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West Side Story

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Skeetobite

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Feb 8, 2014
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706
Location
SE, MI
Thanks volleyball. Of course, you are right and now you really have me rethinking the layout for this garage. I will truly only need minimal storage for detailing supplies and a beer refrigerator on this side.

My first car for this garage will be either the 2015 C7 Stingray-Z51 or the C7 Z06. I really hate the thought of taking the Z06 down the dirt road, but I don't feel too bad about taking a Stingray down it. I feel better about driving a Camaro ZL1 on it, and even better about a CTS-V on a dirt road. Time will tell. After these vehicles, I'm most interested in a 1972 Chevy pick up.

We're planning to visit a couple Mecum Auctions this year to start our search.
 

pitterpat

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Jun 30, 2011
Messages
686
Location
Indianapolis
Time will tell. After these vehicles, I'm most interested in a 1972 Chevy pick up.

We're planning to visit a couple Mecum Auctions this year to start our search.

I used to have a 1972 Chevy pick up. Had it for less than a week and a drunk guy ran into the rear end of it; not high speed but I was po'd. I had it about 3 years then sold it in 2005 or so to a guy in Utah. His brother from Dayton, OH came over to pick it up on the coldest day of that year, I tried to get him to come a day earlier and told him the heat didn't work well. I had put an HEI on it but it needed some body work and I didn't want to bother (lazy). Also, it was a single cab.
 

Yonnee

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Aug 6, 2008
Messages
38
Location
Beyond Cranbourne, Vic. Australia
Wow!! What an awesome place you have there!
The potential to turn this into something that most of us on here would drool over is mind blowing... Actually, scratch that. It already is a place I think most of us are envious of! :bowdown: lol
I like your idea of using the North garage as a wood shop/yard machine storage, and would do the same. It negates the need for driveway access. If it were mine, the East and West garages would get the most use. One would be for housing the daily drivers and weekend cruisers and be done like a show room with minimal cupboards for storing car cleaning stuff, but with heaps of auto memorabilia and fancy lighting. The other would be the "working" garage for minor repairs and servicing with tool cupboards, work benches and a hoist/lift. It could also serve to house extra cars such as the kids daily drivers.

The South garage could then have a driveway coming off the main drive, just after the right hand bend at the southwest corner, and serve to be the long term projects garage/machine shop.
But that's if it were mine. :D

But anyway, great space and looking forward to seeing what you do with it.
 

jsherid1

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May 28, 2009
Messages
1,272
Location
Lucas, TX
Welcome to GJ--awesome find on the house! We used to live in Franklin (Birmingham area) and heated/air conditioned garages are a very good thing in SE MI between the cold winters and humid summers. Keep at it and you might want to consider doing a master plan for the property then focusing on one garage at a time. That way it isn't overwhelming and you get to see finished product sooner.
 

therealjakeg

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Joined
Dec 27, 2008
Messages
202
Location
AZ
Underground utility colors for future use...

Yellow - Natural Gas
Red - Electricity
Blue - Water
Green - Sewer
Orange - Telecommunications
Purple - Reclaimed water
White - Proposed excavation
These should reflect on your drawings. Good job with the NG line, typically distribution companies always go forward with more interest. Its the way to go!
 
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Skeetobite

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Messages
706
Location
SE, MI
Thanks guys. The possibilities are endless and there are so many great ideas on GJ for me to ponder. Every time I try to come up with a master plan, my bride panics about the budget. Interestingly, if I spend the same amount in chunks over time, she doesn't mind. That's why I'm doing one at a time. LOL - that girl..., why I oughta-

Also, thanks Jake. That's great to know. I plan a final "as built" mark-up map for all of the underground stuff and will use those colors. When we filled out the forms for our NG provider they wanted a written narrative describing the property, existing utilities and where I thought the gas line should run. After looking at the image on Google, I thought... "Really!?" So I made that mark up and sent it in.
 
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Skeetobite

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Joined
Feb 8, 2014
Messages
706
Location
SE, MI
Welcome to GJ--awesome find on the house! We used to live in Franklin (Birmingham area) and heated/air conditioned garages are a very good thing in SE MI between the cold winters and humid summers. Keep at it and you might want to consider doing a master plan for the property then focusing on one garage at a time. That way it isn't overwhelming and you get to see finished product sooner.

I keep the daily driver garage at about 65f and the West side around 45f. Love getting into a warm clean car when it's -15f outdoors!

How do you like the 2013 CTS-V? I have my eye on one but I'm on the fence. Our local dealership has three of them, which have sat for a long time. Probably due to $$$.
 

jsherid1

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May 28, 2009
Messages
1,272
Location
Lucas, TX
I love my V-Wagon (manual, no sunroof), it is the best car I've ever owned by a long shot. Fast, comfortable, useful (I hauled my 65" garage TV home in it) and did I mention it's fast? My only complaints are the gas tank is too small (it does get better mileage than the M6 it replaced) and the exhaust is a little too quiet inside the car when I get on it.
 
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Skeetobite

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Feb 8, 2014
Messages
706
Location
SE, MI
Went back and forth for a while on the flooring. Do I do porcelain, epoxy or RaceDeck? So many options, each with its own pro and con list. I'm leaning heavy toward RaceDeck and sent a quote request this morning so we'll see how that works out.

I found some incredible Italian porcelain tile on Craigslist at an amazing price. Then came the sticker shock of having a pro install the tile. It's rectified tile which reminds me of a Cadillac dealership, but it's not something I want to invest that much in at the moment. When I get ready to spend $7k or better, I can always move the RaceDeck over to the east side.

Currently waiting for the furnace to be relocated (next Wednesday), hide the gas line in the wall and attic and then convert to NG. Once this is done I can get the lighting, paint, network, etc. moving along.
 
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Skeetobite

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Feb 8, 2014
Messages
706
Location
SE, MI
East Side Story

I had to stop working on the West garage and get organized. My wife wanted her own craft/jewelry workspace so I shifted my focus to the East garage for a bit.

West Side Story

It was a mess.

east1.JPG


Raised the doors:

east2.JPG


eastdoors.JPG


Gave her some NewAge cabinets:

eastcabinets.JPG


And a workbench I found at Sam's (LOL at the lobster trap she uses for a foot stool):

jewelrybench.JPG


This is the only garage with hot and cold running water. I use this to wash the vehicles and my filthy hands. My bride uses it in her crafts.

eastcloset.JPG


At some point I'll do the drywall repairs to the ceiling and then roll on some lighter paint.
 
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don long

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Mar 31, 2012
Messages
8,843
Location
southern california
You have a very interesting property with all of the options and possibilities

It will be a fun one to watch the progress.

Thanks for sharing it with us

I think the garages would look great with tri 5 chevys in one garage

old corvettes in another and newer vettes in the 3rd garage

There you have my wish list

Don
 
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Skeetobite

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Feb 8, 2014
Messages
706
Location
SE, MI
Sorry for the long gap in posts. I do have some updated pictures and will add them in a bit. It was a busy year. We added Natural Gas to the property, sent one kid off to school and even did some work on this garage ;-)
 

CNGsaves

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Sep 26, 2012
Messages
13,233
Location
KS and OK
Awesome garages !! :thumbup:

Only out-of-place thing I noticed were 2 lonely Edison light bulbs lighting up one of those garages in picture. Likely could use some better lighting in that one. ;)
 

GDPossehl

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Sep 23, 2014
Messages
450
Location
Atlanta, GA
If you're still on the fence about the exterior soffit lights, just head to walmart and buy up all of their BR30 (or R30) LED light bulbs. $10/each and they'll probably last 20 years or so.
 
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Skeetobite

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Feb 8, 2014
Messages
706
Location
SE, MI
Well, it's been a busy year here. Got the west garage painted, furnace moved and converted to NG and added some cabinets. Also added hardwire network and cable tv. I have more pics for this garage and will add them later.

For now, here's a few of the projects completed in 2014:

Paint and new lighting in West Garage. NewAge cabinets on the pallet-

west_paint.jpg


Finished planting around the fire pit
pitplants.jpg


Cleaned up the turning circle at the start of the driveway (low spots and negative drainage)
circle.jpg


Added lighting, power and network interface to the attic in the south garage
south_attic.jpg


Added a wireless bridge to the south garage
south_bridge.jpg


Added a sidewalk from the main drive to the south garage. Also added "summer water" by tapping one of the pressure lines in the irrigation.
south_walk.jpg


Natural Gas connection = 1/4 mile run from the mailbox to the house. "T" added to connect the detached garages on a separate meter.

Converted 6 furnaces, the standby generator and 2x75 gal water heaters to NG.
NG_install.jpg


Consumed from June until now with a major overhaul of a 1973 Nova.

My Build Thread Here

wires.jpg


Finally, spent Christmas to New Year on the boat in Florida. Only to find that my chart plotter had died and spent most of the time replacing it and improving the network systems on the bridge :-(

boat1a.jpg


boat2a.jpg


We had significant roof damage from a hail storm in 2014. The claim didn't make it through in time to have the roof done before winter. A whopping 11,000 sq. feet of roofing will be done in the spring! :eyecrazy:
 
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Skeetobite

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Feb 8, 2014
Messages
706
Location
SE, MI
South Garage

Wow, it's been a long time since I posted an update. I always find myself buried in all kinds of non-garage related issues, but I am now back to updating the garages.

Some of you may recall that we found an incredible property with a whopping 12 garage spaces. There are four, three car garages. Two are attached to the house and two are 1,500 sq. foot detached finished structures. To keep track of everything, we simply call them the North, South, East and West garages.

This thread is about the South Garage. I also have a thread for the West Garage and East Garage.

maryland_arial2.jpg


This garage is 1,500 sq. feet. It is insulated and finished inside. This will serve as my office, the secret lab and showcase garage for 2 cars.

Exterior shot with new roof

exterior.jpg


Replaced the roof in 2015 due to a hail storm the prior year.

roof.jpg


Created a walkway from the main drive and added a summer water source.

walk.jpg


Added lighting to the attic so we could see for new duct work and wiring. There actually is a large open area for storage. This is the only shot I have of the lighting.

atticlight.jpg


Added separate meter for natural gas

gas1.jpg


gas2.jpg


Connected building to house WiFi via a bridge. I'm a super nerd, so let me know if I can help you get wifi to your detached building sorted.

bridge.jpg


Interior "before" shots.

before1.jpg


before2.jpg


Built a level floor in one of the bays. Cut out and replaced all of the tape in the ceiling.

floor.jpg


Flush mounted an existing NewAge cabinet

cabinet.jpg


Framed a closet and a couple of knee walls. Ran a circuit to each knee wall and a new light switch for the closet. Ran door opener wires through the attic and applied a primer coat on the ceiling for some fine tuning of the drywall work.

wall.jpg


leftwall.jpg


closetexterior.jpg


closet.jpg


Replaced the old furnace with a new HVAC system.

newfurnace.jpg


AC.jpg


Added an LED flat panel light to the closet.

closetlight.jpg


So, there we are about 2 weeks in to the interior project. I chipped away at the exterior work for the past year or so while deciding how to handle the interior layout.

Much more to come.
 
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Skeetobite

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Messages
706
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SE, MI
Re: South Garage

Replaced 6 bare bulb fixtures with 9 recessed cans. Used LED trims and did light level test.

The light levels are not quite as bright as they appear in the pictures. Since it is a showcase garage, I'm not sure if I will add much more lighting.

barebulb.jpg


lights1.jpg


lights2.jpg
 
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Skeetobite

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Feb 8, 2014
Messages
706
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SE, MI
Re: South Garage

Soo green with envy :D Awesome following along with this project.


*Big cheesy grin - lol

I love the clean look of your Racedeck layout in your double. Pretty sure I'm going to copy you on this.
 
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Skeetobite

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Feb 8, 2014
Messages
706
Location
SE, MI
South, West & East this is some property. WOW.

*North garage too! Thanks, we're so blessed to have found this place.

What is the purpose of the raised level floor?

The raised floor will serve as my home office and game area. It's 450 square feet and gives me a utility closet for the furnace, electrical and network equipment. It's constructed over 6 mil poly and is insulated with R-19 bats.
 
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Skeetobite

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Feb 8, 2014
Messages
706
Location
SE, MI
What else other than the Nova is going in these different garages?

West Garage
940 square feet w/14' ceilings

Has our daily drivers, golf cart and my wife's crafting/jewelry bench. Renovations are nearly complete on this one. Still need to finish the lighting and paint the exterior wall.

North Garage
1,500 square feet w/10' ceilings

Has my meager (for now) workshop, lawn equipment and storage. It's amazing how much equipment you need to maintain this place. I hadn't anticipated that or the workload :-(

This will be the last garage we renovate and it is currently a disorganized disaster.

East Garage
940 square feet w/14' ceilings

Next on the renovation list. This is the "dirty" garage. Has hot and cold running water and quick access to a bathroom.

Planning to add a lift in this one as the budget allows. Currently, the location of the RV is making it difficult to get in and out of this garage.

South Garage
1,500 square feet w/10' ceilings

This is the one currently under renovation and has sat empty, with the exception of the Nova. Technically, this entire garage will be my office and secret lab with a couple of cars parked in it.

---------------

In the end, I'll have 5 of the 12 bays committed to my office, workshop, storage and craft areas. Three bays are for daily drivers. This will leave me four spaces for classic or sports cars. I can always move stuff around and make room for another car as needed though.
 
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Skeetobite

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Messages
706
Location
SE, MI
Quick update.

Small network for the Secret Lab. Plenty of room to add stuff as needed. Dry fit and network set up stage. Will be broken down for paint when I get around to it.
network.jpg


Commercial grade wireless = 1,300 Mb @ 5MHz
This is connected to the house network via a 2 mile wireless bridge mounted outdoors under the soffit.
AP.jpg


Here are my speed test results on an iPhone 6 connected to the wireless system in this building. I should be able to get 75Mb download speed by changing channels. We'll see-

speedtest.jpg
 
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Skeetobite

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Feb 8, 2014
Messages
706
Location
SE, MI
Flush mounted cabinet is turning out better than I hoped for. I managed to get the drywall tight enough that I think I'll just put a thin bead of black caulk around it instead of trimming it out.

This cabinet will be for car detailing supplies and maybe a few snacks I can sneak into the shopping cart.

cabinet2.jpg
 
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Skeetobite

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Feb 8, 2014
Messages
706
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SE, MI
Re: South Garage

:thumbup: Now i really want to see the look on your scale.

What is your opinion on a 2' border in black, with a single alloy then the graphite?

The remaining floor space is 34' X 30' (rounded up). I'm thinking with the larger space, I can make cuts at both ends if needed and the wider border will make more sense.

Your thoughts?
 
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