The Flat Four Garage. 20x20 Town house garage

15til3 · Aug 8, 2016

Returning after a very busy 2 years of doing everything BUT working on my garage. Figuring out this Photobucket snafu

Good evening. My name is Phil, living in Troy NY and working as an Engineer for a Japanese Semiconductor company. I have been a long time lurker, posting a few times here and there, but mostly just collecting ideas and learning techniques for the day I bought a house. Well, as of 11AM this morning I am officially a homeowner. I purchased my town home for its low maintenance, small yard, good location and because I am not married and have no kids I wanted a place that I could make my own.
My primary hobbies including working on cars, mostly classic car. I go shooting frequently and might take up reloading or might get my FFL,if the NYS overlords allow it. Detailing cars have always been a passion of mine and although I wouldn't say I'm a pro, I am fairly adept. I'm big into beer, rye/scotch/bourbon. There are plenty more and they can be quite diverse. The main purpose of the garage will be to perform maintenance on the cars, work on the firearms and as a workshop when the house needs it.

Looking forward to any suggestions. Thanks for your time and here are some pics. **** quality and night shots too :/

"very"Gerneralized Plans:
-Move car #2 in
-Fir strip and drywall cylinder block wall
-Paint
-prep floor. clean floor. Paint floor
-add electrical
-build benches/ work area

Bigdukaaa · Aug 8, 2016

Congratulation's Phil, Great starting point

TRS63 · Aug 9, 2016

Sounds good Phil!
Is the name indicating you're into aircooled VWs or is it subaru?
Antoine

15til3 · Aug 9, 2016

TRS63 said:
Sounds good Phil!
Is the name indicating you're into aircooled VWs or is it subaru?
Antoine

I daily drive a wrx wagon. I recently purchased a 68 Beetle as well. Maybe one day I can put a Porsche 912 in there as well.

r

TRS63 · Aug 9, 2016

Nice!
I admit that with the exception of my vw caddy that was my dream vehicle and my first vw(I think vw rabbit pickup is the name in the US), my heart beats almost exclusively for flat motors and I enjoy every drive with my beetle :thumbup:

I will be following what you do to your garage as the size is approximately the same as my new one!
Antoine

15til3 · Aug 9, 2016

TRS63 said:
Nice!
I admit that with the exception of my vw caddy that was my dream vehicle and my first vw(I think vw rabbit pickup is the name in the US), my heart beats almost exclusively for flat motors and I enjoy every drive with my beetle
I will be following what you do to your garage as the size is approximately the same as my new one!
Antoine

I love the caddies. Especially the diesel version.

Well since we have the same dimensions we'll be able to bounce ideas off of each other.

15til3 · Aug 13, 2016

Finally have both of the cars in the garage. I'm not thrilled about how slow the progress of the garage is going but its been raining all week and with work ramping up I am slacking at home.

xdmikey · Aug 13, 2016

First real post for me.

I joined while I was in NYC a few days ago on vacation. My Mom's people were from Troy and Albany. It was nice when I was there 40 years ago!

I wish I had the ability to get a house when I was your age but i did start reloading while I lived in an apartment but now a little shed for that habit since I moved my toy into the space I used to use in my garage.

Sadly, reloading advice is probably the only advice I would have to share here!

15til3 · Aug 13, 2016

xdmikey said:
First real post for me.

I joined while I was in NYC a few days ago on vacation. My Mom's people were from Troy and Albany. It was nice when I was there 40 years ago!

I wish I had the ability to get a house when I was your age

It's still pretty nice here. I've only been living in the area for about a year.

The VA loan helped a lot with purchasing the home.

15til3 · Aug 13, 2016

A big inspiration of mine and countless others has been Jack O's 12 gauge garage.

It's the reason I joined GJ.

There are a lot of elements I want to take away from the 12GG.
1) The color schemes. I want to go with a tan epoxy floor with a nice classic green for the walls.
2) I want the benches I build to be as aesthetically pleasing as they are functional.
3) I will need to park both of my cars in the garage, at least in the cold winter months, so I need to be creative with storage solutions, but also have functional room/space to work on the cars.
4) I won't be installing a lift, but I am looking to get a quick jack https://www.quickjack.com/car-lift-systems/bl-3500slx-portable-car-lift.html

TRS63 · Aug 14, 2016

Nice seeing the flat 4 parked

Of course, Jack's garage is a huge inspiration for a lot of us

Antoine

JRodsGarage · Aug 14, 2016

Nice dude! Welcome to the tiny 2-car club!

stealthz · Aug 14, 2016

sweet can't wait to see what you end up working out. my garage is small 2 car 20x24 give or take. *****. I've done different versions of shelving etc but now trying to figure a way to just do one shelf high to allow more room for door swing and stuff. installed 4 T8 lighting fixtures white semi-gloss walls and now want to do the floor. best of luck and can't wait to see what you do.

15til3 · Aug 15, 2016

Not a groundbreaking update, but I was tired of driving into the garage and only have the light on the garage door opener turn on. So I installed a Lutron Maestro switch. It has an occupancy sensor and the off time can be adjusted in the following times 1min/15min/30min/60mins. It can also be used to sense daylight, which will cause it to turn off. It can also be programmed to be manually turned on with an auto off.

JRodsGarage · Aug 15, 2016

OOOO! I like that!

15til3 · Oct 20, 2016

Haven't got a lot done on the actual garage in the last few months. Mainly due to the fact the I prioritized painting the interior of the house from a 1980's beige to a nice contemporary grey.

Then in a turn of unfortunate events, the motor to my beetle blew. So I've been putting time into that. It is actually helping me picture what I need in terms of the garage instead of what I want. I need benches, I need more orgination. A 20x20 isn't very large so I'm going to have to maximize space and at the end of the day make it so both cars can fit inside. On nice days the daily can go outside, but other that that I'd like the room to have the whole garage available for the car to be worked on.

15til3 · Oct 20, 2016

I really need to get lighting in the garage before the winter comes because it is just too dark. ANy suggestions. The coffers arent as full as they used to be, but this is something that needs to get done.

66Caprice · Oct 20, 2016

Time to put a 2276 into the bug and make it scoot! One thing I have considered in my shop is putting in some lights along the perimeter of the walls. Like some of the track lighting. That way you can turn the lights towards the area you would be working in.

Purist · Oct 20, 2016

15til3 said:
Not a groundbreaking update, but I was tired of driving into the garage and only have the light on the garage door opener turn on. So I installed a Lutron Maestro switch. It has an occupancy sensor and the off time can be adjusted in the following times 1min/15min/30min/60mins. It can also be used to sense daylight, which will cause it to turn off. It can also be programmed to be manually turned on with an auto off.

I just might go ahead and steal this idea from you. Genius!

930dreamer · Oct 20, 2016

One thing that helps me in the shop is to try and keep items off the floor. I like a clear walking area if I can help it. I've R/R a lot of air-cooled engines in my day.

15til3 · Oct 20, 2016

930dreamer said:
One thing that helps me in the shop is to try and keep items off the floor. I like a clear walking area if I can help it. I've R/R a lot of air-cooled engines in my day.

I really do need to build some benches and get everything off the floor

TRS63 · Oct 20, 2016

Oh, bad luck for the beetle, hope it will soon be back on the road! Weather is getting cold here so mine will go in the workshop to stay away from salt this winter!
As my workshop isn't really bigger as yours and I also need to put the two vw+the tools, I will keep an eye on the solutions you find!
Antoine

JRodsGarage · Oct 24, 2016

15til3 said:
It is actually helping me picture what I need in terms of the garage instead of what I want. I need benches, I need more orgination. A 20x20 isn't very large so I'm going to have to maximize space and at the end of the day make it so both cars can fit inside. On nice days the daily can go outside, but other that that I'd like the room to have the whole garage available for the car to be worked on.

I hear you man... Im getting myself into the same problem! I have lots of stuff and only a ~20x20 to work with! And I work in it too. Makes for either a big mess that you cant park in, or it makes you very savvy with organization. It helps that my wife is a neat freak, so she comes up with lots of good ideas for that. A couple ideas that Id do if i were you are;

-Fold down work bench(s). Something that you can keep down to work on and fold up against the walls when not using

-LOTS of hanging storage. I found a pretty slick setup that utilizes the heavy duty plastic containers with fold open lids. On the ceiling, use either garage door track or make some rails out of wood that you can use as channels to slide the containers on.

-Rolling toolbox/workbench. Either manufactured or you can make them out of some 2x4's and plywood.

0-traditional-costco-garage-doors-reviewu002fcustom-costco-garage-door-warranty-costco-garage-door-sunray-costco-garage-door-show-schedule-illinois-costco-garage-door-service-costco-garage-door.jpg

Ill probably be utilizing all of these options in mine :rocker:

Best of luck with the VW engine rebuild!

15til3 · Oct 27, 2016

I forgot I had this(I'm addicted to vintage racing memorabilia and other signs). Hopefully the beetle will earn its own rallye plaque in the near future.

My yoke just came in the mail, so that's good news. Tomorrow I will pick up an engine stand from Harbor F. I understand I will have to do some drilling to make it spin and whatnot.

Soon it will be time to tackle this little fella.

I'm really hoping this becomes somewhat therapeutic because I really need it. Burning the candles at both ends just isn't working for me anymore.

Bib Overalls · Oct 27, 2016

Way back in another lifetime I ran a dune buggy with a Crown adapted Corvair six. I had a similar yoke with a cast iron mount that could be bolted to a stand or work bench. Handled the weight with ease.

I don't know how your yoke will fit in the Harbor Freight engine stand receiver. Hopefully it will be snug. I hate it when a motor on a stand is clearly sagging.

15til3 · Apr 12, 2018

It's been almost 2 years(a very busy 2 years for me), but I'm ready to start updating. What happened to Photobucket and all the pics I've posted in the past?

***Figured out the whole Photobucket issue and am switching over to Flickr***

15til3 · Apr 12, 2018

A lot has changed in 2 years. Not so much with my garage,but that actually started to change today. I've bought a lot of stuff over the last 2 years and I fixed my beetle which was a huge issue and the reason I wasn't updating.

Here are some pics of the rebuild:

Engine out for the first time

The culprit, spun/sheered journal bearing

This was my first time ever working on a motor, but a local shop let me work out of their back room and supplied knowledge through the whole process.

Ready for install. I would end up pulling and reinstalling the motor 3x that weekend, as installed a later clutch and then also the wrong T/O bearing. I'm a whiz at pulling and installing these motors now.

15til3 · Apr 12, 2018

Another big change to my garage is that the Wrx wagon was sold to make room for a
2015 Subaru Crosstrek XV premium w/ 5spd
Pick up day

Off-road fun

[

Best part is that it matches the beetle in color and my garage's name is still accurate.

15til3 · Apr 13, 2018

Yesterday I found myself at home depot buying stuff for the girlfriend's apartment when I decided I needed to stop procrastinating and start working on the garage. One of the things I've wanted to do since moving in was paint the bare concrete wall white so it would be brighter inside the garage.

I purchased 2 gallons of
https://www.homedepot.com/p/BEHR-1-...asonry-Stucco-and-Brick-Paint-28001/100233476

and got to work.

The unpainted parts at the top and bottom are going to be red stripes. This was my first time painting concrete block. The night prior I stretched plastic across to check for moisture and found none. The block itself was super thirsty and I spent a lot of time making sure all the tiny holes were filled.

Now that the wall is painted I really want to get an organizer to hang up yard tools, ladders, etc... Maybe even some fold down benches.

Something like this

garage-wall-systems-best-slat-wall-system-ideas-nice-good-best-amazing.jpg

15til3 · Apr 14, 2018

Went to an estate sale today and ending up leaving with some nice stuff stuff.
1940s Double dot embossed Pepsi:cola sign $12

Formula VEE shift knob $10

Schucc German wind up beetle, that matches my Beetle very well $15

Perhaps the nicest thing was this set of barissters. Made in Ohio, all glass is perfect and everything slides and operates freely. It was free, I just had to hump it out of the basement. They had no idea it separated into 3 pieces.

Going to use the barrister to display rare VW parts, some old toys and cherished oil/gas related items. One dya I'd love to be able to have a building that I can make into a vintage gas station/ general store

15til3 · Apr 18, 2018

I just bought this 12" porcelain Shell and did some more painting in the garage.

Now with everything I want painted, with the exception of the drywall I can start organizing the garage and putting things where they belong.

Next steps will be to build work benches and shelves to display my oil cans

I also purchased this Fill Rite 704 gas pump this weekend. I know it has little to know collector's value, but its my first pump and I get it for $75 so I figured why not.

I'll paint it, most likely in a Shell livery and display it to the side of my garage on a nice pad. I'm glad I don't have a HOA in my neighborhood.
Here's a few fixed up

JCQuick · Apr 18, 2018

Good job on the VW. Bare concrete block needs to be sealed prior to painting

TRS63 · Apr 19, 2018

Well done on the vw and the garage, keep us updated on the pump restoration!

Antoine

Welshie · Apr 19, 2018

Just found this thread, and as a fellow soon to be homeowner with a similar sized garage I will be interested in your progress!

JRodsGarage said:
I hear you man... Im getting myself into the same problem! I have lots of stuff and only a ~20x20 to work with! And I work in it too. Makes for either a big mess that you cant park in, or it makes you very savvy with organization. It helps that my wife is a neat freak, so she comes up with lots of good ideas for that. A couple ideas that Id do if i were you are;

-Fold down work bench(s). Something that you can keep down to work on and fold up against the walls when not using

-LOTS of hanging storage. I found a pretty slick setup that utilizes the heavy duty plastic containers with fold open lids. On the ceiling, use either garage door track or make some rails out of wood that you can use as channels to slide the containers on.

-Rolling toolbox/workbench. Either manufactured or you can make them out of some 2x4's and plywood.

Ill probably be utilizing all of these options in mine

Best of luck with the VW engine rebuild!

Some great ideas there, might snag some of those!

15til3 · Apr 19, 2018

Welshie said:
Just found this thread, and as a fellow soon to be homeowner with a similar sized garage I will be interested in your progress!

Some great ideas there, might snag some of those!

The garage was what I was most excited about working on and here we are 2 years later and I'm finally getting to dedicate some time to it

15til3 · Apr 19, 2018

Picked this up at local antique shop. I'll clean it up, rewire it and find a gooseneck bracket for it and mount it outside above my gas pump whenever I finish restoring that.

Started taking the gas pump apart today. Had a very tought bolt that I ended up having to take a cutting wheel to. I'm going to remove all the innards, with the exception of the counter. Going for a Shell livery as stated previously.

Does anyone have any recommendations on what type of paint I should be using? Prep?

Sndun · Apr 20, 2018

15til3 said:
Went to an estate sale today and ending up leaving with some nice stuff stuff.

Perhaps the nicest thing was this set of barissters. Made in Ohio, all glass is perfect and everything slides and operates freely. It was free, I just had to hump it out of the basement. They had no idea it separated into 3 pieces.

Going to use the barrister to display rare VW parts, some old toys and cherished oil/gas related items. One dya I'd love to be able to have a building that I can make into a vintage gas station/ general store

15til3:

Look up what that bookshelf goes for. If it's the brand I'm thinking, you may be very surprised. Got two myself a while back and was pleasantly surprised.

15til3 · Apr 20, 2018

https://scontent-lga3-1.**.fbcdn.net/v/t34.18173-12/30429511_10100108869114268_1789551828_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=6ac7ee7067e0d9e050a00abca3f34fde&oe=5ADCB928

It seems to be a fairly collectible manufacturer. I always seem to buy/get thing, but rarely ever sell them

15til3 · May 3, 2018

Can anyone recommend wall mounted shelving units? Larger units for storage

Kent_B · Sep 19, 2018

I hadn't noticed your thread until now. Coincidentally, that's what my son & I call my garage due to the surplus of Subaru's. I'll call mine something else, cuz you have the thread & the pictures.

Nice place!

The Flat Four Garage. 20x20 Town house garage

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