speedygreen
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Here begins the story of my new man cave garage...
1950's Gas Station Man Cave Garage
- Thread starter speedygreen
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speedygreen
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speedygreen
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OK, 1st lesson learned: copy my text before I hit reply. I just wrote a big 'ol entry about the place, but when I hit submit it told me I was no longer logged in. Logged in, but my text was gone! OK, let's try this again...
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speedygreen
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Where did I begin before? It's never as good the second time.
My wife let me buy the place, with her never having set foot in it, in December of last year. It sits next to our home, so I've been daydreaming about owning it for a decade now. Didn't expect it to come up for sale anytime soon, but I got it for a good price and even bought it on contract for deed. From what I've been able to research, it started life as a Derby Gas Station about 1950. It's had three or four additions since then. I have no buried tank liability, the tank was plugged sometime before 1968, and I have experience with underground tanks from another property. The property is 1.2 acres, so I have a nice size lot out back, mostly graveled. Pictures shortly...
My wife let me buy the place, with her never having set foot in it, in December of last year. It sits next to our home, so I've been daydreaming about owning it for a decade now. Didn't expect it to come up for sale anytime soon, but I got it for a good price and even bought it on contract for deed. From what I've been able to research, it started life as a Derby Gas Station about 1950. It's had three or four additions since then. I have no buried tank liability, the tank was plugged sometime before 1968, and I have experience with underground tanks from another property. The property is 1.2 acres, so I have a nice size lot out back, mostly graveled. Pictures shortly...
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speedygreen
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This is the 1st picture we ever took of "The Station." I wasn't able to take possession until over a month after I purchased it. A looooong month. Fortunately, we were able to visit in December when the former occupant was having his public auction of the contents. That was the 1st time my wife had even been inside, and I guess the restroom was her primary concern.
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speedygreen
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We didn't get a whole lot of pictures during the auction, we still couldn't believe it was going to be ours. Felt like we were suspicious-looking. These pics are of the double bay garage, the paint booth garage, and the lean-to addition. You can kinda see the floor is substantially cracked, the walls rough and grungy, the ceiling boards missing or falling off, etc.
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speedygreen
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You might have noticed in the pics that there WERE a pair of lifts. They didn't stay. But honestly, think I'd prefer an overhead hoist anyhow. I did buy a few things. My brother and I went in together on a 1960's Vendo Coke machine. Works, but needs a charge. I think we paid $45. I know! I bought an old Walker transmission jack to restore, $60. A few tools.
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speedygreen
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So my wife is awesome. The Station was purchased with her blessing, even though she had no idea how bad it was inside. The bathroom was disgusting (her word), the toilet was held in place with a 2x4 between it and the wall. It leaked. It was backed up during the auction. The non-garage portion was dank and smelly. She had only two requirements for me; that we fix the bathroom first, and she got the small office. Deal!
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speedygreen
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speedygreen
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We took possession January 1, 2012, but I was already there. Even though we were supposed to go to a New Year's Eve party with her friends, she let me off the hook so I could ring in the new year in work clothes. My first improvement was to hang curtains on the front windows so people wouldn't drive by and wonder what the heck I was doing in there. Here's what it looked like.
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buzz4041
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Awesome purchase you lucky guy. Subscribed to see this
power wagon
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this could be the start of a great thread, i like it ,more updated pics please
power wagon
Well-known member
oh i forgot to ask, whatare your plans for your new garage, iam sure you havent been idle since jan., so lets see some updates, please
Mat Mobile
Well-known member
Very cool!
What are your plans?
What are your plans?
oldgymnast
Active member
Ditto to the others. Look forward to seeing what you do with it.
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speedygreen
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You're right power wagon, I haven't been idle! I'm going to try and bring everyone up to date to where I am now, post pics in the order of progress since January. It's a good time for me to begin, I just started working on the garage portion fix-up last month. Not very far along with it yet, so the plan is to take everyone along for the ride over the next few years.
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speedygreen
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My plans for The Station have always been to try and work a 1950's theme into it. Makes sense, it was originally built about 1950 as a Derby Gas Station. I don't have any Derby memorabilia yet, but will.
The theme also coincides with my collection of 1950's Craftsman woodworking tools (Red Leader, this is Green Leader, check.) I started with my Granddad's drill press, but have since added a surface planer, jointer, table saw, and band saw. That's about as far as my collection intends to go, since I can use my Shopsmith 10-ER as a lathe and sander. Problem has been that my little Model-T-sized basement garage is too crammed for woodworking AND auto work. Woodworking will remain in basement garage. But the 1950's theme will carry next door to The Station.
The theme also coincides with my collection of 1950's Craftsman woodworking tools (Red Leader, this is Green Leader, check.) I started with my Granddad's drill press, but have since added a surface planer, jointer, table saw, and band saw. That's about as far as my collection intends to go, since I can use my Shopsmith 10-ER as a lathe and sander. Problem has been that my little Model-T-sized basement garage is too crammed for woodworking AND auto work. Woodworking will remain in basement garage. But the 1950's theme will carry next door to The Station.
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speedygreen
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Ok, have to get back to working, but wanted to post some pics of the first project we undertook, the bathroom.
The pic of the sink was actually taken at the auction. Wife turned on the water so people outside wouldn't hear her phone camera click.
The door pic isn't especially important, but my 2012 bamboo calendar from Chen's was a nice improvement.
The pic of the sink was actually taken at the auction. Wife turned on the water so people outside wouldn't hear her phone camera click.
The door pic isn't especially important, but my 2012 bamboo calendar from Chen's was a nice improvement.
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my58
Well-known member
You are 1 Lucky Dude!
I look forward to following along. Subscribed
Thanks for allowing us along for the ride.
I look forward to following along. Subscribed
Thanks for allowing us along for the ride.
Cool build! Good to see a fellow Kansan. Where abouts are you located? My wife and I just bought an older home south of Salina and are in the process of "rehabbing" it. Looking forward to seeing what you have in store for your new building!
CodeRedZ
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look forward to seeing how this turns out
power wagon
Well-known member
iam gonna watch this one also, looks good
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speedygreen
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Hey cmorgan, I'm just southwest of KC, if you're ever gonna be around my neck of the woods, eh, plains, drop me a line. Always beer and BBQ around here.
power wagon
Well-known member
hey what about the rest of us guys , we like beer too
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speedygreen
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Bathroom moved along. I wanted to tear out the wood paneling, it wasn't original anyhow. Wife wanted to paint it, but I thought all painted paneling I had seen in the past looked too hillbilly. I was wrong.
We chose a real light gray. Started by painting the seams. Then spray painted the yellowed suspended ceiling rails gloss white. Afterwards, 2nd and 3rd coats for the flat parts of the panels. Used oil-based Kilz to cover stains and anything else living in or smelling up the wood. The four ceiling tiles looked bad, but amazingly no water stains. Roped my father-in-law into spray painting them gloss white out in the garage. Found a replacement glass bowl for the ceiling fixture, and presto chango, nice looking ceiling.
We chose a real light gray. Started by painting the seams. Then spray painted the yellowed suspended ceiling rails gloss white. Afterwards, 2nd and 3rd coats for the flat parts of the panels. Used oil-based Kilz to cover stains and anything else living in or smelling up the wood. The four ceiling tiles looked bad, but amazingly no water stains. Roped my father-in-law into spray painting them gloss white out in the garage. Found a replacement glass bowl for the ceiling fixture, and presto chango, nice looking ceiling.
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speedygreen
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The floor was another matter altogether. The old tile was a beyotch to get out, but the old adhesive was worse. I eventually used a wire brush on an angle grinder to get down to etchable cement.
The toilet fixture, even though it was being held in place with a 2x4, was only a few months old. Wearing enough protective clothing to stop a bullet, I cleaned it thoroughly, but no money out of pocket. Problem was that part of the floor drain had chipped away and only one of the mounting studs remained. Used a plastic bowl with petroleum jelly on it to make a form for the drain hole, repaired with nylon reinforced cement patch. Ditto for sinking new studs.
For flooring, I wanted easy to clean, so decided to use garage epoxy floor coating. Had never used it before. It isn't as thick as I imagined. Was hoping it would fill in small imperfections in the cement. It doesn't. But, once the flecks were sprinkled on, the imperfections weren't noticeable. It looks great.
The toilet fixture, even though it was being held in place with a 2x4, was only a few months old. Wearing enough protective clothing to stop a bullet, I cleaned it thoroughly, but no money out of pocket. Problem was that part of the floor drain had chipped away and only one of the mounting studs remained. Used a plastic bowl with petroleum jelly on it to make a form for the drain hole, repaired with nylon reinforced cement patch. Ditto for sinking new studs.
For flooring, I wanted easy to clean, so decided to use garage epoxy floor coating. Had never used it before. It isn't as thick as I imagined. Was hoping it would fill in small imperfections in the cement. It doesn't. But, once the flecks were sprinkled on, the imperfections weren't noticeable. It looks great.
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e-tek
Well-known member
Judging by the can - it's gonna be nice.....and white!
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speedygreen
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Add a $50 vanity, a $30 faucet, $25 in plumbing because I screwed up more than once trying to connect up to a previously installed non-standard drain, $35 mirror, $5 towel ring, $5 tp holder, $20 in trim, a smelly thing for the mirror shelf, and a Darth Vader mug.
So including paint and epoxy, minus what I still had left, a little over $200 in the bathroom remodel.
So including paint and epoxy, minus what I still had left, a little over $200 in the bathroom remodel.
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Omphaloskeptic
Well-known member
"it started life as a Derby Gas Station about 1950"
Have you had any luck collecting Derby memorabilia?
Wouldn't it be great if the local newspaper (if still in business) had some 8x10 glossies of the place during its 'Grand Opening' event? Maybe the area historical society has some pictures of it during its' heyday. Good hunting!
P.S. - Did you happen to come across any treasures (Did you find ruby-red slippers, my pretty) during the demo phase?
Have you had any luck collecting Derby memorabilia?
Wouldn't it be great if the local newspaper (if still in business) had some 8x10 glossies of the place during its 'Grand Opening' event? Maybe the area historical society has some pictures of it during its' heyday. Good hunting!
P.S. - Did you happen to come across any treasures (Did you find ruby-red slippers, my pretty) during the demo phase?
tinbender 66
Well-known member
What a fun project!! I have to admit I'm more than a little jealous! Keep on.
fergus
Well-known member
I'm with TB...totally jealous! Me likey!
Modern Jess
Well-known member
Nice work. Love the mug. Adds a nice touch.
CodeRedZ
Well-known member
not bad for a bath remodel.
Falcon67
Well-known member
The Vader mug makes it 
A little TLC goes a long way, doesn't it.
A little TLC goes a long way, doesn't it.JC23
Well-known member
cbacres
Well-known member
Now you need to add a wash sink out in the shop, she will be mad when you try to wash your grimy hands in there.
Nice job.
I like the building
Nice job.
I like the building
Red Leader
Well-known member
I've been out for a while but have been slowly making my way back.
Fabulous shop! Yours is way more legit than mine, seeing as how yours was aactually built in the 1950s (and not to mention that probably nobody back then was crazy enough to do what I've been doing out there).
I like the Craftsman tools. You've got a nice collection going.
And it just keeps going
Fabulous shop! Yours is way more legit than mine, seeing as how yours was aactually built in the 1950s (and not to mention that probably nobody back then was crazy enough to do what I've been doing out there).
I like the Craftsman tools. You've got a nice collection going.
And it just keeps going