I had some friends with a similar problem...they rented a large storage unit, that had electric power. They were limited what they could do there, but it was better than nothing. You also might talk to your neighbors, and see if anyone has a vacant space in their garage they would let you use, or rent for a small fee. My first car ('57 Chevy) was built outside, including the paint job, so I feel your pain.
I'm digging the two room tent idea, put it up in the backyard and no one will know there's a car out there, just a camping tent! That's some good thinking!
apparently you've never been to central CA. We're not L.A and we're not S.F. We also do not all live in beach houses. I live in the agricultural capital of CA. It still freezes on not-so-rare occassions and it has and will snow here, again. It's not so different from Kansas or Nebraska where I live. Central CA should be it's own state - we think differently here... with our brains. I'm thinking about sticking the Falcon in my tiny garage, but that means water spots on the black Chrysler 300. Great stories, still.
Anybody have an idea for a makeshift sanding "booth?" I'm thinking about wrapping my EZ UP and throwing down a tarp and then plumbing my shop-vac through to do some sanding and maybe soda-blasting. Thoughts? Experience?
You can sandblast anywhere the wind isn't too strong. Outside works fine unless its pretty windy. If you rig up a tarp wind block you should be golden. Blasting isn't nearly as finicky as painting. An e-z up booth would be like the Tajmahal of shade tree mechanic sandblasting. We used to work in a 1930's Dance Hall, Its now storage. Cool setting though, wood floor a couple of pine booths, the lake it sits by is great for cooling off welded/torched stuff. We're now in an oversized 1 stall attached to a 1930s 12X18 cabin (our machining room)--- but it has floors that DON"T catch fire and more than 7 ft ceilings. Also no holes in the walls that small furry mamals can walk through! If you want it bad, you'll find a spot. You could even rent a full sized storage space if you wanted. Adam
It's about the budget! There are some great places to rent around here, but it still takes money. I'm trying to take it step by step. It looks like I'm going for the Taj Mahal! HAHA!
As I have kids keep moving home at 33 I rent a small shop to work in and store stuff at with todays econamy you should be able to rent a small shop. get some buds to go halfs and have help.
I can relate to the budget thing... fucking college. Neighbor has one of those pop up sheds and he likes it. Make sure you anchor it down. I wonder though, If your neighbors are so concerned with you parking a project in the driveway can you get away with a pop up shed? I know we have a zoned county in rural SD. We have to get express permission for any permanent structures, and while a pop up shed is no where near permanent, I can imagine Sunny California has quite a few more rules/regulations than we do. If it won't get you in trouble then go for it. Storage units are pretty cheap too. The one I rented for a safe place to park my motorcycle was $40/month. A full sized one was $80, I think. Or just do like the cool kids and move into the country where there are lots of outbuildings to use, no housing association, no rules regarding innoperable vehicles, and nobody to stop you from testing out the hotrod in the yard, on the gravel road, on the frozen lake... Adam
Before kids, morgage, and bitchy wife I built a transfer case in my kitchen, and made a paint booth out a spare bedroom. Two 4x8 sheets of plywood out in the yard to move cherry picker back and forth in gravel driveway. Worked outside side till I couldn't feel my fingers, warm up inside and then back at it. Had city inspector @ my house twice, he was a cool guy though. My neighbor complained twice, but the inspector told me to call in on him for having a swimming pool in his backyard. Told me to say that swimming pools were offensive to me. I kept that up until I bought a house with a garage, if you want/ have to do it, you'll find a way.
My brother did an engine swap in the dead of winter in a car wash. Took him all night, but the car wash was heated, and no one bothered him. Best part was he used the car wash for a degreaser on the engine before he dropped it in. Worked like a champ! I built a model A in a spare bedroom when I lived in Florida, because the carport had a '49 Dodge and the back yard had a Model T. Had to disassemble it to move it back out after mockup.
I would not consider a place where people take it upon themselves to whine about every little dot and tiddle a nice nieghborhood That's why I live out in the sticks where my neighbors are even sloppier than I am The tent idea seems like a good one. I actually didn't think of that. I did some work in the great outdoors today but it is tough to do things like painting when it is 5 degrees outside.
There was an article in Jp magazine about doing an engine swap in a Wal-Mart parking lot in the rain. Every time they needed something they went in and bought it. Sorry, stole the thread Adam
In SoCal we call the Home Owners Association "The Clipboard Gestapo". I will never own or rent anyplace that has an association or is gated. I dont need a bunch of old hens telling me what I can and cant do with my house/property ! ! !
Before I knew how to paint ,A real good friend of mine use to paint in a one car garage ,He painted my first car and he also did my boat ,And it was nice ........
That's probably because the T's too tall to get in there anyway! LOL (I had a problem with our last house: cantilever garage doors were 6 feet high when open, and my '55 F100 would only clear when fully loaded with my rollaway and top box full of my tools! Unloaded the tools and couldn't get the truck back out!) Jacked it up, removed rear wheels, and rolled it out on 2 bare 16" rims! Sorry for jacking the thread, but the memory of primering that tall truck outside still chaps my hide...
Friends? I have heard of those. I suppose that I ought to look into getting some. I have been told they can be good to have.
The Jalopy Journal
