The Cuda Garage

[Cudajas]

Well I am new here and have been lurking for a few months.

We just recently moved into a new house, our second, with an attached 11 x 21 or so.

This is the only part of the house that did not fit with MY criteria, was lookign for a larger garage. But considering how much we liked the house, I know I can make the garage work.

Some pics...

the house



from the front







from the back, looking out.



As you can see I have very high cealings.

Any ideas on how to uese this space woudl be apreciated.



Right now, I have a lot of **** in the garage as I waiting on a new 10 x 14 shed / workshop to be built. Once that hapens, I will clear out a bunch of stuff and free up some space.

My immediate plans are to rip out all the drywall, run some additonal outlets, maybe one for a welder, insulate everything very well and sound proof the house walls and re drywall everything. I also want to add some lighting. Not sure what to do with the cealings yet.

This will be a working garage, so i will add a work bench and soem storage fot jack stands etc.

I am really excited about the space, and look forward to creating my garage.

I will warn you that I am a father of 2 kids that works way to much, and updates will be slow.

Right now, I just want to celar it out and finish a few things on my cuda and drive it!!!!

 

[Cheezhead]

The height is awesome. I see raising your garage door tracks, jack style opener and putting in a four post storage lift if you want to park another car in the garage. Plus you get a lift! You can put wheels on the lift and move it if need be too.

Check out this thread if you haven't already.

http://garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=70979

 

[ambenz]

All that junk on your Cuda is Sakrileg, What are you thinking!!!!!
Nice digs...but just can't get past the pruners on the trunk lid!!!!

 

[80WTI_55_CHEV]

Hi cudajas, and welcome. Just wondering if the cuda is a 72 73 or 74 mate what engine combo? can't wait for you to get it outside and show us some more pics.

 

[Haveblue]

^^^ +1.. dont put **** on the Cuda. I dont have any great storage solutions for you, but I MUST SEE MORE pics of that Cuda!!!

 

[Cudajas]

^^^ +1.. dont put **** on the Cuda. I dont have any great storage solutions for you, but I MUST SEE MORE pics of that Cuda!!!

Oh I new I would catch hell for that...more pics of the cuda below.

THe cuda is a 74. I am running a 360 with a 750 Holley vac secondary. That engine is mildly modified. 727 trans not mods.

I have owned it since 1991 and it is my hot rod, it has some mild body mods, custom paint and interior. Most of the work was done by my dad and I back in the day.

The paint is 20 years old and the whole car is in need of a serious updating...which is why there is **** piled on it. I am not saying it is not road worthy, only that it is a nice driver. I have as much fun working on it as I do driving it. I am just finishing up a front suspenison rebuild. I hope to drop the rear down, dearch the springs, this month and drive the hell out of it this summer. I am always fiddiling with the tune tryign ti find the best performance and driveablity.









Thanks,

Jason

 

[Haveblue]

No pics of the engine or interior?? Sorry im busting your hump about pics! LOL!!! seriously, though, that is one nice lookin cuda! looks like you and the ol man did a great job on her! I give it a big !

 

[Kevin54]

Nice looking Cuda for sure.

As far as the garage, is there room to put a second story in it? If so, I think I would be tempted to do that and create more room on ground level.

Is the house only a single story? The reason I ask is that the picture looks out of proportion for some reason. Maybe it's because it's a single wide garage and door, but it looks like it's taller on the inside than it is on the outside compared to the windows in front of the house.

 

[Cudajas]

Nice looking Cuda for sure.

As far as the garage, is there room to put a second story in it? If so, I think I would be tempted to do that and create more room on ground level.

Is the house only a single story? The reason I ask is that the picture looks out of proportion for some reason. Maybe it's because it's a single wide garage and door, but it looks like it's taller on the inside than it is on the outside compared to the windows in front of the house.

Thanks.

Yeah that pic is deciving...the house is a back split. The front of the house is a single story. The back is two levels, the basement is half under ground and the second level is a half story above ground.

The garage is set back from the front of the house and part of the two level section, so essentially the garge is a story and half high.

I could expand it upward, but not likely I will.

hmmm pics of the engine bay and interior...yep I have a few:

engine





Here is the dash,



Its a little dirty but shows soem of the custom work...removed all the wood grain and replaces with a flat black paint, the seats were that way when I bought it. Other then that pretty stock.

Jason

 

[Cudajas]

Well, I finally made a very little bit of progress on the garage...that is to say that I managed to clean it out.

I pulled some of the drywall down, wanted to see what was underneath.

Also took down the god awful ovehead storage, man was that ever a piece of crud.

oh and also cleand off the cuda, actually took it for a spin too!!!


Lots more to do, but at least I can get in and out of it now!!



no overhead!!



I will pull down that 2x4 with the outlet on it eventually too!





progress will be slow, but eventuay I will get a work bench in and a peg board on the back wall. Right now I just need to organizee al my tools!!!

Jason

 

[Cudajas]

Well progress has been slow, and will not likley spped up anytime soon. I have made some progress and organized a few things.

I am also starting my first free-cycle project.

I found the heavy duty skid sitting at the side of the road.



I plan to use it for some of the peices of my work bench, which will look a little liek this...I hope.



I figure the 6 foot 2x4s can be used for a couple of the legs, or one of the back pieces for the frame.

The 1x6 pieces, well I can use them for something.

Now I am on the lookout for more skids like that.

Jason

 

[Haveblue]

Great idea! They are easy to find. If there is a plant that manufactures anything nearby, check with them. Also any shop that works on large trucks, or equipment, will usually have some heavy duty ones around that they will probably give you just to get rid of them..heavy parts and engines are often shipped on them.

 

[460Rustang]

THe cuda is a 74. I am running a 360 with a 750 Holley vac secondary. That engine is mildly modified. 727 trans not mods.

I have owned it since 1991 and it is my hot rod, it has some mild body mods, custom paint and interior. Most of the work was done by my dad and I back in the day.

The paint is 20 years old and the whole car is in need of a serious updating...which is why there is **** piled on it. I am not saying it is not road worthy, only that it is a nice driver. I have as much fun working on it as I do driving it. I am just finishing up a front suspenison rebuild. I hope to drop the rear down, dearch the springs, this month and drive the hell out of it this summer. I am always fiddiling with the tune tryign ti find the best performance and driveablity.









Thanks,

Jason

Nice Cuda, brings back many memories from the 80 -90's,......screw
the garage, any more pics??

 

[Cudajas]

Well, I finally managed to make some progress.

I am almost finished my workbench, just have to screw down the top.



I deviated from my original plan for a number of reasons, mainly due to size. I built the work bench to be 2 x 4 and it fits my little 10x20 fairly well. I would love a bigger surface, but I would also love a bigger garage!!!

My total spend out of pocket was about 10 bucks for some screws. All the 2x4s were reclaimed from a wall my sister tore down, and the plywood I bought with a gift card I received for .

Now I need to clean up the place and start of a few other projects. I hope I can keep the momentum going!

Jason

 

[quasi_accurate]

Bench looks good Looking forward to more updates!

 

[BrownEnterprises]

That Cuda is sick! Blast from past! Well..from the 80-90's anyways. Gorgeous car though in any aspect. I'm sure she'll love her new organized space once your "finished." They are never really finished right? haha

 

[jsherid1]

I like the idea of a lift but make sure your slab is thick enough to handle it. Regarding using that great height you have--some mezzanine type storage should be really doable--especially if you forego the lift and go with a Liftmaster type opener. Insulating those walls and the ceiling would be nice as well as it will keep adjacent rooms a lot warmer in the winter as well as making winter evenings in the garage possible. When I finished and heated our garage in Michigan our family room became a much warmer place!

Love the E-body as well!

 

[Cudajas]

That Cuda is sick! Blast from past! Well..from the 80-90's anyways. Gorgeous car though in any aspect. I'm sure she'll love her new organized space once your "finished." They are never really finished right? haha

Thanks guys...nope, the car or the garage are never really finished.

The car was painted in 92, so yep, blast from the past!!

I can not see getting a lift, there is just not enough space in there to make it workable.

As I have been cleaning it out the last few nights and organizing it a bit more, I realize I have more space then I thought, but a lift would kill all of it.

I like the idea of a mezzanine though...I might have to look into that.

Jason

 

[Russ.W.]

I know that 'Cuda! Always loved that paint job.

I'm "rooks" over on c-c.com (which is where I know your car from). Haven't been there in a while though. Had a silver '70 Challenger for the last few years, but I sold it just before Christmas last year.


Regarding the garage ... the drywall you took down on one side, is it still down or have you replaced it? If it's still down, you can always build shelves into the wall, between the timbers. Even something as simple as nailing pieces of wood between them to help get some of the smaller miscellaneous **** up and out of the way (paint, oil, cleaning products etc). It's not a lot but in a single garage a few extra inches of space here & there goes a long way.

Some decent storage units along that back wall, up off the ground so you can still use the grinder and your bench, etc, is another option. Even if you need a ladder for access. Get's the infrequently used things up & out of the way.

Is construction an option? Other than a mezzanine of some sort, your only real option for any significant extra space is to extend the the garage forward. A 10' extension would do wonders, but that's subject to the planets aligning (city, bank account, and spouse). That's not something that happens every day

Either way, best of luck.

 

[Cudajas]

I know that 'Cuda! Always loved that paint job.

I'm "rooks" over on c-c.com (which is where I know your car from). Haven't been there in a while though. Had a silver '70 Challenger for the last few years, but I sold it just before Christmas last year.


Regarding the garage ... the drywall you took down on one side, is it still down or have you replaced it? If it's still down, you can always build shelves into the wall, between the timbers. Even something as simple as nailing pieces of wood between them to help get some of the smaller miscellaneous **** up and out of the way (paint, oil, cleaning products etc). It's not a lot but in a single garage a few extra inches of space here & there goes a long way.

Some decent storage units along that back wall, up off the ground so you can still use the grinder and your bench, etc, is another option. Even if you need a ladder for access. Get's the infrequently used things up & out of the way.

Is construction an option? Other than a mezzanine of some sort, your only real option for any significant extra space is to extend the the garage forward. A 10' extension would do wonders, but that's subject to the planets aligning (city, bank account, and spouse). That's not something that happens every day

Either way, best of luck.

Hey man, nice to see you here. Thanks for the compliment on the car!

I have not put the drywall back up yet. I did exactly as you suggested and put up some shelves between the timbers. Lots of storage there.

I will likely put up at least another shelf at least.

I have a shed out back that will likely get a lot of the infrequently used tools etc. I will keep the bigger more frequently used tools in the garage.

Jason

 

[Cudajas]

Got a little bit more done today.

finished up a screwdriver holder and mounted it to the wall







I was going to sand it down and stain it, but I decided not to, I sort of like the roughness of it.

Now I really need to clean my garage.

I might build something similar for my pry bars and breaker bar.

I am also working on mounting my vice and bench grinder.

Give the small bench, I am going to mount them like this.



That way I can use the full work surface when needed.

Jason

Jason

 

[rixtrix1]

Nice Cuda, brings back many memories from the 80 -90's,......screw
the garage, any more pics??

Worked on a 'Cuda with the same stance last week, but not nearly as nice a paint job( and his wasn't nearly as solid as yours appears). Car appears to have been assembled in a hurry from a bunch of different cars as nothing seems to match up. Customer just bought a set of Weld Draglites for that period look and needed longer wheel studs installed . Took a couple of orders from Summit Racing to get the correct studs to fit the car as neither the front hubs or rear axles matched what the catalog listed for the year.

How about getting a set of high lift tracks for the door and putting in a hoist to take advantage of all the overhead? You could even work on another car while the 'Cuda was resting above. Keep the pics coming!

 

[e-tek]

Great 70s paint scheme fo sho!

Garage equipment coming along nicely!

 

[Cudajas]

Worked on a 'Cuda with the same stance last week, but not nearly as nice a paint job( and his wasn't nearly as solid as yours appears). Car appears to have been assembled in a hurry from a bunch of different cars as nothing seems to match up. Customer just bought a set of Weld Draglites for that period look and needed longer wheel studs installed . Took a couple of orders from Summit Racing to get the correct studs to fit the car as neither the front hubs or rear axles matched what the catalog listed for the year.

How about getting a set of high lift tracks for the door and putting in a hoist to take advantage of all the overhead? You could even work on another car while the 'Cuda was resting above. Keep the pics coming!

What no pics????

Thanks for the compliments...mine photographs very well. The paint is 21 years old after all. The car is still fairly solid, but could use a few things now. All the panels on it, with the exception of the drivers floor are original.

Some day I will redo mine, but for now, I am happy putting miles on it.

I love the idea of the high lift tracks, and will likely do that sometime down the road.

I just can't see putting a lift in there, I think it would just make it too tight.

Jason

 

[Cudajas]

Great 70s paint scheme fo sho!

Garage equipment coming along nicely!

Thanks man!!

 

[warmpancakes]

I have a feeling that car was the **** in 1992 , love the back in the day look

 

[Cudajas]

I have a feeling that car was the **** in 1992 , love the back in the day look

lol...1993! Won lots of trophies at the local shows!

Spent a hell of a summer going to a lot of shows with my dad (he painted the car).

Jason

 

[Cudajas]

little more progress.

I made up some mounting plates for my bench grinder and vise, I will attach them to the bench as needed with c clamps. When not in use, they will hang on the wall out of the way.





Jason

 

[rixtrix1]

Sorry about no pics, my cell camera isn't working. I'll try the next time he comes in. BTW, when I went by his home to pick him up, he showed me both his and his wife's daily drivers: her- SRT8 Jeep grand Cherokee, him- new SRT8 Challenger with only 225 miles. Rough, huh?

 

[Cudajas]

made a little bit more progress.

Cleaned up my mess and hung up a few of my fav things.

Its all temporary, as eventually I will rip down all the dry wall and insulate all the walls...but I figured I should make it a little more homey for now.







I this that is all I will do for now...as I have a few car projects that I want to get to before the nice weather gets here...so the garage is workable for now.

Jason

 

[Torkmnstr]

Looking good Cuda, I too have lurked on here for a while and finally joined up! I second the four post lift, that is tons of room for it and room for another project wink wink. Hey I am a fellow mopar nut, love the retro paint, is that panther pink with plum crazy purple on the motor? Here are some pics of my hoopty 69 roadrunner...

 

[Cudajas]

hey guys...been awhile, but I am back.

I have spent a bunch of time working on my car and not really anytime on the garage.

Now with the cold weather not too far off, I thought I would take some time to make a few changes.

I decided to pull everything off the back wall, including the drywall. I am going to add some insulation (none on the 3 outside walls).

We also pulled down a few "kitchen cabinets" from our basement, I have 2 single cabinets, and one double cabinet, along with the short one that was on the wall, although its a different color than the "new" cabinets (not a big deal to me).

My plan is to move all the loose items on the shelves into the cabinets, along with some tools. and other items.

Here is the progress to date.







I know insulating the one wall will not do much, but I figure if I am going the hang the cabinets, I should get some insulation in there first.

The small cabinet works well over my drill press, but I may move the drill press out to my shed, I do not use it too much.

Not sure what the layout of the cabinets will be yet, thinking of the single cabinets on each end of the wall, the short one back where it was over the drill press, and the other double cabinet on the left side of the wall. That way I have three cabinet doors on each side. I will probably add a shelf with some under mount lighting across the top.

I am also going to move some of the electrical around. I want to move the outlet on the side wall to the middle of the back wall, and move the extra outlet from the roof to the back wall and make it an outdoor outlet (I have no outlet in the back house and a good size yard).

Wheww that's a long post...sorry about that.

Jason

 

[CodeRedZ]

Good luck with the build, my next door neighbor is a big mopar guy. Has a 71 Cuda, and a 73 Duster, plus two Dakotas.