The BIG thing missing in my life for some time was garage space suitable to house my LBCs and all the periphery that goes with them. I had an attached two car garage that was home not only to my TR3 and the "Spridget Project", but to a full compliment of woodworking power and hand tools, hardwood storage, a 7' hardwood trestle style work bench, and all of my automotive tools. Mixing woodworking and automotive tools is less than desirable. My '73 Midget resided in the Pace car hauler.

I decided that a garage dedicated just to my cars was needed. I had heard from the experts that you can never build one that's too big; that problem was resolved already by the county zoning board. The shop is 24'X24' square with a 4'X8' shed on the rear for the compressor, sandblaster, parts washer and other nasties. (click on the small plan at right for a larger view) YES, the garage itself is (initially at least) one of those where you can eat off the floor. Large tools, such as the press, metal brake, welder, etc., will be on wheels and easily moved about...even outside so a hose can be turned on the epoxy coated floor and the whole building washed out. Smaller tools, parts, supplies, ...everything is off the floor and in cabinets. Car entry is through one of two roll type garage doors; roll ups so as not to interfere with a two post lift; there is also a standard entry door. Though used primarily for my Brit cars, the shop and lift will accommodate larger vehicles including my full size Nissan Titan pickup.

Building construction started in January 2008 and completed in mid-May. The structure itself was a turn-key project; the lift, floor coating, and cabinets I did myself.

For a look at the construction photos click HERE.

In the near future I'll be doing some additional detailed shots...once I'm fully moved in. Do check back.

Ray's Garage

This is a photo of the UCoat-It two part epoxy floor with colored flakes and clear coat applied. It's a one person job and takes several days to do, but the effort is worth it.

For the lift, I settled on Greg Smith Equipment Sales, Inc. located about an hour from me between Athens and Atlanta. The specs for the professional grade Atlas 9 met my needs.

          Atlas NINE Specifications

Capacity         9,000 LB.

Lifting Time    45 Seconds

Overall Height            142" (11' 10")

Overall Floor Width   134" (11' 2")

Width Without Motor 124" (10' 4")

Maximum Lift Height 77 1/2" (6' 5 1/2")

Minimum Pad Height            3 1/2"

Inside Column            110" (9' 2")

Column Size  7" x 11"

Column Thickness of Steel  5 gauge (.2”, 5 mm)

Cable Diameter        .375"

Drive Thru      92 1/2" (7' 8 1/2")

Base of Lift    13 1/2" x 18"

Motor  2 HP, 220 Volt, Single Phase

Shipping Weight       1,470 LB.

I debated a long time before selecting what sort of cabinetry and shelving I would use in the new shop. I wanted something that would not only look good but hold up over time. I have not been very impressed with the laminated particle board book cases and furniture in the past, but this recent product from Coleman should change all that. All surfaces are sealed AND more importantly, it has a ten year warranty. It's called the "TD2 Storage System" and you can buy a single cabinet or a wall full. My local Lowes builders supply provided the product.

The compressor I settled on is an upgrade from the one I've been using. Until now I've gotten very good service from a Husky single cast iron cylinder, 28 gallon, 5.8 SCFM upright. I do however have some wait time when I'm running certain air tools that require continuous air, such as a die grinder or drill; tools that only require a momentary burst of air, such as an impact wrench or air hammer do just fine. I'll be keeping this smaller compressor right where it is and using it in my wood shop.

The new compressor is again from Lowes and is manufactured by Campbell Hausfeld. This is in the "Extreme Duty" line and carries a three year warranty. It is a two cylinder (cast iron), two stage, 80 gallon, 12.6 SCFM @90 PSI, max pressure 175 PSI upright. With that sort of output, I'll not be having to wait at all and the run time will be much shorter and less frequent. This machine will even handle the large sandblasting chores with ease. It will not be any louder than the one I'm running now (which is plenty loud) BUT, it will also be in the compressor room on the back of the main shop. I run an air supply through the wall and can work in (relative) quiet!

E-mail Ray at ray@raysmg.com about MG interests you may share.