Mat's small 2 car garage

[Mat Mobile]

I think it's time to share my garage. I really get a lot of inspiration from all the garages on this forum and really like the vibe so I think it's time to give back a little bit. Hopefully my ideas might help out other gearheads.

I used to live in a Duplex in Montreal. I had a one car garage (double length). I painted the floor with U-Coat-it, installed plenty of shelves and learned to weld. The problem was that anytime I would use any solvent or chemical, the odour would go straight up to the tennants apartment. It wouldn't be the end of the world if the guy wasn't having chemo for cancer at that time...

Eventually, I got annoyed with the small garage, odour problems and my wife got tired of the neighborhood and having tennants. She also wanted to move closer to my MIL.

So 4 years ago, we eventually found a nice 2 car garage bungalow:

I use the "main door" to the left to work and store, at times, the daily driver (2000 Mazima). In the "secondary door", I use it for storage in winter time for the van (1979 E150, "retro-mod"/hot-rod/camper van)

Since then, I have re-organized the garage several times, got rid of plenty of extra stuff and ended up with the following:

Main door front:

Main door back:

Secondary door front:

Secondary door back:

Work bench:

Storage/furnace area:

 

[hockey88fan]

Really nice space, love the steel cabinets. The "garage bungalow" looks like its in a nice neighbor hood. Do have to let some air out of the van tires to clear the door? Haha. From the vantage point of the pic it looks larger than the door.

 

[Mat Mobile]

A lot of my inspiration comes from the 12 Gauge garage. It seems to be about the same size. Thanks for the inspiration Jack!

I hope to be able to give regular updates but can't promise anything...

For a small garage, I think it's fairly well equipped. I managed to fit in:

- Drill press.
- Bench top sand blast cabinet.
- Mig welder.
- Parts washer.
- Small metal band saw.

I used to work at a tool distributor so that helped a lot.

I also started installing some UltiMATE cabinets.

I am currently working on a storage bench a la Johnny-O. I will describe it in my next post.

Projects to come (slowly but surely) are:

- Lighting.
- Painting the floor.
- A steel fabrication bench.
- And, of course, more storage...

 

[Mat Mobile]

So here's a bit more info about the storage bench:

Last summer, a friend of mine gave me 3 steel cabinets. He didn't have any more room for them. Two of the cabinets have 10 wide drawers:

The third one will be used in a later project to store screws and bolts:

So I have started preparing a steel frame to create a storage bench like Johnny-O:

The bench will be pretty high at 45" so it's more a "storage bench" then a "work bench". It will be replacing the "butter-scotch" bench in the following picture:

I will push it more into the corner and place the drill place by the door. I should be able to put all the stuff that's found in the orange steel cabinet below my regular work bench into the storage bench. I think it's a "supplies cabinet" from a welding rod supplier. I don't like it. It's the kind of cabinet where the drawers can be completely removed. It seems practical, but not in my case. It will be given back to the friend that gave me the new cabinets. The mig welder should them go underneath the work bench where the orange cabinet is.

Finally, to make sure things look good, I started painting it blue to match the "Mastercraft" tool box. I used Sico floor paint for concrete, metal and wood. It's what we used to use in the maintenance dept. at a company I used to work at (now closed and moved to Mexico...). It was the toughest paint that we could readily get at the big box hardware stores. Plus, you can get any colour you want like regular paint. Here it is all laid out for painting:

Here's the first one almost completed. Not bad:

Today will be the second coat on the second cabinet. This week, assembly!

 

[Mat Mobile]

Really nice space, love the steel cabinets. The "garage bungalow" looks like its in a nice neighbor hood. Do have to let some air out of the van tires to clear the door? Haha. From the vantage point of the pic it looks larger than the door.

I guess it is a nice neighborhood. Suburbia! But the neighbors are close and I am worried that they might get annoyed with the grinding noise and such... It's never been a problem but I never use loud power tools between 9pm and 10 am. I also have to be careful with leaving "parts cars" outside. I counter-balance by helping out the neighbors with small repairs.

Yes, bringing the van in for winter is a whole ceremony! Replacing the regular wheels with worn out low profile tires, deflating those tires, putting rock buckets (weight) in the van, putting the good wheels in the back for weight, placing a sheet of wood on the top to avoid scratching, removing trim from the garage... But it fits...

 

[DARK AGE 53]

I keep going back to your overhead doors, how do you open them with no springs?

 

[Mat Mobile]

I keep going back to your overhead doors, how do you open them with no springs?

The springs are by the side of the door. "Against" the walls.

 

[DARK AGE 53]

^^^^^^ never seen anything like that before, thanks for the reply.

 

[regguy1]

Nice work so far.
I can't match Jack's garage but maybe you'd like something I've done, click the video link below and take the tour

 

[Jack Olsen]

A lot of my inspiration comes from the 12 Gauge garage. It seems to be about the same size. Thanks for the inspiration Jack!

No, thank you! That looks like a well-organized, working shop.

 

[Mat Mobile]

Nice work so far.
I can't match Jack's garage but maybe you'd like something I've done, click the video link below and take the tour

Thanks for the compliment. That's a nice clean workspace! I have to look into those upper cabinets to stock all those odds and ends.

No, thank you! That looks like a well-organized, working shop.

Jack, I guess the most important thing about your garage is that it shows what can be done in a small space.

So the paint dried and I put the frame and cabinets in place.

In the next week I will fill the drawers and get rid of the old workbench. Finally, I will need to add a top.

I think, for financial reasons, I will put two 3/4" layers of plywood for now and trim it with maple around the edges. Once varnished it should look great and last long since it's not the main workbench and won't be used that much.

Either that or those hard rubber mats that are used to put in the stairs to prevent them from being slippery in the winter time.

Any suggestions?

 

[sloci]

Great working garage! What are the dimensions of it?

 

[Mat Mobile]

Great working garage! What are the dimensions of it?

It's 21' wide by 19 1/2' deep.

 

[Silver6.0]

I guess it is a nice neighborhood. Suburbia! But the neighbors are close and I am worried that they might get annoyed with the grinding noise and such... It's never been a problem but I never use loud power tools between 9pm and 10 am. I also have to be careful with leaving "parts cars" outside. I counter-balance by helping out the neighbors with small repairs.

A friend of mine does the same thing with "dead" vehicles he parts out/ scraps since he lives in close with neighbors. He said I just fix all their cars when they break down and they leave me alone. Back scratching

Sweet van, nice shop, cabinets and drawer set up, keep up the good work.

 

[Mat Mobile]

Sweet van, nice shop, cabinets and drawer set up, keep up the good work.

Thanks!

So here's a small update. First the garage without the old bench:

And to complete the new workbench, I purchased a butcher block made from 1 1/2" thick pine at the hardware store. Pine isn't a very hard wood but for less than 90$ I think it was a good deal. But, as I said before, at that height, there won't be much work happening on top of that bench. My dad cut it down to right width (my table saw is too small and therefore awful for ripping wood accurately) and started varnishing it with floor varnish. I will finish it up during the weekend. 4 coats should be fine.

Here's another little project:

These are my cheap "Hot Rod" benches. As soon as I sat down on them with any force, the plastic covering ripped. Since I had left-over vinyl from the van (windshield curtain that I don't use anymore ), I decided to undertake my first upholstery project:

Not bad huh?

 

[Thruxton]

Really nice job with that space, and those repainted cabinets look great!

 

[fergus]

Nice cabs man. Nice van...I think it needs some side pipes though!

 

[Mat Mobile]

Really nice job with that space, and those repainted cabinets look great!

Thanks!

Nice cabs man. Nice van...I think it needs some side pipes though!

Thanks. Well, I'm going for a Resto-mod-rv ... So I think side pipes would be too much. But I can appreciate a shorty van with Cragars and chrome side pipes!

Not much new in the garage. I've been gardening, travelling for work and working on the van. So not much time for improvements.

But recently, I bought a beer fridge:

Later I will make a bracket to hang it on the wall and not take up valuable counter space. Until then... I gotta finish the van for summer camping (installing A/C under the bed).

 

[m5hor]

dang sweet garage going on here

 

[56rpm]

"It will be replacing the "butter-scotch" bench in the following picture"
"and get rid of the old workbench'

What??? Ya never get rid of storage, You gotta have somewhere to put! Nice job on the new storage bench.

 

[Mat Mobile]

"
What??? Ya never get rid of storage, You gotta have somewhere to put! Nice job on the new storage bench.

You are partially right. Although it's true that you should never get rid of storage, this bench was really inneficient. I'm much happier with this one!

Also, it was very wide and made it difficult to work on cars in the left side. When storage gets in the way, there's a problem.

 

[Mat Mobile]

Just realized I haven't posted an updated photo with the benchtop complete.

I haven't had time to work on the garage because I'm working on getting the van completed, working on the garden, etc.

I should put it back in gear in the autumn but I'm hesitating between epoxying the floor (in a light color for better light reflection) or ripping out the ceiling to install flush mount fluorescents and improve on the electrical outlet layout. What do you guys think should be my priority?

 

[sreno]

Great space, Mat!

That shop is locked, loaded and ready to work...
I liked the cabinet project and, following the link, particularly enjoyed the rust repair work to your Ford van. Better you than me, man!

Shawn

My Garage: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=28505

 

[Mat Mobile]

Great space, Mat!

That shop is locked, loaded and ready to work...
I liked the cabinet project and, following the link, particularly enjoyed the rust repair work to your Ford van. Better you than me, man!

Shawn

It's locked and loaded... but I want more ammo!

As all guys on this forum, there's still tools that I want: a decent steel workbench for welding, a plasma cutter, a decent 60 gallon compressor, a 3-in-1 slip roll/bender/brake... more to be added once I get those.

Still, for a "city" garage on the island of Montreal... I guess I'm pretty lucky and there isn't many jobs I can't do.

Yeah, that van floor was worst then expected. I still remember pitching the van to my wife: "It's almost already complete! We'll get to enjoy it instead of working on it for 3 years!" Yeah right!

The outside will be needing attention but this winter, I'm finishing the interior and probably lowering the suspension and adding rear disc brakes from an Explorer and... There's always something!

Thanks for looking!

I'll try to post a couple of updates soon. Not big things but Rome wasn't built in a day.

 

[dubber]

Very cool garage and van. I love those types of vans, although i don't even know their classification. I have a vivid memory of being a small kid and my grampa won the lottery (a small amount) and he bought a GMC van and it was a Pirates Cove model or edition. All brown with rope and velour inside with bed and outside mural and all.

 

[kyle@hcb]

Looks good

 

[HSpencer]

Super nice garage, house, neighborhood and van. I like the shop arrangement and especially the redone parts cabinets. Everything looks great!! I had a 1994 Chev G20 conversion van---a gas hog, but I loved it and miss it!!

 

[crazytrain]

Great garage and very cool van!

Did you ever decide what to do first the floor or the ceiling and electrical?

 

[calereeves]

I really like the work bench with the drawers...nice work! What's the van got for power?

 

[Mat Mobile]

Very cool garage and van. I love those types of vans, although i don't even know their classification. I have a vivid memory of being a small kid and my grampa won the lottery (a small amount) and he bought a GMC van and it was a Pirates Cove model or edition. All brown with rope and velour inside with bed and outside mural and all.

Looks good

Super nice garage, house, neighborhood and van. I like the shop arrangement and especially the redone parts cabinets. Everything looks great!! I had a 1994 Chev G20 conversion van---a gas hog, but I loved it and miss it!!

Thanks guys!

Great garage and very cool van!

Did you ever decide what to do first the floor or the ceiling and electrical?

I'm pretty sure I'm going to start with the lighting (ceiling and electrical). Making it less "cave-like" will make it more enticing to work in during the winter. I also found that I would always try to open the garage doors to see better.

The floor is really more of a cosmetic thing. It's not really dusty and is already fairly easy to clean so there's no point doing it first for the practical side.

I should be starting this towards the month of august.

I really like the work bench with the drawers...nice work! What's the van got for power?

Thanks. I love the way it turned out. I still have about 6 empty drawers.

Power? Which power?

The motor is a 302.

The electrical power for the appliances is a 12V deep cycle Optima battery hooked up to a 1500W inverter. If I plug into shore power, I just have to switch over one plug in the electrical compartment (I'll put in a switch eventually).

 

[nine4gmc]

excellent job on that storage cabinet!

 

[michel]

Nice shop, I see a lot of similarities with my case, I used to live in Montreal for 25 years in a duplex but no garage.
The main reason and the only condition I agreed to move was having a garage.
The rest of the house mattered a bit less to me, thats my wifes territory LOL

Nice retro-mod"/hot-rod/camper van.