The Ideal Diesel DIY Home Garage - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

TylerH860 · #1 01-29-2008, 11:43 PM

I'm taking the plunge and buying my first house; move in day is Saturday!

I'm excited to have the luxury of a two car garage to play in, but I am looking for ideas to layout the space.

I know this may seem personal, but I would like to see some pictures of where the magic happens.

Any good tips for organization and space saving storage ideas would help too.

bgkast · #2 01-30-2008, 01:05 AM

Mine's too shameful to post now. Half is filled with an interior-less W123, the other half is filled with the interior and miscellaneous junk

pawoSD · #3 01-30-2008, 01:08 AM

Our '83 300SD is sleeping in ours....I'll try to take some pics of it tomorrow....we totally re-vamped it a few months ago....new loft...shelving...intense lighting.....workbench....made the most we could of a 1.5 stall garage....worked out very well, we ended up with extra (storage) space!

I even put a spare PC out there so I can bring up the FSM and forum while working....

Brewer · #4 01-30-2008, 04:05 PM

this is the garage I want for my 300zx (after I buy 10 more of them)

Dee8go · #5 01-30-2008, 04:10 PM

That'sw funny right there. I don't care who you are.

I'm just hoping to be able to clean my garage out enough one day to be able to put my cars in it again. I'd hate for anyone to see it.

SirNik84 · #6 01-30-2008, 04:20 PM

don't feel that bad. I live with Garrett, for those of you who know him, and know me. we are the 2 most lazy people on the planet. we striped a 123 down to its core in 1 night... but the garage still looks like a 123 was exploded in my garage over a month and a half later... i will not post pics

PS Chevron might wanna explore for oil in my garage... its looking like an oil deposit.

toomany MBZ · #7 01-30-2008, 05:05 PM

Here's what I have in the computer, close ups later.

Mismost · #8 01-30-2008, 05:34 PM

I don't have a traditional garage, I have a detached "shop/guest room with balcony/open shed/lean to garden shed...looks odds but it works great for me. I love the shop with 4 windows and 2 big doors...the light and breezes make it nice. I also like being away from the house...sometimes it is the safest place to be with a raging red head running wild!!

The two best things I have ever done:

1. Bought a stacking tool box on rollers...it's a cheap one, but keeps my tools organized (somewhat) and rolls around to where it's handy. Those giant 4-5 thousand tool boxes are great, but I'm too much of a tight wad!

2. I picked up (free) used base kitchen cabinets, lined them up down one wall, put a counter top on them, and peg board above. The cabinets are great for small power tools, paint, parts, or whatever you can stuff in them. The peg boards hold the "always use these tools".

Other stuff like several extra shop lights that I can move to different hooks or slide under the car help a lot. There is a bad-ass metal blade ceiling fan and a roll around box fan that will sweep small parts right out the door...hey, it gets really hot in Texas. Ohhh, and the daughters old mini-stereo system and about 6 speakers with shade trees and lawn chairs out the back door. The whole shop is decorated with a "this crap is too good to throw away" motif with a touch of "I might need this someday" accent pieces.

suburbanviking · #9 01-30-2008, 05:45 PM

Must haves!:

- beer fridge
- girlie calendar (Makita, Hooters, whatever.....take your pick)

That's 'bout all I can think of right now.

.....Dan

Paul W · #10 01-30-2008, 10:52 PM

For me the most important tool I use while working on my car is a computer and this forum. I am always checking this site for information when working on the car. By using this site and doing the work myself I have saved a ton of cash. The next tool is a real big hammer with plenty of room to swing it.

crashone · #11 01-30-2008, 11:37 PM

I have a nice driveway with a big oil stain on it, someday I would like to build a roof over it and some walls around it so I can call it a garage.

toomany MBZ · #12 01-31-2008, 05:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crashone

I have a nice driveway with a big oil stain on it, someday I would like to build a roof over it and some walls around it so I can call it a garage.

LOL

Chad300tdt · #13 01-31-2008, 08:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by toomany MBZ

Here's what I have in the computer, close ups later.

Hey, I've seen that before! Nice ivy and cabinets.

Here are some pics of where I play mechanic. I pull my car in diagonally so I can get around it easily.

I renovated my kitchen and used the old cabinets in the garage. The old range hood is wired in and I put a charcoal filter in it so I can solder under it with good light and ventilation.

I'm always doing something in there, so this is as clean as it ever gets.

You should see it when I have to do some woodworking.

fdanielson · #14 01-31-2008, 02:05 PM

Most newer homes are built with 10foot garage ceilings. If yours does seriously look into buying a lift. A four post lift can be had for just under $2000.00 if you look around and requires no installation other than plugging it in. It can make a huge difference in how long it takes to do a job and can be the deciding factor in whether or not to send the car out to get it fixed at a shop. Also if you're over 40 it's just plain hard to be crawling around under a car or squatting on your knees for any length of time.

There is one other piece of advice and it may seem counterintuitive. Avoid having too many horizontal surfaces. There's always the temptation to install 8,10, or 20 feet of workbench surface in the delusional hopes that you'll have plenty of space to work on. Any horizontal surface in the garage exhibits a strong gravitational pull and will be covered within hours. No matter how much bench space you have, you'll always be working in the two square feet of space that you managed to clear by precariously balancing several dangerous things on top of each other. Next time you are at an auto repair shop check out how little bench space they have in the service bays compared to most home garages.

Chad300tdt · #15 01-31-2008, 02:23 PM

fdanielson, That's a good point about the counters. I always end up cluttering them up, but I needed mine for my woodworking tool stations and underneath for boxed tool storage. I use a small folding workbench/saw horse thing in addition to my counter space for car stuff, but I want to get a rolling metal cart to use instead. I'd also like to get a small parts washer some day, but I need a welder first.