Bob D..

When I did my garage I attached the slotwall directly to the concrete block and as a result all the electrical and air are on the surface, but if I was starting from scratch I would still take a bit of time and figure it out as much as possible so that surface runs are minimized. I have reels for air and electrical but the mutliple outlets are really handy.

Justin: there are some photos here and there over the years - here's one:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showt...=265249&page=2

Bob

justinsrx7

Very cool Bob!

Crazy Canuck

If you want a legal drain prepare to put in an oil/water separator according to the City of Ottawa. I'm sure other jurisdictions are the same.

The thing about a lift and ceiling height is that to be safe, ensure that at the maximum travel of the lift, with the upper car on it, does not hit anything such as roofs or garage door stuff. I know of one guy who's busted a windshield in a moment of inattention and I pushed the garage door arm into the convertible top of the Vette. Just a few marks. A coupe would have required bodywork.

Don't forget heat ...

911 Rod

I'm thinking we are in need of a garage thread

Rally Guy

One more thought. When my garage was built, I asked the contractor to pour the floor as flat as possible. Not just smooth, but FLAT. There's a minumum slope required by code for drainage - but it's either minimal or the guy did me a favrour and poured mine totally level.

This allows you to roll the car around easier without risk of it getting away from you. Helpful for settling suspension when doing toe in adjustments etc.

RK

Bahama

Yes I would also love to see pictures of this garage of Bob's.
One lesson I learned was to make sure that lights are adequate (not just from ceiling but also from walls) and in the specific areas most required while working on fine details. Might I also recommend, that if you plan on doing a lot of work on your vehicles (year round) to incorporate radiant floor heating (here too be careful to incorporate exact location of hoist posts prior to laying the coils). It is a cleaner, more spacious, and safer (albeit perhaps more expensive) way to bring warmth to your environment. Also keeps the "tootsies" of your Porsche warm. (assuming you're not driving it in winter/salt)
I'd like to see the finished product though. Can I rent a bay to do some of my own repair work ???
Someone at a recent Sat GTG called such a garage a "Men's Crisis Centre". Once completed this might be an ideal location for a Rennlist gala (complete with elevated stage/lift for our nomination winners (AM993 and Pongobaz) to deliver their acceptance speeches...

cavlino

Good idea There was certainly a lot of very useful information shared here, thanks everyone for sharing with us your experiences.

harrisonrick

Most contractors don't use the higher grade of concrete mix (cost vs. profit)...I'd look into it and recommend the same mix used for highway/commercial applications.

Mark Lue

Bahama, Bob put a link to a post with the pics in his post at the top of the page.


Bob D.., what type of frame/stand is your car sitting on in the pics.

Bob D..

Mark - it is a low rise (about 30") scissors type lift. I bought it locally a few years ago, after searching for one that (with a few minor mods) allows me to park the car above it without fooling around with either sinking it into the floor or using ramps.
Well, that worked until the last suspension go-round; the car is now about 1/2" too low, and I am using some boards to get clearance. I'll put the ride height back next alignment.
I've used the lift a lot more than I expected, for things as simple as getting the car to a nice height for polishing to taking out the motor and gearbox. I put the car on the lift for the winter - makes it easy to pick away at whatever little projects I think need doing.
One of the mods is a quick disconnect on the hydraulic line - I discoonect the power pack if I am leaving the car for an extended period. A couple years ago my son was fooling around, and rasied the lift enough that the safety latch reversed, and the car sank to the ground over a couple of days. The front bumper caught on something I had under the car - gave me an opprtunity to teach my son how to repair fiberglass.
I have also rolled it out into the driveway and (after reversing some of my mods) picked up my Audi. However, I wont repeat that - the neighbours weren't real impressed.
Bob

carrera

Thanks for the insight guys.
Its coming down to the wire. I am feeling pressure due to the impending deep freeze. Foundation has to get done soon.
I am debating as to whether or not I require a lift.

The garage will be 26' x 24'. Without a lift I can get more cars inside if need be. If I have a lift then there is only room for two.
As well a two post lift kinda gets in the way. I am beginning to think that a scissor lift may be better for my needs. I am not looking to save money on the lift just trying to figure out the best option.
The issue is ceiling height and space.

Kindly offer opinions.
Particularly would like to hear from fellows that have a scissor lift. If you could, would you have a two post instead ?

Thanks

Mark Lue

Bob, thanks for sharing! I'd like to look at getting one...are they still available locally

Bob D..

I have had my scissors lift for 4-5 years, using it for a wide variety of things.
It works really nicely on a 911 because the center section of the car, which the scissors more or less blocks, doesn't require any attention.
It is unobtrusive, since I park over it, and it doesn't take up any space..
It does not lift high enough to stand up under the car, but for my purposes that has not been an issue.
Obviously I cannot stack cars.
If I was starting over, I'd do it the same.

mark '87 930

Carrera, best of luck in your build. I am dead smack in the middle doing mine as well but won't be finished until the spring/summer (I'm doing it myself). Your plans may change here and there.. just make sure you plan for the future.. I'm putting in a 2 post (for work and storage) and lots of light/outlets including 220V.. and eventually heating. Here are some pics, most recent one being the shingled one.

I live in TO, and there are restrictions as to what you are allowed to build. There is some flexibility also though depending on what it is you want. The process is long, but easy.

Best of luck.. it's a fun project and definitely a learning experience.

justinsrx7

I can see that you built the roof trusses very shallow to increase your height, smart thinking. Is the little dormer out front functional or just a design element? It also looks like you left a section to build out an area for your workbench and tools. Just make sure you insulate the hell out of it, cause those commercial gas heaters aren't cheap.