JCQuick
Well-known member
Just goes to show where theres a will theres a way 
Between 265 & 485 SQ/FT The 12-Gauge Garage
- Thread starter Jack Olsen
- Start date
Workspaces sized between 265 and 485 squarefeet.
Outlawmws
Well-known member
Hi Jack
This is my first post although I have been reading loads of posts for a real long time. Whilst I was admiring your garage I saw your drill press that you restored. I too am restoring an old drill press and was wandering if you would let me know what colour you painted it please. Thank you.
This is my first post although I have been reading loads of posts for a real long time. Whilst I was admiring your garage I saw your drill press that you restored. I too am restoring an old drill press and was wandering if you would let me know what colour you painted it please. Thank you.
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OP
Thanks. The color is Anodized Bronze, and it's a semi-gloss Rustoleum paint. It's an odd color, in that it looks different under different lighting conditions. I use it a lot.
The drill press:
This chair:
The vise, the drawer handles, even that outlet strip:
This vise, too:
And also the steel ribs on the pergola I built. Outdoors, it looks a lot closer to a dark brown:
The drill press:
This chair:
The vise, the drawer handles, even that outlet strip:
This vise, too:
And also the steel ribs on the pergola I built. Outdoors, it looks a lot closer to a dark brown:
Strouty
Well-known member
I love colors like that. I often wonder if the color of our eyes changes how we see colors as an individual. As always things look great Jack.
Thanks for the paint color details. Your a gentleman Jack. I think that I may be able to source this in the UK.
bazzateer
Well-known member
bazzateer
Well-known member
onemore
Well-known member
Jack still looking good and as always impressed. One of few tools that I do not own is a drill press. I look at Craigslist all the time, but haven't pulled the trigger yet. Bench top VS floor model? Any suggestions? Thanks
7.5 lbs. off the very rear of a 911? Good gawd! I'm surprised they didn't make it out of titanium or something. Or space shuttle ceramic.
Now, 20 years ago, if you went looking for 3" titanium thin wall for a job like this, you might have trouble getting it at non-heart-attack-inducing price. But now that it's a much more popular hot rod mod? It may be doable, if your current version can't cope.
Glad to see you have a digital scale. I have spent years as a weight junkie, worshiping results, rethinking all the little bits.
For you and other weight junkies, I also recommend a digital fishing scale. It's good with bulky and weird items. If you need to use a shopping bag or scrap of rope to hold what you're weighing, you can zero them out to adjust for that weight. This kind with the loop handle at the top can be hung on a nail up on a rafter, too. Sway bars, wheels, tires, flywheels, anything under 50 lbs.
Rapala 50lb Digital Scale
Link: http://amzn.com/B000PB1RFG
I don't have this model, I have an earlier Berkeley that served well for many years and still hasn't needed a battery.
Do 911's have reduction gear starters? If not, does anybody adapt little Japanese starters for this platform? Good enough for NASCAR, good enough for anything. 6.5 lbs or bust!
Fwd VW's starters went from 12ish to 6ish lbs when they moved to permanent magnets and planetary gear reduction. (Not as obvious a gear reduction to spot by looking at it.)
Now, 20 years ago, if you went looking for 3" titanium thin wall for a job like this, you might have trouble getting it at non-heart-attack-inducing price. But now that it's a much more popular hot rod mod? It may be doable, if your current version can't cope.
Glad to see you have a digital scale. I have spent years as a weight junkie, worshiping results, rethinking all the little bits.
For you and other weight junkies, I also recommend a digital fishing scale. It's good with bulky and weird items. If you need to use a shopping bag or scrap of rope to hold what you're weighing, you can zero them out to adjust for that weight. This kind with the loop handle at the top can be hung on a nail up on a rafter, too. Sway bars, wheels, tires, flywheels, anything under 50 lbs.
Rapala 50lb Digital Scale
Link: http://amzn.com/B000PB1RFG
I don't have this model, I have an earlier Berkeley that served well for many years and still hasn't needed a battery.
Do 911's have reduction gear starters? If not, does anybody adapt little Japanese starters for this platform? Good enough for NASCAR, good enough for anything. 6.5 lbs or bust!
Fwd VW's starters went from 12ish to 6ish lbs when they moved to permanent magnets and planetary gear reduction. (Not as obvious a gear reduction to spot by looking at it.)
Attachments
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OP
You understand. 
Yes, I've got a lightweight Japanese high-torque starter with an adapter for my motor.
Speaking of the car, I had a track day today and it was a blast. One scary moment the very first session I went out. I was there to get my oil up to temperature in order to check it -- but a Cobra spun in front of me.
Yes, I've got a lightweight Japanese high-torque starter with an adapter for my motor.
Speaking of the car, I had a track day today and it was a blast. One scary moment the very first session I went out. I was there to get my oil up to temperature in order to check it -- but a Cobra spun in front of me.
You understand.
Yes, I've got a lightweight Japanese high-torque starter with an adapter for my motor.
Speaking of the car, I had a track day today and it was a blast. One scary moment the very first session I went out. I was there to get my oil up to temperature in order to check it -- but a Cobra spun in front of me.
Why is there no swearing as that car appears to be about to slam into you? Cabin mic off?
akdiesel
Well-known member
Jack
That birds eye view of your patio is a great shot. How did you get that shot by the way?
That birds eye view of your patio is a great shot. How did you get that shot by the way?
Jack, do you have a lightweight battery? These are strong but light:
http://performancedistributors.com/product-category/dyna-batt/
Is that even a good thing on your car, for F/R weight distribution? Do you want a stockish battery for ballast?
http://performancedistributors.com/product-category/dyna-batt/
Is that even a good thing on your car, for F/R weight distribution? Do you want a stockish battery for ballast?
noelalford
Active member
- Joined
- Jun 24, 2013
- Messages
- 31
Why is there no swearing as that car appears to be about to slam into you? Cabin mic off?
I heard lots of swearing when I watched it! Of course I figured out after a couple of times it was me. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say Jack was too busy to swear. It has happened to me before, you just slip into the zone and do what needs to be done. If you make it through, you get to swear EVERY time you tell the story! Sort of like a swearing savings bond or something.
Jack, you did good! Glad you're ok. Have you put the car on the lift to check it out?
porschedude996TT
Well-known member
Jack, how about making one out of Stainless Steel Tubing? Say (0.063" wall)...
Weight savings is key. Very nice.
With our bikes, we run batteries that are 7-10lbs. lighter than stock. On a 350lb. bike, that's pretty significant.
Alexbn921
Well-known member
Damn that was close. Make sure that no engine fumes make it into the cabin with the new heater setup. 6lbs is huge.
Great zot! How much do those batteries weigh in the first place?
The Dynabat I linked to runs around 12 lbs, and when they first hit the scene 10+years ago, they were advertised as being good enough for a street Mustang 5.0. I got one and it worked fine for several long seasons of two-driver autox on a 1.8L motor with a little compression.
We eventually got greedy and wound up using a five lb. battery, right next to the starter, and it generally worked.
For a garage queen/trailer queen type car, of course, you'd want a battery disconnect switch.
Also, how much "generator" lives behind your fan, Jack? Can you get an alternator with less amperage from an old timey 911 to fit? That's some rear weight, too. There are pounds to be found there, too, I'm guessing.
Now, it wouldn't pay off like even-lighter-wheels or flywheel/clutch, the radius o' rotation is just tiny, but it's still rotational mass: have you considered something in the halfshaft dept?
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/pors...188442-light-wt-half-shaft-manufacturers.html
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/pors...188442-light-wt-half-shaft-manufacturers.html
OP
Thanks. The deck is right next to the garage/office. I'm standing on the roof of that building for the picture. We're crowded in, here. The wall with the candle thing is the neighbor's garage.
There's nothing wrong with quarter miles -- so long as you're using the right tool for the job.Hilarious lookn at that black tape on the sliver tubing,its funny to me because all Ur other stuff looks so meticulous,and professional,and the patio,**** up,but hey,u gotta start somewhere,not knocking it,just outta character a bit for u,in our minds,good for a laff tho.
The black tape reminds me in not alone,
Here's a pic of my Red Porsche,big block,but Im having trouble in the corners,she only wants to go straight,and with 456s she runs outta breath after the 1/4mi.please Jack, help me.
Lost socket from my uncles tools,lost by me for 35 or 40yrs,found 2 of them,never too late,not gonna use it much,just admire the logo.Check out the tools layed out on pegboard on the 34 ford pic,its a sight to behold
Best to ya,Ur the resident Hero on this site and we view u as such,at least i do.
The aluminum piece is definitely not pretty. It's very light, and that's it's sole virtue. There's no tape on it, though. The pieces are joined with aluminum rivets, and then everything is sealed/adhered with stuff made for furnace-and-stove work. It's rated for 2000°. The paint I put on it is partly there to slightly reduce visibility and ugliness (once it's tucked away) and partly there to let me know if I'm getting much heat on the thing. Wherever the paint burns off will give me a little more information.
Thanks. The car has been checked, and I found some damage to the aluminum sheet I smooth out the belly pan with, but that's it.
That'll bust my $15 budget, but we'll see how this mule works.
Yeah, the car's got a lightweight (and repositioned) battery, lighweight flywheel and clutch, and, well, about a thousand other little things we've done to shave weight. That said, it's also got a cage and a fire system and a full interior because it's not JUST a track car and I'm not willing to die for light weight.
All the body panels are fiberglass, the transaxle is magnesium, and both the transaxle and the engine have been moved forward about 35mm, which means a little extra stress for the axles and CV joints, so they get more attention than most. Also the seats were replaced with lighter race models, the rear seats are gone, sunroof, too. The sound deadening is gone. Even the torsion bar anchors were chopped down for weight savings.
It's a never-ending stuggle.
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OP
And for those still interested, there's also a rear-facing camera on the car.
So here's the front view again (since the page count has bumped):
(Click on the picture for video.)
And hear's the rear, in slow motion. It's interesting to see the patterns to the turbulance in the air behind the car as it goes through the sand and dirt:
(Click on the picture for video.)
So here's the front view again (since the page count has bumped):
(Click on the picture for video.)
And hear's the rear, in slow motion. It's interesting to see the patterns to the turbulance in the air behind the car as it goes through the sand and dirt:
(Click on the picture for video.)
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Honest Bob
Well-known member
Wow! Close call! 
Yeah, the car's got a lightweight (and repositioned) battery, lighweight flywheel and clutch, and, well, about a thousand other little things we've done to shave weight. That said, it's also got a cage and a fire system and a full interior because it's not JUST a track car and I'm not willing to die for light weight.
I've been meaning to ask you this, and this pretty much opens the door for the question. I've been thinking about picking up an old 60's mustang for a toy, that would see similar duty to what you do with your Porsche. One of my concerns is the complete lack of safety in a car that was built in 1965. I would imagine that you have faced these same concerns, especially after having a child? What have you done to address that? Do you drive the car on the highway much? Track driving doesn't scare me nearly as much as putting a car on the highway.
fergus
Well-known member
Not to be a know it all, but why didn't you back off when the Cobra started to spin? You had your eyes on the corner and not on that car on front of you?
Mach5
Well-known member
I'm sure he saw it...I just don't think he anticipated the car coming back onto the track. Besides, if he slowed heavily he might get punted in the rear. I'm sure it was a sphincter clencher taking the 911 off track...pretty much no traction and hard to get back on without spinning.
Outlawmws
Well-known member
If he had backed off he'd likely have joined the cobra and would have hit or been hit by it.
Fairly standard practice in racing is when a car spins in front of you, aim where it is NOW, by the time you get there, it probably won't be. Been there, done that...
Standing on the brakes at that speed is kiss off all control...
Fairly standard practice in racing is when a car spins in front of you, aim where it is NOW, by the time you get there, it probably won't be. Been there, done that...
Standing on the brakes at that speed is kiss off all control...
It's a 911. You don't back off... If you do, you are in trouble. I'm still learning this the hard way.
The Cobra went 'both feet in' by instinct. Unfortunately since he had already spun 180 it allowed the forward momentum to translate into reverse motion since there was no engine drag and those monster rear tires acted like a grocery cart and took him back out onto the track instead of stopping. If he had stayed on the brake and left the car in gear he would have ground to a halt in the dirt. And, if you asked him to do it again that's exactly what he would do. Go watch the video in full speed and tell me at which moment you would have done what as you crested the top of the ridge, gone light (no traction), and seen the Cobra safely exit stage right? Nothing to do at that point really. Nice steady job, Jack. And the best outcome. Whew!
There's no limit to the amount of cage you can weld into that thing, and living in NC, you might find a wizard at such things not far from where you live!
Or, you might buy a used SCCA A Sedan road race car or C Prepared autocross car. OK, those aren't very streety, but they've got a cage.
Somebody else's used race car can be a great value.
Google "Frank Stagnaro", now there's a nice Mustang for track stuff!
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Jack,
your thread actually is what made me aware of Garage Journal a few years ago. I've been an on-and-off reader ever since then, but finally signed up when I finally found a nice garage space to rent.
Your thread is so full of ideas, some of which I will just have to steal somewhere down the road. I hope you don't mind, haha. Seriously, your garage is one of the most inspiring on here!
Great job man, carry on!
your thread actually is what made me aware of Garage Journal a few years ago. I've been an on-and-off reader ever since then, but finally signed up when I finally found a nice garage space to rent.
Your thread is so full of ideas, some of which I will just have to steal somewhere down the road. I hope you don't mind, haha. Seriously, your garage is one of the most inspiring on here!
Great job man, carry on!
OP
Yeah, the lack of 1973-and-later safety mandates is one of the reasons my car is as light as it is. What I've done for safety -- both on the track and regular roads -- is to add a full cage and a three-output fire suppression system. The cage is encased in high-density SFI padding to keep my head safer when I'm not wearing a helmet. The cage gives the car better impact/intrusion/rollover protection than other cars on the road.
It's a fair question. And I'd like to say that I thought about it, but the situation presents itself so quickly that we're really talking about reactions and not decisions. Lots of cars go off on that piece of the track, and in 14 years I've never seen a car swing back from right to left. So my thinking was that the car would continue farther infield. That didn't happen. You're always playing a percentages game, in this. There are several corners where that kind of end result is likely -- the tire marks are unmistakable in four of the other turns. This isn't one of them, but this incident shows that you can never be completely certain.
I've gone off every corner of this track multiple times, over the past 14 years. I was surprised that I didn't spin.
Yeah, that's a downhill section and lifting with a rear-engine car means you're going to end up facing the wrong way.
Yep. I think of it more as training than learning. You lift a few times, and then your brain finally gets it that you can't do that anymore.
Thanks. I don't know if the Cobra guy let off the brakes once he was going backward or if his brakes lost pressure or what. On the video, there's a line of fluid leading up to his car on the track. It could be oil, water, fuel or brake fluid. Hard to say.
Thanks! Take any idea you can use, of course. That's what this forum is here for.
OP
Speaking of the trip off track...
Last night, I was doing the initial work on pulling the sheet of aluminum off the belly pan of my 911 in order to put a new one in, since it got some minor damage from the rocks I went over. To do it, I have to bring the car up on the lift, and then lower it onto jackstands. I thought about leaving the car up on the jacks -- but then thought 'what if there's an earthquake?'
So I brought the car back down, and it got to rock gently on its own tires during this morning's 4.4 shaker, which was centered very near the 12-Gauge Garage.
If you look closesly in the second picture, you can see my test-fit air-heating duct. It's just above the heat exchangers -- there's a 90° elbow leading back to the new duct. The bad news is that the piece I made is just as ugly as ever. The good news is that you'd have to lying on the ground to actually see it.
We'll see how it holds up. But for now, 7 pounds 8 ounces are gone from the back end.
Last night, I was doing the initial work on pulling the sheet of aluminum off the belly pan of my 911 in order to put a new one in, since it got some minor damage from the rocks I went over. To do it, I have to bring the car up on the lift, and then lower it onto jackstands. I thought about leaving the car up on the jacks -- but then thought 'what if there's an earthquake?'
So I brought the car back down, and it got to rock gently on its own tires during this morning's 4.4 shaker, which was centered very near the 12-Gauge Garage.
If you look closesly in the second picture, you can see my test-fit air-heating duct. It's just above the heat exchangers -- there's a 90° elbow leading back to the new duct. The bad news is that the piece I made is just as ugly as ever. The good news is that you'd have to lying on the ground to actually see it.
We'll see how it holds up. But for now, 7 pounds 8 ounces are gone from the back end.
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Modern Jess
Well-known member
Hey, former Mustang owner here. I had a 1966 for many years. The genuinely deadly part of a Mustang of that era isn't the lack of proper shoulder belts, or the brakes, or the bump steer or lack of crumple zones or air bags. The thing in that car that will kill you before all the other factors even enter into play is the solid steering column, which (reputedly) will impale you in the chest in a front end collision. This can be remedied with a modern collapsible steering linkage, or course, but all the other safety factors are somewhat moot until you do.
As far as trackifying a Mustang goes, there's a company out there called Street Or Track that makes lots of aftermarket parts specifically for the kind of use you're thinking of.
Modern Jess
Well-known member
Zeke
Well-known member
That thread is 10 years old. Since then a whole bunch of trick rear suspension parts have come on the market. In fact, you can take everything off the tub AFA suspension goes and replace it with completely different stuff that is lighter and has better geometry. I believe Jack has done quite a bit of that already. I think his front torsion bars became scrap years ago in favor of coilovers. That raised the center of gravity minutely but he has done so much to lighten the car that that can't even be a factor at this point. However, I do think that was in the minds of the original designers to place the spring low as they did for both the front and the rear. I'm pretty sure Jack runs coilovers in the rear as well.
But the shafts themselves although heavy, are not a lot of the total suspension weight or rotational mass. And they are pretty inboard to be considered unsprung weight. The CV's are beasts, the stub axle is a beast, the bearings are heavy and the hub and five studs are also not optimum. But to modify all of this to the lightest configuration will nearly buy another older Porsche 911.
Not a '73> though.
starckie
Well-known member
Hi Jack, I have lurked on this site for many years and it may have been your garage that brought me here. I am continually impressed with your craftsmanship.
Anyway, I voted for your garage on another forum and it now looks like you have one of the 10 best garages in America! Congrats!
http://jalopnik.com/the-ten-most-incredible-garages-in-america-1547158689
Anyway, I voted for your garage on another forum and it now looks like you have one of the 10 best garages in America! Congrats!
http://jalopnik.com/the-ten-most-incredible-garages-in-america-1547158689
12 Gauge Garage makes the list...
Jalopnik's 10 most incredible garages in America:
http://jalopnik.com/the-ten-most-incredible-garages-in-america-1547158689
Jalopnik's 10 most incredible garages in America:
http://jalopnik.com/the-ten-most-incredible-garages-in-america-1547158689
OP
Thanks, guys. I had no idea about that until your posts.
I see that the results are from a 'Question of the Day,' so it makes sense that it's a strange list -- most of the garages are really car collections or shops that work on interesting cars.
Then, smack in the middle of that is my a two-car garage and my 'fantastic collection' of, uh, one car.
Jalopnik ought to do an article where they write about 10 great garage/shops, and that wouldn't be hard to do if they came to the Garage Journal forum.
Still, I'm flattered that so many Jalopnk readers voted for my garage.
And for whatever it's worth, the article has pushed the number for that Petrolicious video about my car and garage past half a million views. As of today, I see it's got 216,000 views where it's hosted on YouTube and 294,000 views where it's hosted on Vimeo. There's no real significance to that, except: wow, it's a lot of people looking at my garage.
I see that the results are from a 'Question of the Day,' so it makes sense that it's a strange list -- most of the garages are really car collections or shops that work on interesting cars.
Then, smack in the middle of that is my a two-car garage and my 'fantastic collection' of, uh, one car.
Jalopnik ought to do an article where they write about 10 great garage/shops, and that wouldn't be hard to do if they came to the Garage Journal forum.
Still, I'm flattered that so many Jalopnk readers voted for my garage.
And for whatever it's worth, the article has pushed the number for that Petrolicious video about my car and garage past half a million views. As of today, I see it's got 216,000 views where it's hosted on YouTube and 294,000 views where it's hosted on Vimeo. There's no real significance to that, except: wow, it's a lot of people looking at my garage.
1Garageman
Well-known member
I love you garage best out of all of them!
This is not a put down, but your garage resembles most of us on this website/USA. You garage is very creative and has a lot of ingenuity. Those other garages had to have a lot more money put in to them to even compare to yours!
This is not a put down, but your garage resembles most of us on this website/USA. You garage is very creative and has a lot of ingenuity. Those other garages had to have a lot more money put in to them to even compare to yours!