If I weren't such a greedy *******, I'd have only one hot rod at a time. And as a result, I would only need a simple shop to house it... And this is the kind of layout I'd w...
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- Thread starter Ryan
- Start date
If I weren't such a greedy *******, I'd have only one hot rod at a time. And as a result, I would only need a simple shop to house it... And this is the kind of layout I'd w...
To read the rest of this blog entry from The Garage Journal, click here.
horizontallyopposed
Well-known member
Isn't that pretty much Jack Olsen's garage? 
OP
My god... You are so right.
Tman
Well-known member
You have blogged about that one before, I always love looking at the simplicity of the layout. We have too much stuff!
ckadams00
Well-known member
HotRodChef
Well-known member
What? Wheres the fridge, flat screen TV, 8 extra tool chests. Where are all the 'great' things that I have collected... it seems so empty. Do you think they could really be happy in 1955 with just enough to enjoy doing the job? Haven't we proven that more is... well more?
I stand guilty of the crimes for what I am accused. I'm not sure this will send me on the road to redemption but I've heard that admitting you have a problem is the first step.
I stand guilty of the crimes for what I am accused. I'm not sure this will send me on the road to redemption but I've heard that admitting you have a problem is the first step.
Falcon67
Well-known member
My daughter was looking over the shop, said "Dad, what is this big blue thing in the corner?" "That's the air compressor." "For THE SPACE SHUTTLE???".
I'm going to print the picture and stick it on the wall as a reminder that simple is just fine and working on your stuff inside is a great gift.
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I think a different book from about the same era influenced my shop. Maybe I was just reading the WRONG book! 
Sorry - not sure why the pictures came in so big! (Edit- there, pictures are not so big now)
I know I have a real problem with making things too complicated, but I'm not entirely to blame for my actions.
Sorry - not sure why the pictures came in so big! (Edit- there, pictures are not so big now)
I know I have a real problem with making things too complicated, but I'm not entirely to blame for my actions.
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jeffmoss26
Well-known member
What book did the above scans come from?
Jeff - Follow this link for more info: Thread Reply #36
Forum member wolflrv reported that he picked up a copy recently for next to nothing.
Forum member wolflrv reported that he picked up a copy recently for next to nothing.
It's funny. I wonder if I saw that image at some point in my childhood?
A couple of years back, the same artwork showed up in a GJ thread (by way of The HAMB) about a 1954 Popular Mechanics guide to setting up a hot rod shop.
Here's the old thread.
I never made the connection that the same layout (sort of) showed up in Popular Mechanics again 57 years later.
And shopnut, it doesn't surprise me at all that you had a better book as a formative influence. I wish I'd been exposed to that one -- and had enough land to make it happen.
A couple of years back, the same artwork showed up in a GJ thread (by way of The HAMB) about a 1954 Popular Mechanics guide to setting up a hot rod shop.
Here's the old thread.
I never made the connection that the same layout (sort of) showed up in Popular Mechanics again 57 years later.
And shopnut, it doesn't surprise me at all that you had a better book as a formative influence. I wish I'd been exposed to that one -- and had enough land to make it happen.
jeffmoss26
Well-known member
Thank you shopnut!
Zeke
Well-known member
I started to look for that thread. You beat me to it.
rduz
New member
Nope. The tools are too far away. I'm restoring a tractor and I have two benches for cleanup on the south wall, and two disassembly/repair benches on the north wall. The fifth bench near the rollup door has the vise and the welding gear.
ratdoggy
Well-known member
Isn't that pretty much Jack Olsen's garage?
I thought that too.
Frank The Plumber
Well-known member
Jack's garage is only a hot rod garage east of France.
Vedy inturestung.
Vedy inturestung.
Falcon67
Well-known member
Several Hot Rod Handbooks on eBay, but not the 1955 one. Lots of 1960 editions.
Jack,/snip/
And shopnut, it doesn't surprise me at all that you had a better book as a formative influence. I wish I'd been exposed to that one -- and had enough land to make it happen.
You don't need extra land. With your prior concrete experience and a some future tips from the "Concrete Underground" thread, a second story capable of supporting heavy machine tools is certainly feasible.
It's true. You've got to REALLY squint your eyes for my squashed bug to look anything like a 32 Ford.
Well, then there's the money part of it. And the 5' setback I'd have to create on any new construction. So my footprint would go from 20x22 to 15x17, which means the second (and third?, and fourth?) floors would be pretty tiny. But probably kind of cool, if it was anything like the Concrete Underground.Jack,
You don't need extra land. With your prior concrete experience and a some future tips from the "Concrete Underground" thread, a second story capable of supporting heavy machine tools is certainly feasible.
HOTFR8
Banned
Jack, your subconcious mind has you. You must has seen that design and it has stayed with you all that time.
marty_p
Well-known member
What he said!
Jack and Ryan, you two must sleep well at night, as you both subconsciously remind us all of the value of simplicity. And sirs, for that I must thank you!
Jack and Ryan, you two must sleep well at night, as you both subconsciously remind us all of the value of simplicity. And sirs, for that I must thank you!
coljar
Well-known member
It's a great work space, but that air compressor would have to go to another room or shack. Can't stand to listen to 'em run.
I void warranties
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2011
- Messages
- 605
if we can only get jack to buy a '32 >>>
Rich H.
Well-known member
The valve grinder makes alot of sense, but what is in the tool box?
Pliers and screwdriver?
Where is the welding equipment, or at least a set of torches? How did the body and frame get built? It couldn't have happened there.
It's a good hot rod shop for a hot rod somebody else already built, that you're just maintaining and changing to your taste....but there aren't enough tools to actually build one.
I do appreciate the spirit and simplicity of the place, but it seems kinda unrealistic...
Pliers and screwdriver?
Where is the welding equipment, or at least a set of torches? How did the body and frame get built? It couldn't have happened there.
It's a good hot rod shop for a hot rod somebody else already built, that you're just maintaining and changing to your taste....but there aren't enough tools to actually build one.
I do appreciate the spirit and simplicity of the place, but it seems kinda unrealistic...
Tman
Well-known member
Even a stick welder was out of reach for many folks back then. Hell, power tools were fairly uncommon!
AndreGT6
Member
Built a cage for the race car in my 10x20.
Only issue was when I was doing the main loop we had to unbolt the bender, walk outside, rotate and setup for the 2nd bend.
Only issue was when I was doing the main loop we had to unbolt the bender, walk outside, rotate and setup for the 2nd bend.
KPSquared
Well-known member
You can always tell a good Canadian shop by the mess of Mastercraft boxes sitting everywhere! Love me some CrappyTire! Just think of how much easier that cage build would have been without the Hoarders-esqe explosion in the background. . .
I love the simplicity of the "Hot Rod Shop" as well, but like was stated earlier, there just isn't enough sitting in there for full on hot rod fab. Although, I have seen some pretty ridiculous stuff come out of some small spaces. A member on a diesel performance forum I frequent managed to turn a regular cab, long box F250 into a super sweet short box street truck (with a big diesel) in a pretty tiny single car garage in town.
From this:
To This:
In This:
I love the simplicity of the "Hot Rod Shop" as well, but like was stated earlier, there just isn't enough sitting in there for full on hot rod fab. Although, I have seen some pretty ridiculous stuff come out of some small spaces. A member on a diesel performance forum I frequent managed to turn a regular cab, long box F250 into a super sweet short box street truck (with a big diesel) in a pretty tiny single car garage in town.
From this:
To This:
In This:
OccupantRJ
Well-known member
I think a different book from about the same era influenced my shop. Maybe I was just reading the WRONG book!
Sorry - not sure why the pictures came in so big! (Edit- there, pictures are not so big now)
I know I have a real problem with making things too complicated, but I'm not entirely to blame for my actions.
Thanks for the pics. Those pics were a big inspiration to me as a younger guy trying to design a shop to work in.
I have always thought it's neat to look at the older garage pics and see how things have progressed over the years.
Concrete B
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 6, 2007
- Messages
- 87
Jack.do those lights hang off of your garage door? They look like it in those pics. Also, where'd you get such cool lights? sorry for the hijack
Thanks. The lights are home-made. They're supported from the sides on arms that extend out. That way the door can go up and down. My original plan was to also hinge the bar so that it could fold back against the wall, but I realized I'm never going to be parking a car on the work side of the garage so vehicle clearance underneath these lights isn't an issue.
This picture shows the long arm coming out. The only trick was measuring how much the arm would sag under the weight of the lights so I could pre-stress it in the other direction.
The lights are made from inexpensive cake pans. I drilled a hole in each of them, and screwed in a light fixture and bulb.
There are pictures of how I put it all together in this thread:
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=873394
This picture shows the long arm coming out. The only trick was measuring how much the arm would sag under the weight of the lights so I could pre-stress it in the other direction.
The lights are made from inexpensive cake pans. I drilled a hole in each of them, and screwed in a light fixture and bulb.
There are pictures of how I put it all together in this thread:
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=873394
You make a good point.
In '55, a '32 Ford was only a 22 year old car... that'd be like hot-rodding an '80 Mustang today.
You could build a hot-rod '80 Mustang today with a simple set of hand tools.
-Brad
Deuce3wcpe
Member
It's funny. I wonder if I saw that image at some point in my childhood?
A couple of years back, the same artwork showed up in a GJ thread (by way of The HAMB) about a 1954 Popular Mechanics guide to setting up a hot rod shop.
Here's the old thread.
Haven't been around much, but thanks for remembering that I posted that thread.....
Wow, doesn't seem like 2 years ago.
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You mean a 1990 Mustang. That 1980 Mustang would 30 plus years old today.
HA!
That's right... '90... I'd claim that was a typo, but I wrote it twice!!
-Brad
Dan in Pasadena
Well-known member
I just recerntly had a new sectional garage door installed and I've never had one before so I didn't anticipate it blocking my fluorescents. I wanted to do something like Jack's lights below but hadn't considered how heavy a 4 ft fluorescent fixture would be hanging on an arm.
Jack, I like your fix but how low it hangs MIGHT be an issue for me since my boat will be on that side of the garage. Can you tell me how many inches your setup hangs below the interior surface of the door?
Falcon67
Well-known member
Those old compressors are surprisingly quiet. Even my portable is not that loud, you can talk on the phone about 10' from it.
QUOTE=NUTTSGT;2258436]You mean a 1990 Mustang. That 1980 Mustang would 30 plus years old today.
[/QUOTE]LOL - and you can hotrod that with a simple set of $$$$ programming tools and maybe a $$$$ code reader/o-scope.
I've fixed point trigger ignitions with a matchbook - which is not much good up against mass air/EEC system.
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B17E1943
Well-known member
I'd like to know why when I want to read the rest of this blog entry, I click on "Read the rest of this entry »" and it takes me nowhere?
Tried it a few times, and nada.
Thanks.
Tried it a few times, and nada.
Thanks.