Stocking a Garage

[Craig Balzer]

I live far enough from the city that stopping in the middle of a project to run to the hardware store or NAPA's or wherever is a real inconvenience. Not only do it hafta stop what I'm doing, clean up a bit and drive to town, but MY run to town for whatever invariably results in little side trips for SWMBO.

So, I have developed over the years a list "stuff" I try to keep in stock in my garage. I'll be honest here and tell you that I am only about 67% fill right now.

Anyway, I though I would share this list with you. In some instances I have noted recommendations of particualr brands. These usually come from friends and/or mechancis or from shade tree wrench flippers I respect and trust. So, with the usual disclaimer that I don't sell any of this stuff or have any affiliation with any of the brands I do mention, I give the following:

For the GARAGE
* Fire Extinguisher
* First Aid Kit
* Beer
* "Mouse-Proof" rodent killing pellets
* Bag of kitty litter for spills

FLUIDS for the car
* Oil
* Oil Filters
* Fuel Filter(s)
* Gear Lube
* Jaguar Differential Additive
* ATF (for ****** or carb dash pots)
* LMA brake fluid
* Anti-Freeze
* Power Steering Fluid
* Marvel Mystery Oil
* Starting Fluid
* Lacquer Thinner
* Grease for ball joints/tie rod ends etc

SPARES for the Car
* Spark Plugs
* Plug wires
* Rotor
* Cap
* Set of O-Rings

CLEANING yourself
* GoJo hand cleaner
.......(NAPA brand, Mac's, part Number 5005)
* Hand Cream on your Hands
* Latex (or Nitrile) Gloves
* Shop Towels

CLEANERS for the Car/Engine/Garage/Floor
* Castrol Concentrated Cleaner
* Engine Cleaner
* Brake Cleaner
* Carb Cleaner
* Rust Remover
* Brushable Rustoleum
* Degreaser
* Acetone
* Mineral Spirits

BEAUTY PRODUCTS
* Polish
* Wax
* Touch-up paint
* Wire wheel cleaners (Eagle 1)
* Hide food
* Blue Away chrome cleaner
* Leather Cleaner – Meguairs “Gold Class” with Aloe.
.......Clear plastic bottle – is translucent pale blue.
.......Cleans and softens
* Gliptone Leather Conditioner
* Kirk's Castile Soap leather cleaner
* EFFAX Leather Balsam.
.......It contains Lanolin, Avocodo Oil and Beeswax.
* Leatheriqu
* Vinylex, the Lexol brand protectant.
.......It's non-silicone, I believe, and has UV protection too.
.......Good for vinyl interior parts, too.
* Chrome Kleener (Autosol)

WORKING on the Car
* Di-electric grease
* Bearing Grease
* 3-1 oil
* Silicon Spray
* Anti-seize compound
* Loctite
.......Loctite 242 (red) (pretty permanent and needs heat to remove)
.......Loctite 262 (blue) (reasonably easy to remove)
* Teflon tape
* Acousti Seal, Exhaust System Sealing Compound, p/n 35959.
* Wellseal Gasket Compound
* Gasket sealer
* Wire of various colors and sizes
.......old harnesses
* Electrical Connectors
.......(male connectors, the female single and double sleeves)
* Lucas Type Fuses
* Cloth Fabric Repair Tape (from British Wiring in Illinois)
* Masking Tape
* Duct Tape
* Electric Tape
* Contact Cement
* 3M Weather-strip Adhesive
.......General Purpose Adhesive Solvent Part #: 051135-08984
* 3M Adhesive Remover (Ronson lighter fluid)
* PB Blaster
* Kroil -- a great penetrating oil.*{Better than PB Blaster}
* Knock’er Loose (from MAC’s at NAPA)

Other Stuff
* Wire ties
* Mechanic's wire
* Cotter pins
* C-clips
* Snap rings
* Hose clamps
* Roloc pads/grinding discs
* Die-grinder burrs/bits
* Buffing wheels/Compound
* Razor blades
* Utility knife blades
* Sandpaper
* Emory cloth
* Scotch-brite
* Grease fittings
* Fuel line/brake line and fittings
* Huge collection of nuts/bolts/washers etc
* Rubber hose: windshield washer, heater, fuel, vacuum
* Spray paint
* JB weld
* Rustoleum spray paint in black and silver

 

[Der Bugmeister]

That's a great idea...I don't know how many times I've reached a point in a project, reached for product *** and had to put everything on hold while I ran down to grab some more.

Whether it's a 10 minute interruption or a 60 minute interruption, it's still frustrating.

 

[bdks]

You forgot...

 

[Cebby]

You forgot...

That's the 3rd item. Right after the stuff that gets you out of trouble.

 

[bdks]

That's the 3rd item. Right after the stuff that gets you out of trouble.

Read right past it.

 

[REFLEXX]

I would add an eye wash station. Imagine it's 10:30 at night and you squirt some XXXXXX whatever in your eyes. You can go screaming into the house and scare the **** outta the wife for help and that's assuming you can find the house or have a wife!

 

[bmwpower]

I would add an eye wash station. Imagine it's 10:30 at night and you squirt some XXXXXX whatever in your eyes. You can go screaming into the house and scare the **** outta the wife for help and that's assuming you can find the house or have a wife!

Clearly you don't mean a STATION here, do you? Just a portable setup, right?

 

[bobbyd]

I wanna see the running tally on what all that costs. I bet if you added it up, it would be more than my car is worth. Of course it's not a Jag.

Then again, reviewing the list again, I might be pushing 50%.

 

[Tman]

Jag? Lucas Fuses? Better add 3 more fire extinguishers! hahahhahaha, sorry couldnt resist.

Nice list. I am also ready to move 20 miles out. I will invest a few hundred into a bolt assortment. Even in the rod shop when we had a large selection, I was always running to teh hardware store for some odd item!

 

[imported_banzaitoyota]

Instead of expanding large sums immediately:

Exercise some patience, keep and maintain a list. When you do buy parts, buy an extra can of whatever. I mounted a 4 x 8 piece of whiteboard near the exit of the shop to maintain a list of project and shop needs. Has an eraserboard marker hanging from a string to write down what I need.

 

[l_bilyk]

I don't go all out, but this is what i usually have:

2 cases of oil
3 spare filters for each car
3-4 bottles of gear oil
2 tubes of LSD additive
1 case of brakekleen
1 case of windshield wash
2 bottles of power steering fluid
1 case of ATF
3-4 tubes of different kinds of grease
4 jugs of car soap
1 case of tire foam
5 bottles of wax

 

[Darren M.]

Clearly you don't mean a STATION here, do you? Just a portable setup, right?

Just for giggles I hit ebay w/ "eye wash station" and for the price of some of the stations it wouldn't be a bad idea.....
Ebay eye wash station, cheapest to most expensive.

 

[imported_banzaitoyota]

I keep a bottle of eyewash, changed it out according to the directions

 

[kartracer55]

Why do you guys stock so much stuff????

I dont get it, its kinda overkill. Why do you need 3 extra filters for a car? Its not like you change oil 3 times a week. Local autostores run sals for castrol motor oil for .99 a quart and purolator premium filters for fairly cheap and the sales are run religiously, so why not just pick up oil and a filter in your travels during the week when you know you have ot change oil. Yeah, keeping a few quarts of oil around is a good thing, but It doesnt make sense to me as to why youd keep 4 jugs of carwashing soap around.

Idk just a rant

 

[l_bilyk]

Well, SBC filters are cheap to begin with, and I get them at cost, so why not. As for the soap and the oil, I bought them on sale by the case. And the case usually lasts me until the next sale.

 

[bmwpower]

Why do you guys stock so much stuff????

I dont get it, its kinda overkill. Why do you need 3 extra filters for a car? Its not like you change oil 3 times a week. Local autostores run sals for castrol motor oil for .99 a quart and purolator premium filters for fairly cheap and the sales are run religiously, so why not just pick up oil and a filter in your travels during the week when you know you have ot change oil. Yeah, keeping a few quarts of oil around is a good thing, but It doesnt make sense to me as to why youd keep 4 jugs of carwashing soap around.

Idk just a rant

Jim, you're obviously not married... my time is limited and the nearest auto parts store is 25-30 mins away.

I only buy my filters online, so I buy a bunch to avoid getting hit with shipping everytime, not to mention having to wait for them to arrive.

Nothing is worse than trying to do something only to realize you don't have the supplies you need, so you get in your car and run out to the store, waste more time, etc.

 

[OctaneMotorsports]

Yeah, a fire extinguisher is definately something you can't be running to the store for...you might not have a house when you get back, especially if you have the tendency to stop and check out all the sales and new products while you're there, LOL.

 

[imported_banzaitoyota]

its 28 miles to town. I prefer it:
No Zoning
No Homeowners Associations
No peky neighbors

Neighbors who have an extra bottle of acytelyne on a saturday afternoon

 

[mikeyr]

I would like to see this thread take a slight turn and discuss parts stock beyond oil filters, for example, I keep a spare set of plugs, points, etc for tune-ups for each car. A few other things I stock like 3 carb rebuild kits, the car has 3 carbs and I wont open one up with opening up the other 2, those kits have been sitting on the shelf for several years but I like having them there. Spare bulbs for turn signals, brakes, headlight, dont need them often but its nice having them here. Antifreeze, Brake fluid (yeah I change both every other year, sometimes yearly). Basically if I use it once a year, I buy 2 and keep one here, when I use it I go buy another soon.

But the big one that I am troubled with right now is nuts and bolts, I work almost exclusively with old Brit cars so I have a set of those cool parts bins and keep a large variety of BSF nuts and bolts in a variety of sizes ready to go on my car, I tend to use new rather than use 70 year old rusty junk. Over the years I have learned which sizes to stock. What about Metric and yeah ok...SAE also, although I wont stock the SAE stuff, that car goes to the dealer. I am dealing with a old FIAT right now and went and purchased a bunch of 6,8,10,12mm nuts but had no idea what size (length) bolts to buy and stock, what sizes are mostly used ? I ended up purchasing long ones figuring I can cut and clean up the theads.

The garage has 2 fire extinguishers, one on each wall and each car has one so there are pleny of those in my garage at all times. Since I wear contacts, the eye wash station is a GREAT idea that and I will look for one right away.

I am big fan of those little paper funnels (I get mine at Griotts) and use them all the time in my garage.

 

[z28toz06]

You forgot...

For the GARAGE
* Fire Extinguisher
* First Aid Kit
* Beer* "Mouse-Proof" rodent killing pellets
* Bag of kitty litter for spills
no he did not!

 

[imported_banzaitoyota]

I would like to see this thread take a slight turn and discuss parts stock beyond oil filters, for example, I keep a spare set of plugs, points, etc for tune-ups for each car. A few other things I stock like 3 carb rebuild kits, the car has 3 carbs and I wont open one up with opening up the other 2, those kits have been sitting on the shelf for several years but I like having them there. Spare bulbs for turn signals, brakes, headlight, dont need them often but its nice having them here. Antifreeze, Brake fluid (yeah I change both every other year, sometimes yearly). Basically if I use it once a year, I buy 2 and keep one here, when I use it I go buy another soon.

But the big one that I am troubled with right now is nuts and bolts, I work almost exclusively with old Brit cars so I have a set of those cool parts bins and keep a large variety of BSF nuts and bolts in a variety of sizes ready to go on my car, I tend to use new rather than use 70 year old rusty junk. Over the years I have learned which sizes to stock. What about Metric and yeah ok...SAE also, although I wont stock the SAE stuff, that car goes to the dealer. I am dealing with a old FIAT right now and went and purchased a bunch of 6,8,10,12mm nuts but had no idea what size (length) bolts to buy and stock, what sizes are mostly used ? I ended up purchasing long ones figuring I can cut and clean up the theads.

The garage has 2 fire extinguishers, one on each wall and each car has one so there are pleny of those in my garage at all times. Since I wear contacts, the eye wash station is a GREAT idea that and I will look for one right away.

I am big fan of those little paper funnels (I get mine at Griotts) and use them all the time in my garage.

For starters: THE QUICK LIST
For the Rotary Engines
Apex Seals
2 Complete Sets Teardown gaskets
Spare Fuel Injectors (Cleaned and Tested_
Extra Ignition Modules
Clutch plates (Quartermaster 7 1/4" Twin Plate)

For the Tow Vehicle (Cummins Turbo Diesel)
Intercooler Piping hoses
Turbo Rebuild Kit
Fuel Filters
Serpentine Belt
Belt Tensioner
Brakes

For the Engine Dyno:
Torque Gauge Oil
Throttle Cable

 

[W-Cummins]

For the Tow Vehicle (Cummins Turbo Diesel)
Intercooler Piping hoses
Turbo Rebuild Kit
Fuel Filters
Serpentine Belt
Belt Tensioner
Brakes

yeah sounds good lets see life span of some of these

intercooler hoses = 20 years and say 750k miles

belt tensioner = 285k miles ( at least mine was getting tired at that time but still worked ok)

turbo rebuild kit = 500k miles ( better stock 2

Now if you have a 24 valve I can see you stocking a spare lift pump

William....

 

[fourspeed]

* Loctite
.......Loctite 242 (red) (pretty permanent and needs heat to remove)
.......Loctite 262 (blue) (reasonably easy to remove)

Not to get nitpicky here, but 242 is the easy-to-remove blue stuff. The red Loctite is 271. I always thought Loctite primer was just lacquer thinner in a can, but it seems to make the stuff set up better. I use the primer on most stuff now.

You can buy Loctite, and a HUGE veriety of fasteners online at www.mcmaster.com

Mark

 

[trainer]

I The garage has 2 fire extinguishers, one on each wall and each car has one so there are pleny of those in my garage at all times. .

The ONLY place to put a fire extinguisher is next to an exit door. if you have more than one, put them next to each other.
The reason is , that if you have a fire, and your running to get an extinguisher, or going to grab a second one, the fire isnt between you and your exit.

 

[Craig Balzer]

Mark Fourspeed

You just picking those nits, buddy. Thank's for the correction. All I had to do was visit the Loctitie website but I didn't know I had reversed the colors.

What part of Wisconsin is home? I was born/rasied in West Allis (home of the State Fair and used to be Allsi Chambers)? I settled in C Springs.

Craig

 

[banzaitoyota]

yeah sounds good lets see life span of some of these

intercooler hoses = 20 years and say 750k miles

belt tensioner = 285k miles ( at least mine was getting tired at that time but still worked ok)

turbo rebuild kit = 500k miles ( better stock 2

Now if you have a 24 valve I can see you stocking a spare lift pump

William....

William: My truck has 4ooK.

Intercooler hoses: I have a new set waiting to install. Rather have them on the shelf then waiting for delivery

Belt Tensioner: Mine **** itself at 280K. Replacement last <20K. Hence the reson for a spare

Rebuild Kit: Stock turbo is developing alot of play. Better to have the spare on the shelf for a rebuild at my convienance

 

[Roadster]

Anyway, I though I would share this list with you. In some instances I have noted recommendations of particualr brands. These usually come from friends and/or mechancis or from shade tree wrench flippers I respect and trust. So, with the usual disclaimer that I don't sell any of this stuff or have any affiliation with any of the brands I do mention, I give the following:

Craig, why did you virtually replicate the thread that you started on this same subject last year?

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2049

 

[Roadster]

Anyway, I though I would share this list with you. In some instances I have noted recommendations of particualr brands. These usually come from friends and/or mechancis or from shade tree wrench flippers I respect and trust. So, with the usual disclaimer that I don't sell any of this stuff or have any affiliation with any of the brands I do mention, I give the following:

Craig, why did you virtually replicate the thread that you started on this same subject last year, even down to the incorrect Loctite color reference?



http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2049

 

[Craig Balzer]

Well Roadster -- you see; it's this way. Ahhh . . . I was really simply trying to . . . . It's more a matter of . . . . as we are all getting older . . . . aw shoot. Never Mind.

Anyway -- the thread has gotten much more play the second time around

I have a computer at work and a computer at home. Mostly the same the same files and I guess i fixed one and not the other.

You know -- one of the great things about OldTimers Disease is that you meet new friends every day.

//rewind // play //

Well Roadster -- you see; it's this way. Ahhh . . . I was really simply trying to . . . . It's more a matter of . . . . as we are all getting older . . . . aw shoot. Never Mind.

Anyway -- the thread has gotten much more play the second time around

I have a computer at work and a computer at home. Mostly the same the same files and I guess i fixed one and not the other.

You know -- one of the great things about OldTimers Disease is that you meet new friends every day.

At least I know SOMEONE is paying attention out there and
I just wanted to answer both of your posts

Craig (with red and blue corrcted on BOTH versions of the file)

 

[fourspeed]

Mark Fourspeed

You just picking those nits, buddy. Thank's for the correction. All I had to do was visit the Loctitie website but I didn't know I had reversed the colors.

What part of Wisconsin is home? I was born/rasied in West Allis (home of the State Fair and used to be Allsi Chambers)? I settled in C Springs.

Craig

I'm out around Oconomowoc. Colorado Springs was cool when we were there once... That was so many years ago, I don't want to think about it!

 

[joedirtmopar]

I believe the reason to fully stock your garage is that it's just cool have loads of neat tools, supplies and parts to look at while you drink beer and BS with your buddies about building that wicked hot rod which will consume way more time, money, tools, supplies, parts and patience than you actually have.

But seriously, I hate interrupting a job with a run to the store for anything. I grew up wrenching in a shop where a run to a real parts store is 45 minutes away. If you are out in the sticks, you must stock a ton of odds and ends.

Most importantly, when the end of the world comes, you can MacGruber all those parts and supplies into something bitchin'.

 

[atch]

I would add an eye wash station. Imagine it's 10:30 at night and you squirt some XXXXXX whatever in your eyes. You can go screaming into the house and scare the **** outta the wife for help and that's assuming you can find the house or have a wife!

Clearly you don't mean a STATION here, do you? Just a portable setup, right?

how 'bout those eye wash gizmos that attach to the faucet spout? where the faucet works normally most of the time but pushing a button on the attachment diverts the water upwards towards your eyes? the hospital i work in recently replaced all of those with "real" eye wash stations. the old ones were getting thrown into the trash so i snagged a couple. i'll use one when i get around to building the bathroom in my shop. i don't know how much these things cost but i bet your local plumbing supply house (probably not the box store though) either has them in stock or can order one for you. i can't imagine that they would be very expensive. especially when compared to the cost of permanent eye damage.

I don't go all out, but this is what i usually have:

...2 tubes of LSD additive...

i don't know what LSD additive is, but i vaguely remember lysergic acid diethylamide. i think that timothy leary kept some LSD additive in his garage...

 

[NUTTSGT]

Atch, LSD, limited slip differential additive.

 

[atch]

Atch, LSD, limited slip differential additive.

aha!!! the lightbulb slowly grows in intensity.

thanx.

i should have known this. i used to go through quite a bit of the stuff before i rebuilt the 8" ford rear in the '48 ford panel truck. new gasket & seals = no more leaks.

 

[Brad54]

In the last six months, I finally got my shop organized. I always had a couple bottles of brake fluid, oil, trans fluid, etc.
After I started organizing, I consolidated it onto one shelf. As I kept finding more bottles of this and that squirreled away, I ended up with two shelves of fluids. Every time I'd do a job before, I'd have to buy the supplies because I could never find the bottles from the last time.

It is GREAT to need to top off a fluid and have it on-hand. Or decide "Hey, the Corvair needs its oil changed, and I've got a window of time..." and 20 minutes later the job is done.

One thing that has come in incredibly handy over the years is a box of spark plug wires and terminals... I've used them on cars, lawn mowers, week eaters, etc.

I also keep a box of brake parts.

I also have a bin full of lug nuts. The only old car I've ever brought home that had a full compliment of lug nuts is my wife's Corvair. Every other vintage vehicle was missing some.

-Brad

 

[joedirtmopar]

+1 for the box of plug wires and terminals, these things always break at the worst time.

 

[djd99]

Why do you guys stock so much stuff????

I dont get it, its kinda overkill. Why do you need 3 extra filters for a car? Its not like you change oil 3 times a week. Local autostores run sals for castrol motor oil for .99 a quart and purolator premium filters for fairly cheap and the sales are run religiously, so why not just pick up oil and a filter in your travels during the week when you know you have ot change oil. Yeah, keeping a few quarts of oil around is a good thing, but It doesnt make sense to me as to why youd keep 4 jugs of carwashing soap around.

Idk just a rant

Overkill I say never, Hell I have everything on the list and then some, one thing I can't stand is having to stop and go to town for a can of this or a tube of that. If I run out of any 1 thing I always buy at least 3 to restock.

Well worth it.