Need ideas for race car theme

[bbailey]

I am looking to add a racing theme to my 24 X 40 garage condo for an upcoming remodel. I will add a mezzanine, with a storage, desk, and lounge area as well. I use the garage to work on the car and hang out in. It is not spotless, but it also gets seen at some social events. It is not locked into any color scheme yet, other than there are lots of red, black, & grey things already in the garage. I like a carbon fiber look as well.

I need to start collecting ideas, trinkets, and “artwork” now. I am more into F1 & Grand Am road racing than Nascar, so I want a somewhat clean look.

Please let me know if you have any good ideas or pics for design
Or
good sources for cool stuff. Pintrest just doesn’t have enough man stuff to help.

It currently looks like this, but nothing is too sacred.

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[cdd1]

Is this the same place as HIRISC, Automotorplex?

If so, on the off chance you haven't seen his build thread. Lots of pics and ideas in here.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=46593

 

[Derrickwade]

Nothing says race like checkered flags. Perhaps a black and white checkered floor?

 

[DEEDDUDE]

I did something similar at my old home. My shop wasn't nearly that nice and I ran circle track cars on both dirt and asphalt. When I re-bodied a car I would hang the sheetmetal on the walls to remind me of the no driving SOB's I raced with. I also would pull the Hoosier stickers off the new tires and neatly put them on the door. That was some expensive wall paper.

 

[bbailey]

Is this the same place as HIRISC, Automotorplex?

Yes, it is at AutoMotorPlex

 

[bbailey]

I also would pull the Hoosier stickers off the new tires and neatly put them on the door. That was some expensive wall paper.

I buy 4-5 sets of Hoosiers per year. I don't want a reminder of that expense.

I raced quarter midgets as a young boy. I would like to find one now and put it on display. I passed on one a few years ago and now I am kicking myself.

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[wnstwolf]

There are many reasons to be in lust with the Leno garage but one of the things that stands out to me is all the race artwork and history stuff he has around the cars themselves. The art work is brand specific for the cars in that area of his mega space. I know that is over the top example but for a grage as nice as yours I do not see a grinder flinging metal shards into artwork so you can actually have nice stuff to show off.

 

[rsanter]

Paint a big mural on the wall of your car racing on your favorite track, put your car in the lead trailed by a Ferrari and a BMW

Bob

 

[zporta]

I like what you have currently. It's clean and simple. I would just get some nice cabinets and work benches that match the color scheme and call it a day

 

[Stuart in MN]

Where do you race - BIR, Elkhart Lake, other places? You could get copies of classic posters from your favorite tracks or historical photos, that sort of thing.

A few years ago I bought a race poster for Donneybrooke (the original name of BIR) at a yard sale for 25 cents that as far as I can tell was from their first season, I thought it was pretty cool.

For furniture in the lounge area, personally I'd pass on the glass-table-top-on-a-tire design theme...I think that's been overdone.

I forget his screen name, but there's a GJ member who lives in Switzerland, I think, and he has an amazing Porsche garage with all kinds of cool memorabilia. You can probably find his photos in the Gallery section and use them for inspiration.

 

[bbailey]

Where do you race - BIR, Elkhart Lake, other places? You could get copies of classic posters from your favorite tracks or historical photos, that sort of thing.

I do like the poster idea. I have some posters from BIR and have created some artwork for races up there.

I will be at Road America this weekend. BIR, Topeka, Daytona, VIR are other tracks I have been at. I am currently working on carbon fiber track outlines that will be three dimensionally placed over some red perforated steel and stainless steel, all in a frame. I am anxious to see if it turns out as good as it looks in my head.

I would also like to put trophies out, but PCA racing doesn't give many of those out, so I only have a few.

 

[bbailey]

Paint a big mural on the wall of your car racing on your favorite track, put your car in the lead trailed by a Ferrari and a BMW

Bob

I have seen one garage door with a mural on the inside of it that looked awesome.

 

[Krash Kadillak]

Paint a big mural on the wall of your car racing on your favorite track, put your car in the lead trailed by a Ferrari and a BMW

Bob

+1 on this.........

 

[upndown]

Tipped quite a few cold ones at R/A back in the CAN-AM car days. Plymouth rock campground for the the Mud Bogs before they got outa hand!! Was lucky enough to take a couple laps in my buddys Dads formula vee

 

[Skyline]

Did you ever see the BMW race cars that were painted in what looked like see-through engineering drawings of the inside of the car? I always thought they were very cool. Perhaps you could steal that idea, but use your favorite Porsches. For example, paint a full scale engineering type drawing of a 917 on the wall. An exploded view of a 935 on another. Fill the rest of the walls with what would look like graph paper.

 

[wnstwolf]

** the mural idea. I live close to Watkins Glen and a local artist painted this on the cafe wall just before you turn up to the track.. I have always thought of turning the picture into wall paper and plastering it on the wall. I am sure copyright issues aside it can be done??

[/IMG]

 

[NUTTSGT]

How big are you going to make the mezzanine deck ?

 

[JMURiz]

Looks like the shop matches the race-car as-is. Could go with the #23 917 look to match your existing shop and race-car.

 

[Travisnd]

You interested in any of these, they are for trade and possibly for sale?

 

[djjsr]

There are some companies that will turn your photograph into a wallpaper mural. Do a little googling and you'll find them.

 

[DanCo]

Looks like the shop matches the race-car as-is. Could go with the #23 917 look to match your existing shop and race-car.

A mural of your car being chased by this.

Dan

 

[bbailey]

How big are you going to make the mezzanine deck ?

Nothing is finalized, but I am thinking the 24' width and only about 12 feet deep. I have a constraint on that I keep my trailer in there and it will not fit under the mezzanine. I would also like to do a side run (think L shaped mezzanine) but that may not be worth the cost.

 

[bbailey]

** the mural idea. I live close to Watkins Glen and a local artist painted this on the cafe wall just before you turn up to the track.. I have always thought of turning the picture into wall paper and plastering it on the wall. I am sure copyright issues aside it can be done??

[/IMG]

This is nice.

 

[dmeadow]

This is nice.

That's Robert Gillespie's work. His website is:

http://www.glenspeed.com/

You can order prints or he'll paint you a mural!

I've got his Queen Catherine Cup 1952 framed and in my living room.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Nothing is finalized, but I am thinking the 24' width and only about 12 feet deep. I have a constraint on that I keep my trailer in there and it will not fit under the mezzanine. I would also like to do a side run (think L shaped mezzanine) but that may not be worth the cost.

Ahh, the trailer, that will take up some valuable real estate. What about not some much an "L" design but more of a square with a corner taken out to clear the trailer ? I guess it would be more a short fat "L" without a side run.

You might be able to gain another ??? maybe 10 feet in depth on one side. That would be an extra 120 sq ft, that's easily enough room for a bathroom/closet.

 

[wnstwolf]

Spot on Dmeadow. I have "the last 500" in my office. I had that for many years and when first driving through the Glenn my wife said that mural on the side of the building looks like the style of the picture I bought you. Wait it is the same guy... She asked about doing a mural in the barn but price was a bit out of my league.
We had a chance to meet Robert and the only thing better than his artwork is his total over the top love of all things racing and especially racing at the Glenn.

 

[Sawbladz]

Just in case you hadn't seen them...

http://www.linearedge.com/products-page/fan-favorites/nordschleife/

 

[Scott B]

There is a system for the display of flat or 2 dimensional art by the name of Walker System. It is very versatile.
Also, if you are going to display anything of great importance you may wish to use lighting that is UV filtered. As a test take two pieces of colored construction paper and overlap one with the other.You will then have one complete piece showing and a part of the other. Attach this to the interior of the room with a date of installation. After 60 days or so you can see how much deteriation there is by comparing the unexposed part of the paper to the exposed piece.
The use of track lighting is also a nice touch.
There is an auction I believe in the late fall with the name of Le Art de Automobile. There are always really nice things in their sale.
If you live in an area than is prone to earthquake you may also wish to address how that may interact with your displays. Good Luck.

 

[BWS]

We're old,dirty,********...brick/beams/trusses here.Think 50's-60's English grand prix.If theres anything that dosen't have a crust of grinder crud or overspray on it......give it a few?

Your setup looks very cool.Only thing I can suggest is to maybe not paint directly on walls.Instead,do your murals on 4x8(or whatever)sheets of ply.Then space them out with standoffs.Gives a little slicker,F1 look.Also makes them mobile should you move?

Look at current F1 "pits".They use an awful lot of those temp devider things.Like office deviders?With high contrast boarders.....Its a way for the teams to setup "shop",so to speak.The boarders are simply ways of killin space.Pay attention to toe kicks.

Try to decide if you want the....."this is where it all begins",antiseptic(birthplace)style shop...or....the "traveling show",pit look.Then research/concentrate and make NO concession's!

 

[Northstar]

I'm not into the Indy/F1/etc racing, but I appreciate the sanitary look and design. Here's a cool idea that might work since you like carbonfiber: Make a checkered flag wall hanger for the space above the line on the wall. I'm talking something like 7' long by 5' tall, and it should have the shape like it was in motion (curved edges). You could either paint the white squares, do an outline, or lay out the squares in contrasting angles since the fiber orientation is noticeable. That might look cool. Might be simplest to actully use 4 or 6 inch wide bands of material and lay it out in a rectangle first, then give it the action, then let it cure. Time consuming, but it might look cool.

 

[pmason0]

Bbailey, any update on your remodel? i just have a few flags and banners hanging on the walls.
Oh, nice racing with you too, #465 Black 968

 

[sfriesen]

I don't know that I would want too much to clutter up the really clean look you've got in that place. A large Porsche logo on that back wall centered up on the white section would look pretty good though. Mabye install some spotlights from the ceiling that shine on it to accent it as a focal point...

 

[Jsf721]

Google garage wall wraps. They do some awesome stuff. You can even send your own picture.

 

[Nascar4401]

I buy alot from this place....http://www.genuinehotrod.com/?gclid=CNbMgf_I4LQCFcxAMgodaSAAcg

 

[Chaz]

Just throw dollar bills all over the floor.