Above 1200 Sq/FT Restored 1930's Auto Shop

[BB767]

You did a great job on the restoration!

Well thank you Glenn. While the shop is largely done, some of the equipment is still in the restoration process as you've seen and some you haven't...yet. And to do that I've got to finish cleaning out two of the last buildings. Here is some of the signage that I removed from the tool shed just before the snow hit.

They are all pretty dirty right now but should clean up very nicely. I removed them from the shop in 2005-06 while it was being cleaned out and put them in the tool shed. I've been waiting 4 years or more to get back to them and see what I've got. Several of these displays still had NOS parts still with the display. The new brake lines can be seen on the last picture. While those lines are, at present dirty, they are new. Should make a very nice display when finished.

Thomas

 

[BB767]

So...do ya ever get someone stopping wanting a chain sharpened?

That's a good question and one I wondered about when I decided to leave the sign up out front. For about a year after I bought the shop, several farmers and local folks stopped in to see when I was going to open back up for business. Most were disappointed to find out that wasn't in the plans.

Then last summer as I was out mowing I noticed a woman pull up to the front door, remove something from her car and go in. As I went in to see what she needed, she proceeded to show me a lawn mower carburetor she had removed and needed some help with. I clamped it to the vice, poked around, found the problem, corrected it and returned it to her. She then asked for a bill so she could pay me. It was then I told her that I was happy to help out and I couldn't accept any money for it. She remarked I couldn't stay in business doing work for free. That was when I realized she thought it was a repair shop. No, I told her, it was just a shop I used to support my hobby. She turned beat red and apologized but that I had a sign out front etc....

So I was a little concerned about the sign out front at first but I figure now it's so weather worn people wouldn't possibly think it's still a going concern. Well at least most wouldn't.



Now if I had reinstalled this sign outside I know I'd have a problem.

Thomas

 

[Omphaloskeptic]

Thomas,

Maybe re-opening as a business wouldn't be such a bad idea; just in case the airline pilot gig doesn't work out.
Another thought, wouldn't you be able to write off equipment and capitol improvements as a business expense? I know all you do there is a labor of love, but it would give your tax accountant some great deductions to play with? --- 'Thomas, I'm not sure the cost of powder-coating an anvil is a legitimate business expense.'

 

[Bob Heine]

I had assumed all along Thomas and Chris were running a business (a professional service). If this project and it's handbook is not intended as intensive treatment for us hoarders, I guess I missed the point. As a direct result of this thread, I have gotten rid of several cabinets full of rare and irreplaceable scraps of metal. The cardboard boxes I have now recycled have probably saved a Rhode Island sized forest. My hoarding isn't fully cured but I've begun the journey....

 

[markviii]

Hey, Bob. This was always intended as a personal project and turned into a journey with lots of new friends coming along for the trip. We certainly don't need another business to add to those we already have! "Hobby" stuff turned into life-changing stuff and this past year has been incredibly surprising and fun. Thanks for coming along for the ride (and don't forget to study for the upcoming test!).

Chris

 

[willy3486]

Thomas,

Maybe re-opening as a business wouldn't be such a bad idea; just in case the airline pilot gig doesn't work out.
.'

Here is something to think about as far as your shop goes. I don't expect to move from where I am unless I get to the point I am too old to do much. If I got to where I couldn't do much I would move closer to my daughter if she is out of state. But my plans for my shop after I retire is to do stuff on the side when I want to. The way its going they say you will need a job after retirement anyway. I am tired of working for people so my own shop is it. That's one reason I am getting a shop set up. I can do electrical repairs and woodworking in it. So hopefully I can get by with that. Who knows the way things are going there may be no retirement after all these years of paying it in. So you may could fix a few things after retirement for a little spending money and to keep busy. Thats my plans for my shop.

 

[3bay]

I wondered about that Thomas because a close friend of mine bought a house with an old bike shop out back several years ago. He redone the shop and added on to it. For many years during the summer he'd get several stopping in to have a bike repaired and few times when he was at work, folks would leave a bike with a note telling what they wanted done to it.

A couple years ago he finally had to put up a sign saying it was no longer a bike shop.

 

[Vernmotor]

Oh...........I didn't know. Of course if someone can use it. Didn't realize that someone just might need a spare tank engine manifold. What was I thinking.


Thomas

LMAO way too funny ..this made my day to read this... I think I had tears rolling !

 

[Nuts]

Could call the place a Museum, might be all kinds of tax deductions.


Nuts

 

[BB767]

In case it escaped anyone's attention, today is the 1 year anniversary of this thread's first post, here on Garage Journal. So here we are 1 year later, 500,000+ views (I couldn't have planned that if I'd tried!!), 107 pages and 2130 replies. Gee, who'd a thought, huh? And I get the distinct impression you guys aren't tired of it yet. Real gluttons for punishment I guess.

In recognition of this auspicious occasion I submit the following pictures. Please don't take this too seriously, Chris and I did it all for fun 'cause if you're not having fun, what's the point? Enjoy!



What celebration would be complete without...



...a little...



... bubbly...



... and since Chris and I don't indulge...



.. some Welches Sparkling Grape Juice can set the mood.



That's an awfully big wrench for such a small girl...



... but this is what you guys are gonna want to do after her test on this thread...



... and yet, through it all I couldn't have done it without her.



And so Chris and I want to thank Ryan, Bull and the crew here at Garage Journal and especially to all of you who have given your time (and your sleep!) by following along with us on our little project here in the Center Of The Universe.



Since Philo is truly "The Center Of The Universe", we celebrate with the "official" 125th anniversary "Philo, The Center Of The Universe" glasses.



They of course needed a suitable table and Mr Johnson's anvil worked just fine.

Thanks everyone.

Thomas and Chris

 

[hobbitss]

Yea!!! 1 Year celebration....
You need some sparkling Cider...
Nice Wench, er ah, Wrench...... Tools!!!!

 

[hobbitss]

LMAO way too funny ..this made my day to read this... I think I had tears rolling !

Some of the posts do need a Cola alert/warning to keep unsuspecting readers from polluting their keyboard and screen with beverages....

I make it a point to not drink while reading forum posts....

 

[Omphaloskeptic]

Thomas and Chris,
The pics brought a smile to my face; and the thought that the two of you have given all of us a gift by sharing your fun adventure. Thank you!

P.S. - That demi-table is one that will never wobble!

 

[HOTFR8]

Well done. Nice to see some of the new T-Shirts being worn.

 

[Boosted1]

Great pictures. Thank you so much for sharing all the info on your garage spaces and the work. Very interesting information. So are you going to powder coat that anvil?

 

[dmeray1]

Just wondering...would powder coating stop the anvil from ringing??? Congratulations and thanks for sharing your adventure.....keep it coming.

 

[3bay]

At first I thought the Pepsi machine's were the same but after a second look it appears to be a different machine. Was the old one beyond repair?

 

[dmeray1]

That would have been a great test question.

 

[hobbitss]

At first I thought the Pepsi machine's were the same but after a second look it appears to be a different machine. Was the old one beyond repair?

Looks the same, just with new paint and a new Logo panel...

 

[Nuts]

Happy Anniversary Chris and Thomas.

It's been a fun year following along and participating, thank you.


Nuts aka Doug

 

[markviii]

Clarity on this hot Pepsi machine issue will be forthcoming...before New Years Eve.
Also the "demi-table" would withstand the earthquakes we get here in Central IL (we're on the New Madrid Fault, so earthquakes do visit us. I have had several plaster cracks in my house repaired over the years). I don't miss our earthquake drills at school. Back in the 90s, they were as common as tornado drills (we're in Tornado Alley here, also).

hobbitss has good advice about drinking beverages while reading/posting on GJ. It might save someone from choking or snorting soda up the nose from all the laughing and other startle-reactions that go on here!

The GJ t-shirts are pretty cool, too. Tom didn't know he was getting one for Christmas, so it was nice to finally be able to surprise him.
Thanks Ryan!!

Chris

 

[R1chy]

They of course needed a suitable table and Mr Johnson's anvil worked just fine.

I was expecting to see the hammer, tell me it was hiding behind the table cloth.

 

[BB767]

Could call the place a Museum, might be all kinds of tax deductions.


Nuts

That would be a terrific idea and would do wonderful things for us from a tax point of view, right up to the audit! It's just easier this way and I sleep very well at night besides!! But thanks for looking out for us.

Thomas

 

[BB767]

Yea!!!

Nice Wench, er ah, ..............

My thoughts exactly

Thomas

 

[Motown 454]

Congrats Chris and Thomas, And thanks for keeping me entertained and amazed for all this time.
I just opened a bottle of Ice tea to toast the both of you. Salute!

 

[BB767]

...... So are you going to powder coat that anvil?

Just wondering...would powder coating stop the anvil from ringing???........

You know it really wouldn't be all that expensive to powder coat it. Face it, there isn't much surface area involved. It sure would help keep it from rusting now wouldn't it? Wonder what the side effects of sitting in an oven @ 400 F for 30 minutes would be?

Nahhhhhhh, I don't think so. I'd rather have Rick come and give it his special Willam's paste job instead. He's really got me intrigued with that one.

Thomas

 

[3bay]

Looks the same, just with new paint and a new Logo panel...

Don't think so Joe, the fronts are totally different and notice the compressor vent louvers in the side of the old machine and none in the new one.

Back of the Pepsi machine. Note the bottle cases because they're in the next picture. It cost a dime for a bottle. Machine still had change in it.

.

The Pepsi machine chills to 38 degrees and is a Vendo 57 I think, holds 7 in a row, top to bottom. 20 miles from us is a store that stocks over 50 different kinds of soda in bottles. I keep it stocked full and is adjusted so that you don't have to pay anything.

Thomas

Rich

 

[BB767]

I was expecting to see the hammer, tell me it was hiding behind the table cloth.

I can't get anything by you can I R1chy?

You guys didn't really think she'd just out and out agree to us buying the shop and " do a little fix up" do you? A little persuasion goes an long way.


Thomas

 

[markviii]

And to think that I was the one who walked by it every day on my 3-mile walk. I was always amazed at the "jungle" and was curious about what was back there and inside all the buildings. Tom would talk about his experiences out there. I kept thinking about it and bringing it up for years and calling about other abandoned gas stations in our town where he could have a lift and work space...then finally he got up the courage to ask the family if they would consider selling. They were fearful of approaching their 90-yr-old mother, who really owned the place, because they feared moving her out of the house at her advanced age. We settled that and the rest is history (and the beginning of our story).

Chris

 

[BigDaddyUSMC]

QUESTION ABOUT THE MYSTERTY MANIFOLD
Does the Mystery tank manifold say AL JERAULD NATIONAL CITY CALIF on it any where?
LOLOLOL

 

[BigDaddyUSMC]

TANK MANIFOLD
Before you scrap that thing I would post it on EBAY
You never know.........

 

[hobbitss]

Happy New Year!!!
Everyone survive?....

 

[mdbeck1]

I'll let you know in 20 minutes.

 

[29ToyA]

WOW

 

[Vernmotor]

Happy Anniversary Chris and Thomas.

It's been a fun year following along and participating, thank you.


Nuts aka Doug

Dito thanks for having us along !

 

[BB767]

At first I thought the Pepsi machine's were the same but after a second look it appears to be a different machine. Was the old one beyond repair?

I haven't done a post on the Pepsi machine as yet but there are some questions I'll answer which might be helpful.



This is the old Pepsi machine in it's normal place for as long as I can remember.



When I started frequenting the shop in the early 60's it cost 10 cents and then eventually 35 cents.



When I bought the shop, the machine was still there, still stocked with soda pop, mostly Pepsi, Mountain Dew and root beer, my personal favorite. It still had change in it from who knows how long ago, still chilled to 38 degrees, worked perfectly and would still make correct change. It is a Vendo 56 but as with most items out there, was cosmetically challenged.

While restoring the shop it was moved to the 2 car garage awaiting it's own restoration.



At present it has been moved to the barn...



... still waiting it's restoration. Mechanically it's perfect, just needs some TLC and cosmetic work.



While restoring the shop my time was limited. Since the Pepsi machine is so central and visible I wanted to have it up and running as quickly as possible. As you might realize I just can't do something half-hearted. When that machine gets redone, it will be done to a high standard. In the meantime I had located a Vendo 57...



...which is a couple of years newer but externally the same dimensions...



... and also holds 7 bottles vertically. While being the same in size it doesn't resemble the old one in appearance. I keep it stocked at all times with a wide range of pop from a store about 20 miles away that carries over 50 different kinds of soda in bottles.



This machine is a gem as well. You can't hear it run, chills to 38 degrees but I have it set up not to take any money. I want my friends and guests to help themselves. Whenever I've given tours and we go through the 2 car garage I've had a couple of "so that's where the old Pepsi machine went, I was wondering". I didn't know that there was any question about the one in the shop being a second machine.

Looks like that won't work as a test question now will it?

Got more coming tomorrow so check back. Happy New Year everyone.

Thomas

 

[hobbitss]

I haven't done a post on the Pepsi machine as yet but there are some questions I'll answer which might be helpful.

This is the old Pepsi machine in it's normal place for as long as I can remember.

When I started frequenting the shop in the early 60's it cost 10 cents and then eventually 35 cents.

When I bought the shop, the machine was still there, still stocked with soda pop, mostly Pepsi, Mountain Dew and root beer, my personal favorite. It still had change in it from who knows how long ago, still chilled to 38 degrees, worked perfectly and would still make correct change. It is a Vendo 56 but as with most items out there, was cosmetically challenged.

While restoring the shop it was moved to the 2 car garage awaiting it's own restoration.

At present it has been moved to the barn...

... still waiting it's restoration. Mechanically it's perfect, just needs some TLC and cosmetic work.

While restoring the shop my time was limited. Since the Pepsi machine is so central and visible I wanted to have it up and running as quickly as possible. As you might realize I just can't do something half-hearted. When that machine gets redone, it will be done to a high standard. In the meantime I had located a Vendo 57...

...which is a couple of years newer but externally the same dimensions...

... and also holds 7 bottles vertically. While being the same in size it doesn't resemble the old one in appearance. I keep it stocked at all times with a wide range of pop from a store about 20 miles away that carries over 50 different kinds of soda in bottles.

This machine is a gem as well. You can't hear it run, chills to 38 degrees but I have it set up not to take any money. I want my friends and guests to help themselves. Whenever I've given tours and we go through the 2 car garage I've had a couple of "so that's where the old Pepsi machine went, I was wondering". I didn't know that there was any question about the one in the shop being a second machine.

Looks like that won't work as a test question now will it?

Got more coming tomorrow so check back. Happy New Year everyone.

Thomas

The newer machine is channeling the Spirit of the original..

 

[oberst]

You clock the bottlecaps? C'MON!!

 

[BB767]

You clock the bottlecaps? C'MON!!

Uh..........I thought everyone did that. Take a close look at the bottles behind the machine.

Tidy is as tidy does.... or something like that. It's all in the details isn't it???? I'm having lots of fun with this shop, really and truly.

Now I'm out the door to go wax my anvil.

Thomas

 

[markviii]

I have to live with him, so I just steer clear! I also try to put things I borrow (IF that ever happens - that's why I have my own tool box) back where I found them. Tom will easily agree that I'm "neatness-challenged".

Chris