Between 705 & 1200 SQ/FT Roboto's Garage

[nicholam77]

Wow, exciting updates! The Apex are , looking forward to seeing them mounted on the vette. The race deck is a fun evolution too… I’m sure it will look great.

Happy holidays!!

 

[rharman]

That's a huge improvement in both look and function...nice work! Excited to see the Racedeck pictures!

You'll be surprised how much that 4"-5" impacts your space. Great solution!!!

Ditto what they said. Looks so much better and more functional.

 

[Mr. Roboto]

That's a huge improvement in both look and function...nice work! Excited to see the Racedeck pictures!

You'll be surprised how much that 4"-5" impacts your space. Great solution!!!

Wow, exciting updates! The Apex are , looking forward to seeing them mounted on the vette. The race deck is a fun evolution too… I’m sure it will look great.

Happy holidays!!

Ditto what they said. Looks so much better and more functional.

Thanks for the kind words! I agree, it feels good to get that corner in order.

The race deck is complete! It took me 4 days, in between family stuff and other commitments, but it's done. I'm really happy with it.











My plan worked great for the cabinets. Jacked the new platforms up a hair, slid the spacers out, ran the flooring under, and set them back down.



My youngest wanted to help a lot, which slowed things down, but I wouldn't have it any other way.





Next up, I'm focusing on dialing in the organization on rest of the right wall of my garage with the windows.

 

[nicholam77]

Looks awesome!!

 

[Finallygotit]

Looks awesome!!

 

[Mr. Roboto]

Looks awesome!!

Thank you! Now that I have this floor, I initially felt a strong obligation for becoming a slave to keeping it clean, but that is slowly fading. it's tough in the winter here to make this happen.

Home stretch of this re-org. Next up was this area in the red box



Not very well organized, and the selection of jacks I had really didn't work with the height of my lift. I was always at either the lower or upper end of whichever jack I was trying to use, since my ceiling height is not very high. Also, the shorter jacks had very sharp corners on the legs, which would not work with the racedeck without causing damage.



I replaced the tall jacks with these



And the shorter ones with some pipe stands. I use stands with the v head a lot for holding axles, driveshafts, exhaust pipes etc.



Both are deceptively adjustable to cover a wide range of heights. It will also be nice to have both a flat pad and v shaped head. The yellow stands also collapse to take up less space.

I also came to the conclusion that I have too many ladders. I have a 28' extension, 16' extension, 8' step ladder, 6' foot step ladder, several of which I store in this area of the garage. The 28 footer used to also live horizontally on this wall, which you can see in the first photo as well. I sold a bunch of them and consolidated to one of these:



I don't love these ladders, but it's a fair trade off for space savings vs how often I'll need to use it. Decided to move it to the basement for storage.


I use this ladder all the time in the garage. I moved it to this spot, which I've never really known how to utilize. This seemed like a good use of the space.



Finally, I decided to put up some more slatwall here. The engine hoist tucked up nice against the lift column, and the new stands all nest in each other nicely. I sold off all my old stands, including my transmission jack. Ordered a telescoping shorterone that will suit my needs better that hasn't arrived yet. I also have one more of those black shelves coming for above the slatwall to extend the one that is already there.

 

[zmotorsports]

Looking good. I like having a couple of shorter pole jacks for doing tasks like ball joints or other axle work, but I just took two standard length pole jacks and cut them down. I like those you showed. The area cleaned up nicely and looks much more organized. I'm sure it feels good to have that done and now will be easier to keep it that way. In my last shop I had an area of steel that was my nemesis. I would organize it and then get busy doing paying work and it would slowly become unorganized and before I knew it I was taking half a Saturday to move it outside, clean and reorganize. Can't tell you how many times I repeated that process...

 

[legenddc]

Garage is looking great. Funny you sold that long ladder, I noticed it in your last post and thought it seemed out of place there.

I don't think I ever commented on your thread after I finished reading it all, but great work on everything. I enjoyed the garage transformation and really enjoy all the XJ work. I almost bought one in 2017 to replace my 1998 TJ when we had our second child but couldn't find anything decent enough.

 

[Finallygotit]

You should keep track of how many times you go to reach for something that is no longer there. Been there, done that!

 

[larry4406]

Great thread Roberto!

Just finished scrolling thru from A-Z over the past day or two.

Lot of nice work and great seeing the kids grow and being with their Dad!

 

[Klokwerk]

This looks great! And loving the thought put into re-organizing....I would benefit from doing some of this myself!

 

[Mr. Roboto]

Looking good. I like having a couple of shorter pole jacks for doing tasks like ball joints or other axle work, but I just took two standard length pole jacks and cut them down. I like those you showed. The area cleaned up nicely and looks much more organized. I'm sure it feels good to have that done and now will be easier to keep it that way. In my last shop I had an area of steel that was my nemesis. I would organize it and then get busy doing paying work and it would slowly become unorganized and before I knew it I was taking half a Saturday to move it outside, clean and reorganize. Can't tell you how many times I repeated that process...

Haha I feel that. I can't tell you how many times I've started throwing stuff into a bin or 5 gallon bucket until it's full, then I'll spend 6 months moving it around until I sit down and ACTUALLY go through it. Sad part is most of it is junk and just gets tossed anyways.

You should keep track of how many times you go to reach for something that is no longer there. Been there, done that!

Haha I bet you're right!

Great thread Roberto!

Just finished scrolling thru from A-Z over the past day or two.

Lot of nice work and great seeing the kids grow and being with their Dad!

Garage is looking great. Funny you sold that long ladder, I noticed it in your last post and thought it seemed out of place there.

I don't think I ever commented on your thread after I finished reading it all, but great work on everything. I enjoyed the garage transformation and really enjoy all the XJ work. I almost bought one in 2017 to replace my 1998 TJ when we had our second child but couldn't find anything decent enough.

Thanks both for taking the time to read it through. It's been so all over the place over the years, I'm always impressed when it holds someone's interest enough to make it from beginning to end.

This looks great! And loving the thought put into re-organizing....I would benefit from doing some of this myself!

Thank you!

Small update, but I mentioned adding one more shelf above the latest section of slatwall. Those shelves come in 2 packs. Originally I skipped the 4' section behind the lift column since it JUUUUST didn't fit depth wise, but I decided to just trim the "extra" one from the 2 pack and add it in after all. Only had to cut a notch in it about an inch deep, so it wasn't too bad. As well as the last one on the end as planned. Now I've got this really long continious span along that wall. I think my last step is to organize this shelf. I won't fill it, so there will be rom for the future, but it's also going to get used as a staging area of sorts for parts/material I buy for projects that I will get to installing in the near future, so that they're not sitting on my work bench until I get around to them.

 

[zmotorsports]

Looks great.

 

[Briandel]

Brother Nice starting point. A 26x34 with that ceiling height gives you a lot of options once it’s finished out. Blank slate garages are intimidating but also the best kind to work with. Looking forward to seeing how you take it as things start coming together.

 

[Mr. Roboto]

Looks great.

Thank you!

Brother Nice starting point. A 26x34 with that ceiling height gives you a lot of options once it’s finished out. Blank slate garages are intimidating but also the best kind to work with. Looking forward to seeing how you take it as things start coming together.

This thread spans 10+ years of my life haha. If you're bored, give it a read through. It's pretty much done now!

Another little update. Back in 2010-2013 or so, I was pretty into snowmobiling. This is an old pic with my first jeep, and my first trailer and snowmobile.



There are trails right behind my house where I can ride, and if there is enough snow, connect to pretty much the entire state trail network. These were taken maybe 3 miles out of my back yard.




I then got so involved with the house, garage, then we had a kid and I just grew out of it and sold it all. Now that the girls are a bit older, the wife and I have been considering getting back into it. Snowmobiles are very fun, but the constant maintenance/repairs take a lot out of it since most are 2 stroke carbureted engines. For this reason, I've been poking around for a 4 stroke fuel injected touring sled, which Yamaha has had the market cornered for years.

One popped up a few towns over. A 2013 Yamaha venture RS, 4 stroke 1049CC fuel injected, power steering touring sled with 1700 miles (very low. These motors go 20K+ with nothing needed generally) I went and checked it out and it was nice. I wasn't fully sold on buying a sled yet but he was a motivated seller so I gave him an admittedly low offer. He thought about it over night and texted me the next day to say come and get it. Brought it home!



Girls approve. Did some laps in the front yard.





This lead to the hunt for a trailer. If you're in to snowmobiling, you'll know there are a lot of options here. Open trailer, clamshell, slant nose hybrid, v nose hybrid, drive in/out, tilting, pull out ramps etc etc etc etc ...

I decided for a number of reasons, that a 12' hybrid with v nose, rear ramp door, and side man door was the way to go for me. Looked for a used one for a while, but the market is high for them. I didn't want a 10 year old trailer for 1k less than what a new one would be, so I decided on a new one.

Picking it up from the dealer



And home safe and sound



Loaded up!



2026 Durabull (a newer local made in NH trailer company) all aluminum 12' plus 3' V with Dexter torsion axle, blackout package, sled package (track Matt's, ski guides, tie downs). I love the trailer. Even if I end up selling the snowmobile I'm keeping this. But best case, they love it, and I hope to find a cheap sled off season to add a second so we can all go out together.

 

[M-technik-3]

Great updates and this weekend is going to be epic snow!!

 

[zmotorsports]

Congrats on the new toy and trailer. We snowmobiled quite heavily for 20 years (1989-2009) and agree it was fun, but also a lot of work. Most of that was self-inflicted however, as I had so much chrome and polished aluminum on my sleds that after each Saturday's ride, they came out of the trailer, allowed to melt off in the shop, then cleaned given a once over and if anything needed attention, which the usually did, those issues were addressed and then loaded back into the trailer for the following Saturday's ride.

 

[Fast_Ed]

Congrats on the new sled and trailer!! I bet it got some use this past weekend.

We got 2' down my way. Happy trails

 

[Balor]

Haha I feel that. I can't tell you how many times I've started throwing stuff into a bin or 5 gallon bucket until it's full, then I'll spend 6 months moving it around until I sit down and ACTUALLY go through it. Sad part is most of it is junk and just gets tossed anyways.



Haha I bet you're right!







Thanks both for taking the time to read it through. It's been so all over the place over the years, I'm always impressed when it holds someone's interest enough to make it from beginning to end.



Thank you!

Small update, but I mentioned adding one more shelf above the latest section of slatwall. Those shelves come in 2 packs. Originally I skipped the 4' section behind the lift column since it JUUUUST didn't fit depth wise, but I decided to just trim the "extra" one from the 2 pack and add it in after all. Only had to cut a notch in it about an inch deep, so it wasn't too bad. As well as the last one on the end as planned. Now I've got this really long continious span along that wall. I think my last step is to organize this shelf. I won't fill it, so there will be rom for the future, but it's also going to get used as a staging area of sorts for parts/material I buy for projects that I will get to installing in the near future, so that they're not sitting on my work bench until I get around to them.

Who made the shelving?

 

[Mr. Roboto]

Great updates and this weekend is going to be epic snow!!

Congrats on the new toy and trailer. We snowmobiled quite heavily for 20 years (1989-2009) and agree it was fun, but also a lot of work. Most of that was self-inflicted however, as I had so much chrome and polished aluminum on my sleds that after each Saturday's ride, they came out of the trailer, allowed to melt off in the shop, then cleaned given a once over and if anything needed attention, which the usually did, those issues were addressed and then loaded back into the trailer for the following Saturday's ride.

Congrats on the new sled and trailer!! I bet it got some use this past weekend.

We got 2' down my way. Happy trails

Thanks guys! @zmotorsports I feel that. It's a fine line between cleaning the dirt from the ride and keeping them show ready. I did get a wheel kit so I can roll it into the shop as needed for cleaning and maintenance. The new race deck flooring must be protected! Haha. This sled has a picked track too, which I don't love and makes that harder. As you know, the logistics of owning a sled can be a bit annoying. Hoping the fun and memories with the kids will offset that.

Who made the shelving?

They're just an Amazon off-brand, but I've been happy with them so far.

https://a.co/d/aO0ZeK4

Also, we did get about 2' of snow in this last storm. With another 12" predicted for next weekend, hoping to get out on the trails soon! I need to find a solution for safely clearing the snow off the trailer roof as well. I'm sure something exists but I haven't had the chance to look yet.

 

[zmotorsports]

Thanks guys! @zmotorsports I feel that. It's a fine line between cleaning the dirt from the ride and keeping them show ready. I did get a wheel kit so I can roll it into the shop as needed for cleaning and maintenance. The new race deck flooring must be protected! Haha. This sled has a picked track too, which I don't love and makes that harder. As you know, the logistics of owning a sled can be a bit annoying. Hoping the fun and memories with the kids will offset that.

Oh believe me, they're a blast, especially with a young family. Working on them takes up almost as much room as a car though, especially when figuring in a dolly to move them around and a lift to get them to a comfortable working height. The downside is between the skags and some of the traction aids, they can tear up a nice concrete floor in short order.

When I got out of sledding in 2009, I kept the hand tools, testers and bench tools, but sold my warm up stands, dolly and large equipment as they just took up too much real estate.

 

[Mr. Roboto]

Day 1 out on the sled finally! Rode 80 miles right out of my driveway, which is always a good feeling. The trails were fantastic.







Gave the sled a good shakedown, then came back to pick up the girls for a ride as well. Successful day for sure. Made me feel a bit better about this purchase as well.

 

[Mr. Roboto]

Kind of a last minute decision, but I ended up going to Pittsburg NH this weekend for a snowmobiling trip. It's 3.5 hours north of me, and is the northern most town in NH. Right on the Canadian border. My friend has a camp up there so I stayed with him one night. It was awesome. We rode 200+ miles.







Fed the Canadian Jays



Fuel stop. Ethanol free gas right on the trails



Spotted the groomer here as well



This is The Balsams resort. Back in its prime, it was beautiful. Huge resort on a lake attached to a ski area. It's been abandoned for 15+ years now and has fallen into disrepair. There have been a few attempts of renovation but they have not come to fruition.



The trails were phenomenal. Pretty much like highways for snowmobiles.



The new trailer did great also. 380 miles round trip




Great weekend for sure. The snowmobile did great. Fired right up on a -4F morning on day 2 and rode great. The group I was riding with all had mountain crossovers with turbos so it was a bit tough keeping up with them in the corners especially, but I held my own. I had enough power but the handling was nowhere near as good as them.

 

[Mr. Roboto]

Well, it feels like spring here finally. Time to put the sled away, and look forward to the summer toys.

I got new tires for the wheels I bought during Black Friday back at the end of last year. Went with the Michelin Pilot Sport 4s.

Factory wheels, for reference.



New wheels on. Went out for a quick drive too. Felt good to get the car out a bit.



This photo makes them look dark, but they're lighter in person. Excuse the tire lube still on there from the shop who mounted them, haven't cleaned them up yet.



I also finally installed the front lip. The nose of the base model C6 has always been lacking, and I think this addresses it well!

 

[Mr. Roboto]

Finally got back to work on the Vette. This time, the project was an MGW short throw shifter, car play radio, and a subwoofer. It only took me about 6 weeks to do, because it took me 3 radios and 3 amps to finally get a working set. Thankfully I bought them from Crutchfield, who has very good customer service, but what a nightmare.

MGW Short throw, with a new shift boot:



Kenwood Carplay radio:



I integrated a remote gain knob for the sub amp into the center console too



Overall view



Amp mounted behind the passenger seat on a small custom mounting board I made



And the JL Stealth Box subwoofer. It's a custom fit enclosure specifically for this car




It installs into one of the 2 rear cargo cubbies, and still leaves enough room to stow the targa top into the trunk. Required the cargo lid to be removed, and the factory trunk mat to be trimmed



I also installed a backup camera. Visibility out the rear of this car is rough, so it will be a big improvement. My wife also named the car smoky when I first brought it home. I've leaned into it with the silver/black theme, so I got a vanity plate to match.



That's it for now! Hoping to get out in the car more this year.

 

[zmotorsports]

Hoping to get out in the car more this year.

I've said that the last two years and I still struggle. I finally got ours out over the weekend for a short couple hundred mile drive, but it hadn't been on the road for nearly 6-months, and we had such a mild winter too. I need to make more of an effort to get it out on the weekends and play vs. working in the shop.


Nice mods and very well executed.

 

[moab11]

I've started driving my vette more as a daily driver when the weather is nice. Had someone at the grocery store one day why I had it to get groceries, and I just said the trunk is plenty big to hold them and it's much more fun to drive than my truck. Plus its much better on gas.

 

[Purist]

Thanks for the update, bud! 'Vette is looking great.

 

[Mr. Roboto]

I've said that the last two years and I still struggle. I finally got ours out over the weekend for a short couple hundred mile drive, but it hadn't been on the road for nearly 6-months, and we had such a mild winter too. I need to make more of an effort to get it out on the weekends and play vs. working in the shop.


Nice mods and very well executed.

I've started driving my vette more as a daily driver when the weather is nice. Had someone at the grocery store one day why I had it to get groceries, and I just said the trunk is plenty big to hold them and it's much more fun to drive than my truck. Plus its much better on gas.

I took it to work twice this week! I think the hardest part is that it's a 2 seater, so the family doesn't fit. It's rare just the wife and I are able to get out together. However, we're trying to get out this weekend for our anniversary.

 

[Mr. Roboto]

Made it out in the vette the weekend before last for our anniversary. Weather wasn't the bet, but we did 200 miles in the car and had a great day



I've been neglecting the jeep, so I had some time last weekend to start chipping away at some stuff. It needed ball joints, so I went with the knurled set from Teraflex. They have an adjustable preload, so as they wear over time, you can (in theory) snug them back up while they're installed in the vehicle.




Out with the old



In with the new




I decided to replace the steering knuckles while they were off too. The slides for the brake pads are part of the knuckle. After 175k miles they had some pretty deep wear spots





Also when I replaced the steering box last year, I couldn't get my wheel straight. The coupler on the drag link was as short as I could adjust it, and the wheel was still off. Best I can deduce, the clocking of the input shaft on the new box might be a little off. I know that I centered it prior to install, but it's keyed in a way where you need to rotate the steering shaft 360* to make any adjustments since it's a D shape. Rotating in either direction just throws it way off. I just cut my losses and decided to cut the shaft shorter at the coupler.

I didn't want to buy M22 left and right handed dies, so I just did it the poor man's way and ordered some nuts instead. Threaded it on and made the cut, and spun them off. Not bad for a free hand cut.



All good now. Wheel is nice and straight.

I also installed the front bumper and fog lights about 2+ years ago and am embarrassed to say I never wired the fogs in. Took care of that as well.






Thanks as always to all those following along. I've been so busy over the last year that I've fallen behind on so many of your threads that I love to follow... I hope to catch up on you all soon!