new shop!

[Longhorn Man]

so about a month ago, I was rollin down the road on the clock, and I saw a small garage with a sign out front saying garage for lease. hmmmm...
I keep going by, and while driving, I remember the thread about 5 weeks ago on here about a member getting a shop with a few of his friends. Someone posted on there, that with ecinomic hard times, some ppl will rent out the garage just to help make ends meet.
I drove by there on the way back, and stopped and checked it out. It's small, but it is cinder block, and has 2 small storage rooms on the back.... can't be too much... but I'll bet it is.
I call the number, and find out it is actually going for LESS than my one car storage unit.
SWEET!
Pardon the poor photo quality... since my good computer crapped out, I am on my backup computer, and it won't recognise my digi-cam... so these are all off my cell phone. It's amazing how one pic will be awesome, then the next one will suck big time.
Anyways... like I said, it is small...


But... it fits. i sized it up before going over to talk to the rental company


They had it advertised, and the door open so you could check it out... so that means lots of crap blew in. The lighting was REAL bad when I first got it last month too. i already hung 4 new flourcent lights... it's a lot better now...




I rented a small trailer, and made a few trips hauling all my junk over there. I have a bunch of household crap I store for now... plus a lotta shop type junk. I didn't take any photos of all that mess... it was fun since there was 5 inches or so of snow on the ground.
Then, I see a small oportunity to get the burb over there. Now mind you, this is on the other side of town... 25 miles away.
I'll just say this... tow bar towing can be FUN if the conditions aren't right.
you can hardly see it... bit it's back there


But, I made it with no problems.



I told everyone at work to keep there eyes open for a small low cost tool box... some one told my snap on guy and he made me a deal i couldn't turn down. It's a LOT bigger than I was looking for, but it was WAY cheaper than ANY of you would ever guess. (free) The photos don't do it justice... it looks totally gay... purple will make just about anything look gay.
Luckily the photos kinda hide it's true colors.


Used the forklift to load it.... but getting it out of the truck... by myself, was fun.
And by fun, I mean it SUCKED.

[Longhorn Man]

So after spending a few days trying to get crap organized, I am semi -ready now. That dana standing on end still needs to go into one of the back rooms, as does the white pressure washer sitting to it's left.... and you can see I still have a BUNCH of crap on the work bench and on top of the tool box.... but, i have floor space now, and a heater that will raise the temperature a few degrees inside (and that's about all it does too)




I had planned on getting the tranny out of the burb today, but since I was out there till 3 A.M. and i am now in a lot of pain from all the moving stuff around, I figure I'll just wait a few more days. Since I am dropping the tranny down by hand, the pain part of the equation is kinda important... plus, it is COLD out there right now and that heater doesn't do much. (windchill in the lower teens and dipping into single digits right now)

Not bad for 100 bucks a month huh?
Oh yeah... free electricity as long as I don't get stupid with power consumption.

[fastwillie 696969]

wood stove going in ?

[1320tech]

Way to go that is awsome for $100 a month wish I could find something like that to store my junk to free up room in the garage and shed.

[Longhorn Man]

I'm not putting a wood stove in there, no. I'll end up getting one of those little jet engine lookin things probably this summer. I'm going to try and get a used one. I want the flexibility of being able to move it around, don't want to have to dedicate a corner for the heater and nothing else... plus, it's not my building and I don't want to cut a hole in the wall/roof for the chiminy.
Take a look on your local craigs list... you'll be amazed. Apartment complexes around here are renting them for 60 bucks for a small one car unit (no power). I could have gone that route, but it wouldn't have fit what I actually needed since I need a place to work on my junk.
Once the burb is done... my next project will be living in there pretty much full time. It's not something I want parked on the curb.

[Sillyoldman]

Good deal Andy. It looks like you were wise enough to pull your truck in and make sure the garage door would close. My place has a detached two car garage. My truck was to go in there. I backed it in and found the truck was about 6" too long It actually worked out for the best since my truck is in the attached garage which is better climate controlled. It looks like you have some good stuff. Do you have a policy that will insure your stuff?

[Chevy Fleetside]

Only 25 miles.. My shop is about 60 miles away. I get 600 sqft for $121 a month. Been there for alittle over 9 years now.
Looks like a nice get away. And such a deal. And i must say. Purple or not I would have taken it also.

[TennesseeZ]

Nice toolbox. If you decide you don't like it, can you get your free back?

[see ten]

Sweet deal on the tool chest! Who cares if it's purple. Get some renters insurance ASAP. It's typically very cheap.

[powerdriver 1958]

Nice to have your stuff out of the elements(weather).Really cool if you dont get done with some thing there is no tarp to have to drag over a something.
A little privacy too.Not everyone needs to know what your building

[Longhorn321]

Purple or not, FREE is a smokin deal! BTW, I thought the burb was drivable? Did you tow it so you would have a way home? I've been kinda keeping my eyes open for something just like that shop. Congrats.

Hey Andy, I just took another look at the pix...does your truck have chrome trim rings on the rims? I was thinkin of doin that. If it does can you shoot me a better pic?

[too much stuff]

So what is wrong with purple???? (check my avatar)
Looks like a nice deal. Bet it feels good to have a place to call home. Maybe someone will send you flowers for a garage warming...
Congrats

[big_al_71]

Those are two great deals $100.00 rent and a free mac tool box,,,man

25 miles in miami could take an hour or so driving how long would those 25 miles take you? just out of curiosity....

[71swb4x4]

That's a pretty big "small" garage. It's a heck of a lot better than working n the driveway!
It looks like building are few and far between behind it. Is it in the country?

[67ChevyRedneck]

Originally Posted by Longhorn321

Purple or not, FREE is a smokin deal! BTW, I thought the burb was drivable? Did you tow it so you would have a way home? I've been kinda keeping my eyes open for something just like that shop. Congrats.

Tranny died

That's a GREAT deal! I never thought to look for something like this in my area, so I did, and yeah, not cheap at all

[GOPAPA]

Good for you Andy ..It's nice to get a break once in awhile .. Free electricity is a plus and surprised it got thrown in for free knowing that you will use more than a light bulb from time to time..drills sanders ,,ect ect .

I remember my first garage when renting ,,I went to the furniture store and got some big cardboard boxes and took them apart and stapled them up to the studs in this old garage and then painted them white with my sears spray gun so to lighten it up in the place ..the reflection is what does it.. I notice that you already have white walls so thats good ..sure hope you are in a safe neighbor hood and don't get broken into ..

[72BlckButy]

Great looking shop Andy!

[Sillyoldman]

Love the tool box. Function over fashion. Thats how I married Baaaah haaa. Just kidding Really.

[streetstar]

looks like a good place to kick it

[Longhorn Man]

Originally Posted by Sillyoldman

Good deal Andy. It looks like you were wise enough to pull your truck in and make sure the garage door would close...
It looks like you have some good stuff. Do you have a policy that will insure your stuff?

Measure once, cut twice...
no wait, flip that around!
I've seen too many times with small garages where people DON'T check.
As for my policy, I still need to take care of that.

Originally Posted by Chevy Fleetside

Only 25 miles.. My shop is about 60 miles away. I get 600 sqft for $121 a month. Been there for alittle over 9 years now.
Looks like a nice get away. And such a deal. And i must say. Purple or not I would have taken it also.

60 miles is too far IMO... however, i know certian areas dictate more driving... and with that much shop for that little coin... it's still worth it. I just don't like the thought of driving for one to two hrs to work on my junk.
As for the purple people eater... it wasn't totally free.... i'll be paying for it in back breaking labor. (caddy engine into old truck)

Originally Posted by Longhorn321

I thought the burb was drivable?
...does your truck have chrome trim rings on the rims? I was thinkin of doin that. If it does can you shoot me a better pic?

The day before thanksgiving the Th400 crapped out on the burb.
I used to, but not on these rims. I'll see if I can dig up a photo.

Originally Posted by big_al_71

25 miles in miami could take an hour or so driving how long would those 25 miles take you? just out of curiosity....

Columbus has a totally fubard freeway set up. There's 270 that goes all clear around... I take that 1/2 the time and it 's about 35 min (i'm just off the freeway on the west side, and the garage is just off the freeway on the east side) The messed up part is we have I-70 going straight through the center, east to west. However, when you get down town, it joins up with Rt 315 and I 71... all in a matter of a 1/2 mile. It's totally messed up. If it is anywhere close to rush hr, then you better take the I 270 loop. If it is off peak time, I can do it on I-70 in 25 min or so.

Originally Posted by 71swb4x4

That's a pretty big "small" garage. It's a heck of a lot better than working n the driveway!
It looks like building are few and far between behind it. Is it in the country?

I ain't complaining... that's for certian. Since my truck will barely fit in there... talking 3 inches for and aft with the bay door closed... I feel it's a small garage. As for location... it is in an area that is comercially zoned, so most of the houses there are far and few between. it is real close to Port Columbus Internation airport, so as a residential area, it was never real popular.

Originally Posted by GOPAPA

Free electricity is a plus and surprised it got thrown in for free knowing that you will use more than a light bulb from time to time..drills sanders ,,ect ect .
I remember my first garage when renting ,,I went to the furniture store and got some big cardboard boxes and took them apart and stapled them up to the studs in this old garage and then painted them white with my sears spray gun so to lighten it up in the place ..the reflection is what does it.. I notice that you already have white walls so thats good ..sure hope you are in a safe neighbor hood and don't get broken into ..

The owner knows I'm not living there... I was honest with him as to my intnentions with the building... told him I was going to work on my junk, but I wasn't going to be there every day. I keep an eye on conserving power, and if there is a problem, then i will pay a little bit more. The problem is, there is no way to measure what I'm spending, and the guys he has the house rented to are spending. So it would be hard to 100% blame me.
The painted cardboard is a good idea. However, i have a LOT of junk up in the rafters too, and will be accessing it somewhat frequently too. I'll have to remember that though.

[BigDaddyDave]

Originally Posted by 67ChevyRedneck

Tranny died

That's a GREAT deal! I never thought to look for something like this in my area, so I did, and yeah, not cheap at all

I did the same thing and it wasn't cheap here ether. Good deal for sure.

[Longhorn Man]

keep looking on your local craigs list... even call a couple rental companys in your area (assuming in a larger city/metro areas) some one will list one... esp with the way people are hurting for money these days

[68C15]

your "small" space is twice what I have. 14x24, but I do have a 75x30 driveway. (sucks for snow removal)

what kind of paint you got in mind for the telletubby toolbox?

[Longhorn Man]

i've considered painting it black...but I'll just suck it up and leave it alone.
I guess that's what i get for raggin on the guy at work with a yellow box. Been callin him girl names since the day he got it.
Karma is a b!tch huh?

[LEEVON]

Congrats!