The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk *Us Little Guys*

I'm off work today and setting out in the garage wishing I had a bigger garage but it ain't going to happen so it is what it is. My wife parks her car on one side and the 49 gets the other side. Of course my car sets outside and that's fine. Getting ready to retire in 3 1/2 weeks so I'm looking at putting a desk in the corner in front of the truck. I'll have to shoehorn it in but I think it will fit. For all you other little guys out there let's see what you have done with the space you have.

Congratulations on retirement. We can meet each day at Chic-fil A....make it 9am. hehe

zippi, get a stool, with a back rest, and a narrow tall desk like a pulpit/podium and add couple short shelves overhead and your all set. A retired man doesn't need a stinking big desk!
Enjoy the ride, I'm sure you deserve it. Nothing like it!

The more shop/barn space you have the more things you can put in it.
This addiction has gotten out of hand!

Don

Well retired 2 years ago only to go back to work, still working on the shop though.

Thanks guys. Looking forward to retirement. I may go back to work at some point but not the 10 hrs a day 6 days a week I have now. Part time would be nice. I want to take some time off first, drink a few Blue Moon and think a lot about it.

2-Ton,

Dang dude. You are far from being a Little guy. My whole garage would fit in the corner of your building.

Achipmunk,

I had a dry run at retirement when I was furloughed from my job for 9 weeks due to the pandemic. I was really liking it. I better leave now if I'm going to make it to Chic-fil by 9am haha.

I envy all of you.

Here's my work space. I can use Mrs. Wally's garage for shorter terms but not the long term projects like I had from Fall 2002 to Spring 2004. Two winters!

One exception was prepping the 261.

I was able to build a second garage on my property for my projects. Even though it's 24x36 with a 12' rafter height, I still "need" more space.

Enjoy your retirement Zippi!

Thanks. If I had more room I would add on but being a city dweller it ain't gonna happen. My garage is 20'wide X 24' deep.

I'm officially jealous. My daily driver truck (F250 Superduty Super Cab) won't even fit all the way in my garage. I had to oust my wife's car a few years back to make room for my restoration project. Needless to say, she's not happy about her car living outside in the cold.

I was lucky and got a good job in Central missouri in 1987.
Grew up in St.Louis and WOW, what a change!
Married a local country Gal that knows how to skin a deer or whatever I bring home!
She even skinned cleaned and tanned the hide of a timber rattler years ago.
I drag things home and she may shake her head, but as long as the bills are paid, she is a happy camper!
Have 48 2-Ton on the trailer headed to southeast Missouri in about a week.
That will be a 400+ mile round trip. Cruise control and let the old 7.3 eat up the miles!

Don

Don,
I'll have to say that you are a lucky man.

Rob

I have been infatuated with garages since my early teens. So much that I talked my Dad into building a two car (20x24) in our back yard when I was 17. Best learning experience ever. Mostly built by my teenage friends, my younger brother, myself and of course my Dad. It took us all summer, but we did it all, concrete to shingles. I remember cutting every rafter with a new Black & Decker circular saw that I bought just for the project.

After high school, then working full time I would almost always go straight to the garage and tinker until 10 or 10:30 every night. As a matter of fact, that garage is where I met my wife. She was tagging along with her girlfriend that was visiting a friend of mine who was building a sand rail in my garage. That was way back in 1981.

Since getting married, we've moved 3 times and built a new garage at each place. Square footage technically excludes myself as being one of "Us Little Guys" but trust me, I know all about working out in the elements.

You guys and gals that are toughing it out in tight spaces or even without shelter, have my deepest admiration.

John

I am too embarrassed to post what truck/work/parts accommodations I now have.
It is truck-hobby heaven on earth.

But, I started in the open in/on the dirt "lawn" in front of my very very small house.
When it was too wet/mushy to work in the dirt, I worked on the truck on an incline on a narrow city road.

I am now a very lucky guy.

The garage I have now (for the past 36 or so years) is the only one I remember that had a car in it for an extended length of time. For the past few years it's held my project bits and pieces. When I was growing up in SoCal the garage (built when I was 4) held a car for very little time. I remember my dad rebuilding the transmission in the 48 GMC shop truck in there, but otherwise it was basically a storage building/workshop. And I built 2 Model A's working out of that garage (mostly out). A few years back, my sisters and I rented a 30' long dumpster and cleaned out the multiple years of stuff that was stored in there. That and the couple of storage sheds my dad had built filled that dumpster to the top. Did I mention that I come from a long line of packrats? My mom cried when some of those old memories went in the dumpster.
But I've been one of those "Little Guys" for all my life.

This is where I built my entire truck from rolling chassis to running driving truck with a LS powerplant and all original functioning everything else. I pulled it out with the skidsteer and pushed it back in every night as i worked on it. I have a very small garage that the trucks in now but it didn’t go into the garage until it was under its own power. I kind of laugh to myself when people say they cant do something because of lack of equipment or shop space. I will one day have a nice large shop but for the time being im not gonna let it stop me from doing my projects. Just need to be creative to get it done.

I do all my work outside, southfacing driveway, sun keeps the snow melted.

Ed

I do all my work outside, southfacing driveway, sun keeps the snow melted.

Ed

2 Ton, can I come over to play? Is the firetruck from Vienna, IL? Ed

Come on over Doc!
I'm at the age now and I want to down size. So bring some money and make some offers.
You may just take something home with you.
The ladder truck is from Vienna, Mo. It was in service when I bought it.
Read the write up in my sig.

Don

I'm moving up in the world I guess, I poured a 28 X 40 slab 2012, up till then it was working in the sand or on a 5 X 7 piece of aluminum diamond plate. A shop is coming, I hope this fall.

KC, MO area.

Ed

I think this pretty much shows my (lack of) space. The truck has to be rolled out into the driveway for literally any work that needs to be performed.

Here's a pic w/truck. Getting under it on the picture's right side is really tough. Getting out of there requires the breast stroke to the left side. Then standing up is pretty funny.

Haha, you win!

Haha....that's a little tight. what size shoe horn does it take to get your truck in the garage???

There is NO SUCH THING as enough room. My old shop was almost an acre, 41,800 sq ft, and it was overcrowded. My present shop is 6,000 sq ft and has 15 cars in various stages of restoration/street rodded and it has wiggle room only. Do sometimes miss in the old shop every automotive machine known to man, chassis dyno, engine dyno, anchor pad and chain for pull truck/tractor clutch setting, 24' ceiling with overhead crane, and all the other toys for big boys. DON'T miss the "got to have it by tomorrow or I'll die" schedule of dealing with the racing public. Now we talk of "maybe done by Christmas". Much easier on an old man.

I’m in a 36x36 pole barn and have a lift now! Grew up living in trailers and still remember the time my dad and I changed a clutch in my 65 Chevy truck in the snow on jack stands... now I feel like my shop is luxurious even though it lacks AC... of course I wish I had more room and more hot rods to fill the room but I’ll
Be more than satisfied with what I’ve got.

A good friend of mine recently to told me that he's looking to move (already has a newer house with a 3 car garage).
Said he's looking for a "Garage" with a detached house. He's married, so that's not likely to happen.

John