Garages

[Pilgrim]

It seems to me that most people who have garages don't put their cars in them. Everywhere I look, I'll see snow covered cars sitting in front of a garage door. Anywhere I've ever been like that, the garages are full of junk or have just trash barrels and a $300 lawn mower in it while the most expensive thing someone will ever own is rotting out in the driveway.

I'm interested in knowing how the members here use their garages, if they have one.

I have a 2 car attached garage that always has my car and my wife's in it. I also have a barn where my truck and tractor, and other toys stay.

How about the rest of you? Do you have a garage and use it for it's intended purpose ?

 

[Rob Boudrie]

most expensive thing someone will ever own is rotting out in the driveway.

I don't know of anyone who puts their gun safe in the driveway .

 

[FPrice]

I have a very short driveway that makes a 90 degree turn into my garage. Plus I have a small garage and a large truck. I also have a wife who likes to put a lot of stuff in the basement and garage (connected).

Does that answer your question?

My next house is going to have a straight driveway and a two-car garage.

 

[Skald]

I'm low man on totem pole.

Mom and Dad's car get the garage while my truck gets the snow. Its only fair, their house. We also keep the mower and snowblower in there (and like a normal dad, he bought the snowblower after his original 'snowblowers' moved out.)

 

[mark056]

We only have a one car garage, and it is always a coin toss as to who will get it, my wife or myself.

While I don't use the garage for much of anything other than for a vehicle, my car is another story. I think of it as a mobile extra room of my condo. My wife, on the other hand is a real stickler when it comes to keeping her car neat and clean. There are probably surgical suites at Mass General Hospital that aren't as clean as the interior of her Buick.

Now if you want to talk about the basement....that's another story !!

 

[dwarven1]

Two+ car garage (there's about 10-12 feet between the doors), so not only do our cars live there, but also my R65 Beemer, the lawn tractor (if I can do the lawn quicker, I get more riding/shooting time!) and the snow blower. Some storage, but the basement has most of the stuff along with my workshop.

 

[Adam_MA]

I don't have one yet...
However this spring I am planning on adding one on. It will be a 2 car double deep, so I have plenty of space for storage AND cars. BTW it will also have a 500sq foot addition on the top that will serve as the "Master Suite" bedroom, bathroom, walk-in closet...

Now, if finances will only allow.........

Adam

 

[Moderator]

I drive a Mustang, it no go in the snow. My driveway is on a small hill, If I don't keep it in when it snows I wont be able to move my car.

 

[Skald]

Haven't you noticed one thing about trucks?

If a person tends to pamper them, they break down a lot?

But if you treat them like hell and beat them (use them like they are supposed to) they tend to run longer?

I mean, I change my oil and do the general maintance and beat the living hell out of my truck, have close to 100k on the engine and havne't had any real major problems save for the breaks and coolant system.

Father has had tie rods, brakes, engine troubles and he just treats his like a car.

 

[K-DUB]

The dirt bike, Quads, motorcycles, & El Camino live in the garage.....the snomobiles live in their trailers......my Ram & the old man's GMC stay outside.

 

[Cptn5spd]

I have my motorcycle and 2 Jeeps in my garage, this is my first year with a garage and I will tell ya after the snow storm last week, a garage is a beautiful thing.

 

[dwarven1]

I have my motorcycle and 2 Jeeps in my garage, this is my first year with a garage and I will tell ya after the snow storm last week, a garage is a beautiful thing.

Oh, isn't it just? My Beemer was SO happy after we bought this house... Up until then, it lived in my workshed during the winters. It was a real trip trying to muscle it up the ramp and sideways into the shop. Something I do NOT miss about my old house.

 

[Len-2A Training]

I'm a packrat, but when we bought our house it came with a garage and my rule was that the cars always go in the garage!

When we added on to the house back in 2000, we replaced the poorly built garage (built improperly by original homeowner) with a properly built oversized 2 car garage. Lots of stuff there, but both cars are always in the garage.

 

[Chris]

We have a 2+ garage. The wife gets one bay for her car. My truck stay outside (like it has for almost 10 years now - she's a 1996 Ram) The '46 Willys sits in the other bay in various stages of disassembly. The rest of the garage is tools and toys. Lawn tractor, snowblower, 5 bicycles, etc etc etc... (^_^)

Right now the wife is having a cow over the F-head engine that is sitting on 'her side'. Anybody want a free F-head?

A rule has been enacted in our home now that states "nothing new may be brought into the house unless a know storage location exists for it. It's helped a LOT with managing the clutter.

 

[C-pher]

We have a 2+ garage. The wife gets one bay for her car. My truck stay outside (like it has for almost 10 years now - she's a 1996 Ram) The '46 Willys sits in the other bay in various stages of disassembly. The rest of the garage is tools and toys. Lawn tractor, snowblower, 5 bicycles, etc etc etc... (^_^)

Right now the wife is having a cow over the F-head engine that is sitting on 'her side'. Anybody want a free F-head?

A rule has been enacted in our home now that states "nothing new may be brought into the house unless a know storage location exists for it. It's helped a LOT with managing the clutter.

I'm sorry, I didn't see anything past "The '46 Willys"

You lucky bastard. I would love to see that someday. And if you get it built, I would love for a ride in the thing....

 

[Chris]

Yea, I'd like to see it finished too. (^_^)

I've had my share of Jeeps over the years. CJ's a YJ Wrangler, etc. Always wanted an old Willys post-war style to build up. So, when I saw my chance, I took it. Not much will be original Willys when I'm done. That's OK, previous owners have already made much of the Jeep non-Willys, so it wasn't a restoration candidate.

Nothing really wild, but the following is what I have in mind.

Keep the original transmission and transfer case, but rebuild the transmission with upgraded components and larger shafts to eliminate weak points (done), Upgrade transfer case with lower low range and overdrive unit (done)

Upgrade rear axle to Model 44 with full floaters and lockers (have new axle, need to rebuld)

replace front with a modern axle.

Replace original cracked frame with Matkins heavy duty frame (speced, to be ordered)

Repair sheetmetal holes so as much of the original sheetmetal can be used (in process) Looks like all but the hood will be salvagable.

Replace L-head (well, the F-head in my case) with a V6 Buick for more reliability and drivability. Complete with 12 volt upgrade.

New frame will have spring attachments for using Jeep YJ style springs which are 'softer' and flex better. Should both improve the ride and allow the suspention to conform more easily.

Replace single cyilinder brake system with 9" drims with modern double cylinder system with power disk brakes with a real e-brake instead of the driveshaft parking brake.

Install hydrallic clutch instead of linkage for easier installation and less maintainence.

Mount pedals on firewall instead of frame mount 'through floor' design.

Move gas tank to under body instead of under the driver's seat. Add CJ7 style Filler on the rear quarter.

Full cage. Windshield is too weak to protect in a roll, and there wasn't a factory roll bar.

Upgraded seats and harness. Original seats were gone, and tey were designed for farm work, not modern roads.

Redo dashboard to include modern guages and controls.

I'm really hoping to blend the old and new into a really well crafted vehicle that has all the character and lines of the '46, but with the reliability and safety of modern components.

 

[TonyD]

I'd love to rebuild / modernize a Willy's! Good luck with the project!

 

[Wildweasel]

Small 1 car garage that is the home of my 1944 Willys MB. I am working on the restoration as time permits, (not much lately with working on the house.)
All original except the transmission and tcase. that has a T90 and newer tcase along with it, Vs the T84 it should have.
I am doing a "Motorpool" retoration (Which means like it was used in the field by the GI's in WW2. )

And Sue found it for me bless her heart. Probley the best shape I have seen in Newengland that hasn't been restored.

The trick is when we moved in the garage doors where rotted so I yanked them and just put a stud wall up and a door, so to get it in I have to yank a wall out and open the door. same to get it back out!

 

[C-pher]

Chris, sounds like a hell of a project. I would hope that you would put pictures up when you're done...

Man, there's two of you doing Jeep Builds. You two should get together to fish parts.

 

[Lynne]

Since we live in a condo, we don't have a garage. However, when the condo gets sold (a ways off yet), one of the conditions for the new home is that is WILL have a 2 car garage.

 

[Cptn5spd]

Since we live in a condo, we don't have a garage. However, when the condo gets sold (a ways off yet), one of the conditions for the new home is that is WILL have a 2 car garage.

Lynne, I got a lucky score my condo had the option of a 2 car garage so I snagged it up quickly.

Chris, definitely need to get those pictures on the forums when you finish the Willy, I have a Rubicon so the lockers and 44 come standard, I do not get the satisfaction of installing that stuff myself.

 

[dwarven1]

I just want the pictures of when Chris & WW install the .50 cal in the back of the jeep and go playing Rat Patrol through Lowell and JP...

Actually... need a gunner? Just need some training first. [lol]

 

[Lynne]

I just want the pictures of when Chris & WW install the .50 cal in the back of the jeep and go playing Rat Patrol through Lowell and JP...

Now THAT would be cool! [lol]

 

[Wildweasel]

And Oh yes a .30 cal belt fed semi auto will be going in the back of the MB at some point. [twisted] After all it wouldn't be the rat patrol witout it.

 

[dwarven1]

And Oh yes a .30 cal belt fed semi auto will be going in the back of the MB at some point. [twisted] After all it wouldn't be the rat patrol witout it.

Oh, those were .30's, not .50s? I didn't know; WWII was before my time and I don't think that they ever mentioned what they were on Rat Patrol.

 

[C-pher]

Since we live in a condo, we don't have a garage. However, when the condo gets sold (a ways off yet), one of the conditions for the new home is that is WILL have a 2 car garage.

Lynne, I got a lucky score my condo had the option of a 2 car garage so I snagged it up quickly.

Chris, definitely need to get those pictures on the forums when you finish the Willy, I have a Rubicon so the lockers and 44 come standard, I do not get the satisfaction of installing that stuff myself.

I love the rubicon.

I have a 99 TJ. Put on a .98 TJ front end steel because it was cracked up.

It's two different color greens, but it's close. And it runs.

I was in the process of doing a bunch of cool stuff to it when I bought it three years ago. But I swear I didn't have it 4 months when my wife told me she was pregnant.

I really did say to her, "This means I can't trick out the Jeep??"

She didn't like that too much.

But I'm thinking that I'll get back starting to build on it some more here next year after this baby comes and gets settled in.

 

[Chris]

Actually had my hands on a DEWAT .50 cal at the Army Navy in Mystic, but couldn't justify the $$ they were asking. Picked up a 40 mm Sgt. York dummy round (complete with fake primer and projetile and a 'sand' powder filling) instead.

It's SOOO much fun to pull out a .40 S&W dummy and say "This is 40 caliber" and then heft up the 40mm and say "This is 40 millimeter. One of these isn't going to fit in my pistol. While this is a gross exageration, it is an example of why it is vital that you know exactly what amunition you need for your gun as not everything that sounds similar will fit."

Still, a DEWAT .50 would be cool... Except that it woul dlikely get snaggeed on all the trees and the mount would take up precious cargo area. (^_^)

Here is a pic of the Willys just before I began the disassembly. Actually, just before I took this, I started up the Jeep and took a 'boony' run out to the back meadow and such. Had to see just was was and wasn't working. Right? (^_^) Sitting on the fuel tank was an 'interesting' experience. Nope, no seats. (^_^)

BUT... It sure beats the way I USED to work on my Jeep when I was living with my parents...

(yes, it was raining and I had to repair a leaking axle seal after a camping/wheeling trip so I could stop leaving a big puddle of oil at work.)

 

[Wildweasel]

Rat patrol used 50 cal M2's but I can possibly swing a 30 cal (better size)
cost wise.

 

[Len-2A Training]

Actually had my hands on a DEWAT .50 cal at the Army Navy in Mystic, but couldn't justify the $$ they were asking.

That store is totally outrageously priced. Given the rent they pay and that they are targeted towards wealthy tourists, they can get away with it.

 

[C-pher]

No to get OT on the OT thread.

But some of you guys might like to know that 4 wheel parts is doing 10% off the entire store and they pick up all freight.