Restoring / looking after..

[Kerniki]

Ive got to a place in my life now where i have the time to work on my classic cars, so i’m looking to create a suitable workshop to do this and looking for advice on what / how to create this space, ive hooked into a couple of other threads re lifts and cabinets etc, got flooring covered (excuse pun)

Now curious about tools, degreasing basins, must have potions and lotions for cleaning & renovating stuff and i imaginé you guys have your ‘go to’ products that you couldn’t do without?

Only item i can remember from my old bike days was Duraglit for anything metal!

Can we help out an older guy with kitting out his new workshop? ive built a decent size to play with, proper lighting and concrete /resin floor thick enough to take lift..

Any suggestions?

[Blib]

Do you have any photos of the space?

[ChevronB19]

A source of warmth (seriously) and a ‘creeper’ to save your back whilst under the car. Ideally a lift, less ideally a rotisserie. Comfort is important. Oh, and steel toe capped boots, eye protection, gloves (where appropriate) and a massive amount of blue paper towel and surgical gloves. Health is also important!

[tapkaJohnD]

If you plan on serious restoration, such as rebuilding engines/gearboxes etc, and have space, a 'clean area' is useful. A general work area, where you may drill, machine, weld, sand, paint etc, can get very dusty. Just what you don't want inside a nice new assembly!

Ideally, a closed room with a fresh air fan from outside, providing positive pressure ventilation to keep the dust out.

John

[GAjon]

Beer fridge and a Kylie calendar.

[Mark A S]

GAjon said:

Beer fridge and a Kylie calendar.

This

[VeeReihenmotor6]

The foundations of a good workspace would be

- a Lift to get the car at a safe workable height.
- triple the floorspace to what the car takes up for work areas, benches
- work area - benches, big tools such as presses
- storage, lots, for car parts, tools, paint, bottles of stuff such as wd40 etc etc
- good lighting
- somewhere to sit and ponder
- pvc style tiles for the floor
- tool organisation - wall storage, tool box

I built a 15m x 4m garage at my current property, width was a limiting factor. I had dreams of owning multiple cars but only have 1 classic and the space i have is great for work areas and storage. I could fit another car in there but it would then be a garage for parking and not a workshop.

[Kerniki]

Thanks gents, wall memorabilia inc

Not been back on here as ive been looking at whats available..

Turns out one of my friends who owns a few Norautos in the region actually has a friend who designs amateur and pro garages from the ground up, flooring, lifts, tools cabinets etc so he’s going to pop round for a look, only as a guide though as i like the idea of designing it myself, part of the fun + i can see how much money i’m saving by doing it myself which should help with the man maths

Although the building ive built is huge, i’m only giving over one side of it to; 1 x 5m x 9m / 3 x 5m x 6m bays, to the cars, i’ll put up a picture at some point.

The larger of the 4 bays will be the main work area where tools etc will be, the other 3 will mainly be for just parked cars.

I dont want to go to the extent of engine rebuilds tbh but happy to rebuild a diff for example, engine and gearbox i’ll give to others as i want to keep the place fairly clean because of our other activities within the main building.

Anyway, i’ll get up some pics once ive managed to get the enclosed trailer out of the way as its blocking any ideas for spacial awareness at the moment..

[Mr Tidy]

It sounds like a fantastic project whatever you decide to do.

I hope you keep us updated and add some photos!

[Kerniki]

Well, i’ve at least got the floor tiles sorted. 110m2 of ‘swisstrax smooth pro’ were on special after i had some colour samples sent through, easier to wheel cabinets around..

Cleaned up all my old tools yesterday and i have accrued a fair amount tbh, i was surprised, all clean stuff in the new workshop, i have another 200m2 workshop where i can do more dirty stuff, cleaning, buffing etc and a 300m2 concrete hardstand where i can jet wash underneath of cars etc

Also, where the new workshop is, because of its elevated floor and terrasse area, i ‘could’ create a metal (moveable) platform that would mean i could drive cars off the terrasse straight over the metal frame on the hardstand and it would effectively be an outside raised area to get underneath, would only be about 4ft high though.. food for thought and will post some pics, i like to get creative with ideas..

[Jaz2000]

It sounds like you have a good space and budget, but it will depend on how much you intend to do as there is little point in buying a press for example if you only use it once.

However I would put a 4 post ramp in with a jacking beam, these are great for many jobs but even just cleaning a car getting to all the lower parts is easy.
There are many discussions on 2 post/4 post ramps and many prefer the 2 post however I have one of each and hardly use the 2 post and keep thinking of replacing it with another 4 post which would get a lot more use.

A good workbench with a big vice is also money well spent.

[ingenieur]

I'm thinking about building one in the garden and was worried that my planned 10m x 14m was excessive but it's reassuring to read some of the dimensions described above.

Sounds to me like you've thought of most things.

Controlling dust is important if you want to make nice clean restored cars so sanding / grinding / painting has to be separated from other jobs.

Smoothness is also important for moving things around, cars on wheel dollies are really tough to move on a rippled concrete floor but not so difficult on a smooth concrete floor! Also consider dropping the 2-post lift a few inches into the floor so the cable which connects both sides is below ground level.

[paulyv]

A slight thread hijack but one that might help the OP if he wanted one. Could someone tell me what those aprons that lay over the car wing when the bonnet is up are called? They often have pockets for tool and clearly protect the paintwork when leaning into the engine bay. I've tried every combination of words to imagine what they might be called and have drawn a blank so far. I am well aware it is going to be obvious when stated and this seemed a preferable thread to raise the query.

[ingenieur]

paulyv said:

A slight thread hijack but one that might help the OP if he wanted one. Could someone tell me what those aprons that lay over the car wing when the bonnet is up are called? They often have pockets for tool and clearly protect the paintwork when leaning into the engine bay. I've tried every combination of words to imagine what they might be called and have drawn a blank so far. I am well aware it is going to be obvious when stated and this seemed a preferable thread to raise the query.

wing protectors... comes straight up.

[Kerniki]

[

Jaz2000 said:

It sounds like you have a good space and budget, but it will depend on how much you intend to do as there is little point in buying a press for example if you only use it once.

However I would put a 4 post ramp in with a jacking beam, these are great for many jobs but even just cleaning a car getting to all the lower parts is easy.
There are many discussions on 2 post/4 post ramps and many prefer the 2 post however I have one of each and hardly use the 2 post and keep thinking of replacing it with another 4 post which would get a lot more use.

A good workbench with a big vice is also money well spent.

Thats a good insight, having both and rarely using the 2 is about a good a test between them as you could get i guess, there really isnt that much between them cost wise, for me it was more an aesthetics thing but the possibility of being able to store an additional car underneath a 4 (i wouldnt with a 2 poster) is something you never know you might need, no matter how much space you have.

Funnily, a very attractive stainless looking 4 poster from usa popped up on my fb feed at $4k, 4t & even with import tax comes in within budget, might look to this..

ingenieur said:

I'm thinking about building one in the garden and was worried that my planned 10m x 14m was excessive but it's reassuring to read some of the dimensions described above.

Sounds to me like you've thought of most things.

Controlling dust is important if you want to make nice clean restored cars so sanding / grinding / painting has to be separated from other jobs.

Smoothness is also important for moving things around, cars on wheel dollies are really tough to move on a rippled concrete floor but not so difficult on a smooth concrete floor! Also consider dropping the 2-post lift a few inches into the floor so the cable which connects both sides is below ground level.

I honestly dont think you can have too much space, nobody ever said ‘this could do with being smaller’

I’m quite messy when actually working and a smaller space would mean constant clearing, i find with a bigger space i think bigger to, spreading my/yourself out is important, i plan on doing some ev conversions at some point and that takes a lot of space from watching youtube..

Anything real dirty will go on in my other workshop next door where i do other woodwork / metalwork jobs anyway, I have a very hard to find (these days) 1.5” thick solid steel engineers table which (6ft x 4ft & 1ton) is great for many jobs that involve jigging, perfectly flat, had it since i was an apprentice..

Edited by Kerniki on Monday 11th March 09:43