Anyone Done a Restoration in Their 2 Car Garage?

[anlauto]

I get a kick out of people that think they need a big shop with fancy tools to restore cars  I'm happy with what I have

[70_440-6Cuda]

Wow guys this is awesome!!!  My biggest problem is where to put all the damn parts when its disassembled??

I moved almost everything to storage in November just to empty the garage and build my loft, which is nearly done.  I am adding two 4' x 8' motorized lifts to help move things up and down.  Have some electrical, drywall and recessed lights and nearly done.  My main goal right now is to get the storage unit empty - its costing me $200 / month!

But I see some of the cars tucked away in the corner which I think will help I think.  Have a lot of old stuff to liquidate and donate as well - trying to push hard to get to a point where there is any room at all, but onyy a day or two here and there is not helping!  Thanks for the photos - guess I owe some of my own....

[torredcuda]

I store parts in the garage, a shed if I have one and usually the basement is full of Mopar parts. Storage room is always an issue when you two or three projects along with spare engines, transmissions etc. One of the reasons I traded my open car trailer for an enclosed one was mainly for more storage, I really only use it to tow to Carlisle.

[Cudajason]

oh man I woudl love a 2 car garage.

I am currently in a 10 x 20 1 car garage.  it's so small there is not even a man door, only way in and out is the big door.

I have not restored a car in it, but I have tackled a few projects over the years.  Everything from a full suspension rebuild, front and back, doing the rear springs again shortly, swapped out the K member. new exhaust system, customs seats, and a full trans rebuild and swap to an OD.

Each project has its challenges.

My best piece of advice is to remove anything from the garage that is not essential. no yard tools, garden tools, kids bikes etc. etc.  I have a 10 x 15 shed out back for all that stuff and well all the non-essential tools.  That reminds me, I need to get some xmas decorations back where they belong.

I think you could restore a car in a 2 car garage, if you wanted too.

[Jocigar]

Working in 30x30 home garage with support posts down the middle.  I also have a shed bay that i keep parts and sandblaster cabinet.    Once de-cluttered looks like you have a really nice open work space and big door for nice weather days.    I would 2nd the suggestion of getting a detached shed for parts storage.    Best thing I did and recommend is to install full rows of 4' twin LED lights.  When i flip the switch its daytime, no matter what hour of the day.   

Amazon: Sunco Lighting 10 Pack LED Shop Light for Workshop Garage 4FT, Plug in Linkable Industrial Fixture, 5000K Daylight,

[EV2RTSE]

I'm trying to make it work, out of a small 2 car garage. It's more like a 1 1/2 car garage, it would be difficult to actually get two cars in it. Still a work in progress. Anyone who wants to get stuff off of the floor and up out of the way might want to take a look at Rhino Shelves- very well thought out and they hold a lot of weight.

https://rhinoshelf.com/

[70_440-6Cuda]

My biggest problem is living in So Cal community with HOA my lot is a postage stamp so extra sheds / enclosed trailers are not really an option.  Kids bikes & toys and wife's decorations are the biggest offenders - trying to weeds those out as mucha s possible, but slow going for sure.  I don't want to start he project until I have a decent space to work with.

[B5fourspeed]

I buffed out all the stainless steel trim and painted interior trim,rear light housings,and other long pieces and stored them under beds.I bought the plastic bins filled them up and stacked them up in the corner of the master bedroom.I had my seats fully restored and left them at a friends house that had a spare bedroom.I also rented a 5x10 storage about 2 miles away for 100 dollars a month.The motor was on an engine stand fully assembled tucked in the corner of the garage with a moving blanket over it.It was there for almost 4 years before it went in the car.I sprayed WD40 in the cylinders and turned it over every 4 to 6 months.When I stored the parts I always restored them before so that when I took them out again they were going on the car for the last time.Quarter glass and door glass,and regulators under a bed.

[Spikedog08]

Sometimes you have to work with what you have to work with.  It is certainly possible as most have shown. 

[PLUM72]

Two-car garage? HA!  I restored my Challenger 25 years ago in a 1-1/2 car garage.  You worked on one side, then turned the car to work on the other.  Sometimes work was done in the driveway.  Heck, I painted the car in that garage, note the plastic on the walls in the photo.  Most equipment is on the left side.  The air compressor was in a shed out back.  That gave some room and a shield from the noise.  A small furnace is in the back corner right side.  You made due with what you had and had to be creative with space for tools and storage.  It was tight, but it can be done.

[gzig5]

Wow guys this is awesome!!!  My biggest problem is where to put all the damn parts when its disassembled??

I've had a set of full quarter panels and a roof skin in my wife's formal dining room for two years. I have 60% of the disassembled car and a ton of duplicate parts stored in the attic above the garage. I had to sell two metal lathes, a milling machine, tables saw, great big Miller TIG welder, surface grinder and other stuff to get the Cuda in the garage when I brought it home.  My side had been a machine shop for 16 years,  and wife's van goes in the other spot.  It's really tight in there now but I'm slowly making progress.  Luckily we don't need to have the bikes down very often and the wife is willing to park in the driveway if it's not raining or snowing, to give me a little more room.

[70_440-6Cuda]

Lot of great ideas - thanks all!  My wife is very supportive of my automotive issues, but not enough to have parts in the house if they can be seen - under the bed is a great idea though!

[johnr]

   This was a great read!  Organize & make use of every square inch. I started out using a single car garage more than 40 years ago. The double car garage was really nice, but I ended up back in another single car garage and made due. I even built a jig to stack my washer & dryer on top of each other in that one (and I did start painting in that one). Lots of work and quite a few years later I ended up with my own house & property where I built a 24' x 52' shop (1/2 of it contained a paint booth). This was in addition to what I called my "mini shop" where I reassembled the vehicles after they were painted. It took more than 15 years, but I finally achieved my own shop on my own property!  The best laid plans don't always work out so well and life continues on to the next chapter. Today I feel like I am 23 years old again and make due with a garage that is 14 ft. wide & 26 ft. deep (yes I paint in this one, too). More than a few vehicles have been done in this one, and my boys 1970 Challenger RT is off the rotisserie and I am working on parts/pieces to get started with some of the re-assembly stuff.
    Just for the record, I like working in the smaller space because I am a bit more broken than I was in the earlier years. There is always something in arms reach to get me back up off the floor when need be.