I started my garage makeover today!

[Steve1968LS2]

I've always been the guy who would rather spend money on his car rather than his garage. Until now. Our last house had a drywalled and finished three car garage that I had set up pretty good. Our current house was built in 1962 and the garage is a mess.

Exposed studs, old concrete floor, bad lighting and ONE.. I reapeat ONE outlet. It's only 20x21 but with only one car in there I have plenty of room to work. I keep the other cars at the other garage.

I spent 8 hours today clearing out the garage. Tomorrow I will take down the industrial shelving that came with the house and insulate. Then the dry wall will go up, get mudded, and then textured.

Thinking of going white up top with a grey lower third seperated by a red stripe. On the far right wall I have new cabinets being made. There will be four 89x49x24 units for a total of 16 feet of storage.

I will also ditch one OLD workbench that came with the house. Nothing wrong with it except it's ugly. I have my large white unit I built and I might get one smaller one for the end of the garage. In addition to the custom cabinets I will be getting a few metal units to hold chemicals and detail supplies.

One the drywall is done I'm having a Liftmaster 3800 jackscrew opener installed so nothing has to hang over my car. I will also be installing some additional lighting and running more electrical. Later I would love to do some sort of ceiling, maybe a t-bar deal. I've been reading this site and looking for ideas for some time now.

I still haven't decided on the floor. It's between painted and VCT. I already have a good selection of garage art to hang up

So, let the games begin!

 

[PurdueSD]

Good luck on the remodel! That camaro looks sinister from the back. Is it tubbed?

 

[Bib Overalls]

Followed your link to the pictures and specs on your rides. If you are as particular about your garage as you are about your wheels it will be a real show place. I like your choice of colors. The red strip will go good with a red tool chest and other shop fixtures. Keep the pictures coming.

 

[qdvuu]

I spent 8 hours today clearing out the garage. Tomorrow I will take down the industrial shelving that came with the house and insulate. Then the dry wall will go up, get mudded, and then textured.

What, no electricity? Why not rewire befor the drywall is installed?

 

[Steve1968LS2]

Followed your link to the pictures and specs on your rides. If you are as particular about your garage as you are about your wheels it will be a real show place. I like your choice of colors. The red strip will go good with a red tool chest and other shop fixtures. Keep the pictures coming.

Thanks, at the magazine we have a killer BIG shop with a dyno and three lifts. This made it easy for me to put off doing my own garage. When it's done I hope to be able to shoot and do tech stories in it. I'm sure the white walls will really help it be brighter.

I'm still torn on the floor and the ceiling..

Good luck on the remodel! That camaro looks sinister from the back. Is it tubbed?

Yea, mini-tubbed from back when it was a drag car. It's more of a road car now

 

[Steve1968LS2]

What, no electricity? Why not rewire befor the drywall is installed?

Budget and time. In my last place I had the outlets ran on top of the drywall, I sorta liked the industrial look it had. It wasn't worth it for me to hire an electrician at full-hit to have it done first.

My buddy who does electrical is booked solid for the next month. My other buddy who can help with the drywall if free now. It's a time deal. I only need three boxes ran. One one each side of window and one at the nose of the car. That should give me good coverage.

 

[nissan_crawler]

Budget and time. In my last place I had the outlets ran on top of the drywall, I sorta liked the industrial look it had. It wasn't worth it for me to hire an electrician at full-hit to have it done first.

My buddy who does electrical is booked solid for the next month. My other buddy who can help with the drywall if free now. It's a time deal. I only need three boxes ran. One one each side of window and one at the nose of the car. That should give me good coverage.

Each to their own, but my garage is only 20x24, with 4 240v outlets, 3 - 4 outlet boxes, 2 4' power strips, 8 - 2 outlet boxes, and it still isn't always where I need one.

 

[its_ken]

All this time i figured you magazine guys all had HUGE garages will all the toys a man could possibly want, and now i find out you're just like us! seroiusly though, i followed the "Bad Penny" build-up all the way through, and it looks great. These photos after the repairs?

 

[Steve1968LS2]

All this time i figured you magazine guys all had HUGE garages will all the toys a man could possibly want, and now i find out you're just like us! seroiusly though, i followed the "Bad Penny" build-up all the way through, and it looks great. These photos after the repairs?

I was a "car guy" long before I got this gig... I'm just your average gearhead except they pay me to play with cars. lol

Yea, she's all fixed now from that tragic event... I'm hoping this summer will be better than last

Start insulating in the morning. Any ideas for a ceiling eventually? I don't really need the storage up there since I built a 10x8 and a 6x6 shed on the side of the house for storage.

 

[jonny01blaze]

Nice slate to start with, Can't wait to see the finished product. Your camaro looks like a beast!

 

[GarageFreak]

Nice slate to start with, Can't wait to see the finished product. Your camaro looks like a beast!

jonny took the words right out of my mouth....a clean slate to start from. I am also on the edge of my seat waiting to see what you do with this.

Oh, and BTW, what a car!! It is my dream to re-build a '68 Camaro. What a thing of beauty you have!!!

 

[Scottz5]

That car needs a nice home!

Maybe you shoud leave it in my garage.

 

[CRAZYASTRO]

Damn, I love that view from behind... haha
Garage seems to be alright for one car.

Sorry for no knowing, but, what mag are u working for?

Chris

 

[Bib Overalls]

Start insulating in the morning. Any ideas for a ceiling eventually?

Ceiling? Drywall.

I picked up on the fact that you work for a car/automotive magazine. But I seem to be the only one who does not know which one.

I agree with the others about the wiring. You need more than a couple of wall outlets. And at least one 220 for a welder.

 

[slghmmr88]

Ceiling? Drywall.

I picked up on the fact that you work for a car/automotive magazine. But I seem to be the only one who does not know which one.

I spot a Popular Hot Rodding Sticker on the tool box is that the one?

 

[Steve1968LS2]

Ceiling? Drywall.

I picked up on the fact that you work for a car/automotive magazine. But I seem to be the only one who does not know which one.

I agree with the others about the wiring. You need more than a couple of wall outlets. And at least one 220 for a welder.

I would have to add framing to the ceiling if I was to drywall. That's why I'm thinking t-bar and it lets me have access for repairs and such. I'm just not sure of cost per sq-ft.

I'm the technical editor at Popular Hot Rodding but I write for Super Chevy and a few others as well. Sorta lucked into it.

Not counting electrical for overhead lights I figure I NEED two four-gang boxes on the wall with the window. One in the midddle of the front and one on the side with the cabinets (toward the garage door). I would also have two drop lights/cords in the ceiling.

I have a problem with 220v. Namely that my house has none. That means I would have to add a box, bring it in and run it around. spendy, but on my "to do" list. It's a shame since I have a 220v Ingersal Rand compressor just wasting away.

Oh, my first drywall guy flaked out, so I canned him. The new guy should start next Monday. Gotta love delays.

 

[Steve1968LS2]

I spot a Popular Hot Rodding Sticker on the tool box is that the one?

For being super observant you get the "Sherlock Holmes" award. PM me your address and I will shoot you out a goodie back.

 

[thetastelingers]

I couldn't see a garage.....All I saw was an awesome car.
Is it just me?

 

[Steve1968LS2]

I couldn't see a garage.....All I saw was an awesome car.
Is it just me?

That's the problem.. I have a nice car sitting in a "third world" garage. With help from this site I should be able to fix this.

Anyone have experience with t-bar (dropped) ceilings?

 

[thetastelingers]

That's the problem.. I have a nice car sitting in a "third world" garage. With help from this site I should be able to fix this.

Anyone have experience with t-bar (dropped) ceilings?

No, but they always work from the center out.
I saw a cool T-bar ceiling with tin roofing as the tiled part.
Looked pretty cool in the restaurant.

 

[Gabriel J]

There was a garage in those pictures?

 

[slghmmr88]

That's the problem.. I have a nice car sitting in a "third world" garage. With help from this site I should be able to fix this.

Anyone have experience with t-bar (dropped) ceilings?

In the restaurant I owned at one time I put in FRP (Fiberglass Reinforced panels) in the drop ceiling in the kitchen. Not much would stick to them and when they did get dirty, we would pop them out a steam them. (Though there are other methods). Used the same panels on some of the walls that weren't tiled easy to clean and lots of light reflectivity.

 

[rwhite692]

Rupp you need a margarita machine in there, I see you already have the bamboo window shades up....LOL good luck with the makeover, keep the photos comin'...(like you need to be told that! LOL sorry, couldn't resist...) ...No matter how nice the garage turns out, Penny will still be the "jewel" in that garage! -Rob

 

[Steve1968LS2]

Rupp you need a margarita machine in there, I see you already have the bamboo window shades up....LOL good luck with the makeover, keep tho photos comin'...(like you need to be told that! LOL sorry, couldn't resist...) ...No matter how nice the garage turns out, Penny will still be the "jewel" in that garage! -Rob

My first drywall guy flaked out, so I have a new one on Monday. I will put in the insulation this weekend. The new cabinets show up Thursday so that doesn't give me long to paint.

As for paint.. gloss, semi-gloss, eggshell? What paint is best?

 

[rwhite692]

I'd go semigloss on the walls, maybe do eggshell on the ceiling. Having a bit slicker surface should make it easier to scrub a spot on the wall clean if needed...I've never liked the look of full gloss paint on textured drywall....Another thing is, much like a car, every bit of "wave" that the wall might have, when you sight it along it's surface, will show up more, with the additional gloss.

 

[rickairmedic]

Steve I did my whole garage ( walls Ceiling ) in semi gloos white its nice and bright in there reflects light well and pretty easy cleanup when needed.

Rick

 

[sammerdog]

Beautiful ride!

If you have decided to go with a drop ceiling and the drywall guys haven't shown up yet, why not put a few runs of 12-2 romex in some of the cavities? Pop a quick 9/16" hole thru your top plate and leave a 5' (minimum) coil in the rafter area. Drop a length down to just below knee level along the insulation.

Once you get that nice smooth drywall up, you'll have second thoughts on running exposed conduit on the surface. By having the wire in your walls already, you can simply grab some "old work" gang boxes for the walls and you'll have access to the wires from above your drop ceiling. It will make hook up a breeze for an electrician down the road.

In hind sight, I wish I would have dropped a few extra lines behind my walls before the drywall. Radio, fridge, clock, tv, slot machines, battery charger, etc... Garage stuff has a way of multiplying.

And definitely semi-gloss white (no egg shell, no taupe, no ivory) it reflects light great and if you ever need to touch up a spot, it'll blend in pretty decently.

Again - nice car and already clean garage - looking forward to see what you do with it!

 

[Ryan_S]

I just have to say I love your car! I set that as my desktop on my work cpu...can't wait to see finished garage...i'm now going to check your other pics....LOL

 

[rwhite692]

Have to agree wholeheartedly with Sammerdog, take advantage of the fact that there is no drywall up, and run down some extra 12/2 lines now. Much nicer looking, much faster to do (and cheaper!) to run the Romex in the walls as opposed to surface mount boxes and conduit ON the walls...Put off the drywall for a few days if you have to...it will be worth it....

 

[Steve1968LS2]

Insulation went in today...

And then dry wall..

tomorrow I spatter then prime and paint.

Still working out how to get really nice lines.. ideas? Also thinking of doing the ceiling next since the old rafters look like heck..

 

[thetastelingers]

Im dreading mudding the drywall.....ugh....

Laser for the straight lines.
There was a thread on here somewhere, and someone got one of the lasers that you sit in the middle of the room, and it puts a laser line on all the walls to follow.
Hope that helps.

 

[troy]

It surprises me that not many people on the this board recognize the car and you from the magazine, or pro-touring.com

Anyway, if you haven't decided on the floor. I'd say go for VCT. Your in CA so environmental changes won't be a factor. I like the idea of VCT because you don't have to be so careful. If you wreck a tile. Chisel it up and put a new one down. Price is not bad either.

Care and garage look great.

 

[milkovich]

Looking forward to watching this garage evolve. With your attention to detail, it should come out very pretty.

 

[Scottz5]

Im dreading mudding the drywall.....ugh....

Laser for the straight lines.
There was a thread on here somewhere, and someone got one of the lasers that you sit in the middle of the room, and it puts a laser line on all the walls to follow.
Hope that helps.

I agree. Mask off the walls with blue tape and before you paint your strip color paint one coat of wall color so that you wont see any bleeding of the strip color. Hope that helps.

 

[custom1]

All of your insulation is installed upside down!!?? Your negative inverse ions are all going to run down hill and **** all of the heat right out through the walls!!

No, I know, Its a superstition thing. You did that on purpose to negate the bad luck associated with having all those 13's in the walls!

Seriously tho, looks good.

P.S. I think you're going to have a hard time getting a straight line on a textured wall.

 

[CRAZYASTRO]

what lines do u mean? electric and air? I prolly gonna run the big cable channels, so i could fit poer and air in them...

 

[Steve1968LS2]

I agree. Mask off the walls with blue tape and before you paint your strip color paint one coat of wall color so that you wont see any bleeding of the strip color. Hope that helps.

But if the strip devides white and grey (red stripe) then I need to paint the top half of the strip in white and the bottom in grey.. right?

Better shot with my real camera.. tomorrow I paint.

 

[Bib Overalls]

If weight is a consideration you could use sheet metal, the kind used for metal building skins, for your ceiling. Several people here have done that. Highly reflective.

Will you be insulating the ceiling?

 

[Steve1968LS2]

If weight is a consideration you could use sheet metal, the kind used for metal building skins, for your ceiling. Several people here have done that. Highly reflective.

Will you be insulating the ceiling?

Yea, I was thinking of putting in an access door and running insulation, seems to make sense.

Interesting idea on the sheet metal.. I wonder how that would look.

 

[58f100rat]

awesome make-over.i have just been lurking and watching but thought i could give a suggestion.i just got done installing corrugated metal on the ceiling in my shop(i will post pics one day)anyhow you can buy it at lowes or home depot for about $10 a sheet.i think it is 8 ft long by 26 in. wide but you just overlap 1 ridge.it makes the whole place brighter because the light reflects off of it.i will try to post pics soon,so you can see.