Any 5 car wide garages?

[UKAuto]

I started planning for a garage about three years ago, and posted a couple of questions some time back. With my original plan I intended to build something about 24 x 24 and install a double wide high lift Bendpak.

To put things in perspective I already have a generous one car garage with a four post lift. I am able to put one car up top, bring a vintage mini in and "slide" it to the side between the lift's posts, and then put a third car in under the lift. Clearly not convenient, but works for winter storing some of the toys.

We currently have seven toy cars, so we would like to stop doing the slide and store for the mini, and would like to build a five car garage to supplement the current garage, and to stop paying ongoing off site storage for the other cars.

As much as I like that double wide Bendpak, I have decided I would like the new garage to be clear of anything but the cars and wall art. I am not storing anything in there - it will just be a crisp clean garage that acts like a display case, no cabinets, no clutter.

With the location I have available I will only be able to build a 22 foot deep garage (22 outside dimensions + whatever for roof overhang), but I can have a fairly wide foot print (in theory, as I am yet to gain town approval!).

Does anyone here have a relatively shallow garage like I am suggesting (roughly 21 feet interior), but that holds five cars as I am suggesting? If so how many feet wide did you go and how does it feel for space? I know everyone will say go as big as you can, but I do want to maintain some yard as well, so not keen on going overboard. People who aren't interested in this forum will say it is already going overboard putting up anything bigger than a tool shed!


Cheers.

Rob.

 

[LX-Markham]

As much as I like that double wide Bendpak, I have decided I would like the new garage to be clear of anything but the cars and wall art. I am not storing anything in there - it will just be a crisp clean garage that acts like a display....

I hear ya on that. But the double-wide tall Bendpak 4-post ain’t bad either

 

[Jagmandave]

What are you thinking, 5 individual garage doors or a couple of double wide doors and one car stored in the middle?

 

[UKAuto]

Awesome lift - it isn't 100% off the table (and if I had no lift in the other garage I would go for it as it helps with service).

 

[UKAuto]

What are you thinking, 5 individual garage doors or a couple of double wide doors and one car stored in the middle?

I am not set on the doors yet, but I do like symmetry (so I probably should do a six car with three double doors!).

Possibly do two double doors with a double glass entry door in the middle (that is wide enough opened up to let the mini in).

 

[Hot shot]

For what it’s worth, I have a 3 car with 4’ stem walls
With 1 door open on 2 vehicles beside each other I have about 8” clearance from the doors touching. With 1 door open about 3 1/2’

 

[UKAuto]

For what it’s worth, I have a 3 car with 4’ stem walls
With 1 door open on 2 vehicles beside each other I have about 8” clearance from the doors touching. With 1 door open about 3 1/2’

I like the idea of being able to open the doors without risk of touching - but that would be mammoth with a five car. As long as one can open at a time I am fine. I was thinking if I measure my various cars with one door open; ensure I can do one door each end of garage, and one door between each car (so five cars width plus six open door widths) that might be a good number to push for.

Cheers.

 

[Hot shot]

Forgot to mention mine is 46 x 28

 

[UKAuto]

Just roughed that out. One of my wife's cars seems to be the widest at about 6'3" plus mirrors. Add three feet even at the ends and between cars and I am up to a 50' garage! That physically fits, but may be a bit excessive.

Perhaps I shouldn't be going for so much space at the ends - and should recognize the cars aren't all as large as hers. I was hoping for closer to 40', but that is starting to look like a comfortable four car garage - not a five car.

 

[sweetk30]

i like my shop for the most part . it was here when we purchased .

L shape shop on its side so the I part is facing the house and the kicker is out the back . this gives me a storage nook for the few trailers worth of stuff also behind the shop out of the way .

28ft deep x 50ft wide inside and the 16ft wide by 25ft deep in the back bay .

the back bay has a 8x8 door inside the shop to section it off as it was built for a paint booth bay and works great .

the main shop is 10x10 door on left with 12ft ceiling height inside wished it was 15ft but oh well . . . the rest of the shop is 9ft 6" inside height and a 8x8 door .

if i placed vehicles correctly inside i can do 5 in the shop . if it was a higher volume in/out shop the windows in the front would be gone for a 3rd 8x8 door to make it better but i would then loose a HUGE work bench and cabinet area so its o.k. in the end .

excuse the mess . . . it was a big clean up weekend in when they were taken .

 

[UKAuto]

Forgot to mention mine is 46 x 28

Wow, so a very generous three car garage in the max space I was hoping to stick five cars.


...people are right to always say go bigger aren't they...

 

[UKAuto]

28ft deep x 50ft wide inside and the 16ft wide by 25ft deep in the back bay .

…

if i placed vehicles correctly inside i can do 5 in the shop

Another one that reinforces being around the 50 foot mark. Cheers.

 

[Hot shot]

Absolutely

 

[tarmy]

Does this count...32x56...

 

[56Safari]

I have a 24x24 and it drives me nuts, too tight. I feel like if I had a 24x30 It wouldn’t drive me nearly as crazy..

I’m moving soon though so I plan to build 40x40 if budget allows


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[sweetk30]

Another one that reinforces being around the 50 foot mark. Cheers.

you might get 5 in but thats with moving dollys under the wheels and packing them in tight .

my smaller 8x8 right side bay i park my 1987 k30 chevy 1ton 4x4 truck with a 8ft fisher snow plow and the 28ft depth is 7/8th gone with room to walk around it on all sides just right and open the doors .

the left side 10x10 door the extra wall on the left is all work bench and air compressor and storage tank extra for air ( 2 80 gal tanks 1 is compressor ) and my shop 20ton press and 5 bottles for oxy/act cutting outfit . then this still gives me a fair but if comfy room to walk around the lift post and work on cars .

i hate being squished in to a work area . fluff room is nice to have .

if your doing more storage in most then go higher and get 2 4 post stackers like we did in my buddys shop this fall . http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/showthread.php?t=794668 only thing he should have done was plan the depth of his shop a bit more by 4-6 feet deeper . then he could have put a 3rd in line for 3 lifts total in the one bay .

 

[UKAuto]

Appreciate any further feedback people may have on the topic. Sitting at the table with a pad of paper I feel a bit like I am in a vacuum - this feedback is useful, even if just to keep me thinking further.

 

[UKAuto]

Does this count...32x56...

There goes my entire yard! (fantastic garage by the way!)

 

[sweetk30]

less to mow = more shop time !

 

[tarmy]

There goes my entire yard! (fantastic garage by the way!)

Well then...you’re gonna need a bigger yard...

 

[machsnell]

That physically fits, but may be a bit excessive.

Perhaps I shouldn't be going for so much space at the ends

Nonsense. Take it back! Not even close to excessive. Go big if you can. Personally I dont think you can have too much space; however, I have a tool addiction and hoard a little.

It's nice to not have to worry about banging doors or moving a table or a cart close to a vehicle.

Go for all doors open and not having to turn sideways when you walk between the car doors when open!

Enjoy

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[PugetDude]

I've got a 5-car garage, 2 singles on the front of the house and a double/single behind it around the side-all 5 bays open into one big garage space without the look of a Fire Station on the street side.

 

[teal95]

I have a 40x40 pole barn. I have them 5 across but it's tight.

 

[SALIV8]

Mine is 4 wide

 

[UKAuto]

…

i hate being squished in to a work area . fluff room is nice to have .

…

if your doing more storage in most then go higher and get 2 4 post stackers like we did in my buddys shop this fall .

I agree 100% - hate being squished. This garage will see no working on cars. Polished floors, high gloss walls. There is a chance some detailing will be done in there, but primarily a toy box. The other garage has about eight foot tall shelves wall to wall across the back and a lift - that is where the magic happens.

Wish I had the property to do something much bigger. I also would consider more garage with lifts - but that does mean a much taller building as well. That is where this started, but I have gone flatter and wider in my thoughts!

We are right in town, and have a 65 foot wide lot; this garage is going behind the house and running along the side yard, so up the driveway on the north edge of my lot, past the house, and 90 degree turn across the back. Still get a reasonable lawn. If it were up to my wife it would all be concrete and garage with zero grass - but I want some yard. (I think she secretly wants one more toy car).

 

[ClappedOutBport]

I would do something like two 14 foot garage doors, and a single narrower one. Back one car in each set of the doubles so you can park as close as you like. IF you need to detail a car, simply pull one out and you have all the room in the world to work, and plenty of light coming in through that big door. I can't imagine having any wall space that isn't used, but I obviously have a different situation than you.

 

[mmb617]

In the winter I keep 5 cars in my garage by double stacking the lift bay in what's essentially a 4 car garage. It's 24x52 with a separate door for each bay.

 

[mike93lx]

IMO, 50' isn't enough if you want to be able to get in and out of cars. My 2 car is about 25 wide and I can't open any doors along a wall more than halfway and the doors facing the inside can't be opened at the same time. Even moving around with just one door fully open is tight.

 

[madison069]

I currently have a 32x62 garage. Has 2 single width doors and a double wide door. It's not a wide open space garage though. But if I was to knock down all of the interior walls and get rid of all of the non-car stuff, then I could store 6 cars with room. I currently keep a 79 camaro, 2012 F250, and a 2006 Toyota sienna van in the garage with plenty of room. Even with all of the stuff.

 

[UKAuto]

Feel like I am riding a roller coaster, and the hills just get taller - as do the drops. Started as a double wide in a 24x24, now looking at much wider, but finding my space may restrict me a bit. Found myself sketching out a 24x48 with TWO double wide lifts...

Have to come back down to earth. A double-double would solve the five car problem, in fact it would mean I have to go out and buy three more cars!!

Thanks again everyone for all the food for thought. I will be back out putting stakes in the ground when there isn't so much snow in the way. I know you are all having fun spending other people's money (mine!), but I have to get this right so it doesn't mean my hobby delays my retirement. Cheers.

 

[rusty1]

...my building is 32 x 45, can fit 7 cars in there if I turn 2 along the back wall,...the front five can all drive out but one requires another to move out first, 4 can drive in/out independently...two 14' doors...

 

[Bighead38]

Any pictures of the toys?

 

[Ak Jim]

I see you live up north. What is the intended use of the garage? How many cars do you routinely drive? Do you have cars you only drive in the summer? The reason I ask is I'm assuming the garage will be heated. You're looking at heating how many square feet, maybe 1500-2000. Every time you open a single door to get your daily driver out then you're going to let out a lot heat. If you have lets say two daily drivers and the others are summer only and perhaps a work shop you might think about building a wall inside the garage to isolate the daily driver area from the rest of the garage. This will save a lot of heat and also help you control the humidity level in the section of the garage you keep the summer cars/projects in.

 

[AaronTTRS]

For the sake of left to right room, this is 30 feet wide with 4 cars across (3 smaller and one wider) for visual.


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[UKAuto]

I see you live up north. What is the intended use of the garage? How many cars do you routinely drive? Do you have cars you only drive in the summer? The reason I ask is I'm assuming the garage will be heated. You're looking at heating how many square feet, maybe 1500-2000. Every time you open a single door to get your daily driver out then you're going to let out a lot heat. If you have lets say two daily drivers and the others are summer only and perhaps a work shop you might think about building a wall inside the garage to isolate the daily driver area from the rest of the garage. This will save a lot of heat and also help you control the humidity level in the section of the garage you keep the summer cars/projects in.

Good thoughts, I do need to consider heat to a small degree, but all cars are summer cars, so I won't be pulling them out during the heating season - I will only be walking in to day dream about warmer days...

- The garage will not be a work space, it will only be for storing cars. The closest thing to working on the cars is some detailing.

- We primarily own smaller cars, and our daily driver cars will never be in this garage.

- We already have another (small) garage with a four post lift. That is where any work would be done.

 

[UKAuto]

...my building is 32 x 45, can fit 7 cars in there if I turn 2 along the back wall,...the front five can all drive out but one requires another to move out first, 4 can drive in/out independently...two 14' doors...

That is a beautiful size - just can't push that far. Possibly a 24 x 45.

 

[UKAuto]

For the sake of left to right room, this is 30 feet wide with 4 cars across (3 smaller and one wider) for visual.


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

Nice! It looks like it works well, but an extra two feet each side, and one foot between probably wouldn't hurt - do you agree? My cars tend to be similar size to your lovely fleet.

 

[UKAuto]

Any pictures of the toys?

It would be rude not to share....

View media item 100383My 1985 Canadian specification TVR 350i FHC. They only made a total of 52 of these from 1983 to 1987. Of the 52 produced only 2 were left hand drive.

View media item 100384My 1994 Canadian specification TVR Griffith 500HC. They brought seven Griffiths to Canada, five had a 4.3 litre engine and only two had a 5.0 litre engine like this one. Production figures are unclear but estimated at about 2250. Of these it is believed there are under 100 left hand drive of all engines sizes.

View media item 100385This is a 1994 TVR Chimaera 400HC. Similar to the Griffith, but with a different body. The engine is a 4 litre high lift cam version. This car was sold new in London, and is a right hand drive.

View media item 100386This is my youngest son's 1983 TVR Tasmin. It has a 2.8 V6.

View media item 100387This is my older son's 179 Mini that is currently in bits and pieces around the garage (and basement). Hopefully will get it wrapped up in 2020. (excuse the mess in the garage!)

View media item 100388My wife's 2008 Jaguar XJR. Supercharged V8.

View media item 100389My wife's other Jaguar, another supercharged V8, but this one is an XKR.


...hopefully one more car to add if negotiations go well!

 

[UKAuto]

I have a 24x24 and it drives me nuts, too tight. I feel like if I had a 24x30 It wouldn’t drive me nearly as crazy..

I’m moving soon though so I plan to build 40x40 if budget allows


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

Juggling act isn't it - would love to have twice the yard, but don't want to move from where I am. Considered buying an out of town lot, but that gets expensive fast, and I don't want them to be so far out of sight. Agree 24 x 24 would be tight, and that was roughly my starting point.

 

[mike93lx]

Man, that collection epitomizes reliability, eh?

Nice rides