I was changing the oil on my '92 Miata last weekend in Phoenix and dropped the drain pan, leaving a big puddle on the garage floor. Grabbed a bag of cheap clumping cat litter from the dollar store to soak it up, figured it couldn't hurt since I was out of kitty litter. Has anyone else used cat litter for messy spills in their garage, or is there a better budget trick I should know about?
I was at a local meet in Phoenix last weekend and this guy with a 70s Camaro told me my workbench placement is all wrong. He said having it against the wall kills half your usable space, you should float it in the center. I never even considered that, always just shoved stuff against the walls. Made me wonder if I should rip out my current setup and start over before I pour concrete for the lift next month. Anyone else run a center island workbench in a 2 car garage and regret it or love it?
I keep a little log on my workbench of how much time I spend out here working on projects. Last night after I finished rebuilding the carb on my old Honda CB750 I looked down and noticed I crossed 200 hours total since January. That number just hit me. Two hundred hours of just me and my tools and my messes. Its more than I spent watching TV all year probably. And the thing is I only finished two actual projects. The rest was just learning, making mistakes, redoing stuff, cleaning up. But I dont even care. That 200 hours felt like 40 because I was actually into it. Anyone else track their garage time or am I the only weirdo keeping count?
I spent three days building a custom workbench last month, then realized my new 2-post lift made it impossible to open my car doors on the driver side. A buddy with a 30 year old setup told me to scrap the bench and go with a rolling tool cart system instead, and it freed up so much space I actually have room for a second project now. Has anyone else had to completely redo their garage layout after putting in a lift?
I finally bit the bullet last February and put in a two post lift in my 22x24 garage. The before was a disaster of tool boxes and shelving crammed in every corner. Now I can actually walk around a car while it's up in the air, and all my storage is organized underneath. Has anyone else had a lift change how they work on projects or was it just me?
I spent last spring putting together a simple 2x4 workbench from a popular online plan. Cost me about $60 in lumber and a Saturday. Then I got tired of the wobble and built a 2nd one using a solid birch butcher block top from a local lumber yard in Portland. That bench was $200 total but absolutely rock solid. Has anyone else found that spending a bit more on the work surface made all the difference for your garage projects?
So I've been building out my garage for about 6 months now, mostly for my '72 CB750 project that's been sitting in pieces. I was dead set on just leaving the concrete bare because I figured epoxy was overhyped and expensive. Last week I went over to my buddy Mark's place near Portland to help him swap a transmission, and he had just done his floor with a simple two-part epoxy kit from the hardware store. Cost him around $180 total for his 2-car garage. We spilled a whole quart of gear oil on day one and it just wiped up with a paper towel, no stain or anything. Then he dropped a heavy jack stand and it didn't even chip the surface. I was like okay, I get it now. He told me his old bare concrete absorbed every drip and he spent hours scrubbing stains, plus the dust was terrible in summer. I'm probably tackling mine next month now. Has anyone here tried the cheaper kits versus the professional install ones for a home garage that sees daily use?
I went to the Scottsdale show last month and everyone was glued to the stage watching cars go for 6 figures, but the real stuff was in the vendor tents out back where guys were actually swapping parts and telling stories. Am I the only one who thinks the main auction kills the whole grassroots vibe?
My friend Dave said to skip the anchors and just epoxy the posts into my concrete slab in Detroit, and now the whole setup wobbles on hard pulls. Anyone else had a garage project fail because you trusted someone's shortcut instead of the manual?
I had this big steel workbench taking up half my garage, and I was dead set on getting a proper motorcycle lift. Spent a weekend measuring and realized I could either sell the bench for half what I paid or chop it down to fit around the lift. I grabbed my angle grinder and cut 18 inches off the legs, then welded on some new feet. Now the lift slides right under the shortened bench, and I still have a solid surface for tools and parts. It took me about 6 hours and a few beers, but I saved myself the hassle of finding a whole new setup. Has anyone else done a similar hack to squeeze two things into one space?
I put in radiant floor heating in my garage last winter. Cost me $800 for the mats and thermostat, plus a weekend of labor. On one hand, working on my Mustang in 40 degree weather without a space heater blasting is pretty nice. On the other hand, my electric bill jumped $50 a month and I wonder if a good pair of coveralls would have done the same job for way less. Anyone else gone back and forth on this after trying both options?
I always thought wall mounted tire racks were just for show or for people with too much space. My buddy Mike insisted I try one for my off road set after I complained about tripping over rubber in my garage for the millionth time. Last month I finally caved and bought one from a local shop near Portland for $120. It freed up about 15 square feet of floor space and honestly the weight limit holds just fine even with my 35 inch mud tires. The real test was when I had to swap two tires after a trail trip and didn't once stub my toe. Has anyone else found a simple storage change that made a bigger difference than you expected?
Saw a buddy's back after he finished a transmission swap on a creeper and realized I was being stubborn for no reason... how do you guys pick between a 2-post and a 4-post lift for a home setup?
Honestly, I thought I was being smart saving money on a budget epoxy kit from a big box store. Spent a whole weekend prepping the concrete and applying it, looked great for about a month. Then summer hit in Texas and the heat made it peel up in giant sheets. Now I gotta grind all that crap off before I can even think about doing it right with a real 2-part system. Anyone else deal with that peel nightmare or know a good brand that actually holds up in heat?
I used to just grab the $80 box from the hardware store and call it done, but after that melted mess I finally wised up and spent $350 on a commercial-grade polyaspartic kit from a local supplier, and it's held up through two summers now, so has anyone else had their cheap floor coat turn into goo when temps hit triple digits?
So I'm at O'Reilly's grabbing oil for my project car last Saturday, and this older gentleman walks up while I'm staring at the shelf. He points at the filter in my hand and goes 'you know that's a left-hand thread, right?' I just blinked at him... I've been changing oil for like 15 years. He doubled down for a solid 5 minutes about how my engine would seize if I didn't get the 'correct rotation.' I didn't argue, just nodded and walked away. Has anyone else run into these self-appointed garage gurus who are 100% confident but 100% wrong?
I was setting up my two post lift in the garage last Saturday and after bolting everything down, one arm wouldn't even reach the frame rail on my Mustang, measured the floor and found a 2 inch slope across the bay that the old owner's slab pour left me with, anyone else run into floor issues after the fact and how'd you level it out?
Peeled up like bad sunburn within 6 months after one winter of salt and snow melt. Anyone else had luck with epoxy flakes instead or is that just another expensive headache?
I was working on my buddy's old Camaro last Saturday, swapping out the rear brakes. Had it up on these $30 stands I got from a flea market 5 years ago. Soon as I put some real torque on the breaker bar, the whole car shifted maybe an inch to the side. Scared me BAD. Went straight to Harbor Freight and got the Daytona 3-ton ones for $60. The difference in stability is night and day. Has anyone here had a close call with sketchy jack stands and what did you switch to?
He showed me his vest setup with a magnetic pouch on the left hip for fasteners and a slot for the gun on the right, and after trying it for one shift I realized how much time I was burning just shuffling around, so has anyone else had a simple gear tweak like that cut down your garage build time?
He said he spent hours grinding his concrete and still got peeling because he skipped the moisture test, so now I'm buying a $20 kit from the hardware store before I even think about laying down that expensive epoxy. Anyone else have their floor fail because they rushed the prep?
He showed me how he welded an old scissor jack frame into a rolling table, and now I can't stop thinking about how much easier that would make engine swaps in my tiny garage. Has anyone else rigged up cheap lifting gear that actually holds up?
I always thought epoxy garage floors were just for showing off, but last month my buddy Mike finished his 2-car garage in Nashville and let me help him park his project car on it. The lighting alone made the space look twice as big and I could actually see oil drips from his old Mustang before they stained anything. I found out from talking to him that a decent DIY kit runs about 400 bucks and takes a weekend, which is way less than I guessed. Has anyone here done a cheap epoxy job that actually held up to hot tire pickup?
Had an air leak in the garage last week. Sounded like a slow hiss near the tank. Poked around for 45 minutes before I realized the drain valve was just barely cracked open. Must have bumped it moving a stand. Has anyone else wasted a whole afternoon on something this dumb?