An underground garage... On the French Riviera.

Sham · Jan 29, 2013

Hello folks,

First thing, as you may have guessed, english ain't my mother language, so please forgive the mistakes I will definitely make. :lol:

I have discovered this forum through Jack Olsen's 12 Gauge Garage, and since then spent countless hours browsing the unbelievable threads. And it's 3AM when I'm posting this!

I'm almost ashamed to show you my garage, some of you have built workshops nothing short from work of art...
The thing is, I live in Antibes, a small town on the French Riviera, more or less half way between Cannes and Monaco. Nice place to live, but land is very, very expensive... So much for a large garage, you have to do with what you can afford. :-(

So for the last 20 years or so, this is the place where I've been working on my classics :

Small garage underground below a 1970's building. The stuff of dreams, right?

And it needed some TLC, to say the least!
So last year, I finally decided to do something about it, and here's the result :

It's not bigger, but it's waaaaaaaaay more enjoyable to work in!
Since then, I've have the opportunity to rent the garage right next to mine, so I finally can get some highly needed space!

Recent additions have been a homemade sandblasting cabinet :

And a metal lathe I've restored :

Details and plans are available on my blog here : http://shamwerks.com/atelier_eng.php
As I warned you earlier, this is a really small garage, it has nothing to do with the gorgeous places I've seen here... But hey, it's mine, and I still kinda like it! :lol:

Thanks to all of you I now have a lot of ideas to enhance my garage! Thanks guys! :bowdown:

HOTFR8 · Jan 29, 2013

WOW, I love the way you have left the original rock walls. I wish I could have left the rock face in my underground area.

Nothing to be ashamed of there.

STANIMAL · Jan 29, 2013

Thats a great space . Keep it going . Lets see some of your finished projects .

Vernmotor · Jan 29, 2013

That's very cool ! I really like that..great job..

shoturtle · Jan 29, 2013

You utilized you space quite well. And the fresh paint really brighten up the place. Love that you kept the stone wall instead of covering up with sheet rock or something else. Really gives it a nice look.

RivennHewn · Jan 29, 2013

Looking forward to the thread on the boat!!

MPOWERD · Jan 29, 2013

Great Garage! Now we need pics of the French Riviera!!

I Didnt know they used "ain't" in France! lol...

Or is this just a "Sham"...?

Just kidding!

jabberwoki · Jan 29, 2013

****** nice job mate and i`m glad you left that cool rough rock wall alone gives the place character!

APEowner · Jan 29, 2013

Nice looking place! It looks like a very pleasant place to spend ones time. That boat is very cool and I like the lathe restoration. The engine turned switch panel is a very cool touch.

FltEngCPO · Jan 29, 2013

Love it and love that boat! Post pictures of the rework on it as you go.

Derrickwade · Jan 29, 2013

I agree with everyone else on the rocks! Very cool!

HOTFR8 · Jan 29, 2013

jabberwoki said:
****** nice job mate and i`m glad you left that cool rough rock wall alone gives the place character!

Yes, Character. That's the word I missed using in my post.

930dreamer · Jan 29, 2013

I was watching Extreme Yachts and there were rebuilding a Riva. Nice shop you have.

farmall · Jan 30, 2013

What kind of boat is it?

What does it have for power and drive?

Thedoc14 · Jan 30, 2013

Love your taste, the rock wall and Veedubs cant go wrong.
That boat will look great once sanded back.

Sham · Jan 30, 2013

WOW, thank you all for the warm welcome!

Glad you like my little man cave!

As per the boat, it's a 1959 English Albatross, an aluminium speedboat used mainly for waterskiing. It was built by former RAF aircraft engineers, using the same construction methods they used on warbirds during WW2 (i.e. flush rivets).
It was powered with a 35HP sidevalve Ford 100E engine.
And it happens mine almost certainly belonged to former Monaco's Prince Rainier III.

Here's a couple o'pics of the babe before I stripped her down :

More pictures and informations on the boat here.

I had a few different projets in my garage along the years :

A 1956 Lambretta LD I restored :

I unfortunately had to sell her. I still get news from its new owner, who rides it hundred kilometers every other week end!

Details can be found here.

A 1970 VW Thing I put backon the road :

I had to sell her, not enough space to keep it... Gosh, I miss this one the most! It was the perfect fun ride!
I sold it to a good friend of mine, hoefully I'll buy it back someday!

Details here.

So as of today, I have the boat you've seen above, and :
- My very first car, 1959 VW Beetle named "Elvira" :

- A 1968 VW Karmann Ghia named "Kitty" :

- A 1954 IFA/DKW RT125 motorbike :

Fredriz · Feb 17, 2014

Hi Sham

which painting did you take for the wall and the ground?

Nice work....the change is radical :thumbup:

You know the purse of part VW of Valence (Drôme)?

Sham · Feb 17, 2014

Hi Fredriz,

Thanks for the nice words!
For the paint, I've used "multi-usages Jullien Multifond 2" for the wall (great product, would recommend), and on the floor "peinture sol V33 trafic extrême gris clair U133/A".
As per the floor, I'm currently installing tiles instead of the paint, I'll post pics here when I'm done!

All the details are on my blog : http://shamwerks.com/atelier_eng.php (or here in french! ;-) )

As per the Valence swap meet, sure I know it! Was there 2 years ago, got myself a nice pair of cylinder heads for my 36hp... ;-)
I was supposed to be there this year too (last saturday) to get parts for my Ghia, but unfortunately it was the day of the funerals of a friend of mine, a fellow VW enthousiast (RIP Yann "Survivor"...). :-(

930dreamer · Feb 17, 2014

I'd be so curious about what's behind that stone wall, that I'd just remove a couple of stones and a few more........

Sunbimmer · Feb 17, 2014

I love the boat, would like to see it finished

Sham have any pics ???

dubber · Feb 17, 2014

Wow nice work. What a difference a little TLC and paint can do. Really enjoy leaving the end wall as an accent. Great work.

N0tt0N · Feb 17, 2014

Spectacular transformation of a single car garage in a choice location! Will done!

AZ Pete · Feb 17, 2014

Very nice restorations, on the vehicles and the garage. I traveled through your area during the spring of 1974...absolutely beautiful country and hospitable people.

Sham · Feb 18, 2014

Thanks for the kind words guys! :bowdown:

@930dreamer : well, unfortunately, not much to see behind this wall : it's a retaining wall, since we're below street level there. So, just soil behind it... :-/

@Sunbimmer : as per the boat, it's still a work in progress, I've spent way more time on my cars recently, so not much to see - still sanding & scraping the old paint.
But it might change : this summer I've had the opportunity to go for a ride on board the same boat as mine, in Monaco (see here), it was such a fantastic ride it gave me a lot of energy to finish it!
The boats are even in the current (march) issue of "Classic Boat" magazine, here's an excerpt of the article : "Apparently there were dolphins alongside us as [we] roared airborne across a steep swell in the mouth of Monaco harbour at 40 knots in a flat-bottomed A-Series Coventry Climax-engined Albatross. I never saw them though - something was in the way ; my life, flashing before my eyes."
I have to say, that journalist's experience was pretty close to mine!! :lol:

I hope mine will be ready for the next event in Monaco in 18 months from now... Still a lot to do to make her look like that :

(yes, I'm on the right on this picture, good thing you can't see my scared-as-hell face. :lol:

)

onewaydave · Feb 18, 2014

Welcome and great job.

My dad built a plywood version of that boat in the living room of our house when I was about 4, 1955 or so. 35 HP Johnson out board. I skied behind that untill I was 22. That pic in post 22 could have ben ours.

I will be looking for more pics.

Dave.

Gilles · Feb 18, 2014

Welcome to the GJ.

Nice cars and nice boat. And nice garage too!

I had myself an underground garage in the past. Not ideal situation but a lot better than nothing.

You may know some friends of mine that are in VW too.

Gilles

Lippyp · Feb 18, 2014

The boat is very cool, deserves some nice period tuning goodies on the sidevalve engine.

1/2 Cup · Feb 18, 2014

Thanks for posting, great work all round. :thumbup:

Bronson · Feb 18, 2014

I love Your shop and the boat and the Bug and the DKW and.....
I am leaving but I must come back and look at Your blogs.....
Hey, I have the Cousin to Your DKW!

dodgemike · Feb 18, 2014

Nice shop. You utilized what you
had and made it very nice. And
your restoration work is better
than mega dollar pro shops I have
seen here.

Sent from my SCH-S720C using Tapatalk 2

Sham · Feb 18, 2014

Thanks again for the nice words guys, I do appreciate. Feels very humbling when I see some of your shops!

@onewaydave : wow, would you happen to have picture of the boat your father made??

@Bronson : is this a Harley Hummer? I love that bike, looks gorgeous!

Bronson · Feb 18, 2014

Sham said:
Thanks again for the nice words guys, I do appreciate. Feels very humbling when I see some of your shops!

@onewaydave : wow, would you happen to have picture of the boat your father made??

@Bronson : is this a Harley Hummer? I love that bike, looks gorgeous!

Sham, that is a 1956 Harley 165. It is the big Brother to the 125 cc Hummer.
I found it in a shed last year, where it had been resting since 1975.
I will add a new wiring harness and get it running. I will leave the rust and grime as it is. :thumbup:

As You probably know, the Hummer is a direct descendant of the DKW 125 .......

Rom'S · Feb 18, 2014

Nice job and great difference, that's cool, I like vw cars me too...

Fredriz · Feb 18, 2014

Thanks for your answers Sham.

I believe that I will paint my garage in white soon :thumbup:

JTH · Feb 18, 2014

Just found your beautiful garage and projects. Love the scooter and VWs. Makes me feel like I should be doing so much more with twice the space you have. Thanks for posting, can't imagine how cool it would be to cruise France in a vintage bug! JT

BrownEnterprises · Feb 18, 2014

That rock-faced back wall makes every difference in that tiny space. Enjoy it! You've done an excellent job!

quasi_accurate · Feb 18, 2014

Wonderful work! I love the stone wall!

markv · Feb 18, 2014

I love seeing a real working mans garage! Great work!
Mark

BoostAddiction · Feb 18, 2014

Funny how that Coventry Climax engines pops up everywhere. I had no idea it also served duty in boats.

Nice garage!

murd · Feb 18, 2014

Very cool shop. And you do great work. That lathe looks perfect. A friend of my sister had a vw thing he bought in the late 80, drove it here from california. Took me out offroading in it, then dropped me off at school in this bright orange thing with no doors. best entrance ever.

An underground garage... On the French Riviera.

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