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School me on the best feature of your Bronco shop/garage

Jeff76

Sr. Member
Joined
Dec 23, 2011
Messages
638
Loc.
Alpharetta GA
I travel a lot, and I'm always leaving my bronco in little pieces in my 'wife's' attached garage. I have a basement garage shop that a bit full right now, so no room to work. For the sake of harmony, I'm thinking of building my own Bronco garage. I've read some of the garage threads and got some ideas:

Bigger is better.
Conditioned air is better, but not required.
Great lighting is a must
2 post lift is mandatory, 15 ft ceiling is good.
Wash sink is good.
Steel I beam for chain puller trolley in bay is good.

What is the best feature of your shop/garage that you can't live without?
 

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BluebroncoNC

Bronco Guru
Joined
Jul 30, 2007
Messages
1,717
Loc.
Asheville, NC
You mean, aside from the fact a Bronco resides inside?

Sadly, I don't have a bronco garage, am considering building one myself, so I hope you get a few good ideas. I considered a "pit" but the osha requirements are pretty steep, (my garage will be at my business location).
 

gray gables

Sr. Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2013
Messages
742
I don't have a garage, wish I did. The bigger the better, pretty hard to air condition a garage with high ceilings. If you do build one spend the money on insulating it, it'll save on heating&cooling it. A 36x36 would be ideal size with a truss roof. I'm a builder by trade and that's what I would do if I had the room and cash.
 

doradoguy

Jr. Member
Joined
Nov 22, 2011
Messages
69
Funny I was going to start a simular thread. I'm looking at building a 40X30 and wondering what would be the perfect layout.
 

doradoguy

Jr. Member
Joined
Nov 22, 2011
Messages
69
that would be a awesome garage, why not go 40x40, won't be cheap though.

That's all the space I have in that location. I could move it to another part of the property but wouldn't have much power and believe the trusses could be a challenge at that distance.
 

SteveL

Huge chevy guy
Joined
Jun 24, 2001
Messages
11,668
Loc.
Hawthorne ca
The fridge is the most important part. With that said bigger is better. Then the problem is you keep buying more shop tools and need more space. I'm about to get a big shed for the yard because all the tools and parts have taken over the man cave.
 

TwoDalesDad

Bronco Guru
Joined
Jul 19, 2011
Messages
1,515
Having a floor drain....Is really handy......its tricky since you also want a level surface as well. Another nice feature are Chain pulls in the floor......They again are handy as well......Last would be ventilation.....
 

PlaneDrvr99

Jr. Member
Joined
Dec 10, 2007
Messages
118
Loc.
Norman, Oklahoma
I just got my 40x60 building delivered yesterday. Its a bolt together so I will have clear air, no trusses. Oh and 14 ft walls help to. Hopefully going to have footings and foundation poured late next week once we get above freezing.
 

garberz

Bronco Influencer
Joined
Jun 24, 2007
Messages
6,857
Loc.
Conejo Valley, Ca.
The best feature of my garage is the full bath with a washer and dryer. My garage is detached from the house.

Mark
 

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gray gables

Sr. Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2013
Messages
742
200amp service, plumbing would be nice,cost though. I would insulate the slab before pouring it with 2 inch rigid insulation, it will help in the long run. I live in Nh so insulation is a must, foam is the best, very costly though. My friends buddy has a 40x80 steel building, it is friggin huge, all free span also.
 

u10072

Bronco Guru
Joined
May 18, 2007
Messages
2,249
Lights lights and more lights! Organization is key. I have a friend of mine that has a 4000 sqft shop and the part about his shop that is really amazing is the organization. Organizing and keeping the junk out and the actual usable parts organized is the key to not needing another 4000. The roll up door is also a biggie-- if the door comes up and it covers up the lights you have this dark spot that really sucks so a roll up is really nice. LIghts and electrical outlets all over is probably the biggies on my list.
 

00gyrhed

Bronco Guru
Joined
Aug 3, 2006
Messages
2,428
most of what you want is great but.....

bigger is better but well thought out will save you money. I had a 24X24 detached garage with bare studs and overhead raters at my first house and was never lacking for space. I even managed to work on a 55 chevy and a 73 CJ5 at the same time. engine and transmission swaps for both in the same time frame. My current finished out 30X30 is too small but its because of the way its laid out, with three man doors and the roll up. Along with water heater, wash sink etc. I would rather have my old 24X24.

dependent upon where you live AC might not even be possible without a ton of unneeded insulation and a really good sealed and insulated roll up door. Then you will find you spent a lot of money for something you don't really need or use all that much. What you will also find is that you will have to leave it running because when you come home from work and want to work a couple of hours it will take a couple of hours to get it cool.

lighting hell yes

Wash sink is great as well but location of you sewer may make that a really expensive convenience. I put one in my first shop and dumped it on the ground outside the shop. ended up with two tickets and a threat of condemnation if I needed take out the sink. I ignored them because Dallas doesnt have the time to worry over a mop sink that If I didn't have anyway I would just wash my hands in the same place with a water hose. But I did take it out when I sold the house.

Don't waste you time and money with stationary lift devices of any kind. You will find that they are never where you need them and are always in the way. you wont use them much and a little roll around cherry picker will probably be a part of your tool set anyway. it will do whatever you need.

Don't use your money for something you might not use very often and based on the fact you are asking this question you probably wont use any stationary lift enough to need it. When I was young I did a project about once every two years. I probably averaged an engine a year. I once pulled one out on a tree then backed my pickup under it to take it into the shop. it went back in the same way, and it didn't take but a few minutes more than if I had spent all the money on a nice lift.

Unless you are going to work on 18 wheelers don't waste money on interior height. 8ft will work and 10 ft is more than enough. just make sure you get a door that will let a lifted bronco with tall tires and a top get in. Not just the door needs to be right but the approach as well. I can drive in to my garage forward but if I back in the bestop hits the door frame. The hardtop with rack would not go in the garage with 33s and a 2" of total lift.

If you are going to be a one project at a time guy and that project basically being your one or two broncos. You will not need a huge shop. Build something along the lines of 24X24 or 24X30. Keep it clean and simple. Spend you money on things like air compressors, presses, cherry pickers, drill press, pedestal grinders , a really good mig, etc.

Also keep in mind that one day you may need or want to sell the house. In this day and age (and it will get worse) a shop is often a deterrent. I moved to a house where the 20X24 barn in the back actually reduced the value of the house. There are less and less of us that work on out own vehicles so keep it only as large as you need, you may not get you r money back if you ever sell. Don't fall into the trap of thinking all my friends either have or want a shop in their yard. You tend to run with people of common interests and most people don't do this stuff. Shops are like pools. they don't really increase the value of the house as much as you will have in them and they reduce the number of potential buyers because most people don't want a big ass building in the back yard.

Unless you just want a cool shop so you can bring people over and show it off, save your money for the projects, you can drive them around and show them off. :)
 
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Jeff76

Jeff76

Sr. Member
Joined
Dec 23, 2011
Messages
638
Loc.
Alpharetta GA
that would be a awesome garage, why not go 40x40, won't be cheap though.

40x40 is what I'm thinking too, with 3 bays, attached to the basement side of my house. That way, the basement garage in the picture would open into the addition, and could be used as intended, my workshop. It's underground, and stay temperate winter and summer.

Jeff
 

okie4570

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Jul 16, 2012
Messages
9,252
Loc.
NW OK
My "garage shop" has now been moved to the corner of my friends "farm equipment shop". A man could put a lot of broncos in there, this is only the east 1/4 of the shop. He likes to tinker just as much as I do, and yet is still not an EB owner.........I'm working on him though.;)

photobucket-20917-1381107858526_zps3ae38cbd.jpg
 
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Jeff76

Jeff76

Sr. Member
Joined
Dec 23, 2011
Messages
638
Loc.
Alpharetta GA
Having a floor drain....Is really handy......its tricky since you also want a level surface as well. Another nice feature are Chain pulls in the floor......They again are handy as well......Last would be ventilation.....

What about a floor drain in just one of the bays? Surely don want one under the lift...
 

hawkgt

Full Member
Joined
Sep 22, 2003
Messages
202
Loc.
Leesburg, VA
My second favorite forum is garagejournal.com and you can read until your heart is content on this topic over there. I too have a basement shop seperate from my main garage. Some of my favorite features include the air compressor in a seperate room, dedicated bathroom, lots of air drops and outlets, refrigerator, liftmaster jack shaft garage door opener. I struggle with the lift question for the same reasons gyrhed mentioned. If you really want a lift also consider the max jacks portable lift system or a recessed scissor lift. Both options allow the lift the be out of the way when not in use.
 
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