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Scored the old dodge dealer

MrBeast

Member
Joined
Aug 29, 2008
Messages
24
So I did it, I found the most totally awesome space I could ever hope to inhabit. The old Dodge dealer from the 1940's! The building was built in 1948, and it has a ton of character.

building2.jpg


building1.jpg


Right now I am living in the offices which are pretty nice.

frontoffice.jpg


frontofficehallway1.jpg


frontofficehallway2.jpg


But the Shop space is what makes it all worth the while!

Right now the shop is divided into 3 sections, the first of which is for my company, we park the wreckers there, and have room to have my employees hang out/work on the trucks.

lowershop1.jpg


lowershop2.jpg


Then the corner shop is being used by my friend Richard who is also living at the building with me in the other office.

cornershop1.jpg


cornershop2.jpg


Then there is my shop.

bigshop1.jpg


bigshop2.jpg


If you look closely you can see the rails for the old overhead crane, I definately plan on building another and getting it all setup, as well in the future a 2 post lift is a definate addition I am going to make.

But wait there is more!

bigshopthirdbay.jpg


Off to the side of that shop is another smaller bay that I am setting up as a tool/work room. I am liking the fact that it has a bay door so I will be able to use it as a clean room and run a vehicle in there to plug it into my computer to tune it. I am going to build a sliding door that can close off the front and back portions of this bay, and then the plan is to build a circular staircase going up to the landing, and from there a set of stairs will take you up to the LOFT.

Loft2.jpg


The loft is aproximately 28x72 feet. I am going to over the next couple of years convert it into a really cool urban living space.

Right now though there is a lot of work to be done getting the place fully functional, I moved in at newyears and still dont have everything unpacked.

I will be posting updates as I am able.
 
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bmwpower

Super Moderator
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Apr 24, 2005
Messages
12,578
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NJ
How can you live in a commercially zoned area? Is it allowed in your area?

And, yes, that is the biggest **** I've ever seen. :)

And what is with that chick giving us the finger?

Pretty cool place. Got a floor plan?
 

aqr81

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 20, 2010
Messages
1,127
Location
Central Valley, Ca.
There is a lot of potential with that old building. Very cool.

Turn that rooster around, I think he's flashing his giblets at us :bounce:
 
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MrBeast

Member
Joined
Aug 29, 2008
Messages
24
How can you live in a commercially zoned area? Is it allowed in your area?

And, yes, that is the biggest **** I've ever seen. :)

And what is with that chick giving us the finger?

Pretty cool place. Got a floor plan?

How I can live in a commercially zoned area? I dont know what the zoning regulation on it is, but I do know it is a very very common practice, in fact both of my neighbors live at thier buildings.

The "chick" is the girlfriend, and well she does that.

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No floor plan yet. I am still trying to get moved in, unpacking all of my junk.

Did my first welding job in the place though, will post pics in a bit.
 
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MrBeast

Member
Joined
Aug 29, 2008
Messages
24
So what's the story with the huge ****?

Previous tennants have a mexican restaraunt, they have another one identical outside of thier place.

Oh and at this moment the hard thing isnt coming up with a joke, it is which one to use...

Think I will roll with "Guess that means mexicans really like the ****"
 
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MrBeast

Member
Joined
Aug 29, 2008
Messages
24
Here are some pics of the first paying welding job I did in the new place.

I had some guys from an enviromental company bring in thier trailer when the frame had cracked.

X8001.jpg


X8002.jpg


X8003.jpg


As you can see it was bent pretty badly, I had to cut out the crack with a wafer disc and do an open V groove weld to make it whole again after I had used a floor jack to push the bend out of the frame.

It came out looking pretty good though.

X8004.jpg


Next I started fitting a piece of 1/4x4" flat bar to the side of the frame rails to reinforce it.

X8005.jpg


The next thing that had to be tackled is the fact that the whole frame had a serious bow to it.

X8006.jpg


X8008.jpg


I had to jack the frame back straight as I was welding the reinforcement to it moving down the side as I went to get it straightened out.

As well I drilled 4 5/8" holes in the brace, and plug welded it on either side of the crack, along with a good 4" bead top and bottom either side where the crack was. I also tied it in with the suspension mounting brackets all the way back to transfer some of the load directly to the brace.

X8009.jpg


Then it was on to the next side which was just as bowed.

X8010.jpg


X8011.jpg


Finally I got it finished out and painted.

X8012.jpg


I also added a step to the drivers side, previously they had been stepping on the bracket for the angle iron, and it had broke off, they were holding it on with a really bent C Clamp.

X8013.jpg


Over all I had one very happy customer.

X8014.jpg
 
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Ohio Auto

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Dec 25, 2010
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1,494
Location
Ohio
When you get time I would check every nook and cranny of that place for any left over Dodge stuff.
 
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MrBeast

Member
Joined
Aug 29, 2008
Messages
24
that's a serious space
look forward to seeing what you do with it
should take a while to fill it
(subscribed)

That is what I thought, I moved from a 1200 square foot shop with a 900 square foot office that housed a lot of my stuff, this building is over 6,000 square feet and is already pretty much full, the silver lining is though everything gets to park inside here. At the other place I could only park 1 rig inside at a time. I outgrew it really fast.

The plus side of it is hopefully with in the next year to two years I can open up a new location for my business just up the street, and I can use this location soley for myself.
 

WANTSOM

Active member
Joined
Mar 31, 2010
Messages
28
Location
Sydney, Australia
What a great location and lifestyle. I envy you. Given some time and effort this will be a really cool residence/work area. Different from mainstream and with so much space you can do whatever you want. Congratulations.
 

mad57

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 30, 2009
Messages
1,698
WOW COOL BUILDING!!! thats a nice amount of space out side too all fenced with patrol pup;) man id love to have a pad like that..good luck with your new home its a hell of a pad.
 

GTOGreg

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 25, 2008
Messages
117
Location
Fremont, CA
The chicken is pretty weird and the gal is shooting the bird in pic 3, but the space is damn cool. Congrats!
 
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