So, I just signed a year lease with option to extend as long as I want for a house. 3 car garage. 2 car primary (24’ x 24’), and a 3rd bay that’s about 16’ x 35’.
I’m going to be bringing my Firebird out here to SLC this fall to start bringing her back to life. She’s in a storage unit by my dad’s in Spencerport right now.
Trying to get the list together for what I need to setup the 3rd bay as a shop. It is already HVAC controlled, has 220V/50A service. Was looking for some input from you guys on if you were starting from scratch, what would you include within reason.
Lift got nixed by the owners, they won’t let me drill into the floor to mount it.
Already have:
Toolboxes and plenty of hand tools
Benches, and will add more + shelving
Creepers, jacks, jack stands
Stereo
bench grinder/sander
Planning on for sure:
60G Air compressor (3.5 or 5hp)
Welder (MIG)
Parts Washer
Air Tools (ratchets, grinders, impact)
Cherry Picker
Engine Stand
Beer Fridge
Portable Shop Lights
That’s a pretty good start right there. I personally love having my ceiling-mounted retractable power and air cords. You could throw in a chopsaw and a couple electric angle grinders, they come in handy. The HVAC is nice to have this time of year.
Already have a pair of Maketa 4.5" angle grinders, picked them up at HD for dirt cheap.
Chopsaw, good idea. Anyone know if a Dewalt 12" miter saw can be used, or if I should get a slow-speed one?
I should probably keep my eye out for a drill press as well, totally forgot that one.
And completely agree, most I’m gonna try the Craigslist route; and they have a local classifieds here in SLC that seems to be pretty good for local stuff and a lot less shady people/deals. www.ksl.com
I’d say talk to the people about giving a extra security deposit for drilling into the floor for a lift. Then hen or if you ever Leave discuss about filling in the small holes.
I want a lift, trust me!!! I’m sick of floor jacks. I can get away with it if the floor can support it, but how many home garages have a thick enough pad to support it? Most of the ones I saw required a 6"+ pad. Which means cutting and pouring a footer. If it’s just holes in the concrete I can probably get away and clear it with the owners, if I gotta cut and pour concrete, I do NOT see that going over well, or I should say it didn’t when I initially brought it up.
EDIT - hmm… now I’m reading a <11k# lift only needs 4" of 3000# concrete… hmmm… Might be able to pull this off.
Not sure what the state laws are there, but in most places if you bolt a large piece of equipment to a shop it becomes property of the building’s owner. For this very reason, Matco will not Finance any equipment to a shop owner unless he/she can verify that they own the building. Just a possible heads up in case it were to become an ugly break up at some point.
This is a personal garage for my own usage, not going to do anything for anyone else except “favor” work. Mainly want to equip the shop area to rebuild my Bird and have the ability to easily work on my jeep and my wife’s car.
or a used 2 post for 2 grand. lol. It really depends on what you’ll be doing with it; if you are going to be doing brakes and body work get a scissor lift, if mostly suspension work then 2 post.
Firebird is a full down to the unibody rebuild. (Suspension, K-member, trans, exhaust, twin turbo kit, LSx transplant, etc)
And I’ve found new 2-post lifts starting ~$1600 + shipping or $2000 shipped. Not “professional” grade, but will work for what I need it to for a home shop.
I need to get the rest of the garage figured out first though, lift is the “last” thing before I bring the car out from NY in Aug/Sept.
Coldaccord - does that have the overhead bar? My ceiling in the garage is too low for that version. Can you PM or post info on that lift? Might be the same brand/type I’m looking at.
60G Air compressor (3.5 or 5hp)
Quincy or Ingersoll-Rand compressor, can get them cheap from aircompressorsdirect.com
Get a 240v, running out of air sucks.
Welder (MIG)
Miller 350P and a Dynasty 200 for TIG.
Or kill two birds with one stone and get a XMT model.
Air Tools (ratchets, grinders, impact)
Dynabrade air tools are outstanding, and locally made in Clarence. Might want to also get a Dynafile for deburring parts. They’re about $400-500 for the files and $700+ for the grinders. But it’s the price you pay for quality… They don’t make impacts/rachets though. They do make polishers and sanders though.
