Garage/workshop recommendations

[Matra et Alpine]

OK, folks, looking for experience and advice

Need to build a new garage/workshop.
Looking at 8mx15m or maybe 10mx12m.

Anyway, wondering whether to put a pit or second-hand car hoist in.
I'm not used to pits and only remember using one once as a kid helping my dad.
I think a ramp will be more useful.

Comments ?

Also, what do you think is the ideal layout for a garage/workshop for the hobby/diy'er ( as opposed to commercial ) ?

Anything is goin to be an improvement over the 1905-built stone outhouse currently keeping two of the cars = long and thin, I think it was built for horse and carriages

Cheers

[Suka]

Well my garage is tiny. It only fits my Libra and a Sierra 1.1 4 speed, and just about. The garage has a desk and shelf with space under the desk to fit stuff in at the end as you drive in. That seems to work quite well.

[Matra et Alpine]

Originally Posted by Suka

Well my garage is tiny. It only fits my Libra and a Sierra 1.1 4 speed, and just about. The garage has a desk and shelf with space under the desk to fit stuff in at the end as you drive in. That seems to work quite well.

Thanks Suka, not the kind of info I'm looking for Mate's installing a Metro Turbo engine in his Rossa in about the smae space as we type !!
That pretty much describes what I've got too.
Space for 2 cars, not much else and I always find there's not quite enough space to work.
As I'm planning to rebuild the RHD Bagheera from ground up, I reckoned I'd use the outhouse for storage/maybe convert and build new. Never had the luxury before and looking for advice.
I'm NOT rebuilding another car where you have to squeeze everything in 3 feet of space . Besides it'll increase the value of the property
What would you put ? Pit or ramp or nothing ??

[NoOne]

Go as big as possible in the new garage ... it'll never be big enough anyway.

Pits are illegal here in Canada, don't know about the U.K. besides you can't store a car in a pit. , but if you can convince the wife you're best bet would be a lift. I had some work done by a guy who had a car storage lift, looked to be great for undercar work and a phenomenal way to store multiple cars, no idea what prices are like.

Just remember to account for enough height in the garage, even if you don't opt for the lift now you may want to add one later.
This is not the one I was thinking about - the name escapes me right now - but looks like it'd be good... Stinger Lifts

[Matra et Alpine]

Originally Posted by NoOne

Go as big as possible in the new garage ... it'll never be big enough anyway.

That's the way I'm heading
The kids are older so giving up the lawn isn't a big loss.
I'm lucky in having more land than most UK houses

I had some work done by a guy who had a car storage lift, looked to be great for undercar work and a phenomenal way to store multiple cars, no idea what prices are like.

Would you mind trying to find out from him ?
It's hard tracking down the unusual stuff that's the best price.
I'm likely going to go with Australian "outback Building", local franchise has opened up and I could be his first big customer - I coudl also be a future partner, we're working on that

Just remember to account for enough height in the garage, even if you don't opt for the lift now you may want to add one later.

I need to keep the peak of the roof at 4m.
In UK, I can build it without planning permission. Any taller and I have to have everyone within 1/2 mile be given copies of the proposed build and get their agreement before I can proceed. Want to avoid that hassle !!

This is not the one I was thinking about - the name escapes me right now - but looks like it'd be good...

They look quite good, I'll contact them for sure.
I had been planning to go the second-hand route for the lift.
As the UK copies US litigation disease, all the garages with lifts have been told that they will not get insurance if the lift is more than 10 years old. So over the next few years a lot of very good and servicable lifts will be coming on the market. Friend got one for FREE as long as he promised to take it away from the guys garage by the next day. One truck hire later it was in his back garden I'm hoping I'll land as lucky !!

[crisis]

The guy next door to me put one in recently together with a large garage for his Corvette show car. Having had the misfortune to work in a pit I can say a lift is the way to go. A pit is not adjustable, can fill with water and involves a lot of climbing. As I understand you are around my vintage I imagine you would like to avoid that.

[Matra et Alpine]

Originally Posted by crisis

As I understand you are around my vintage I imagine you would like to avoid that.

Yep, that's having me favour a lift too
Thanks for pointing it out it's nice to know I have friends here !!

[Turbo_Fumes]

When I move into my first own house. I am going to try to buy a couple acres and then construct a nice but small house with 3 garages at least. After that I will be looking foward to open a whole in the garage's floor and build a little bridge like the ones they use to align the car in the shops. That way i could go under the car and everything. I am not saying I am goin to do it, but that is one of my most precious dreams.....

Nice post about the garages.....

[crisis]

Another thing against pits is that all my mechanic mates hate them too.

[Falcon500]

Well my oldmans shed is actually quite a decent size....but 30 years of hoarding have abruptly made space non existant!it wouldent be so bad if dad didnt have those three studebaker v8s under the bench (of course i keep mymouth shut because i want to keep my windsor under the saw bench it would be unfair of me to say i take up at least some room ) A set of ramps are something me and my oldman dream off all considering we dont even have to the room to put a car in our shed and the task of setting up ramps is made difficult/trecherous by the hilly terrain that surrounds us.... Our neighbour had one of the ultimate set ups as far as shed were concerned he had a three car garage (which could of easily held 6! ormore with smart parking) which thenbacked onto a barn! which had a funtional second story where he stored many interior parts and manifolds and numerous other odds and ends and also had a large coverd storege area off the side of the barn which led to our side fence which he filled with 30 holden red motors (and no he wanst all there and none of them worked either) but still barely a day gos by wherewe dont dream we had that space (we are also kiciking ourselves we didt build a fence around it and claim it J/k)
but as a rule Build the biggest one your land/budget/wife willallow given enough time youllfind use for all that space! and them lifts you are talking about noOne are they he ones advertisedon the back of hot rod magazine? because ive seen them and from the advertising seem tops!