint, it’s less then an hour to seal off that area. .
11. Lighting: Put lights where you plan to work. Not where some electrician guess they should go.
12. Snack and beverage area. A old fridge that works. A microwave, a garage sale toaster over. The full size fridge unlike a mini-fridge will take a Large pizza box.
13. I don’t know about you, I can mount my own tires. So I would have a rim clamp tire machine and a newer balance machine. Maybe even on old Coats electric/pneumatic machine for doing larger off road times (33-48’s). That’s if a non ragged out unit can be found.
14. I know you said ‘besides a lift’ Well if it were mine A lift and the second lift placement in a new building would have been from the design. That way Electric, floor anchors, air supply would have been worked out. I want a outside arm 2 post for most work. Then a 4 post ‘Storage’ lift that can in a pinch be used for repairs. A storage lift also gives an extra car inside. They are made to hold weight 6-10 months at a time.
This man is wise. Listen to him.