dmitrysgarage
Member
I love working on cars and I've done some pretty significant repairs and mods on jack stands in apartment parking lots an cramped garages. However, I've always wanted a garage with space and amenities to help me tackle bigger projects. I wanted working conditions that eliminated the dread of heat, crawling around, crappy tools, etc...
This year I finally found a house with a much bigger garage that needed a little work.
I used some 3D modeling software to design a plan to remodel the garage. I wanted to knock the back rooms out and finish the ceiling. I wanted good insulation and air conditioning. Also I wanted ventilation in the attic on a thermostat to help keep it cooler in the summer. Other major features I had to have were a welder, proper lighting, new tool chest, cabinets with a work top, and of course a two-post lift.
I worked with a couple of local contractors on this project from Tool Time Home Improvement in Houston, TX. They did a fantastic job with the demo, insulation, sheetrock, paint, electrical, lighting, ventilation and hooking up my AC.
That was the first day of demolition. I got the cars back in the garage but it was super dusty. We discovered my garage had OSB behind the sheetrock everywhere. It's actually kind of cool for hanging things up, but it was a real pain to demo it out.
This is the MR.COOL 24,000 BTU (2 Ton) mini split DIY unit. I liked the idea of a minisplit because they're ductless and many models (including mine) can cool AND heat. Which is great, and although it's not too cold in Houston I have actually been using it. It's not very expensive to run, because in mild climates heating with a heat pump is actually pretty efficient. It's nice to walk into the garage and have it be ~69F when it's ~45F outside.
I really liked that it was a DIY unit. I was able to do it with my contractors without bringing in an HVAC vendor. This is because it ships with lines that are already evacuated and everything is just plug and play. It was a really easy setup and I could have done it myself, but the guys did a really clean job and they did the hard part of fishing through the electrical and drilling a hole through the hardy plank siding.
You can see all the insulation and sheetrock going up. The work was really clean and they were able to primer and paint everything nice and flat. I had ordered LED lighting fixtures and tubes based on member suggestions on this forum. Thanks for the excellent recommendation guys!
The fixtures were Maxlite LSS2XT8USE4803 direct wire 120V LED and the tubes I purchased were 2,640 lumen LEDTB4F1000037558-4000K. I'm very happy with the setup and the amount of light it provides. It's not overwhelming for the space. It's absolutely perfect. We put every other fixture on one switch by the entryway and every other fixture on a second switch. The back row behind the beam across the ceiling is on a third switch in the back. This gives me three levels of light in that space. The guys also installed my fans back on the ceiling and wired them to a separate switch at the entrance. Before I knew it we were done with all the major renovations and I was ready to start bringing in everything else.
The garage was really starting to come together. I wanted a new toolbox and I kept seeing this slick looking Milwaukee tool chest combo every time I was in Home Depot. It kept catching my eye and eventually I just knew it was going to be mine. The toolbox I got was a Milwaukee 48-22-8546 which is a 46″ box with a top and bottom pair of chests that features 18 drawers. It’s a pretty sweet chest and I love how smoothly the drawers close themselves, soft touch rocks!
I got an AHP AlphaTIG 200X as my welder after taking some classes here in Houston. I'm no where near knowing what I'm doing yet, but I'm learning all the time. I think this welder is pretty good for the money and compared to some really expensive units it's hard for a novice like me to really tell much difference. I think if you're new to welding this unit is very attractive over something 4-5x the cost since I have seen people do excellent fabrication with these. I feel it's somewhat like musical instruments. You don't want to buy something that's total ****, but your average joe learning the guitar doesn't need a $4,500 one to sound good.
I also have a crappy harbor freight flux welder that I got with the cart from my neighbor when he was moving. I got a few of the stools and a couple of other things from him. Super nice guy! I haven't used the flux welder yet, but I plan to use it for something light duty that would be a waste of time to tig weld (i.e. basic light gauge furniture).
For cabinets I’ve been pretty set on Saber for a while, because the features and pricing seem really good. In my 3D model I went for black cabinets with a stainless counter top and that’s what I ended up ordering. Here is what I ordered from Saber:
2x Single Drawer Base Cabinets (Black)
1x Triple Stainless Steel Work Top
1x Wide Storage Cabinet (Black)
I didn't get too crazy with a ton of drawers and cabinets because I don't want to just start giving everything it's own drawer eventually becoming a super inefficient hoarder. It’s a little extravagant for a few cabinets, but I really fell in love with them. The main goal with these is to have a workbench with some storage and a big storage cabinets for detailing stuff, car chemicals and small parts. The tools mostly go into my big new tool chest.
I've always dreamed of having a lift in my garage. There is nothing more frustrating than crawling on the ground in the heat between jack stands bumping your head and getting dirty. BendPak was a brand I was already familiar with and was hoping to find they had a lift that would fit my garage. Unfortunately even their smallest lifts, such as the XPR-9S-LP were 113 inches tall. However, my ceiling is only 108" tall in my garage, which is only 9ft and clearly too short. I started researching other brands, but another member on this board recommended I research BendPak's new GrandPrix lifts.
I hadn't heard of these lifts before, but I saw there was a group buy thread here and a PDF on their website with specs. I saw there was a model labeled GP-7LCS which was listed at 106.5" which would just clear my 108" ceiling. I contacted BendPak to learn more about this lift. BendPak advertises it to have a 7,000lb load capacity in a compact 125" design that will go up 58" which is more than some other low ceiling solutions.
BendPak's team flew out to Houston to help install my lift the same day it arrived at my house. I had to provide a forklift to unload the lift from the truck and to use it in the install and unpacking process. I was able to find a forklift for rent locally and they dropped it off at my house. I hadn't driven a forklift before and I ended up having to unload the truck.
The lift had to be removed the long way from the truck and I just couldn’t get the lift to slide out of the truck. The driver had a good idea, which was to insert the fork like I was trying to remove the lift and tie a strap around the fork and the lift. Then I drove backwards to pull the lift to the back of the truck. We then used the truck’s lift gate to hold the back of the lift and together lowered the lift onto the ground. I slid it off the lift gate and unstrapped from it. Then I came around and picked it up by the side. You are NOT supposed to do that, because that is a top heavy way to hold it. Unfortunately I just didn’t see any other way to get it into my garage. I figured I would tilt it back as much as possible and because I’d be driving up hill I’d be ok. I was a bit worried, but things worked out well.
A few hours later the BendPak guys showed up to the house and we started to install the lift. These guys were absolutely amazing and did a great job figuring out how to squeeze the lift into the very tight clearances I was working with. Some of my ceiling was a little below 9ft and it made it really hard to install the top bar, but they were very patient. I drove to Lowe’s to grab a 240v plug, but forgot to get wire. Had to go to Lowe’s again and hit traffic on the way back. When I arrived the guys were nearly done and before I knew it we were testing out the lift with their car. Next we lifted my Audi and finally after the guys left I threw my Mustang on the lift.
Overall I’m extremely satisfied with my experience and so far the GP-7LCS has exceeded my expectations. The design overall is pretty compact considering it's a legit two-post lift and not a portable or scissor design. I think a lot of guys with low ceilings in their garage should consider the BendPak GP-7LCS.
There is padding to protect doors from crashing into the columns. However my Mustang can clip the lift arms in certain positions. I ended up ordering Adhesive Foam Padding from Amazon and cutting up those pads and sticking them on the top edges of the lift arms. That’s good insurance against someone accidentally scraping the door against the lift arm.
Overall this is a very minor thing and I’m sure it’s just one of those things that comes with trying to lift sports cars vs. a normal sedan. It’s much the same when you try to tow a sports car, it’s always an adventure. At least my car isn’t too low to be lifted without using a floor jack first.
I’m now looking to finish my flooring and start working on new car projects. Let me know what you guys think about my garage!
This year I finally found a house with a much bigger garage that needed a little work.
I used some 3D modeling software to design a plan to remodel the garage. I wanted to knock the back rooms out and finish the ceiling. I wanted good insulation and air conditioning. Also I wanted ventilation in the attic on a thermostat to help keep it cooler in the summer. Other major features I had to have were a welder, proper lighting, new tool chest, cabinets with a work top, and of course a two-post lift.
I worked with a couple of local contractors on this project from Tool Time Home Improvement in Houston, TX. They did a fantastic job with the demo, insulation, sheetrock, paint, electrical, lighting, ventilation and hooking up my AC.
That was the first day of demolition. I got the cars back in the garage but it was super dusty. We discovered my garage had OSB behind the sheetrock everywhere. It's actually kind of cool for hanging things up, but it was a real pain to demo it out.
This is the MR.COOL 24,000 BTU (2 Ton) mini split DIY unit. I liked the idea of a minisplit because they're ductless and many models (including mine) can cool AND heat. Which is great, and although it's not too cold in Houston I have actually been using it. It's not very expensive to run, because in mild climates heating with a heat pump is actually pretty efficient. It's nice to walk into the garage and have it be ~69F when it's ~45F outside.
I really liked that it was a DIY unit. I was able to do it with my contractors without bringing in an HVAC vendor. This is because it ships with lines that are already evacuated and everything is just plug and play. It was a really easy setup and I could have done it myself, but the guys did a really clean job and they did the hard part of fishing through the electrical and drilling a hole through the hardy plank siding.
You can see all the insulation and sheetrock going up. The work was really clean and they were able to primer and paint everything nice and flat. I had ordered LED lighting fixtures and tubes based on member suggestions on this forum. Thanks for the excellent recommendation guys!
The fixtures were Maxlite LSS2XT8USE4803 direct wire 120V LED and the tubes I purchased were 2,640 lumen LEDTB4F1000037558-4000K. I'm very happy with the setup and the amount of light it provides. It's not overwhelming for the space. It's absolutely perfect. We put every other fixture on one switch by the entryway and every other fixture on a second switch. The back row behind the beam across the ceiling is on a third switch in the back. This gives me three levels of light in that space. The guys also installed my fans back on the ceiling and wired them to a separate switch at the entrance. Before I knew it we were done with all the major renovations and I was ready to start bringing in everything else.
The garage was really starting to come together. I wanted a new toolbox and I kept seeing this slick looking Milwaukee tool chest combo every time I was in Home Depot. It kept catching my eye and eventually I just knew it was going to be mine. The toolbox I got was a Milwaukee 48-22-8546 which is a 46″ box with a top and bottom pair of chests that features 18 drawers. It’s a pretty sweet chest and I love how smoothly the drawers close themselves, soft touch rocks!
I got an AHP AlphaTIG 200X as my welder after taking some classes here in Houston. I'm no where near knowing what I'm doing yet, but I'm learning all the time. I think this welder is pretty good for the money and compared to some really expensive units it's hard for a novice like me to really tell much difference. I think if you're new to welding this unit is very attractive over something 4-5x the cost since I have seen people do excellent fabrication with these. I feel it's somewhat like musical instruments. You don't want to buy something that's total ****, but your average joe learning the guitar doesn't need a $4,500 one to sound good.
I also have a crappy harbor freight flux welder that I got with the cart from my neighbor when he was moving. I got a few of the stools and a couple of other things from him. Super nice guy! I haven't used the flux welder yet, but I plan to use it for something light duty that would be a waste of time to tig weld (i.e. basic light gauge furniture).
For cabinets I’ve been pretty set on Saber for a while, because the features and pricing seem really good. In my 3D model I went for black cabinets with a stainless counter top and that’s what I ended up ordering. Here is what I ordered from Saber:
2x Single Drawer Base Cabinets (Black)
1x Triple Stainless Steel Work Top
1x Wide Storage Cabinet (Black)
I didn't get too crazy with a ton of drawers and cabinets because I don't want to just start giving everything it's own drawer eventually becoming a super inefficient hoarder. It’s a little extravagant for a few cabinets, but I really fell in love with them. The main goal with these is to have a workbench with some storage and a big storage cabinets for detailing stuff, car chemicals and small parts. The tools mostly go into my big new tool chest.
I've always dreamed of having a lift in my garage. There is nothing more frustrating than crawling on the ground in the heat between jack stands bumping your head and getting dirty. BendPak was a brand I was already familiar with and was hoping to find they had a lift that would fit my garage. Unfortunately even their smallest lifts, such as the XPR-9S-LP were 113 inches tall. However, my ceiling is only 108" tall in my garage, which is only 9ft and clearly too short. I started researching other brands, but another member on this board recommended I research BendPak's new GrandPrix lifts.
I hadn't heard of these lifts before, but I saw there was a group buy thread here and a PDF on their website with specs. I saw there was a model labeled GP-7LCS which was listed at 106.5" which would just clear my 108" ceiling. I contacted BendPak to learn more about this lift. BendPak advertises it to have a 7,000lb load capacity in a compact 125" design that will go up 58" which is more than some other low ceiling solutions.
BendPak's team flew out to Houston to help install my lift the same day it arrived at my house. I had to provide a forklift to unload the lift from the truck and to use it in the install and unpacking process. I was able to find a forklift for rent locally and they dropped it off at my house. I hadn't driven a forklift before and I ended up having to unload the truck.
The lift had to be removed the long way from the truck and I just couldn’t get the lift to slide out of the truck. The driver had a good idea, which was to insert the fork like I was trying to remove the lift and tie a strap around the fork and the lift. Then I drove backwards to pull the lift to the back of the truck. We then used the truck’s lift gate to hold the back of the lift and together lowered the lift onto the ground. I slid it off the lift gate and unstrapped from it. Then I came around and picked it up by the side. You are NOT supposed to do that, because that is a top heavy way to hold it. Unfortunately I just didn’t see any other way to get it into my garage. I figured I would tilt it back as much as possible and because I’d be driving up hill I’d be ok. I was a bit worried, but things worked out well.
A few hours later the BendPak guys showed up to the house and we started to install the lift. These guys were absolutely amazing and did a great job figuring out how to squeeze the lift into the very tight clearances I was working with. Some of my ceiling was a little below 9ft and it made it really hard to install the top bar, but they were very patient. I drove to Lowe’s to grab a 240v plug, but forgot to get wire. Had to go to Lowe’s again and hit traffic on the way back. When I arrived the guys were nearly done and before I knew it we were testing out the lift with their car. Next we lifted my Audi and finally after the guys left I threw my Mustang on the lift.
Overall I’m extremely satisfied with my experience and so far the GP-7LCS has exceeded my expectations. The design overall is pretty compact considering it's a legit two-post lift and not a portable or scissor design. I think a lot of guys with low ceilings in their garage should consider the BendPak GP-7LCS.
There is padding to protect doors from crashing into the columns. However my Mustang can clip the lift arms in certain positions. I ended up ordering Adhesive Foam Padding from Amazon and cutting up those pads and sticking them on the top edges of the lift arms. That’s good insurance against someone accidentally scraping the door against the lift arm.
Overall this is a very minor thing and I’m sure it’s just one of those things that comes with trying to lift sports cars vs. a normal sedan. It’s much the same when you try to tow a sports car, it’s always an adventure. At least my car isn’t too low to be lifted without using a floor jack first.
I’m now looking to finish my flooring and start working on new car projects. Let me know what you guys think about my garage!
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