Most essential piece in your garage?

[*89x2*]

This thread: http://www.corvetteactioncenter.com/forums/showthread.php?t=90414 got me thinking about garages and how important they are to a car guy (or gal).


Inside your garage (and aside from your cars), what is the most important, essential, or must-have item in your garage?? ;help

Is it your lift? How about the sofa and fridge? Tool box and workbenches? HD flat-panel TV? What is it?? What is essential??


I'll post a poll with the most obvious selections - if you have something in mind besides what is listed, please post it in your response after selecting, "other."

 

[grumpyvette]

its the skill level and experiance of the guy or gal IN that garage that determines the level of expertize,and the resulting finished work, hand tools a decent set of jack stands and knowing what your doing will ALWAYS produce better results than all the lifts, compressors,welders etc. in the world in un-skilled hands.
now its goes without saying you need a decent level concrete floor in out of the rain,
Im a tool junky, but having the correct tools speeds up the work and makes it easier to do, hand tools in skilled hands can do just as much work, and at times get better results, it just takes longer and requires more effort.
you DON,T need to be comfortable, or have the best tools, but you do need to understand what your trying to accomplish and how the parts work, what caused them to fail and what youll need to do to correctly repair or modify them
having the correct lighting, a lift,air conditioning, cold beers etc, may be nice, but it adds little but added comfort or ease of access to the guy doing the work, its the skills of the guy doing the work and his extensive experiance and understanding of mechanics that gets the job done

other than an extensive list of HAND TOOLs
like a VOM meter
timing light
vacuum gauge
fuel pressure gauge
IR TEMP GUN
JACK STANDS
and shop manuals/ and a decent set of diagnostic meters sure helps (ILL POST MY TOOL LIST BELOW)

Id say a good
quality welder,
die grinder
compressor,
DRILL PRESS
QUALITY lift,
are nice but not MANDATORY, because you can usually borrow or sub out some of the work

BTW heres MY TOOL LIST, IVE POSTED BEFORE,.....IF IT FITS IN A COUPLE OF MY PRO SIZED TOOL CHEST ITS A HAND TOOL.....and YEAH IVE GOT 90% or more PLUS of those tools in my tool chest...LIKE I SAID IM A TOOL JUNKY......but the lift, compressor, welders are great but not necessarily mandatory

GRUMPYVETTES BASIC TOOL LIST
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
l items that may come in handy -not a comnplete list but it will get you started
A set of quick release tools for late model gm fuel lines and a/c line disconnects.
ACETYLENE TORCH
ADJUSTABLE LENGTH PUSH ROD
ADJUSTABLE POINTER ,
Adjustable stand, for dial indicator
Air compressor
Air ratchet
Allen wrenches
Allen wrenches
ASK QUESTIONS (its important to get answers BEFORE screwing up)
ASSORTED FILES
Assorted pliers/vise grips
ASSORTED SOCKETS,OPEN AND BOX WRENCHES 1/2",3/8".1/4" DRIVE
auto xray software
Ball joint press tools
Ball joint separator forks
Battery charger(full size shop type)
Bench grinder w/ wire wheel
Bench grinder w/ wire wheel
bearing press 12 ton hydrolic
Big huge screwdriver which doubles as a pry bar
BORE GAUGE
Brake spring pliers and retaining spring tool
Breaker bar
CAM BEARING INSTALLER
CAM DEGREE WHEEL
CAM HANDLE
CARBIDE BURRS
Carburetor stand
CC Burette Kit/PLUS STAND
Checking springs
chisels (assorted sizes/types)
clamp for compressing calipers
CLUTCH PILOT
Coil spring compressors
COMMON SENSE
Compression gauge
Compression tester
Compressor
CRANK SOCKETS
Creeper
Crows feet
Cutting torch
CYLINDER HONE
Deep sockets
DENT PULLER
DEPTH GAUGE
Dial indicator,
Die grinder
digital meter
Differential Set-up Kit
Distributor wrench sae
Distributor wrench metric
Drain pans all sizes
Dremel tool set to cut rivets etc.
DRIFT PUNCHES (assorted sizes/types)
Drill bits
DRILL PRESS
Drop light (florescent preferred)
Duct tape
Dwell meter for the older cars
EASY OUTS
ELECTRIC SOLDER GUN
Electrical connectors assorted
Electrical tape
Engine hoist
ENGINE LEVELER
ENGINE STAND
Feeler Gages
FIRE EXTINGUISHER co2
FIRE EXTINGUISHER powder
Flexible dwell key for point distributors
FREEZE PLUG INSTALLER
FUEL PRESSURE GAUGE
Full set of assorted hammers all the way up to 5 lb hand held full set of tap and dies metric and standard
Full set of torqze tip screw drivers and sockets male and female all sizes
Full size vice
Gasket scraper 2"
Gasket scraper4"
Gear Pullers (assorted)
GM disk brake caliper Allen key 3/8 and 5/16
GOOD KNOWLEDGEABLE FRIENDS
Grease gun
Harmonic balancer puller
HARMONIC BALLANCER INSTALLER
HONING STONE
Impact sockets
Jack stands and a 2 1/2 -3 ton full size service floor jack
JEWELERS FILES
LAPTOP COMPUTER with diagnostic software
Leakdown tester
LIFTER BORE HONE
LIFTER GROOVE TOOL
Line wrenches
LUIS TOOL
Magnet
MAGNETIC PICK UP TOOL
MAGNIFYING GLASS
Mallet
MANUAL LUBE PUMP
MICROMETERS
MIG WELDER
Mini Valve Spring Tester
MIRROR
Multimeter
Normal screwdrivers all sizes
NUT SPLITTER
OIL CAN
Oil filter and regular spin on filter wrenches.
Oil filter wrench plier type
Oil filter wrench expandable type
Oil pump primer chevy
Oil Pump Primers hydrolic
ONE NEW SOLID LIFTER
Paint gun
PB BLASTER OIL
Permanent marker
Pipe cutter
PISTON RING COMPRESSOR
Piston stop,
Pitman arm puller
Plasma cutter 200amp
Plasma cutter 60amp
PLASTIC HAMMER
Plastic zip-lock bags
Pneumatic chisel
Pneumatic impact guns 3/8 and 1/2 drive
Pressure bleeder for brakes
PRY BAR
PUSHROD CHECKER
Putty knife
Ramps
Rear caliper piston turning tool
REFERENCE MANUALS
Retracting extension cord
RIFLE CLEANING ROD AND BRUSHES FOR OIL PASSAGES
Ring expander pliers
RING GAP FILER
Rochester idle mixture adjusting tool
ROD BOLT GUIDES
ROD BOLT STRETCH GAUGE
Safety glasses
saws all
Sandblaster
SCAN SOFTWARE
Shorty wrenches
Sledge or mall hammer
SMALL FLASH LIGHT
Snap ring pliers internal and external
Speed wrench
SPRING COMPRESSOR
Standard set of drift pin punches, alignment punches, and centering punches.
Steering column lock plate compressor
Steering wheel puller
Stethoscope
Stick/arc welder
STUD INSTALLER
TAPE MEASURE
Taps & dies
Test light
Three or four of every size socket and wrenches plus extensions ETC.
Throw-away vinyl gloves
Tig welder
Timing light
Tire iron
Tire Pressure Gauges
Torque wrench 3/8'
TORQUE WRENCH 1/2"
Transmission jack
Tubing bender
Tubing cutter
Tubing flare tool
Utility knife
Utility knife
VACUUM GAUGE
Valve spring compressor
Wheel chocks (keep cars from rolling)
Wire crimper

surprizingly a good deal of that stuff fits inside three pro-size craftsman tool boxes,that stand 6 feet tall and 40" wide and have 22 drawers each (at $2000 each..ON SALE??) and the stuff like various welders,bearing presses,hoists ETC. don,t take up as much room as you might think

 

[*89x2*]

IM A TOOL JUNKY......

No doubt!

 

[John H. Christensen]

THE MOST ESSENTIAL THING WOULD BE: ROOM FOR MORE CARS!

 

[KANE]

Most essential piece in your garage?

The car!

That one was a no brainer...

:L

Seriously, my most valuable tools... my collection of automotive, EFI, and Corvette books. Knowledge is power!

:cool

 

[RodsnRides]

Tools

I'm with DarkShark and Grumpyvette. You gotta have the tools. I realize for some, the garage is a storage place for the 'Vette. For me, it's a work zone.

Those tools include the books of knowledge. I probably have about 75% of grumpy's collection, including some Chevrolet and Harley-Davidon specialty tools. I have a pair of "3-stacker boxes" (top/middle/bottom), and still have a little overage.

Grumpy, I especially like a couple of your tools - "common sense" and "good knowledgeable friends".

And yes, my space (24' X 36' - max allowed my area) does have a fridge, a TV, a stereo, a table with 4 chairs, library/computer/office room, and a compressor room. It currently houses my 'Vette, a '67 GTO, 3 Harleys, a cherry picker, solvent tank, grinder, blast cabinet, 2 small block engines, and lots of shelving crammed with heads, intakes, exhaust, carbs (over 12 Q-jets), etc. It is full, but tidy and pretty well organized. One of my smarter moves was to epoxy the floor, and it is carpeted in most areas. Luckily, I have a shed for all the lawn gear, dirt bikes and other projects not currently in progress. I love my space, and my dog does, too.

Rick
:gap
McMurdo Station, Antarctica

 

[shopview]

THE MOST ESSENTIAL THING WOULD BE: ROOM FOR MORE CARS!

John, If you need helping making sure you can get that most important thing in our garage to happen.....please please call me first.....I'll help you make all the room you need

 

[BoeingMan]

.

Beer Bottle Opener


I also like my Lift and my 'Ingersal Rand' air compressor


.

 

[warren s]

Experiance.....

 

[grumpyvette]

my garage is 36 FT deep x 74 feet wide and 16FT tall to the lower edge of the rafters, ITS GREAT!( ITS My dream garage) but you can ALWAYS use a few more feet of area.

I can,t seem to get a decent picture to show the true size, Ive added shelving and work benchs ETC, since

pictures are a couple years old, taken on the first day we had electric as we were just stuffing things in out of the rain on day one, over 1/2 the tools a couple engines and 4 various welders were not off the truck yet

looking east from scafold

 

[*89x2*]

Over the past few days, I have thought and thought about this thread


Changing brake rotors/pads, washing cars, and other general maintenance items have kept me busy however, as the cold front swept in, all I could think of was how nice it would be to have a furnace inthe garage :cool

While I used my compressor for air tools and the sofa to relax on, a lift would have come in handy vs. the floor jack and jack stands :eyerole

I may have stayed out there longer, had I had television in the garage - am I being indecisive, or what :W

 

[*89x2*]

Nice garage there, Grumpyvette

 

[kruzmisl]

Without a doubt I have enjoyed climate control the most of any garage upgrade! First it was HEAT and this summer A/C. If I was to do it over though it looks like infra-red is the ticket. It heats the items, floors etc. not just the air. I hardly used the garage as it was always too hot or cold, now its 365!

 

[Tuna]

Besides the cars, which we use every day, the fridge is also used every day as I retrieve an adult beverage on the way inside after work every day!

:L

 

[MagicDragon]

WOW

Hey Grumpyvette, That is one huge garage. What kind of racing are you into? For me tools are the #1 thing to have in the garage because I like working on stuff.

 

[jonstr]

The most essential thing in my garage is what isn't there - other people. Don't get me wrong, I love my family, and I'm even pretty fond of all the friends my kids seem to have over constantly - but my garage is my refuge. That's where I go to have some peace and quiet and play time.

 

[Fast Freddie]

Don't forget to keep a few el-cheapo sockets and wrenchs(sp?) around to modify in case you need a specialty tool. sometimes a socket welded into a box end wrench is EXACTLY what you need to get the torque convertor nuts off a <unmentionable brand>.

 

[grumpyvette]

"Hey Grumpyvette, That is one huge garage. What kind of racing are you into?"


IM retired now,I mostly enjoy helping a few local guys build drag and road race cars, and re- do muscle cars. I used to race a low 10 second drag race corvette (1968 BBC)and I have road raced in the past with a 377 SBC powered 62 corvette.
but mostly I like building engines

 

[BoeingMan]

.
Grumpyvette nice digs man



.

 

[Blue89]

I have a pair of pliers, bastard screwdriver and a BFH. Seems to do the trick.........