The 30x24 Bird House

[SamHatco]

Hello all,

I have really enjoyed seeing all the great garages/shops others are building and remodeling, that I would like to share with you my little project.

I joined in September of 2010 and have received a lot of great ideas from this forum. Last father's day my wife and sons surprised me with this for the garage.

52" Tool Box made by US General from Harbor Freight. Man that thing is really built well for the money. The shipping crate says it weights 420 lbs empty, I believe it. Boy was I surprised! Prior to that I was using a 1962 Craftsman Tool Box that was my fathers with all his tools. Needless to say I have outgrown that little box over the past 40 years. So this was the motivation that started the remodel of my little "Bird House". My garage is 30x24 and I was running out of room to work on my projects.

You can also see in the back round that I have collected a lot of tools and other items that I just couldn't live without when doing projects (Isn't that we tell our wives?). Casualy a couple of weeks ago I mentioned to my wife that I would finally like to put some sheet rock in the garage. She said "Oh...Ok", I'm thinking...he..he..he.

So for the first time in 20 years I completely moved out all my stuff and started the makeover. It took me 2 weeks to go through and clean the garage. I threw cans of paint from 1991 out. Anybody ever do that too?

Before:

Bought some rock and hired a crew that hung the sheet rock, tape, floated and textured in a day and half.

After a little paint, I added 10 8' T8 strip lights, bought some AmorClad Epoxy flooring, intalled two new 10 foot garage doors (one was bent up from someone backing out without raising the door....I won't say who she is) and purchased and installed two Liftmaster 3800 garage door openers (very nice products).

I just finished painting the blue lower half last night and have a lot of other projects to do before filling her back up. What do you think?

Projects list to do is finish sofit cabinets (Thanks XcYz Scott for that great idea), box in my crooked center support post, and start moving in and reorganizing. Sorry for the long post.

Sam

 

[Wastedwagesracing]

Holly cow hard to believe that is the same space. Congrats looks very nice.

 

[dodgepolara500]

look very nice! One question. Why did you not insulate the garage prior to rocking it? Are all the walls and ceiling against insulated walls?

 

[SamHatco]

Holly cow hard to believe that is the same space. Congrats looks very nice.

look very nice! One question. Why did you not insulate the garage prior to rocking it? Are all the walls and ceiling against insulated walls?

Thanks, fellas. It's insulated I just forgot to mention it. I live just north of Houston so winters are not very severe, but summers are hot as hell.

Sam

 

[SamHatco]

This is the little bird that goes in the house:

I spent the last 3 yrs in my unfinished garage restoring this car.

Sam

 

[Amitygravel]

Wow!
Nice work on the garage , and the car !!
Welcome to the GJ !

 

[JMcFly]

Now all we need is a beauty shot of the sweet new garage and that beautiful car.

 

[ctouchet]

sweet bird

 

[patman2]

Is that really an original 69 TA convertible, or a clone? Nice car, but if it's legit one of 8 made...that's even nicer!

 

[Rickenbackerman]

Garage looks great, but... more TA pics, STAT!!!

 

[408Chevelle]

Nice work on the garage, but I really like the TA! What's under the hood?

 

[SamHatco]

Is that really an original 69 TA convertible, or a clone? Nice car, but if it's legit one of 8 made...that's even nicer!

No, it's not one of the great eight! It's just one of about 12,000 convertibles built that year. When I was 16 and the Trans Am Firebird came out I told myself that I would own one some day. Took me 40 years to get one and I built it myself.

Nice work on the garage, but I really like the TA! What's under the hood?

Here ya go

Here is a shot of the interior

Sam

 

[chris fresh]

No, it's not one of the great eight! It's just one of about 12,000 convertibles built that year. When I was 16 and the Trans Am Firebird came out I told myself that I would own one some day. Took me 40 years to get one and I built it myself.



Here ya go

Here is a shot of the interior

Sam

nice garage work, motor is an LS? and i'm speechless on that interior.my wife was walking by as i went WOW! THAT IS FRIGGIN NICE!!!!!!!!!!,she turned around to make sure i was still on GJ

 

[colt zantop]

awesome f-body. are you on pro-touring-gmachines.com? that car belongs on there!

 

[930dreamer]

WOW that is a nice vert. Old school body style, modern interior/power plant.

 

[wallaroo87]

Cool

 

[Wingnut65]

Nice and Sweet!

Nice Bird House and Sweet Bird!

 

[SamHatco]

nice garage work, motor is an LS? and i'm speechless on that interior.my wife was walking by as i went WOW! THAT IS FRIGGIN NICE!!!!!!!!!!,she turned around to make sure i was still on GJ

Yes, the motor is out of an '02 Trans Am, interior out of an 04' GTO.

awesome f-body. are you on pro-touring-gmachines.com? that car belongs on there!

Yes I'm on pro-touring.com

WOW that is a nice vert. Old school body style, modern interior/power plant.

Cool

Nice and Sweet!

Nice Bird House and Sweet Bird!

Thanks to all of you for the compliments on the car. I will be posting some pictures as I complete some projects in the garage.

Sam

 

[4StarCstms]

What a difference some rock and paint can make eh? It's a totally different space. Much better to work in now!

Sweet ride too!

 

[jktruck150]

Great looking car and great looking garage! I have to comment on the interior, it is VERY nice! Love the wheels. What is next in the garage?? Workbench? It is attached to detached? I was wondering why there is a difference in the poured concrete levels?

 

[jduffle]

Nice garage! BUT that Bird is sweet, then i seen the interior........HOLY COW BATMAN! You are an artist to put that modern interior in that old of a car and it looks as if it came factory in there!!!! Sweeet!

 

[SamHatco]

What a difference some rock and paint can make eh? It's a totally different space. Much better to work in now!

Sweet ride too!

Thanks, you know I worked in this garage for 20 years with it being unfinished and I never could get enough light. With the sheet rock painted white and all those T8 strips, its a whole different ball game now. It certainly helps these old eyes now. It will be a pleasure to hang out there.

Great looking car and great looking garage! I have to comment on the interior, it is VERY nice! Love the wheels. What is next in the garage?? Workbench? It is attached to detached? I was wondering why there is a difference in the poured concrete levels?

The garage is detached. Next project is to build a work bench between the two windows at the back of the garage, build the sofit cabinets, box in the crooked center post and start enjoying working out there. The upper level is 10' foot deep, so that gives me 10' x 24' area with plenty of room to do all kinds of projects while the cars are still inside.

Nice garage! BUT that Bird is sweet, then i seen the interior........HOLY COW BATMAN! You are an artist to put that modern interior in that old of a car and it looks as if it came factory in there!!!! Sweeet!

Thanks.... that is pretty much the reaction we get when we take it to car shows.

Sam

 

[transamfan]

LOVE THE BIRD!
Nice job on the garage as well. Currently trying to locate a new house with a shop to be my "birdhouse" for my 01 WS6. I want to build a '79 with LS power so bad but have to wait till I have the shop to build/store it in.

 

[farrbar]

Is that really an original 69 TA convertible, or a clone? Nice car, but if it's legit one of 8 made...that's even nicer!

Not to side track away from the great garage..... but in May 2010 one of the 8 went up for Auction at Mecum - Indy and was bid to $1,100,000 million, but did not clear reserve. The license plate was something like "No Clone".

 

[Munich77]

Sweet ride. That looks very classy.

 

[DHomb]

Not to take away from your garage, but how much fabrication was needed to squeeze the 04 interior into your Bird. I am just in awe of how factory it looks, did you have to chop down or lengthen the dash or door panels.

 

[SamHatco]

LOVE THE BIRD!
Nice job on the garage as well. Currently trying to locate a new house with a shop to be my "birdhouse" for my 01 WS6. I want to build a '79 with LS power so bad but have to wait till I have the shop to build/store it in.

Do it as fast as you can. Those LS engines rock. Hard to beat 425 hp and 24 miles to gallon.

Not to side track away from the great garage..... but in May 2010 one of the 8 went up for Auction at Mecum - Indy and was bid to $1,100,000 million, but did not clear reserve. The license plate was something like "No Clone".

You are absolutely correct. In my opinion the holey grail of muscle cars is finding that 8th TA vert.

Sweet ride. That looks very classy.

Thanks,

Sam

 

[SamHatco]

Not to take away from your garage, but how much fabrication was needed to squeeze the 04 interior into your Bird. I am just in awe of how factory it looks, did you have to chop down or lengthen the dash or door panels.

Actually, once I decided on a plan of attack it wasn't that bad. The most difficult part was the electronics and wiring. Spent 6 weeks studying the '04 GTO schematics and deciding which circuits to keep.

Sam

 

[SamHatco]

Workbench Cabinets

I had a local cabinet shop build be some 37" tall cabinets that I'm going to use as my workbench. They are two banks of 6' cabinets with drawers. I plan on putting them against the back wall with a 30" space between them in the middle. These are full overlay door/drawer frameless cabinets. The boxes are made from prefinished birch plywood and the drawer/door fronts are made from mdf. I plan on painting them, but I am undecided on the color. Black, red? All my other cabinets and tool boxes are red I'm just not sure what color to paint these. What are your thoughts?

After checking prices on metal garage cabinets I felt this was the most cost effective way to go. I was going to build them myself, but with the 100 degree + heat and the lack of time the local cabinet shop was the best choice. Cost wise I would have saved a few bucks building them myself and I am capable to doing so, but time wise it would have taken me weeks instead of a few days for the shop to build them. As far as cost comparison these were still less expensive than store bought metal cabinets.

Sam

 

[neutral]

pure sexyness. I love the combo. Great job, very inspiring. ( on the car that is not that the cabinets are not nice

 

[SamHatco]

Workbench Cabinets

Continued making progress on the workbench

Finally painted the cabinets, installed them and put a double layer of 3/4" plywood for the top. My plan is to cover the top with black VCT tiles for my work surface. They are cheap, tuff, and if I mar one I can just replace it individually.

I also started building the upper storage cabinets. All that is left on this wall is to put the plywood down and install the sliding doors.

Sam

 

[SamHatco]

Here is a couple of shots of my bird sitting in her nest. She's very happy now.

Sam

 

[SmokeyDP]

Any plans to cover that 4x4 now that it looks really out of place?

Do you have a build thread or pictures for that car?

 

[SamHatco]

Any plans to cover that 4x4 now that it looks really out of place?

Do you have a build thread or pictures for that car?

Yes I plan to cover it up. It is so warped (and not from carrying the weight of the roof, it just dried that way) that I will have to use 1x8 and 1x6 to wrap it. I still have some stuff stored outside under plastic tarps so my first priority is to get the storage cabinets completed.

Here is my build thread if anyone is interested in looking http://www.pro-touring.com/showthread.php?31227-69-firebird-T-A-convertible&highlight=Samhatco

Sam

 

[SamHatco]

I just completed the upper sofit cabinets last night on the right side of the garage. All that is left is to paint and install the upper and lower trim to finish out the doors.

Sam

 

[DesertRat64]

Really looking nice - great color combo and lighting. The soffit cabinets are a great idea, uses a space that is normally wasted. I will continue to watch as you progress - I enjoyed the pictures of your 'bird, too!!
KD

 

[Motown 454]

I knew I recognized that name. Nice job on the garage it looks great. I think The bird has a little smile on its face now. The car look sweet in there.

 

[SamHatco]

I knew I recognized that name. Nice job on the garage it looks great. I think The bird has a little smile on its face now. The car look sweet in there.

Hey Wayne, didn't know you were over here. Yeah I'm kinda doing this backwards.. Your suppose to fix the garage up so you can restore the car. Since I finish the car I needed something to do...so I'm fixing up the garage.

Sam