The Great GRM Garage Challenge (A.K.A. The Biggest Slob).

WOW! Egnorant, I don't know if anyone stands a chance for most improved this week. Heck, I didn't really accomplish anything, just shifted some stuff this weekend. But that inspires me.
How much money did you make from scrap.

so hermy before. I felt bad immediately after taking these, and at least threw away the trash, put away tools, etc. its a working shop. the wagon isn't mine, its a customers. that bay always has to be open to get customer stuff in and out. but since im taking a hiatus for a while, I can actually get some rennovations done ive been planning for years. the side with the woodworking tools is as far as I got last time. the shelves are slated for demolition, and a new workbench (that has been ion my shed for years) and a new massive cabinet above is slated to replace them.

on the wall above the duster a platform will be built to house my air compressor overhead, with shelves underneath for my air tools.

many more lights and electrical outlets are needed.

still haven't figured out what im doing on the work bay side, but its getting new workbenches and cabnets as well. im starting the blueprints for the first three cabinets tomorrow while im waiting my turn to testify at court. and I can start building my cabinets when the catalina goes back to sout Carolina.

overall outside shot, needs a good clean up as well: [URL=http://s54.photobucket.com/user/dusterbd13/media/031_zpsd8ec6171.jpg.html][/URL]

from the right door looking in, two shots [URL=http://s54.photobucket.com/user/dusterbd13/media/020_zpsff03b4f9.jpg.html][/URL] [URL=http://s54.photobucket.com/user/dusterbd13/media/021_zps6cb6d644.jpg.html][/URL]

right wall (work bay) [URL=http://s54.photobucket.com/user/dusterbd13/media/022_zps39961cb0.jpg.html][/URL] [URL=http://s54.photobucket.com/user/dusterbd13/media/027_zps60e08d5e.jpg.html][/URL] [URL=http://s54.photobucket.com/user/dusterbd13/media/028_zps03636e48.jpg.html][/URL]

back wall, barely visible in a few shots is a door to the 6 foot tall crawl space under the house. that's where the vast majority of my crap is located. the door is slated to be enlarged and sealed better, and the "cold storage" area cleaned out with much more organization and lighting added. [URL=http://s54.photobucket.com/user/dusterbd13/media/024_zps94173afb.jpg.html][/URL] [URL=http://s54.photobucket.com/user/dusterbd13/media/023_zps6adbb593.jpg.html][/URL]

the left wall that I had started my renovation at a few years ago. you should have seen it before. it was pretty bad.... [URL=http://s54.photobucket.com/user/dusterbd13/media/025_zpscf47ac05.jpg.html][/URL] [URL=http://s54.photobucket.com/user/dusterbd13/media/026_zpsef5b0442.jpg.html][/URL] [URL=http://s54.photobucket.com/user/dusterbd13/media/030_zpsb71480c5.jpg.html][/URL]

and the small divider between the doors: [URL=http://s54.photobucket.com/user/dusterbd13/media/029_zps5fe1f0fd.jpg.html][/URL]

this place irks me to no end. everytime I try to find something, its an absolute clusterberkeley. every time I want to use a tool, I have to move 75 other pieces of E36 M3 out of the way. every time I need to use a workbench, it takes an hour to clear a space big enough to work. and all im doing is moving the E36 M3 from one place to another. it has no home.

I also have no light to speak of with the doors down, and no hvac other than being a basement. only 4 outlets in the entire shop. the sink on the corner is falling off the wall from where I hastily scabbed it in while working on a 55 chevy.

lots of E36 M3 to fix and organize/change. im getting pissed about the whole damn thing just looking at the pictures and thinking about how ive worked in here almost every day for the last 8 years.

I just want to say, I love this thread! Great work so far guys! I think we should consider having an Annual Spring Garage Clean Competition! So much motivation here, it's incredible. Awesome, keep those pics coming!

Oh, and Dusterbd13: I am lusting over that green Pontiac wagon!

Yep, I got busy and cleaned up. Other than a few things (mower, jacks, grille) along the outside walls, this is all thats in my garage now besides the 2 Firebirds.

I haz a confession.....

ryanty22 asked "what the berkley is in your garage?"

The answer, the guts of a 2 bedroom house. (and some yard debris that found it's way onto the pile)

When I bought my house the garage was empty, and I needed some where to temporarily put all the demo debris while I remodeled. Couldn't have a dumpster sitting out side for a couple of months, that would alert the city inspector, etc. I saddened me to fill my just bought dream garage with garbage but had little choice. Over the course of three months every bit of the house from slab to roof sheathing was torn out and piled in the garage. Once the demo was done and remodel well under way, I was able to get dumpsters in and out quickly over a weekend. Filled 2 40 yard containers! Drywall, bags of insulation, more 2x4s than you could count, bath fixtures, windows, on and on.. Kept a few of the kitchen cabinets to hang over the work bench.

This all happened 3 years ago, so I'll pull my enrty from the contest.

No matter how bad your garage is, at least it's full of car stuff not trash!

You guys are inspiring me. I have to get this place cleaned up!

In reply to pinchvalve:

What'chu talkin bout Willis?

Mitchell wrote: This thread begs the question: Is having a white convertible with a red stripe and Challenge number plates the root cause, or symptom of garage clusterberkeleyery?

Almost?

OK, just kidding. Man, what I could do with all of the space you guys have! It's pretty chaotic right now, and running out of room!

My disaster: Facing in: Facing east: Facing west:

Also, a study in how much crap from harbor freight can one garage hold?

Joey

DrBoost wrote: WOW! Egnorant, I don't know if anyone stands a chance for most improved this week. Heck, I didn't really accomplish anything, just shifted some stuff this weekend. But that inspires me. How much money did you make from scrap.

I cannot claim this as a weeks worth of improvement. I posted my before pics to show how bad it was last year.

I had my neighbors 17 year old drop by one day while I was mowing and he was amazed at all the cool stuff that I was doing nothing with. I figured it wasn't going to be a better shop unless I made it better.

Once I got it clean and had electricity I was able to put in my lift that I bought 5 years ago (had to redo seals) and organize tools and equipment to make it workable.

We even pushed a project through...

1970 Mustang that went across the country twice (6000 miles) in 3 weeks as part of the 50th anniversary for Mustang. You can see it in this months Mustang Times on page 5. You MCA members can see it!

The grassroots part is that most of the stuff has been paid for from scrap and craigslist. I took about $300 worth of metal to the scrap yard every 2 weeks for 3 months. Pushed a few minor projects, clutches, bushings, oil changes, got a tire machine that got overused for 2 days and even started some proper painting.

Still have plenty of mess to go!

This is where I used to wrench! Gotta clean it out and relocate some stuff.

You have now seen about 30% of the mess.

Bruce

Some inspiration

The Garage Journal

I'm in because I need the motivation and any tips/ideas I can steal, not because I think I have any basis to compete. I have a seventies split level with low garage ceilings under the master bedroom, so no rafter storage for me. The only light is the 60w bulbs on the garage door openers and whatever work lights are working at the moment. From outside the one working garage door:

The front of the openable bay:

From just inside the door looking at the other side:

^^You're making me regret selling my mini even more than I already did.
Great work people. I look forward to the updated pics in a week. SVRex, you owe us some pics in a few days...

I can totally help free up some room for you. That green thing with white stripes is just taking up space, I could store it in my garage for you...

Ok, this is weird. Without even looking at this thread at all, I decided to start organizing and cleaning my garage this weekend. After diving into some stuff on my Trans Am, it became evident that I was spending more time looking for tools than actually wrenching.

No promises expressed or implied, but we're watching this thread with interest. Here's some things that would make us more interested:

When you post an "after" pic, put a "before" pic in the same post so we don't have to hunt it down.

Make sure those pics are available at 300dpi at a reasonable print size.

Additional details on particularly creative solutions or uses of space or resources.

We can definitely see ways that something like this could fit into the primetime lineup.

I wish I had seen this sooner. After 'finishing' my convertible project yesterday, a friend and I spent a while cleaning up the remnants. Before and afters would have probably made me feel a lot better.

I see stuff all over the floor and thing: You guys need shelves. I have way too much stuff but it's almost all on shelves, in drawers, in the rafters... I say almost all.

I'll try to take some pics, mine sure could use a good thorough descuzzification. I also need to figure out a way to store my folding utility trailer, man that thing takes up a lot of room. But it looks trashy outside.

DrBoost wrote: SVRex, you owe us some pics in a few days...

I will. I promise.

I have different problems than most of you. My shop is 3X as big as any posted here, with terrific high ceilings.

But it is a combination wood shop/ car shop, and all that space has just given me opportunity for more stuff.

I'll look forward to you guys holding me accountable to make it something you can be jealous of again!

dculberson wrote: I see stuff all over the floor and thing: You guys need shelves. I have way too much stuff but it's almost all on shelves, in drawers, in the rafters... I say almost all. I'll try to take some pics, mine sure could use a good thorough descuzzification. I also need to figure out a way to store my folding utility trailer, man that thing takes up a lot of room. But it looks trashy outside.

How heavy is it? My trailer could easily be hung from the rafters of my parents garage with a simple pulley system. My garage I think would collapse if I tried to do that though.

I feel you on the unique problems of a combination woodshop and auto shop. Im trying to get my wooworking equepment in a usable space and area, while still being able to store and work on cars.

JG Pasterjak wrote: No promises expressed or implied, but we're watching this thread with interest. Here's some things that would make us more interested: When you post an "after" pic, put a "before" pic in the same post so we don't have to hunt it down. Make sure those pics are available at 300dpi at a reasonable print size. Additional details on particularly creative solutions or uses of space or resources. We can definitely see ways that something like this could fit into the primetime lineup.

Exactly! I am hoping to see before and after shots, and creative solutions, problem areas before and after. That's the kind of stuff that spurs guys like me along to keep going.

mtn wrote:

dculberson wrote: I see stuff all over the floor and thing: You guys need shelves. I have way too much stuff but it's almost all on shelves, in drawers, in the rafters... I say almost all. I'll try to take some pics, mine sure could use a good thorough descuzzification. I also need to figure out a way to store my folding utility trailer, man that thing takes up a lot of room. But it looks trashy outside.

How heavy is it? My trailer could easily be hung from the rafters of my parents garage with a simple pulley system. My garage I think would collapse if I tried to do that though.

Hmm, not a bad idea. I have shelves in my rafters and it's a low-ish pitch roof, but I'll look at it with that in mind tonight. Might free up some floor space.

Cool_Hand_Luke wrote: Some inspiration The Garage Journal

Oh HELL no. I ain't going there. That place is DANGEROUS.

Dusterbd13 wrote: I feel you on the unique problems of a combination woodshop and auto shop. Im trying to get my wooworking equepment in a usable space and area, while still being able to store and work on cars.

They don't get along well.

Grease and grime destroy wood projects, and sawdust in an engine is horrible.

The best I ever came up with was alternating. All of my equipment is on wheels, and I do a complete change over when I want to switch from one to the other.

Unfortunately, that also means the unused equipment becomes additional clutter.

Right now, there is no changing over. Place is trashed.