Spngr311's 2 Car Garage

[spngr311]

This is our first house and my wife and I agreed that I should get to have the garage how I want it. Unfortunately, it is not a large garage, but I have some plans for it that will make it very liveable and functional.

Here is the garage about 18 months ago when we bought the house:

The first order of business was putting some epoxy on the floor, patching the walls, and painting the ceiling and walls with a fresh coat of white paint. With that done, I installed cabinets I bought online with a butcher block top. I moved my tools in and started customizing the layout. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pics right after that and had to move onto other house projects. About 6 months later, the biggest garage related project was the manual transmission swap on my E36 M3. Only recently, with the rest of the house moving along, I have brought my attention back to my garage. I painted some ///M stripes on the back wall, added my surfboard hoist, added metal pegboards with some wrench organization, and added some garage art.

Here is how it sits today (January 7, 2015):

The remaining tasks are as follows:

-Finish hiding the wiring for the TV and running the laptop output to the TV.
-After that, I need to move onto the wall by my car. I want to get rid of the cheap workbench over there, add a tall cabinet and shelves.
-I have to finish a project I have been planning forever: a couch made from the rear seat of an E46 sedan. It is a nice black leather set and I plan to put it right below the wheel rack. It will be a great place to rest when I need a break and I am not allowed back in the house!
-Then back over to the tool storage for a Harbor Freight tool chest.
-I need to add more lighting and switch out the two fixtures for something a bit better.
-I also want to add some task lighting to focus light into the engine bay where I am normally working.
-I want to add a amplifier and speakers to complement the TV.

I am sure I will add to this list as I spend more time on this forum. I already have found some inspiration!

 

[drivesitfar]

SP: looks good so far and yes your pictures and posting seems to work fine when you post from your phone.

any questions or do you just want us to watch your progress?

 

[spngr311]

I do have three questions. The first is does anyone have a link to a garage couch from a rear bench seat that I could use for inspiration? The second area I need advice on is general lighting suggestions. I only have two fluorescent fixtures with 2 tubes each and was wondering if led are worth it or just get two 4 tube fixtures. The third question is what type of lighting system can I use to add directional lighting toward the center of the garage by the rear when working under the hood.

I do plan to keep the thread up to date with any updates I do add to the garage.

 

[Stretch-22]

Those M stripes look nice!

 

[55cadillacking]

I do have three questions. The first is does anyone have a link to a garage couch from a rear bench seat that I could use for inspiration? The second area I need advice on is general lighting suggestions. I only have two fluorescent fixtures with 2 tubes each and was wondering if led are worth it or just get two 4 tube fixtures. The third question is what type of lighting system can I use to add directional lighting toward the center of the garage by the rear when working under the hood.

I do plan to keep the thread up to date with any updates I do add to the garage.

Great progress! I have recently upgraded my lighting situation so I have a little bit of advice, I guess. I was going to upgrade the four 2-lamp T8 fixtures to 4-lamp models, but I opted to add additional 2-lamps instead. My thinking was to spread the light around the garage instead of intensifying the light that was already there. (if that makes sense) I'm happy with the result. From my research, there's not a whole lot of benefit to the LED and that option was quite expensive in comparison. In conclusion, i suggest adding more fixtures to spread the light around the area more. As for your question about working under the hood, I know what you mean. I tried to position my fixtures around the perimeter of the garage for that very reason. When I park my car in the direct centre of the garage, I now have light on every side. It's still less lit under the hood, but it's not a real problem. You could always get a portable LED light stand like this: http://ace.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/pACE3-15279044enh-z7.jpg

Not sure if that helps, but it's all I got. Feel free to check out my thread to see the before and after...

Rick

 

[spngr311]

Thanks, Stretch. It's definitely not for everyone and a lot of people have no idea what they are, it's kind of my litmus test for people!

55cadillacking - that is exactly the guidance I was looking for with the ceiling lights. I think I'll position them on the aisle behind the cars perpendicular to the current lights. That should help some.

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one challenged by the under hood lighting problem. I'm worried with a stand that it will be one of those things I am always tripping over and will annoy me a bunch. I looked at one of these:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007CNRZI8/?tag=atomicindus08-20

But I do not like rechargeable setups like this. They always go bad on me.

 

[55cadillacking]

I actually have a retractable LED light hanging from the ceiling that I often use under the hood and inside the car. I just make sure the cord doesn't come into contact with the paint. I'm quite particular about my car! If I'm detailing the interior I do let it hang directly down through the sunroof. Might be a quick and easy fix to your problem.

 

[plain garage]

I spot the lines of an E39, do you have an S62 in the house?

 

[spngr311]

I used to. Prior to moving in, I sold the E39 M5 and used part of the money for remodeling (including the kitchen) and the other part for an E36 M3 sedan (that is in there now). I miss that M5, it was a much much better car, but not hearing about having a crappy kitchen everyday is a close enough trade. Also, I don't feel bad beating up the M3 on a daily basis and at autocrosses.

 

[spngr311]

I finally have a small update. I finally got around to finishing my E46 couch. Took a futon for the outside of it and welded up a frame from some 1" tubing.