Garage project begins...

So, a little background:

We've lived in this house for about 10 years and we're smack dab in metro Los Angeles. I accumulated too many projects and I always knew that the exisiting garage was way too dinky. The house was built in the 1920's and the concrete slab in the garage was uneven, broken, and full of cracks. I made the best of the situation and built a B13 track car and a off-road prerunner truck in it.

Here's what it looked like a few years back:

http://www.sr20forum.com/gallery/data/500/medium/Mustang_Pics_2_033.jpg

That's a '65 Mustang project I've been working on since 1995. It was placed on hold until May of this year when I had to roll it out of the garage.

http://www.sr20forum.com/gallery/data/500/5_29_07_018.jpg

So I got it back to a rolling chassis and flatbedded it away to a friend's shop for safekeeping. Here's a pic of the garage all emptied out...

http://www.sr20forum.com/gallery/data/500/6_4_07_014.jpg

And here's the gratuitous shot of the B13 and some other things that used to live in my backyard...

http://www.sr20forum.com/gallery/data/500/7_12_06sentrapaint_014.jpg

http://www.sr20forum.com/gallery/data/500/medium/Baers_truck_001_1.jpg

http://www.sr20forum.com/gallery/data/500/medium/garagepics_019.jpg

http://www.sr20forum.com/gallery/data/500/sentracage3_019.jpg

-Jimmy

So demolition began at the beginning of this month (June 07) and the crew made quick work of the old structures.

Before.....
http://www.sr20forum.com/gallery/data/500/6_4_07_002.jpg

After....
http://www.sr20forum.com/gallery/data/500/6_4_07_059.jpg

http://www.sr20forum.com/gallery/data/500/6_4_07_067.jpg

http://www.sr20forum.com/gallery/data/500/6_8_07_022.jpg

Then footers were dug for the new slab and for the new addition to the house (that's the wife's part of the project)...

http://www.sr20forum.com/gallery/data/500/6_20_07_009.jpg

Forms are being built with lots of rebar in them....

http://www.sr20forum.com/gallery/data/500/6_20_07_006.jpg

http://www.sr20forum.com/gallery/data/500/6_20_07_046.jpg

http://www.sr20forum.com/gallery/data/500/6_20_07_044.jpg

So that's it for now. We're three weeks into construction and its moving along at a good pace. The final product should be a 21x23 foot garage with 12 foot celings and other goodies. In metro LA, I couldn't spec out a garage any bigger than this without infinging on the local zoning codes. Sucks.

So bear with me...and thanks for looking. I'm using this thread as an online project journal for friends and family too.

-Jimmy

Nice job man! Some sweet projects you have there.

Update 7/2/07

We were away in Ohio for a reunion, so I wasn't around for the slab pouring...sucks. Anyways, the pour was done on Friday and its been curing now for 3 days. Here are some pics with the rebar and such before the slab pour.

http://www.sr20forum.com/gallery/data/1058/7_1_07_028.jpg

The #4 rebar is placed 16" on center and sits 3 inches below the surface of the slab.

Looking from the blotter layer up through the rebar, you can see the slab is going to be at least 7" thick in most places with close to 9-10" in the areas near the footer.

http://www.sr20forum.com/gallery/data/1058/7_1_07_008.jpg

So here is the slab I came back home to on Sunday evening. I immediately put some water on it to slow evaporation (LA has been in the mid-80's the past few days) and to promote a slow cure.

http://www.sr20forum.com/gallery/data/1058/7_1_07_118.jpg

http://www.sr20forum.com/gallery/data/1058/7_1_07_101.jpg

I ended up with one saw-cut control joint in the middle of the slab that will evenutally be filled and hidden under the epoxy coating. Framers are here right now figuring out the lumber order and framing begins on Tuesday.

Good times.

-Jimmy

Looks good meng. Don't forget to run 220V and air lines in the walls before they put the drywall up.

Looks good meng. Don't forget to run 220V and air lines in the walls before they put the drywall up.

Trust me, I'm not gonna forget anything! I've got the electrician on deck to make sure I've got 100amp subpanel going to the garage off of the 200 amp main box from the house! See the utility pole in the background? Usually, the city requires some kind of 4-5 foot easement, but luckily for us, its on the neighbor's property!

Anyways, plugs everywhere with multiple 220V outlets on all three walls. Also, one 220 on the ceiling for the lift, and a few 120's for cord reels and drop lights.

More updates to come....framers are here!

-Jimmy

Sounds cool man. I live in a townhome right now and my neighbor tried to tell me that I couldn't "overhaul cars in the garage" and was real pissy about the noise. I was setting the timing on the racecar: open Gen VI header and C3s with really close lobe centers mean a slightly lumpy idle... :D

Worst part is her significant other has a Harley with straight pipes. What a bitch.

Update 7/6/07:

Framers have been busy putting up walls of the garage and placing floor joists and timber for the addition. That addition is going to more solid than the original house built in the 20's! A big pile of wood in the driveway is for the ceiling joists.

http://www.sr20forum.com/gallery/data/1058/7_6_07_046.jpg

http://www.sr20forum.com/gallery/data/1058/7_6_07_052.jpg

http://www.sr20forum.com/gallery/data/1058/7_6_07_002.jpg

Can't wait 'til Monday!

-Jimmy

:eek2: Nice project!!!!! I'm talking about the Mustang fastback. I would love to have something like that. I don't know how you can let that thing sit and wait.
The garage is looking good too. hehe.

:eek2: Nice project!!!!! I'm talking about the Mustang fastback. I would love to have something like that. I don't know how you can let that thing sit and wait.


Its funny....the longer I put off rebuilding that thing, the more parts come out for reproduction and performance. Ten years ago, I was going to put in a SVO 302 block and keep the T-10 in it. Fast forward to today and I can get a tall deck aluminum 351 block (170 punds!), cheap 4340 H-beam connecting rods from China, AFR heads that outflow any Dart head, a steel crank from China, a T-56 6-speed, and an aluminum 9" centersection!!!

Shoot...you can even buy a repop '67 Fstback for 15K nowadays!

-Jimmy

7/12/07

Framing working faster than I had expected....only the mandatory inspeections for floor framing, floor decking, and insulation have slowed them down. Roof is roughed out for the garage and rough plumbing is in for the addition.

http://www.sr20forum.com/gallery/data/1058/7_7_07_024.jpg

It's cramped, but its the best we can do....

http://www.sr20forum.com/gallery/data/1058/7_10_07_001.jpg

Next up, finish framing on both addition and garage, sheathing.

-Jimmy

gettin there, all the power to ya

Looking good man! :biggthump

looks great i just moved into a house and cant WAIT to redo the garage

congrats on the progress man.

Thanks for all the replies!

Its been a few weeks since I've updated, but work has been progressing along. Most of the big framing has been completed and all they need to do now is some sheathing with OSB and a few other doo-dads.

Here is the front of the garage. The angled portion will have some reused and new spanish tile placed on it to match the rest of the house.

http://www.sr20forum.com/gallery/data/1058/7_27_07_049.jpg

Another view. You can see the height of the window in this pic and some of the westerly sun I'll get through it. The window is situated 64 inches above the surface of the garage floor so that I have wall space to put my toolbox underneath. Also, the height keeps me from looking in at my unfisinhed projects and junk from the outside.

http://www.sr20forum.com/gallery/data/1058/7_27_07_051.jpg

Another view of the window from inside the garage and a shot of the addition to the house. The addition has been taking up the bulk of the time and expense...but I gotta keep the wife happy so I could get my garage.

http://www.sr20forum.com/gallery/data/1058/7_27_07_032_2_.jpg

Rough framing and eventual cut-out for a big-ass skylight that will open manually. Nothing like natural light in a shop and being able to vent from the roof. The celing height will be 12 feet, 1".

http://www.sr20forum.com/gallery/data/1058/7_27_07_041.jpg

And since this is earthquake country, a bunch of simpson strong-ties around the perimeter of the walls. Hopefully these, 2x6's placed 16" on center, and 3/4" oriented strand board will keep the roof from falling in during a temblor. Maybe...

http://www.sr20forum.com/gallery/data/1058/7_27_07_055.jpg

Epoxy guy came in to day to give me samples of a medium grey epoxy flooring system. Here's a link to the stuff we're planning to put down in a thin-mil coat (~6 - 8 mil coating).

http://www.pacpoly.com/Bulletins/RCCR-PB.pdf

Next up: more work on the addition to the house, plumbling, electrical, inspection, insulation, inspection again, and drywall.

-Jimmy

looking great:biggthump :biggthump

Looks great cant wait to see more progress

Nice, coming along.

Funny how things are different, we don't have to use any of those around these parts when we build!
http://www.sr20forum.com/gallery/data/1058/7_27_07_055.jpg

Love the updates! Lookin good!