Above 1200 Sq/FT Aces High Speed Shop's New Home - 36x40x14

[rixtrix1]

Well Saturday I had it in my mind I was going to conquer the world, one project at a time.

- We all know how that goes!

Started out in the shop, and built the front half of my fog light harness. I'm disappointed I didn't get any pictures, it's one of the cleanest I've built! Went to start in on running wires from the dash to the relays under the hood, and realized all too late I didn't have the correct dash blank to add in both factory switches...and then my second hand soldering gun, that I've had for a very long time...died. It was free, and used, and was used for many projects...I think I got the goodie out of it.

So I licked my wounds, cleaned up my shop, reassembled the dash and went on to trimming trees. I had already knocked this out once this Spring, but after the leaves showed up, I had more branches hanging down and invading my personal space while mowing. Out came the chainsaw, I made noise, and wood chips, and 5 garden trailer loads of branches.

At this point I realized how humid it was, temps were more favorable in the low 80s, but the humidity from the previous day's rains was off the charts. Having leaked enough work/perspiration into my clothing, I chose a shady spot with some H20...which lead to me doing nothing the rest of the day and switching to ice cold beer at one point.

Yesterday was pretty laid back, wife and kids took me out for lunch, and made me a special meal last night. I even got a nap in the afternoon!

Sounds like a good day, Marc!

Sent from my SM-J320V using Tapatalk

 

[OutlawDrifter]

Sure was Ric!


I see my thread lost the post about finishing up the fog light wiring. I may or may not repost it...

Some gratuitous "it's almost clean pics" for now....

 

[zmotorsports]

The ole' Burb is looking pretty good Marc. They kind of have a mean stance to them anyways.

 

[OutlawDrifter]

The ole' Burb is looking pretty good Marc. They kind of have a mean stance to them anyways.

Thanks, Mike!

At this point its fairly well done. I may put some tow mirrors on it at some point, but for the most part, it's "done."

Still trying to source some awesome and/or rad 90s era 16x8 aluminum wheels: Weld/Centerline/Etc. I like the stock look, but a big block Suburban needs something "flashy", from 25 years ago...Scorpios, Outbacks, Typhoons, Sidewinders, etc.

 

[rattle_snake]

So, Are you going to keep the burb for more than 6 months? I bet you have been truck shopping already...

 

[OutlawDrifter]

So, Are you going to keep the burb for more than 6 months? I bet you have been truck shopping already...

The plan is yes to keeping it

I actually haven't been shopping for anything new yet.......not saying I wouldn't buy the right 4x4 pickup to stash away and build later.

I've been focusing on some of my other hobbies and trying to talk the neighbor into selling me another 3 acres of land to the east of our property. I'd like to set up a permanent shooting range, that I could just walk out to a covered shooting table and have everything already setup down range. Just hang some paper targets if wanted and send some lead down range.

 

[rattle_snake]

I've always dreamed of a on-site rifle range.... I've only got a 100 yards but enough for archery.

 

[OutlawDrifter]

I've always dreamed of a on-site rifle range.... I've only got a 100 yards but enough for archery.

Right now I can do 150-200yds max, with the purchase 300yds should be doable.

Plan would be to have an automatic blue rock thrower setup also...

The 'rona has allowed me a lot more time to shoot lately for sure.

 

[OutlawDrifter]

Pics from the completed fog light harness install.

I ended up having to rob a bulb out of another GM switch I had to get the back lighting working on the fog light switch. Disassembled the switch and desoldered the old and got the new one melted in.







Fog Switch for the "low beam" fog light setup



Aux Switch for the "high beam" offroad light setup



Low Beams and Fogs

 

[ODIS]

The view I was rewarded with after a long day!



What a great thread you have!

The build of the '49 GMC is impressive and such a great history this truck has and the wonderful ties to Great Grand Father, Grand Father. I'm sure you make your fore fathers proud.

Look forward to watching as you grow the story of "Aces High Speed Shop" and all that you bring to life.

All the best.

 

[OutlawDrifter]

The view I was rewarded with after a long day!



What a great thread you have!

The build of the '49 GMC is impressive and such a great history this truck has and the wonderful ties to Great Grand Father, Grand Father. I'm sure you make your fore fathers proud.

Look forward to watching as you grow the story of "Aces High Speed Shop" and all that you bring to life.

All the best.

Thanks for taking the time to look through and post Ody! I appreciate the kind words!

The '49 GMC has been quite a process, but I cherish having it!

 

[OutlawDrifter]

It's been hot here in Northeast KS, our dew point is generally above 70 degrees, and our humidity has been 70%+ with 90+ degree ambient temps....very unpleasant outside.

Last weekend I worked on some odd jobs including building some new target gong stands. Used 1" metal conduit to keep it simple, and used a "pre-made" kit with hangers and the parts to attach the legs/crossbar. I've got 2 different units I can set up at varying ranges.



My flagpole I ordered finally came in last week, and I was able to get the hole dug and cement poured. Flagpole is 11ga aluminum, telescoping style (20'). American made, and sold by a Veteran owned company...makes my heart happy.

My oldest nephew paid a visit this past weekend. He is finally starting his "adult" part of his life. Done with school and starting a career. He bought a Subaru Crosstrek and wanted some help laying some vinyl down on it. I explained I had never done it before, but would be happy to help, and would love to spend some time with him before his life gets crazy busy. Ended up be a great weekend, and he even let me put an "old man" double pinstripe on his ride...he really liked it. This will be a great car for him, SAFE, and he is very active outdoors (fishing, kayaking, camping, etc). We put the vinyl on the hood, lower doors, mirror caps, and on the rear hatch. It was much easier than I figured, and now I can add that badge to the mix.









Afterwards we got into the beer and I took him down a rabbit hole teaching him about all the 80's hair music he had never heard and needed to know about. Great times!

 

[rixtrix1]

Nothing like quality time with the next generation of family. Good to see he thinks enough of you to drop by for assistance!

 

[rattle_snake]

Afterwards we got into the beer and I took him down a rabbit hole teaching him about all the 80's hair music he had never heard and needed to know about. Great times!

Old man stripes... haha.
Good job on passing down the hair metal. There is also 'new wave' of traditional heavy metal too. A few good new bands.

 

[OutlawDrifter]

Nothing like quality time with the next generation of family. Good to see he thinks enough of you to drop by for assistance!

Ric, it was a great weekend and it's fun to see him passionate about the Subbie.

Old man stripes... haha.
Good job on passing down the hair metal. There is also 'new wave' of traditional heavy metal too. A few good new bands.

Justin, it's kind of like mullets I guess, coming back around

What have you been listening too on the new front?

 

[thatphatphuck]

Been a non registered GJ lurker many years. Just joined as I begin to design a future shouse.

Believe it or not didnt even read your username.. Hit this thread and about page two thought that 1 ton looked oddly familiar... lol

This has been a fun one to read!

 

[OutlawDrifter]

Been a non registered GJ lurker many years. Just joined as I begin to design a future shouse.

Believe it or not didnt even read your username.. Hit this thread and about page two thought that 1 ton looked oddly familiar... lol

This has been a fun one to read!

Glad you enjoyed it! Tons of good people and threads on this site. Welcome aboard officially

 

[thatphatphuck]

Glad you enjoyed it! Tons of good people and threads on this site. Welcome aboard officially

Tell me about your decision to go 4 post instead of 2 post on the lift. How do you like it? It looks like vehicle storage was a big factor in that decision.

Also, do you find that 14' was enough wall height for getting bigger vehicle up in the air. Looks like you might not have quite full height walk-under with the 1 ton on there? May be wrong and just a perspective thing. Obviously no problem with the cars.

Would you recommend a 16' wall elevation or an open ceiling configuration in hindsight?

Thanks,

P

 

[thatphatphuck]

Fyi I'm currently thinking a 40x40x16 shop configuration on an overall 40x80 footprint. So your layout is very close to what I'm conceiving at present.

 

[OutlawDrifter]

Tell me about your decision to go 4 post instead of 2 post on the lift. How do you like it? It looks like vehicle storage was a big factor in that decision.

Also, do you find that 14' was enough wall height for getting bigger vehicle up in the air. Looks like you might not have quite full height walk-under with the 1 ton on there? May be wrong and just a perspective thing. Obviously no problem with the cars.

Would you recommend a 16' wall elevation or an open ceiling configuration in hindsight?

Thanks,

P

I went 4 post because it served more of my needs than a 2-post. You can't set up suspension with a 2 post...but there are limits to a 4-post as well. In a perfect world, you buy both.

The lift I have is the extra long/extra height version. When I'm storing the '49, I can take it up to the last lock and there is still 6"+ between the bottom of the ramp and my head, and I'm 6'3. There is also clearance between the '49's roof and the ceiling. I can raise the Suburban up high enough to park underneath the lift and stand and work comfortably. As far as liking it, I love it, and would buy this unit again. Advantage sells a great product.

Unless you plan on needing a 14' door, the 16' wall height(in my application) is not necessary. I built this building as a working shop, not necessarily to store things in. Should I ever buy a travel trailer or motorhome that sits at a 13'6" height, it will get its own cold storage building to store it in. I'm able to get a W900L Kenworth with a stand-up sleeper and short stacks through my door....that's good enough for me! If you want to future proof it, and keep good resale value, then a 16' sidewall and 14' high door would be a good idea.

 

[thatphatphuck]

I went 4 post because it served more of my needs than a 2-post. You can't set up suspension with a 2 post...but there are limits to a 4-post as well. In a perfect world, you buy both.

The lift I have is the extra long/extra height version. When I'm storing the '49, I can take it up to the last lock and there is still 6"+ between the bottom of the ramp and my head, and I'm 6'3. There is also clearance between the '49's roof and the ceiling. I can raise the Suburban up high enough to park underneath the lift and stand and work comfortably. As far as liking it, I love it, and would buy this unit again. Advantage sells a great product.

Unless you plan on needing a 14' door, the 16' wall height(in my application) is not necessary. I built this building as a working shop, not necessarily to store things in. Should I ever buy a travel trailer or motorhome that sits at a 13'6" height, it will get its own cold storage building to store it in. I'm able to get a W900L Kenworth with a stand-up sleeper and short stacks through my door....that's good enough for me! If you want to future proof it, and keep good resale value, then a 16' sidewall and 14' high door would be a good idea.

All good information. Thanks for clarifying. When viewing pictures of these bigger shops it is hard to get some perspective.

 

[OutlawDrifter]

Not much newsworthy to post about. Just keeping up on maintenance and keeping the grass mowed.

Changed the oil in the '49 the other night, the Kreen did a great job cleaning out the engine. I'll run a quick change (around 100miles) on some cheapo dino oil, and then go back in with my Castrol Edge. After the change and checking for leaks, I had a HUGE fuel leak on on the back of the engine. The crossover on the fuel rails was leaking on the passenger side on the hose end of the AN fitting. Pulled it all apart and put in a new chunk of hose, crisis avoided! I also swapped out the oil filter adapter (GM part #12600225) in the pan so it uses the same filter as the Z28 (57060 Wix), ended up needing a 1/2 hex to remove the one in place and 24mm deep socket to install the new one. At one time I had 4 vehicles that used this same filter, so I generally buy them by the case.

Need to service the Z28 and get the Kreen out of it as well.

Exhaust joint on the 'burb is leaking again. I've found a "cure all" gasket to try. If it doesn't work I'm doing new exhaust from the headpipes to the stainless tailpipe. Getting tired of chasing this one...this will be the 3rd time I've fixed it, 2 prior with OEM type gaskets.

One of my best friends got caught in the Derecho that rolled through Iowa, I met him Tuesday night halfway with my 8750w generator so he could keep his house going. I'm pleased with the 'burb...it made 13.12mpg on the way up there at 72mph.

Hope to start organizing some more stuff in the shop. I've got some plans in the works to get some more stuff off the floor and above the 8' mark on the wall. Also on the fence about leveling out some more ground and bringing in a 20' storage container to put the Bobcat, mowers, and other non-essential shop stuff out of the way.

 

[OutlawDrifter]

Put the new Remflex gasket in the 'burb this week. Still not 100% sure it will hold, one area on the flange just doesn't want to cooperate, it's definitely warped.



Gasket is a full 1/8" thick and designed to crush 50%. They are made in the USA, which is also awesome!

 

[OutlawDrifter]

A good friend called last night and requested some skid steer work. He had asked a guy who lives just down the street and offered a C-note for his troubles, guy agreed, and then flaked out.

It reminded me my secondhand, rough...really rough, bucket needed some repairs I haven't made a priority.

Hit it with the wire wheel first to see what I was truly dealing with, this bucket has had a hard life and been repaired more times than I probably want to know.

** Side note, beer fridge died on Sunday (I'll assume some liability in this, and plead the 5th as to why), so I used the ol Sunoco fridge as a bucket/mast stand while welding...




Cut a good bevel and started laying down beads, inside and out.....no pictures of the rough stuff.


Then I went all "rattle_snake" on it and hit that bad boy with some black paint. I just did the outer sides and where I laid down some weld beads...cause lets be honest, that paint is gone the first time I dip a bucket full of gravel!







At some point this coming Winter, I will probably get some heavy angle iron and some good thick strap and repair it right, after I straighten the sides...unless I find a good used bucket on the cheap.

 

[zmotorsports]

Nice save on the loader bucket Marc. I kind of like little projects like that when they come into the shop.

 

[OutlawDrifter]

Nice save on the loader bucket Marc. I kind of like little projects like that when they come into the shop.

Thanks, Mike. Definitely fun to do something different once in awhile.

 

[zmotorsports]

Thanks, Mike. Definitely fun to do something different once in awhile.

Agreed.

 

[rattle_snake]

....Then I went all "rattle_snake" on it and hit that bad boy with some black paint. I just did the outer sides and where I laid down some weld beads...cause lets be honest, that paint is gone the first time I dip a bucket full of gravel!

Well done Marc. The finishing touch not only prevents corrosion but easily doubles the value of your machine purely from aesthetics. You know you're done and ready for a beverage when it stinks like fresh paint.

 

[OutlawDrifter]

Well done Marc. The finishing touch not only prevents corrosion but easily doubles the value of your machine purely from aesthetics. You know you're done and ready for a beverage when it stinks like fresh paint.

Haha, thanks Justin! I did follow it up with a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

 

[OutlawDrifter]

Last week I was off work for a "stay-cation."

Spent some time cleaning and rearranging in the shop. I didn't get nearly as much done as I had hoped, but made up for it in other areas.

My two best friends came for a visit Wed/Thurs and stayed through Sunday around noon. Two of us had birthday's 9/11-9/12, so we made sure to celebrate in style.

Saturday we had some beautiful weather (it had been rainy and cool most of the week), so we broke out the boom sticks and made a pile of brass. Of the two visiting, one is my "childhood" best friend that I graduated high school with. For some unknown reason he showed up with a Henry Big Boy chambered in .357mag/.38spc....for me. What an awesome rifle! We set up some pistol targets and then had rifle stuff setup at 50yds and 100yds. The new gong targets are awesome and withstood the abuse, I'll be adding to these in the near future. We shot for probably 4 or 5 hours, it was relaxed and fun, and just the type of "vacation" I needed.

We finished off the evening with carne asada marinated for 24hrs and grilled on my Green Mountain pellet grill. and a "few" drinks

 

[jbmatth]

Sounds like a great use of vacation time and productive. I need to squeeze a few days of that in soon.

JB

 

[OutlawDrifter]

Yesterday I put new door seals on the front 4 doors of the 'burb.

Originally I had ordered all Precision brand weatherstripping, but the fronts were back ordered with 3 date changes in as many months. So I installed the rear doors with Precision and the fronts with Steele.

Honestly, I'm disappointed in the Steele, each was short in length, I prefer to cut to my own length, both sides ended up with a gap, which isn't terrible, but rubber shrinks over time and these will get shorter. The quality of the Steele is there, but not worth the extra money...in my opinion. All in all, about 2hrs start to finish to do all 4 doors including clean up.

While working on this, I noticed the front passenger door needs new pins/bushings, and the rear driver's door needs a new window channel. So those parts are on order for next weekend.

Took some pictures on my way home from a grocery run this afternoon...still averaging 11.2mpg+ on every tank.

 

[rixtrix1]

Country road, clear skies, green grass and a pond; perfect spot to stop and take a pic of a nice ride!

 

[OutlawDrifter]

Country road, clear skies, green grass and a pond; perfect spot to stop and take a pic of a nice ride!

Ric it was a beautiful day yesterday...highs in the mid 70s. Fall weather is here and I'm loving it! We have been seeing smoke from all the forest fires out West, makes for a hazy sky.

 

[zmotorsports]

Country road, clear skies, green grass and a pond; perfect spot to stop and take a pic of a nice ride!

^^Agreed.

Suburban is looking great.

 

[OutlawDrifter]

^^Agreed.

Suburban is looking great.

Thanks, Mike!

 

[rattle_snake]

Country road, clear skies, green grass and a pond; perfect spot to stop and take a pic of a nice ride!

Looks like a good stretch of road to test maximum velocity.

 

[OutlawDrifter]

Looks like a good stretch of road to test maximum velocity.

In a trophy truck or rally car I would definitely tempt it! The hill to the south behind the 'burb in the pic has a drastic elevation change, even at 55mph it will put your stomach in your throat. I can only imagine how much air one would catch flat out

Flat, straight roads are what I grew up with, we are close enough to MO here in Northeast KS that it's illegal to make a straight road.

 

[OutlawDrifter]

Put the new door pins and bushings in the front passenger side door of the 'burb this weekend. They went in fairly easily and son #1 and I were able to move on to the next project.

Wind/Rain seal that runs above the side doors was a quick 5 minute job to do both sides.

Then I mentally prepared myself for the new window channel on the drivers side rear door. It all came apart and went together, really, really easily....then of course, the window wouldn't roll all the way up, it was wedging about an inch from the top. There isn't much adjustment one can do on this particular piece of glass, so I tried what I could...in the end I gave up and called the supplier. They are going to bench test a few in stock pieces and make sure there isn't a defect in this run, and then send me a new (hopefully better) part. OEM piece is back in place for now.

Cool Fall temps are finally upon us, last night had a low of 42*, highs in the upper 60s today.

 

[jbmatth]

Frustrating when you get it all back together and it doesn't quite work. I did similar when I replace the window I had to break out of my truck a few weeks back. All back together, window rolled up great then wouldn't roll back down. Luckily it is getting cold so no real worries for now. Good luck on the repair.

JB