Between 265 & 485 SQ/FT The 12-Gauge Garage

[Jack Olsen]

Re: My bolt-on 911 aero: it will never be pretty, but now it's much easier to pack

Thanks for the kind words, everyone.

You know you're going to draw a crowd at the track as you load all that stuff back into the car

My fear is that once all the stuff is out, I'm going to have no idea how to get it back in correctly. I took some cell phone pictures as I went. I'll let you know how it goes.

I just kept thinking......."trailer"......lol

Nice work! I know I would have already invested wayy too much money and time into an enclosed trailer and truck.

I have one parking space -- no room at all for a trailer. Plus, my Jeep with it's little straight six is not really tow-vehicle material. But more than that, this is a car I drive around town -- I'm proud of the fact that it drives to the track and does so well against dedicated (and not street-legal) race cars.

I take away two things...

#1 I applaud you for actually DRIVING your car to the track.

#2 I need breakfast because the bag that has the JACO logo looked a lot like TACO to me.

I got that JACO inflator for $25 through some 'deal of the day' post. Its cool feature is that you can set the PSI digitally and the thing pumps until it gets there and then shuts off. The not-so-surprising part was that it started acting wonky after a few months. But I emailed their customer service and they sent out a replacement without any questions. I was impressed. (Of course, it's still a $25 inflator, so we'll see how well the replacement does...)

Yes...there are some pretty cool trailers on the market for carrying 4 race wheels and a cooler. OP could probably build one from spare parts sitting around.

I've seen commercial hitches for later model P-cars; I assume something could be made up for the OPs!

In California, the speed limit goes down to 55 mph if you have a trailer. To me, that makes creative packing worthwhile. Even if race rubber ends up on the roof.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploads5/LunarLandscape1114501161.jpg[iimg]

[QUOTE="bczygan, post: 7189691, member: 43135"]A Harbor Freight jump pack???

Jack!

Bill[/QUOTE]

I realized today I had two jump starters and two inflators packed in there. So the HF inflator/jump-started is now out of the trunk/frunk. But it's been reliable for a long while now. I don't judge cheap tools too harshly -- but then, I also don't expect them to last as long as expensive ones.

[QUOTE="NUTTSGT, post: 7189711, member: 40445"]Well, seeing how close the seat is, I'd guess you're about 5'9". [/QUOTE] I know it looks that way, but I think it's because I lean the seat back more than most. I've done 10+ hour drives to different tracks, and I find my backside does better with the seat reclined more. But I'm 5'11".

[QUOTE="bczygan, post: 7189717, member: 43135"][IMG]https://i.pinimg.com/originals/87/a4/8a/87a48a5e6773d0069d78b2de6eaee595.jpg[/QUOTE]

I wouldn't tow a tire trailer because of the speed limit change. But I've thought about pulling a little teardrop trailer for track-day lodging. I think I could do a decent hitch for it -- but the trick would be to make it removable. I couldn't accept that kind of additional weight once I'm out on a road course.

I even did a little work on the sort of drag it would generate.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Re: My bolt-on 911 aero: it will never be pretty, but now it's much easier to pack

Thanks for the kind words, everyone.


I know it looks that way, but I think it's because I lean the seat back more than most. I've done 10+ hour drives to different tracks, and I find my backside does better with the seat reclined more. But I'm 5'11".

Well, having the seat reclined back would make a difference. I prefer to sit straight up as opposed to reclined.

Do you seat reclined while on the track ? I know people sit all sort of different ways when racing as to what's comfortable to them and how they can see out of their car.

 

[NitroGarage]

Re: My bolt-on 911 aero: it will never be pretty, but now it's much easier to pack

Very well done, and it "looks" very IMSA-esque and like it works well.

What is the angle on the rear diffuser?

 

[Trey T]

Re: My bolt-on 911 aero: it will never be pretty, but now it's much easier to pack

Looking forward to see the vid on Youtube.

 

[Jack Olsen]

Re: My bolt-on 911 aero: it will never be pretty, but now it's much easier to pack

Well, having the seat reclined back would make a difference. I prefer to sit straight up as opposed to reclined.

Do you seat reclined while on the track ? I know people sit all sort of different ways when racing as to what's comfortable to them and how they can see out of their car.

Yes, I keep it at the one position. It's not as reclined as a single-seater car would be. But my back feels best when the weight is distributed from my thighs to lower back. Personal preference, I'm sure.

What is the angle on the rear diffuser?

That's a good question. I remember there were a lot of compromises in the initial design -- the panel under the engine is already coming up at an angle, although it's gradual. At the upturn, I was going for 7-11°. But I'll have to check the next time it's attached.

 

[Bob Heine]

Re: My bolt-on 911 aero: it will never be pretty, but now it's much easier to pack

What can you take away from this set of pictures and text? Probably nothing. The number of guys devoted to bolt-on aero pieces like mine are pretty small. It might be just me. But I enjoyed the process enough that I thought I'd post it here.

Thanks for reading -- and how 'bout those stone chips?

Jack, I may never take my car to the track or need an aero package but I love reading about yours and especially your process.

I don't see stone chips. Those are beauty marks on a Porsche face that always looks like it's smiling.

 

[Outlawmws]

As everyone has said, Jack, another great job!

I have a suggestion for a cargo box without a trailer. They make cargo boxes that fit receiver hitches. Not a good option for you, BUT:

Instead of the std receiver hitch (Heavy and A pain to remove for the track)

A pair of mini "receivers" - out of aluminum, not centered, outboard but inside the tires.. This does two things: stabilizes the box, and spreads the load, probably to better mounting locations. The part supporting the box that goes into the receivers, can be steel or aluminum. It's off the car except for traveling to/from the track.

Heck, those receivers could be a different place to mount the rear wing?

The box; a lot of options, from standard trunks, to cargo boxes, to a custom job you could even streamline a bit. Before considering the box, what do you want in it? Not heavy stuff, as that could really affect the rear weight while traveling. So how much space does the light but possibly bulky stuff need? (Keep heavies like the tool box up front..)

Just some random thoughts...

 

[Brian R]

Jack,
If IIRC you were working on getting lap times below 1:30 - which I think you have done. One question is what is the difference in times w/ and w/o bolt on aero stuff?

And of course always cool to see how you continue to make elegant solutions for your problems.

 

[wout]

About the trailer, maybe this is an idea:

gr
Wout

 

[Squankum]

Jack, just had a thought... I searched the thread for "garbage", "trash", and "trashcan", and got zero hits. I don't recall seeing where you keep your garbage can in the shop. If you were to show us...

That would be The 12 Gauge Garbage.

 

[Fatandre]

I would go with the trailer idea.

 

[slik560]

After all the trials, tribulations, fabrications, testing, experimentation and hauling everything to an from for all these years, that car has EARNED a trailer. It'll make your life easier - maybe you can get a manufacturer to sponsor you one!!

 

[Mr. Tool]

I've commented on this garage before but "damn" for sure the ultimate garage to hang out, work in, fix things, etc.

Really enjoyed the video as well, since the last time (a few years ago) seeing this thread, though I don't recall there being one to view.

Again, very, very cool garage, **** even just to chill out and drink some beers!

This is a long thread. I won't try and stop anyone from reading all of it. But for a more-concise tour of the place, it'll only take you 10 minutes to go through this video:

And here are some recent pictures. If you go through the thread from the beginning, you'll be able to see the garage get to this point:

It's a working garage:

And I do have a fancy sign for it:

I first posted a thread about my garage back in March of 2009. I called it the ‘Poor Man’s Retro Retreat’ back then because my budget for it had been low ($500) and I’d used a kind of old-fashioned color scheme when I painted it. It’s a garage I’ve liked a lot. It’s had everything I’ve needed. I’ve gotten a lot of work done in it.

So naturally, I had to go through and re-do pretty much every component in the place.

Why? Blame this board. It gets you thinking about different ideas and projects for the garage every time you visit. I know a lot of you out there know what I’m talking about.

Since so much has changed, I’m going to start a new thread about it. If that bugs you, I apologize. Click the close button on the window and move on. If the moderators don’t like it, they can merge this with the old thread. I don’t want to clutter up the board unnecessarily.

The garage can’t really be called the ‘Poor Man’s Retro Retreat’ anymore because I’ve spent too much money on it. It’s still pretty modest, by the standards of many of the garages on this board. It’s pretty humble, still -- a suburban two-car garage tucked around behind the house on my tiny 1/8-acre lot.

But by my own personal standards (I’m very cheap), it’s now a pretty expensive operation. I would guess that I’ve now put another $2,000 into the place.


THE HISTORY

During the 2007 Writers Guild strike, I went through my completely useless junk bin of a garage and tried to get a little organized for the first time in my then 43-year-old life. Both my wife and I write for a living, so we were both out of work for the duration -- I was understandably cautious with spending money. But on the other hand, I couldn’t work -- so I had all the time in the world. I gave myself a $500 budget and attempted to re-use or re-purpose as much of the **** filling my garage as possible, while moving most of what was left to a dumpster. Every day, after a shift spent pounding the pavement on a picket line, I’d work on it. The last touch was to paint it in sort-of-early-1960s shades of green, yellow and tan.

I was pretty happy with it.

I also built a shed for the stuff that would normally clutter up a garage as small as mine. I’d never done much carpentry, but having a garage that I could actually move around in made it easier to get a little creative with the roof lines.

And then one day I saw a sale on ceramic tile at Home Depot and I jumped into a .68/sf scheme to both tile my garage and teach myself how to set tile. It worked out all right, considering how unlevel my 84-year-old garage floor was. I ended up with a nicer-to-use and nicer-to-look-at garage for another $400 invested. (I also ended up with bigger shoulders, since grouting that much tile is a pretty serious amount of work.)

Then I joined Garage Journal. It didn’t happen overnight, but -- slowly, steadily, you can’t fight it forever -- I started to no longer see my finished garage as finished anymore.

It was just getting started.

 

[wout]

Hi Jack

Just saw this and had to think of your homemade adjustable wing .

auto-adjustable wing:

gr
Wout

 

[ranger101ran]

The outdoor shed is is beautiful, very unique design.

 

[Grizz1963]

Just caught up with your fold up solutions.

As always impressive, love the aesthetic of the shed too as commented on.

 

[1/2 Cup]

Just caught up with your fold up solutions.

As always impressive, love the aesthetic of the shed too as commented on.

Spot on

 

[yates]

Finally made it all the way through reading during downtime at work.

I have to say, Jack, the garage is different than I would make one due to what I need one for but just reading your stories, seeing you just jump in and try something new, and seeing the end results is what kept me going on the thread. There are projects I would like to do but think "I can't do this" and then you do it but even more elaborate than I even thought of and it looks perfect.

Thank you for sharing all of this and I will keep checking in to see the changes and projects you come up with.

 

[Jack Olsen]

Concrete Pad Porch with Saltillo Clay Tiles

There's a scene in the old movie Body Heat where a young Mickey Rourke cautions William Hurt about a crime he's about to commit. I'll paraphrase it as "Any time you commit a crime, you got fifty ways you can screw up. If you can think of twenty-five of them, then you're a genius... and you ain't no genius."

This ran through my head more than a few times during this project. It seemed simple. We have a tiled set of steps from our driveway to a tiled courtyard area where you enter our house. The front landing is under a sort of cover, which means it gets shade -- which means plants have never grown well there. My wife had the idea to expand the little landing into something more like a porch. We could sit there and watch the kids play in the front yard. And it wouldn't matter anymore that stuff wouldn't grow there.

I said: that's easy. We just need a concrete pad and some tiles. I could do that in a weekend, probably.

Famous last words.

Now, the downside isn't the time it took. I think it was the better part of five days between getting the area cleared, building the forms, putting down sand, pouring the concrete, tiling and grouting the tile.

The downside is the ticking time bomb. What's going to go wrong? So far, everything looks fine. But at night, my mind wanders to all the things that I might have done incorrectly. Will the pad settle and crack? Will the layer of Redgard keep moisture and tile cracks at bay? Will the clay tiles pull so much moisture from the grout and mortar that the tiles will come loose or the grout will turn to powder?

I did some online searching before I started. But the advice was all over the place and the potential downsides so crazy that at some point I just decided to try it and see how it would work. The problem with that isn't the potentially lost money (I doubt there's $500 in the whole project) -- the problem will be having to cut all this concrete up and then pay someone to haul it away.

But that might never happen. I'm usually pretty lucky with this stuff. But it might.

Here's the little landing as the project started up. It's about 36" x 48". The idea was to expand that to 60" x 180" -- about 70 square feet.

The first step was to remove the tiles. I've got an old Harbor Freight impact drill that has a hammer setting. After I broke up the 12 tiles I learned that the tiles weren't put in place with thinset. They were on what I learned is called a 'mortar bed' about 3/4" thick. That was new to me, but I figured I could match the height to the existing tiles in the courtyard area and preserve the step size in the other direction.

The next step was to clear the area, compact the soil, put down sand, and put in the forms. I was committed, now, since I'd broken up all the old Saltillo tiles. But I still wasn't out more than the cost of 500 pounds of sand.

Then concrete. I started out thinking I'd be good with 33 90-lb bags. I loaded up the first 11, not wanting to overload the Jeep, and realized that these 94-pound bags were definitely going to overload me. So I switched to 60-pound bags, which are much more manageable, but slightly more expensive. The cost thing made me a little nuts. But at the end of the job, I've got no back pain, so I'm going to say the extra $21 was money well spent.

I rented a mixer and poured it all in an afternoon. My estimate of 3000 pounds turned out to be off by 30 pounds -- which meant a quick trip to the hardware store for one more bag to get the thing finished.

After 48 hours, I took off the forms.

And the kids gave it a quick test run.

 

[Jack Olsen]

Re: Concrete Pad Porch with Saltillo Clay Tiles

Then I got the tiles, which are hand-made and quirky. I couldn't find an exact match in terms of size, but these were close. They're not glazed in the way ceramic or porcelain are, and as such they're very absorbent, which can **** the water out of mortar and grout as it cures. I sealed them prior to installation, and then also wetted the areas adjacent to the mortar and grout. Some installers soak them before installing and only seal them afterward. But then, there are lots of stories of mortar stains and efflorescence that takes weeks to remove. (Thanks, Internet.) I'll be sealing them a second time once the grout is dry.



I put down two coats of Redgard to stop water migration and minimize cracks. This allowed me to get out of the 28 day waiting period for the pad to fully cure and finish contracting. Or at least that's what I believe. Weeks, months or years from now, I might find out I was misled.

Here is where I was (re-)checking to see if I'd made the pad the right size.



Then, here are the tiles getting set on mortar. With both the mortar and the grout, I tried to err on the wet side with my mix so the absorption problems would be minimized.



All the tiles mortared into place:



Here's the grout in place and the whole thing drying out. This is the monolith I'm going to have to cut up if I discover I made a fatal mistake.



Wise man or fool?

Here it is the next morning with a couple of chairs in place. They're made of composite instead of wood, and are allegedly weather and UV safe. We'll see about tall of that. But I will say they're pretty comfortable.



So, that's where the project stands this afternoon. I've still got to re-seal everything and then my wife will step in with the landscaping.

And at night, I'll wonder... what are the '25 things I didn't think of' that are going to lead to me having to rent a wet saw and start back at square one...

 

[ratdoggy]

Re: Concrete Pad Porch with Saltillo Clay Tiles

As usual your projects are what I aspire to...
Not that they're reachable..
Great job!

 

[ConCretin]

Re: Concrete Pad Porch with Saltillo Clay Tiles

So the one thing I could fall back on when feeling inadequate in the face of the 12 ga garage was my concrete skills. Now you go and do this! Seriously though - nice job! Your projects are always interesting and the commentary is always fun. Thanks

 

[OzarkMan]

Re: Concrete Pad Porch with Saltillo Clay Tiles

Looks great Jack! I too have done the pallet or so of concrete bags when I did my front walkway. Never again! Having said that, you learned another skill. It only improves on the next project. My wife and I swear these companies out here are on a process to rip the consumer off as much as possible. Concrete work is extremely expensive here as I am sure in your area.



IMG_4930 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/153164955@N06/, on Flickr

 

[driftpin]

Re: Concrete Pad Porch with Saltillo Clay Tiles

Looks pretty-good to me, but what do I know? I'm no mason. Did you use 6x6 WWM or any rebar in the pour? That would of-course help the slab's integrity. I expect you don't have to worry about frost heaves, so the slab could just float. No need really to drill holes & epoxy rods into the house to tie the slab to.

I'm wondering why you didn't use rectified porcelain? Something with a bit of texture to the finish so it wouldn't be slippery when wet is what I would think would be safest. Again, I'm no pro tilesetter. Easier to set, and I think you would cut 'way-down on any efflorescence. Plus, no-worry about wicking the moisture out of the bed.

Looks like you now have a good spot to sit and enjoy the time of day.

Ah, "Body Heat," one of my favorite movies, I like both William Hurt and Kathleen Turner, especially when they were younger. A real modern film noire with its murder for love theme. The scene where William Hurt meets 'Mattie' (Kathleen Turner) at the bar was filmed a mile from my home, and the guy who owns the restaurant/bar lives across the street from me. The scene in "Porky's" where the protagonist uses his martial arts to beat-up a bully at the evening scene drive-in (looks like an XK-120 roadster he's driving) is a few blocks to the south, both locations front-onto the Atlantic Ocean. And the downtown Fourth-of-July parade scene where the attorney played by Nolte assaults his former client (DeNiro) in the re-make of "Cape Fear" was filmed about a mile away from me, in the other direction.

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

Re: Concrete Pad Porch with Saltillo Clay Tiles

I expect you don't have to worry about frost heaves, so the slab could just float. No need really to drill holes & epoxy rods into the house to tie the slab to.

Not much frost heaves, but we do get some pretty spectacular ground heaves out here on the Pacific Rim.

 

[jtbinvalrico]

Re: Concrete Pad Porch with Saltillo Clay Tiles

Those look like the Lifetime Adirondack chairs I have....got 4 of them baking in the Florida sun. They look great, don’t fade, don’t splinter. Excellent choice. I do wish they made a matching table.

 

[Jocke_D]

Jack - I am in the process of improving the aero for my road/track car. It's an Opel Speedster that I put a super charger on. It now has some 250 hp compared to the original 150. It's pretty quick since it only weighs some 900kg.

Stock aero is ****, the rear has the aerodynamics of a pick up. The main problem is that it feels very light in the front so a splitter is first on my list.
The cars basic design up front is pretty much like the vertical add on you made so I "only" need the horizontal part. And then something to hang it from. And then something that brings the two together design/aero wise.
I was first thinking of making a solution that was 50/50 show/go, meaning it would not ruin my everyday capabilities to much. But now that you have shown that it seems like a good idea to have bolt on stuff I'm thinking I could make it in two parts. One that is more show than go and also make an "extender" to it that bolts on once on track for more go than show.
The folding idea is also great since it looks like your Porsche can take a whole lot more luggage than mine

And as always it's really nice to see what you are up to

 

[kaymccampbell]

Re: Concrete Pad Porch with Saltillo Clay Tiles

It's just your brain winding down. I have those same dreams, prior and post project.
As a veteran of several hundred yards of homegrown concrete, I'll say you did fine. You've got a nice thick reinforced slab. Those tiles will have no appreciable effect on it. At least none you, as a human, could tell.
Beautiful job!

 

[Stuart in MN]

Re: Concrete Pad Porch with Saltillo Clay Tiles

I could do that in a weekend, probably.

That's right up there with "Hold my beer and watch this."


Seriously, like all of your projects it looks great.

 

[langss]

Now your Garage is on the Cover Of A Book. Pretty Cool. https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=394055

 

[TwoBytes]

Not just on the cover, there's pics of Jack's garage all through the book

 

[slik560]

EDIT: The author did get full permission for everything. I ordered a copy of the book.

Hope they got permission to use the photos.

 

[richeyc2000]

Hey Jack,
You probably saw this already.

Porsche’s 919 onboard video of Nordschleife-Runde has just been release! Insane isnt the word! Full volume needless to say is required

https://www.facebook.com/nuerburgri...pUleTZ-pL_dWYa_pigzq_zNYt71LJWGP_aWrc&fref=nf

 

[TwoBytes]

EDIT: The author did get full permission for everything. I ordered a copy of the book.

Hope they got permission to use the photos.

Thanks for posting the update slik.

 

[Grizz1963]

Well, that casting, tiling, grouting job brought back memories.

I lived in Cape Town about 25 years ago, and at one point added a BBQ/Entertainment room to my house.

I also used hand made terra cotta tiles like yours, selecting, laying and grouting them all, and sealing them twice.

The result was great, and I was very happy.

Yours looks absolutely superb Jack.

Well done again.

As with all your projects and jobs, the prep and finish is what makes them stand out.

Has to put a silly grin on your face too. Though the concrete work is a killer, I remember that.

 

[rtz]

Cool garage and video.

 

[wout]

We don't like to put tiles on concrete outside cause water can get trapped under the tiles were the seal isn't 100% (most likely somewhere) and when it freezes, the tiles get loose. So outside we put tiles on a combination of sand and cement (water can get trough, it's more like a sponge). Then the're 2 options, get the sand/cement level and let it so for a few days and when hard then put tiles on it with 'tileglue' some kind of cement specialy to glue tiles. Or options 2 use sand/cement like in a kids 'sandbox', on top of that sand/cement/water/bit tileglue/some aditions for cement and then glue the tiles. Hammer the tiles level using a cord as a gideline.

gr
Wout

 

[elguappo]

The climates of Belgium and Los Angeles couldn't be much different...

 

[Jack Olsen]

Thanks! I was matching the style of installation with an adjacent patio, so I didn't use thinset mortar. I built what is sometimes called a 'mortar bed' which (along with double-buttering the tiles) means there won't be any voids -- at least, that's the idea. They all sound solid when subjected to the tap test. We'll see how it holds up.

Today I had to pick up a few hundred pounds of steel for another project. I'm always amazed at how well the little rack I put together works for carrying 20-foot lengths on a 12-foot-long vehicle. When I made it, I remember being frustrated that I was spending money and time (and using steel) in order to get some steel home. But the rack is easy to bolt on and unbolt and it saves me from having to work out my big cuts in advance.

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

Re: My bolt-on 911 aero: it will never be pretty, but now it's much easier to pack

I wouldn't tow a tire trailer because of the speed limit change. But I've thought about pulling a little teardrop trailer for track-day lodging. I think I could do a decent hitch for it -- but the trick would be to make it removable. I couldn't accept that kind of additional weight once I'm out on a road course.

I even did a little work on the sort of drag it would generate.

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=783205&d=1529829360

Hard to find, but my Teardrop American is 400lb. I would not hesitate to pull it with a 911.