Looking at buying a new house. Sits on 5 acres and has a roughly 30x60 metal (Morton Building) barn on it. Less than 10 years old, wired and has water (including bathroom). No HVAC at this point.

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If I buy this house the barn will get converted to a garage. Obviously, it will have a lift(s) and will eventually get HVAC (will need to be insulated first). So, if this were your garage, what would you do to it? Would you build a tool room along the back to lock up your tools? This barn will need to hold 5 to 6 small cars at any one time (currently have 4 914's and 2 TR-6's). I have attached a drawing (close...not totally accurate) of the garage to help the creative juices flow. How would you lay this out?

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Have a dirty side for grinding and welding on cars.

Have a clean side for assembly, tweaking, storage and display of cars.

Paint booth if you are into that.

On the clean side, you could have a bar, some seating, TV, etc. and not worry about getting griding crap and dirt all over it.

I hate having a regular garage that is always getting filthy from cleaning and fabrication.

John

You should encounter for following areas: car storage (easy access), parts storage, tools for every day (1-2 carts), tools storage, clean working space (i.e. workbench) and dirty work space (grinding, cutting, welding, cleaning).

For insulation, I would suggest www.insofast.com, very easy to install and good r-value.

Good luck!

You should probably pad the walls because you must have screw lose to have 4 914's and 2 TR-6's. LOL
I'm just jealous. I wish I had that much space.

Pave the yard and put a "Bill's Used Cars" sign up at the head of the driveway and you're in business!

It's not mine yet...looking hard at this!

You have to sell the cars to put up a sign like that! It doesn't work for hoarders

Shitter, sink, enough voltage to run all the goodies and expand in the future. Loft to keep parts in. Office to hide in when tired. Air hose docking stations. Alignment pit. Alarm system. Stereo system. Just a few thoughts.
When's the party!! Very nice possibilities.

Just put rediculous prices on them. your wife will think you're at least trying (she might even feel sorry for ya)

Insulate
Install a mini-split heat pump for summer and winter wrenching
Get a 2-post lift (since there seems to be plenty of room for car storage)
High amp sub-panel
Plenty of lights and outlets!
Clean and dirty work sides

With all that and tools to do the work, you should be set.

No wife...I'm twice divorced. Now you know why I have so many cars and other toys! I learned it is much cheaper (and easier) to date and discard than to marry them.

I'm a bodywork nut, so mine would definitely have a booth. But a bar is a must as well, and much cheaper and would get used more often!

Well, the house a very large attached 2 car garage and also has a room over the garage that would hold my pool table. So, most entertaining would be at the house.

I would have a fridge in this building as well as lots of chairs for hosting a transmission rebuild clinic or something something similar!

chair in the middle of the floor. Dim light bulb swinging above it. Battery, duct tape and jumper cables on the floor.......


Then throw a house warming party for the neighbors

I'm going to cancel my future plans to visit Scotty's shop next time I travel through Va.

Only visit during daylight hours!

Just ask Matt...

I would reserve a corner for a dirty/clean area. Something that could hold in all the dust of sanding and bodywork, have proper vents to outside, but could double as a paint booth and therefore have walls and ceiling that can be sprayed down clean with water. Like I said this would be enclosed. I would go with double doors for getting the cars in. Make it big enough to fit a modern mid size sedan with 2 feet of room each side length wise and 4 feet of room width wise.

To someone with a 17'X17' garage, that looks fantastic. When you're done, I think your place would be perfect for the East Coast Ramble. Of course not until you finish the Auto Cross track.

Here you go... Not really anywhere for the girls to change outfits but I got the stage and pole setup...



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That is awesome....

Great design, Andrew. The reality is I don't see myself getting into paint work. Learning to weld is a possibility; however, paint is probably not in my future!

leave the welding, bodywork & paint to Scotty and make a reassembly and mechanic area for you to play.

kg6dxn,
That's sick, I like it! But that would require at least one other "barn". LOL!!
Tom

... the women or the cars Bill? ... must mean the women, cuz waaaay too many cars!

Check that clear ht. under the ceiling joists or roof truss bottom chords.

When I visited Jeff Bowlsby's garage a few years back we measured what he had clear under lowest beam to floor at his 4-poster lift, & it was about 11'-6" IIRC to lift for a 914 top & bottom.

More ht. would be required for taller vehicles top &/or bottom of the lift.

Assuming you're looking to stack more cars in there that is. There are also a couple of lift mfgrs. who make the tandem HD double width lifts. They advertise in the car mags.

I'd also look to open up the long side walls for access with several doors & load in sideways with the lifts, assuming you have room to put a driveway access over there. that way you can avoid shuffling cars so much. It will require structural reinforcement around those added doors to compensate for lost wall area (lateral resistance diaphram).

I'd insulate - over-insulate - add vapor barrier & drywall the whole thing - walls & ceiling, do the heavy storage on racks or a reinforced ceiling over the bath/office/work rooms, with lighter storage up in the "attic" created above the drywall (may need structural reinforcing). Also do a good patch, prep & seal then epoxy coat that floor. You can add HVAC or a heat pump etc. when you're ready, as well as a humidity control there in SC.

Most all of the other advice & ideas is good, but you'll have to pick those best suited to you.

Of course the strip club idea is always an option, and may make you more popular than cars & BBQ!

Oh - and lose the chicken pens on the right & clean up the poop!

I would suggest you start with insulating it immediately.
You will never get another chance to have a clean barn.

Do it now, or regret it when you have to move everything later.

This comes from a guy with a 140 long barn that was empty....now its not...
Insulate it now, trust me.

rich

Good points on the insulation!

[/quote]No wife...I'm twice divorced. Now you know why I have so many cars and other toys! I learned it is much cheaper (and easier) to date and discard than to marry them.
[/quote]

You will appreciate my 2 favorite quotes regarding women:

"Women, you can't live with them, and, you can't live with them!"

"Every women is a bitch except your mother but, she was a bitch to your father".

Dave

Another quote from my wise friend 'Rick' - "If it flies, floats or fu$'ks - lease it". Words from a wise Vietnam vet.

PERFECT!
We'll call it the PINK Panther.

So you are thinking about this rather than building that expanded garage on your current property? sounds like a good idea!

this has lots of potential!!!! - of course you need a paved drive to keep those garage queens clean!! - and extra parking for the frequent visits of other 914 enthusiasts!

1. Insulate - maybe the closed cell foam stuff, that way you dont have to worry about roaches, rats and other critters making their home in it the vapor barrier taken care of that way too,

2. commercial HVAC heat/cooling for those nice 106degree S.C. summer days!

3. 2 lifts - think about this- probably a 4 pole lift that can also park another car under it, then a separate mechanic's lift

4. tools: compressor, mobile tool boxes as previously discussed,

5. Audio/visual - 65" LED LCD TV- you could even do a video teleconferencing tranny clinic if the good Dr. Evil could not get away due to the practice and new bambino, - also great while having a group work day to have the game on, or the race, etc

i have a feeling the more you think about it the more you will want to do this!

is it in town , or out in the country?

-drawings coming later-----

That is a great name!

It took me two tries to figure that out!

It's more in the country...but very close to the interstate! Five acres with a pond, nice house, fenced in.

....or Bill, you can do the Mante Te'O thing, & just date imaginary gals, then save the cost of all those date dinners & drinks for more cars/stuff!

Get a good cell plan though for that!

Won't work for me...have to see the pole while sitting at the bar.

That's ok. Girls like original body paint. Nothing fancy as long as your artistic.

Might have to learn bodywork and body paint faster than I thought!

Fishing pond, I'm there!

Actually, the water is very clear right now and I saw some very big fish in there. Not sure what they were (definitely not catfish )!

You need to get your priorities in Order - Bar, Bathroom, Work Area, Storage

Where is the champagne room?

id swap the lift with the dirty work area. that way your tools are closer together and you dont have to walk as far going back and forth

I didn't see an excessive amount of jack stands noted in any of the designs.

Really?

More like a 140' cave - as I went deeper I started watching out for cave trolls and worrying about awakening the Balrog...

There were all kinds of treasures laying about too!

My buddies shop has a full band setup over 1/4 the shop upstairs drums, amps, internet with a 6' pulldown screen that can be seen upstairs and down. Pool table under the loft with bar sink, fridge, more tv's and wood stove that heats the shop up really fast.

Can't wait till my 914 is drivable so it can join his 69 VW bug and late 50's VW double barn door cargo Van for the parties.

Outlets everywhere...can't have too many. Drop down outlets in the center. Lots of perimeter lighting and fill spotlights. Build a platform or mezzanine around the lift so you have access to the upper part of the car when it's in the air. Make sure that the concrete floor is thick enough for a lift.

This will seem like a little thing, but an indoor motion sensor light aimed at the entry door ensures you'll always have light when entering and leaving.

It may look like a lot of space but remember this basic law of fizziks: Nature abhors a vacuum. Enjoy!

and don't forget bars on the windows and a good burglar alarm..seriously.

Absolutely...cameras, alarm, and smoke detectors