Hopefully pictures show.
CK5
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K5 Shop is done!
- Thread starter Dirsuper
- Start date
LaRue91
1/2 ton status
Looks good! I got the keys to mine Friday
Nice shop!
Another pic. Just playing around today. There are a few more things to be done still, but got final inspection by county (no easy task in CA) Friday. Can't wait to tear apart my '72.
Another pic. Just playing around today. There are a few more things to be done still, but got final inspection by county (no easy task in CA) Friday. Can't wait to tear apart my '72.
badmix
1/2 ton status
Very cool.
the property I may be buying has a 3 stall car port that I may try and enclose.
the property I may be buying has a 3 stall car port that I may try and enclose.
rampage
3/4 ton status
Those look very nice. 
I'm going to be building one soon for my two Blazers, so if the two of you don't mind disclosing, how big are they and how much are you into it for?
I'm going to be building one soon for my two Blazers, so if the two of you don't mind disclosing, how big are they and how much are you into it for?
What are the specs of your shop? I see 12' sidewalls?
My shop is 30' x 50' with (as you said) 12' walls. I had to do almost $10k of grading (yeah, grading) because I wanted the pad of the shop about twice the size of the shop and because they had to go down about 9' to hit hard pack, and then work their way back up. Oh, and I used existing dirt (removed an unwanted hill in my yard). I have buddies who are contractors (including quite a few who do grading), but I used the guy with 'THE Reputation' for doing excellent work. Also, I don't mix friends and money.
I have 4 50A 220 sockets, plus 220 for the future lift (still debating 2 or 4 post) and 220 for the compressor (out back). I also had to tie in a driveway, put 4' walkways all around, and put a 10' x 12' pad off the back (with walkways) for future 'compressor shed.' I got lights that.....well, as my buddies said when we were drinking beer outside of it Friday night, "Are brighter than friggin daylight." Plus two uber-CFM ceiling fans and 110 everywhere (inside and out).
For plumbing I have a deep sink and a bathroom which (for now) houses only a toilet. Here in good ole CA, anything bigger than 120 sq ft. requires fire sprinklers (as of January 2014). I also added two high pressure outdoor hose bibs for car washing and, if required, firefighting....or at least feeling like I am trying to save my shop.....oh, and probably that 'house' thing. I also had it plumbed for air with drops all over the place, plumbed with pipe, not pvc. Also, the pipes to the outdoor hp bibs are copper, not pvc.
The shop is exactly like my house from the exterior. I had the house built about a year ago and I could not in good conscience put something (literally) in my front yard (I have 3 acres) that did not match the house. So, the roof tiles, hardy board, stucco, and trim all match the house exactly (even the windows).
I'm sure I am missing some stuff, but I am trying to tell the whole story as I know when I was planning this (all 45 years of my life) I read EVERYTHING I could find.
I have not received my final bill yet (I wait with bated breath...) and it will vary due to some last minute additions on my part (having contractor hook up compressor, run CAT 5 so I can hook into my home network, etc). However, I expect total cost including plans, permits, etc to be in the neighborhood of (ready for this.....) $110k. Gotta love CA!
I have land in Texas I bought when stationed there (I am retired military) and I could have built a nice house for that much......it just kills me, but you can't beat the weather and (most important) the wife (RN) has been at the same hospital for 20 years...can't walk away from that! Not to mention I got a pretty solid job when I retired from the Navy.
Happy to answer any questions, I FULLY understand planning a shop. Hell, I spent a month anguishing over whether to go 2 doors or one.........and I drove EVERYONE around me nuts as I planned this thing. My wife is so tired of hearing "shop" that anytime I mention it now she just groans (wait until she sees the total cost.....
) and everyone I work with suddenly 'remembers a meeting'......yeah, I totally get it and will answer any questions/help in any way I can.
I have 4 50A 220 sockets, plus 220 for the future lift (still debating 2 or 4 post) and 220 for the compressor (out back). I also had to tie in a driveway, put 4' walkways all around, and put a 10' x 12' pad off the back (with walkways) for future 'compressor shed.' I got lights that.....well, as my buddies said when we were drinking beer outside of it Friday night, "Are brighter than friggin daylight." Plus two uber-CFM ceiling fans and 110 everywhere (inside and out).
For plumbing I have a deep sink and a bathroom which (for now) houses only a toilet. Here in good ole CA, anything bigger than 120 sq ft. requires fire sprinklers (as of January 2014). I also added two high pressure outdoor hose bibs for car washing and, if required, firefighting....or at least feeling like I am trying to save my shop.....oh, and probably that 'house' thing. I also had it plumbed for air with drops all over the place, plumbed with pipe, not pvc. Also, the pipes to the outdoor hp bibs are copper, not pvc.
The shop is exactly like my house from the exterior. I had the house built about a year ago and I could not in good conscience put something (literally) in my front yard (I have 3 acres) that did not match the house. So, the roof tiles, hardy board, stucco, and trim all match the house exactly (even the windows).
I'm sure I am missing some stuff, but I am trying to tell the whole story as I know when I was planning this (all 45 years of my life) I read EVERYTHING I could find.
I have not received my final bill yet (I wait with bated breath...) and it will vary due to some last minute additions on my part (having contractor hook up compressor, run CAT 5 so I can hook into my home network, etc). However, I expect total cost including plans, permits, etc to be in the neighborhood of (ready for this.....) $110k. Gotta love CA!
I have land in Texas I bought when stationed there (I am retired military) and I could have built a nice house for that much......it just kills me, but you can't beat the weather and (most important) the wife (RN) has been at the same hospital for 20 years...can't walk away from that! Not to mention I got a pretty solid job when I retired from the Navy.
Happy to answer any questions, I FULLY understand planning a shop. Hell, I spent a month anguishing over whether to go 2 doors or one.........and I drove EVERYONE around me nuts as I planned this thing. My wife is so tired of hearing "shop" that anytime I mention it now she just groans (wait until she sees the total cost.....
) and everyone I work with suddenly 'remembers a meeting'......yeah, I totally get it and will answer any questions/help in any way I can.
Awesome!
Very nice!
I would like to see more pics of the out side!
Liking the other shop too...
I would like to see more pics of the out side!
Liking the other shop too...
Whats the plan for the interior walls and ceiling? Drywall, plywood, metal?
Got a link to a build thread on Garage Journal?
Got a link to a build thread on Garage Journal?
I'll get some pics of the outside when I get home from work tonight. My area is mountainous and I really like the way the shop looks from some of the mountains around me where you can see the entire property. I'll get some pics up.
The inside is a moving target. I did not finish it for a few reasons. First of all, if everyone involved in the job knows you are not finishing it, you get much better detail (no shiners, for example). Also, until you start working in it, you never know if you will have the 'I really wish I had a (socket, air drop, etc) right here.' Unfinished is much easier to tweak. Also, I really pushed the envelope financially. I know for some that kind of money is nothing, for me, not so much. I saved for a long time to build that thing. Eventually I plan to insulate (it gets hot in Ramona) and finish with (as of right now) OSB which I can then paint white......although a buddy told me that you can buy cammo OSB........I don't like sheetrock as any time you want to hang something you have to find a stud, with OSB I can put stuff anywhere.
The fact that I did not finish it drives some of my buddies insane. Hell, one of them offered to just 'do it' at no cost to me. However, he is not a motorhead, his shop is much more of a hangout.
They wrapped up everything but the attic ladder yesterday. Gutters, finish grading, etc all done. I assume they ran into a problem with the ladder because it was sitting on the ground in the middle of the shop. Hopefully they get that done today so that I can actually start moving in welders, toolboxes, etc. I gotta wait on most of the inside, my daughter is coming up on braces ($$$$), so the mezzanine (to store hoods, fenders, doors, etc during the build of the '72), benches, etc will have to wait a few months. It's all good, coming home from work and heading out there with a beer in my hand makes my day!
Oh, and I owe GarageJournal a build thread. I learned a lot on that site! I'll get to it in the next few weeks, I have TONS of pictures of the build.
The inside is a moving target. I did not finish it for a few reasons. First of all, if everyone involved in the job knows you are not finishing it, you get much better detail (no shiners, for example). Also, until you start working in it, you never know if you will have the 'I really wish I had a (socket, air drop, etc) right here.' Unfinished is much easier to tweak. Also, I really pushed the envelope financially. I know for some that kind of money is nothing, for me, not so much. I saved for a long time to build that thing. Eventually I plan to insulate (it gets hot in Ramona) and finish with (as of right now) OSB which I can then paint white......although a buddy told me that you can buy cammo OSB........I don't like sheetrock as any time you want to hang something you have to find a stud, with OSB I can put stuff anywhere.
The fact that I did not finish it drives some of my buddies insane. Hell, one of them offered to just 'do it' at no cost to me. However, he is not a motorhead, his shop is much more of a hangout.
They wrapped up everything but the attic ladder yesterday. Gutters, finish grading, etc all done. I assume they ran into a problem with the ladder because it was sitting on the ground in the middle of the shop. Hopefully they get that done today so that I can actually start moving in welders, toolboxes, etc. I gotta wait on most of the inside, my daughter is coming up on braces ($$$$), so the mezzanine (to store hoods, fenders, doors, etc during the build of the '72), benches, etc will have to wait a few months. It's all good, coming home from work and heading out there with a beer in my hand makes my day!
Oh, and I owe GarageJournal a build thread. I learned a lot on that site! I'll get to it in the next few weeks, I have TONS of pictures of the build.
Nice shop! I'm hella jealous. 
Take if from another '72K5 owner..... get a LOT of shelving built before you blow apart your project truck. The amount of space it takes to store a complete disassembled vehicle is mind-boggling.
....and if you're like me and take 7+ years to complete the restoration, you are going to want to buy maybe 1000 zip-lock bags and a few Sharpies to label all the nuts/bolts and small clips, clamps and brackets that you remove. It all looks simple and logical when it's coming apart, but after the fog of a multi-year build it's amazing how much you won't remember about the way things were assembled originally.
Oh, yeah...take pictures. Take a LOT of pictures.... more than you think you'll ever need or use. Having a photographic record of things has saved me more times than I can count.
-G
Take if from another '72K5 owner..... get a LOT of shelving built before you blow apart your project truck. The amount of space it takes to store a complete disassembled vehicle is mind-boggling.
....and if you're like me and take 7+ years to complete the restoration, you are going to want to buy maybe 1000 zip-lock bags and a few Sharpies to label all the nuts/bolts and small clips, clamps and brackets that you remove. It all looks simple and logical when it's coming apart, but after the fog of a multi-year build it's amazing how much you won't remember about the way things were assembled originally.
Oh, yeah...take pictures. Take a LOT of pictures.... more than you think you'll ever need or use. Having a photographic record of things has saved me more times than I can count.
-G
2nd on Ziploc bags and pictures. I built my truck in 2.5 years and still had problems remembering how it came apart. Ziploc bags and photos will save your butt.
Super nice shops. Very jealous. Built my truck in a 2 car garage and had to rent a storage building for all the removed parts. Not fun.
Super nice shops. Very jealous. Built my truck in a 2 car garage and had to rent a storage building for all the removed parts. Not fun.
Nice building.
Martin
Martin
Appreciate the kind words and the recommendations. Greg, pretty funny, I skimmed your entire build thread last week and....wow! You are doing some amazing things on that Blazer. Honestly, just looking at all of the things you are doing had me really thinking about where I want to end up with mine.
The engine has to come out as I have a really bad rear main seal leak, as well as 2 broken oil pan bolts. My only 'plan' right now is to pull off the front clip, pull the engine, and think.............I keep telling everyone, "It will be down for 3-4 years." We'll see. I am in no hurry.
The engine has to come out as I have a really bad rear main seal leak, as well as 2 broken oil pan bolts. My only 'plan' right now is to pull off the front clip, pull the engine, and think.............I keep telling everyone, "It will be down for 3-4 years." We'll see. I am in no hurry.
One area where you can save a lot of time (after getting all the shelving built!
) is just from the efficiency of having a large shop to spread-out in.I've mentioned before that my productivity is roughly 20% of what it would be in a larger shop, because I spend so much time cleaning and organizing and trying to find space for parts and tools. In the winter, my wife parks her car in the garage so at the end of every work session the shop MUST be completely cleaned up and everything moved into a single-stall of the garage to make room. As you can imagine, there are probably 100-200 hours in my build just dedicated to that endeavor.... and probably several hundred more lost because the truck is parked against a wall and I can't seem to get access to it the way I want most of the time.
Hopefully, you will quickly decide to build yourself a rolling cart that will hold the body (once it's unbolted) so that you can wheel it away from the frame when you need access, but will still allow you to bring it back over the top of the frame and lower it down efficiently when you need to check clearances or positioning of parts.
When I lived in California I had a detached 24x40' garage space... I don't think I fully appreciated how AWESOME that really was until I moved my build into a small 2-car garage (and sometimes 1-car)
Don't forget to start a build thread with a bunch of "BEFORE" photos.... everyone forgets to take the "BEFORE" shots and just starts blowing everything apart before they realize the oversight.
-G
Nice Building
