1935 Gas Station Resurrection

[BUGTHUG]

I personally say "Thank you " for taking the time to show us what you are doing with the place. Shure picked the right site to do it.
We are all a bunch of garage rebuild addicts, and I usually check on here everyday.
It helps that you are doing it just like I would
Happy New Year!
Hey since I fell like we kinda know each other, whats your first name?
Thanks, Herb

 

[madoc1]

happy new year joe. you have done an amazing amount in a short amount of time, working alone. good luck in the new year and pls. keep us up to date on your progress.

jim

 

[Loose Ctrl]

Thanks for sharing your project. I am learning a good bit from following along.

Happy New Years to you and those following along.

 

[rubberrodder]

Definatly got a lot of work done in a relative short amount of time. This is what happens when you are your own "supervisor".

 

[Bib Overalls]

Bare OSB walls soak up a lot of light. Painting everything above 4' white made a bid difference.

 

[rubberrodder]

I noticed this with my walls too! I used plain brown pegboard on one section and it was a dingy hole untill it got painted.

 

[HD FLHX]

Bare OSB walls soak up a lot of light. Painting everything above 4' white made a bid difference.

You guys need to step up your lighting game Your right it does, but my walls tend not to stay bare very long (as you can see in the pics) and with a white ceiling my shops are plenty bright without painting the walls. There is also going to be a mix of a couple galvanized paneled walls and the interior brick dividing walls are going to left exposed so it really shouldn't be to big of an issue. There will be plenty of T8 8 foot fluorescent lights to make up for it.

 

[HD FLHX]

While running some wire for new outlets in the west wall of bay 1 I pulled the insulation a side and immediately felt a cool breeze. I was like where the heck is all that cold air coming from? So I took two rows of insulation out and found the source.



It had a piece of some type of thin underlayment type material covering the square opening and that was it. Not a lick of insulation to be found at all.





I knew all the old filled window opening on the backside were in bad shape and need to be redone (on the spring to do list), but I didn't expect them or at least one to be uninsulated. I don't think I've posted any pics of the west side of the building at all. The city owns the empty lot.




After opening it up you can see they left the old window intact and just sandwiched it with 2x4s. The bottom of the 2x's had some signs of water damage, but were not rotted out. The framing in general was plenty strong so I left it and just insulated the pockets between the 2x4s with fiberglass insulation then filled the bigger opening with 1 inch insulation board. I covered it all with a piece of plastic and caulked around the perimeter to make it air tight then put a new piece of 3/8ths plywood on.






After that was taken care of I finished up the wiring and hung some OSB.





I was kind of going back and forth in my head on what to do with that door opening since they butchered it up to fit a window in it. Thought about covering it up, but my main tool box will be along that wall to the left of the door opening and I thought it would be handy to have the opening intact. Here's what my solution was...framed in a few shelves in the busted out area. I'll trim it out with some 1x4 and call it good.

 

[Bears Fan]

I couldn't help myself! But when you mentioned the lights I immediately thought of this

Awesome job on the build

 

[54earl]

I find myself anxiously awaiting updates to this thread. I am interested in your window fix, are you not worried about damage from out side in? I am not an expert on Iowa weather, so maybe it's not th same concern that it would be in Idaho.

 

[HD FLHX]

I find myself anxiously awaiting updates to this thread. I am interested in your window fix, are you not worried about damage from out side in? I am not an expert on Iowa weather, so maybe it's not th same concern that it would be in Idaho.

Once it warms up a bit all the filled in window openings on the outside will be redone with the same wood siding I'm using to fill the space above the overhead doors. It comes in 4x8 sheets and will hold up well in any weather. It is preprimed and has a 50yr substrate warranty. As long as it's fit tight and caulked it'll provide a weather tight fix.

 

[madoc1]

i was wondering the same thing, even tho i knew you wouldn't let it be. thought you just forgot a pic. i understand about the weather even if it is going to be 75 here today.

jim

 

[rmalkow2]

You are making great progress. The exterior lighting on the building looks great at night. I like the green color accents with white trim. the two front doors would look good with that same theme. You are going to have an awesome work space.

 

[mtm_motors]

This is quickly becoming one of my favorite builds here. I can't wait to see it finished to a point that you can start working in it! Such cool bones you are starting with

 

[Bob275]

Are you going to try to purchase the empty lot from the city too? sometimes they give good deals just to get it back on the tax role.

 

[C_F]

Happy belated New Year!

On the previous photos of the front of the building, I noticed the metal "cap" wrap on the top of the wall...but looking at this one, it appears the be metal siding all the way down?
It does look nice, whatever it is.

 

[JC23]

Thanks for posting such an interesting project.

 

[HD FLHX]

Are you going to try to purchase the empty lot from the city too? sometimes they give good deals just to get it back on the tax role.

As of right now no I don't have any plans to buy the lot, but you never know what the future may hold. Maybe later on once I recover a bit financially from the purchase and renovation of the building and a couple vehicle projects in the works right now are completed.

Happy belated New Year!

On the previous photos of the front of the building, I noticed the metal "cap" wrap on the top of the wall...but looking at this one, it appears the be metal siding all the way down?
It does look nice, whatever it is.

It is covered with a metal siding typically used on commercial steel buildings. They done a nice job and it has held up well. It was done in 1997 after the Ward building was torn down

Hey since I fell like we kinda know each other, whats your first name?
Thanks, Herb

Joe

 

[HD FLHX]

All the walls are done in the first shop bay now. I finished up the short section of OSB beside the overhead door and installed the galvanized panels across the top of the south wall to cover up the lumber supporting the drop ceilings. I had to add a short 2x4 to bridge the gap between the 2x4 over the door opening and the 2x10 on the wall. Also had to add a 2x2 on the bottom of the 2x10 so it lined up with the 2x4. It was kind of a mess of mismatched lumber which is why I chose to cover it all up. The remaining brick will be left exposed.







Door opening and shelf trimmed out



This section is pretty much ready to install a vapor barrier on the ceiling and cover it in white metal.





A couple before and current pics of this room

 

[1/2 Cup]

Your build is just an awesome piece of work Sir.


Many thanks for sharing..

Regards

 

[Kevin54]

Joe.......you ****!!!!!

I am jealous. You have a super cool place, and I can wait to see it done. I think the new doors really set it off, plus it makes the building look a little more in proportion now that you can see them. I can't tell by the pic, but is there one more garage door at the end of the building?

Also, are you going to leave the front entrance doors white? Just my opinion, but I think it would look best and will compliment the new garage doors.

I think I read above that you were going to paint the wall to the right, white? If so, what if you only paint a section of it white to match the garage doors, then use that area for some sort of advertising? I think it would make the building look a little more pleasing instead of being heavy with white on the end.

Also are you going to put a few more overhead lights down the side of the building like the couple you hooked up to light up the complete side down to the end of the building?

The place looks fantastic though. I would love to have it. Maybe someday you can make a deal with the city and get the vacant lot next door. Sometimes when the city owns a piece of property, they will sell cheap just to get out from under it. Just an idea.

 

[shortykorte]

Looking good. Hope you're going to reuse that green/yellow.

I really admire your diligence.

 

[teul2]

Joe,
I just went through your shop build and now this. I am very impressed with the speed you have gone through this building. I have to say, in the first few pages, I didn't have your vision. But now that you have opened up the back of the building I can "smell what you're stepping in", so to speak. Love that you have Napa on one side, and tattoo's and beer on the other. Great looking location.

Finding that original door in the ceiling is awesome. Things like that are what make me love fixing up my old 1899 house. I hope you'll "rehab" that original door / frame and use it. I had hoped you'd have framed out and redone that window. But I can see the benefit of having no windows in the shop area for people to peak in.

Love the progress. Keep up the good work. I am now officially following this thread.
Joel

 

[BUGTHUG]

Joe, still doin nice work. I like the galva metal up near the top of the walls. Maybe you can use the white and the galva on the celling in stripes. I like stripes!

 

[HD FLHX]

A few answers to Kevins questions

2 more overhead doors will be installed, #4 going in a space that was filled in and #5 is replacing the one that is already there so they all match.



You can see the edge of the 4th opening behind the pile of insulation. The interior wall between 4 &5 is also going to be removed.



This is on the other side of the wall where the 5th door is.



On the wall color I'm looking more for an off white/Ivory type color not really a bright white. I would like to come up with a set of red Sinclair letters to mount on it with a red stripe under the letters and a gas price sign of some sort. When the basket was removed it left a concrete circle trimmed in brick that I think would make a good spot for a Sinclair dinosaur statue. You can see how much better the building stands out with a lighter color wall, especially in the 1935 photo.




There are a total of 4 lights on the east wall, 2 of them were not lit up in the pic. They need new bulbs. The arched doors will either be white or green or maybe a combination of both.Green doors white jambs. I haven't made that decision yet . They need all the old paint stripped off first this spring. I may paint one green just to see if I like it or not and if I don't then go back to white.

 

[C_F]

Looking at the before & current photos in the room you're currently working on, it's really impressive how much you have been able to accomplish in such short order.
Mainly what I mean is that I will often find someone's project thread after it's been going a while (like a year or two), then spend a day watching the story unfold quickly (sort of like watching TV shows minus commercials), until I'm at the current time. But because you're whipping out the work of five guys , your thread is almost like watching one that's been going on for quite a while & I'm just playing catch up.

Sooo...it's really fun to watch what you're doing to the place & as always, I enjoy checking in here often. Keep after it!

 

[slimpickins]

This is an amazing project! Congratulations on finding such a wonderful building!
You're doing amazing work on the restoration too!

Cheers!

 

[Ford52PU]

It keeps getting better and better everytime I check in. Great craftsmanship.

 

[Homebody]

The wood above the overhead doors going to be green also??

 

[HD FLHX]

The wood above the overhead doors going to be green also??

I have two thoughts about the color choice for that area...first would be green. My other thought is to paint it white then in green letters put lubrication, tires, tune ups etc..above each door.

 

[txvwnut]

My vote for above the doors is the white with the green letters.

 

[BUGTHUG]

I seen a nice gas price sign in the Wichita CL, under collectables. They have a lot of other old garage stuff too. I know its a little ways from you. I think she told me they wanted $225.00 for the sign.
I could go get it and hold it for you ?

 

[HD FLHX]

I seen a nice gas price sign in the Wichita CL, under collectables. They have a lot of other old garage stuff too. I know its a little ways from you. I think she told me they wanted $225.00 for the sign.
I could go get it and hold it for you ?

Could you post a link? I looked, but only seen one in Tulsa for $100. It was a little too new for the era I'm trying to stick to.

 

[HD FLHX]

Work has begun on the next section. Removing the remaining framing from the cooler room and busting up the tile floor that was found under the carpet.







Framed out the west exterior wall floor to ceiling, roughed in a couple outlet boxes and reinsulated the wall. It was tempting to leave the brick exposed, but as I was removing all the old it was about 5* outside. The cold walls reminded how inefficient these old block buildings are. Just the two exterior walls will covered. The interior dividing walls will be left exposed.





Hung a few pieces of OSB before I called it a day.

 

[neighborhood]

Joe, I've quietly enjoyed watching your progress with the restoration of your building. Thank you for sharing this with us.

 

[txvwnut]

Yeah I can't wait to see this one finished out. I would love to have an old gas station as my shop but I don't really want to leave the one behind my house.

 

[BUGTHUG]

I guess the gas price sign was sold. Sorry.

 

[Ferrari-lover]

This place will be awesome when finished! Looking forward to watching it progress

 

[JC23]

You keepin track of how many runs to the dump you've done? Or are you using Dumpsters?

Either way, I bet it was a metric **** tonne!

 

[HD FLHX]

You keepin track of how many runs to the dump you've done? Or are you using Dumpsters?

Either way, I bet it was a metric **** tonne!

So far 4 trailer loads totaling a little over 14,000 lbs