MOAR OPEL GT PLZ!
--billyM
It only took 5 years, but I am here to deliver. I talked my buddy out of this old 72 Opel GT, sold my rx7 project and datsun pickup to make space to work in there. Still have a mk2 parts car out front I need to strip and clear out though... You can juuuust make out the now clean corner where it used to live. Oh we got a lift in there now too, love that thing. Added quite a few more 4' LED lights and the place is downright enjoyable to work in now. Still trying to figure out the best fan method to make it bearable for more of the day, all summer it's just miserable between about 11am and 8pm. Picked up a 4' belt driven barrel fan today actually, not sure if it'll be best to suck air out, blow air in, or what, but i'll be happy to have moving air for sure.
Little bit of rust behind the wheels, but overall a very clean car. Plan at the moment is to replace every rubber bit needed to get it safe, enjoy it as is for a bit, and decide if it's fun enough to drive to justify throwing a beams or something at it. Love the look of these old 13" wheels, but tire selection is laughable. 15/16x7 +20 offset 4x100mm wheels seem to be what most places offer for these, very easy to find these specs. There is actually a set of rpf1's in 14x7 +28 with 205/55 r888's that is SUPER tempting locally, but I'm hoping for something a little more classic styling. Just under 23" diameter tires are much easier to find as well which is nice.
The opel was in full storage mode in this pic below, you can't even see it in the corner. This supra and the rx7 are sold, and the ole heirloom white one lives at home. Getting big heavy duty shelves is a game changer, not sure what took us so long honestly. You can see all the random crap all over the floors because there was no way to get bulky heavy things stored up on the loft safely.
Got a multiprocess welder to play with, no idea what I'm doing but I'm having fun figuring it out. Made a little cart as a first project that is great for long distance travel, but I need to build a stand for that with 4 casters for shuffling around the shop with it. My buddy is a certified pro and shows me the ropes and answers questions I can't find on google, very very handy to have skilled friends.
Home garage is rockin these days as well with the Supra and a couple motorcycles at any given time. The 06 VFR 800 i just ride and haul things/bicycles on, 86 VFR700 family heirloom in pic is actually all done and at a friends house to make space while I'm restoring a grey market 86 VFR400R. Bicycles get to live inside because honestly I use those more than anything else I own.
Quarantine has really helped me appreciate having multiple projects going. Friends that didn't have hobbies before are scrambling for things to do, and I feel like a hoarderline king. When i hit a stopping point on one project, there is almost always something else I can find to do on another one.
That's about where I'm at too square footage-wise. I would have gone taller on the shop building but architecturally, it would have looked disproportionate if the roof of the shop were significantly taller than the roof of the house. Its OK tho. Since I'm short, I don't have to lift a car very high to stand under it.
Sports cars I can work under just fine. Its only when I put my pickup truck on the lift that I wish I had a taller ceiling. But I know people who have lifts in a standard attached garage with an 8 foot ceiling. Its still great for working on the brakes and suspension since its like putting the whole car on top of your workbench, and for working underneath, they just use a small stool with casters similar to the way you'd use a creeper with jackstands.
That is the exact problem I have when I put my van up on the lift. It is still better than crawling around under the thing, but not nearly as nice as lifting sports cars way up high. Funny enough this van is actually about the same length as a MK2, but such a weird/fun thing to drive in its own way. I usually bicycle/motorcycle/supra in that order when I need to get somewhere, and the girlfriend gets the van. The van also doesn't get to live inside, but only 1 vehicle living outside out of all the garbage I own aint bad.