Cluttered/Uncluttered Garage?

[AngliaGT]

After reading the Craig Jackson garage post -
I got to thinking - what do you prefer,a cluttered,
or an uncluttered garage?
I appreciate both,but a garage,with JUST cars
in it,& everything in it's place,just looks to sterile
to me.I like a garage that is semi-organized,but there's
all kinds of stuff that the owner's collected over the
years.
That being said - I'm trying to clear out/sell off
stuff that I don't need,or will never use.I still want it
to be a relaxing place to work/waste time in.

- Doug

 

[drooartz]

Uncluttered, even if it's a working garage. I'm an organized sort, so I really want to have everything away where it needs to be, and no extra stuff just because I collected it.

Had I the resources of someone like Craig Jackson, I could see having a dedicated clean parking area, plus a separate working space. As it is, I have my little one-car barn/shed, and that works just fine. And yes, it's tidy and will stay uncluttered.

 

[Guest]

Mine is a complete disaster as we both share it. It was once VERY tidy (when I had it) until she took it over. I've pretty much given up and my work space shows it. Not enough room for everything and she has NO idea how to utilize space correctly.

Example: when I moved her back down here she loaded the biggest truck Ryder had (24ft) with a SINGLE ROW of boxes COMPLETELY across the floor. As if that wasn't bad enough, HALF of the boxes were COMPLETELY empty. (She needs empty boxes for the pottery she makes.)


Needless to say, I repacked it....and still filled the darn thing...and we left stuff!!!

If I could ever get all of her crap out of my way I could organize. Until then it's an exersise in futility. It is amazing what I can do in such a cluttered and unorganized space though. It is overwhelming sometimes. Its best described as a rubic's cube. I have to move eight other things in order to get just one where I want it. Very few things of mine have a designated home. It wasn't always that way...trust me. You're talking to a guy who once used to brush the fringe on his oriental rug if it wasn't pointed in the right direction.

(...and you wonder why I drive a car that's been painted with a hammer. )

 

[weewillie]

uncluttered however it will never happen as I could not afford a big enough garage

 

[Guest]

I know of a guy who dumped a ton of money into building a really nice car. He now has to sell the car to finish his really nice but empty garage. Trouble is, no takers at his price (north of $75K). I can't help but laugh (because he's an arrogant jerk mainly) that he put sooo much time and money building a perfect car of limited desire to a level no one is willing to pay for.


It's a clone of a race car that he claims is the most accurate one ever built....but he neglected to select a car with the proper engine or VIN code to be truley correct....and it wouldn't have been that hard to find.

 

[Mickey Richaud]

Doug -

There's a whole BUNCH of stuff I'd prefer.

Ain't gonna happen! :smirk:

 

[DrEntropy]

uncluttered however it will never happen as I could not afford a big enough garage

Well stated, Will! :thumbsup:

 

[JPSmit]

uncluttered however it will never happen as I could not afford a big enough garage

Well stated, Will! :thumbsup:

Would that it were that simple. My sense is that cluttered/uncluttered has more to do with personality than space. I prefer uncluttered but mine is always (almost) cluttered. This when we lived in a house with a big garage and one with a small garage and variations in between.

Right now mine is a disaster as I have all the parts for the Vauxhall spread out to sort - in a job that I started in August (another story of my life ) I do recall (but don't practice ) an aside from an article in Classic Motorsports where every hour they stopped for 5 minutes to clean their workspace.

I don't think I would ever want a space as perfect as Jackson's - though in fairness it's a different type of garage and I have a hunch he isn't servicing the Veyron. I have a friend who built a gorgeous 20 X 40 shop but uses it for storage, having most of his tools still in his basement. That perplexes me. Mind you I still think I get more joy wrenching than driving.

 

[weewillie]

I do recall (but don't practice ) an aside from an article in Classic Motorsports where every hour they stopped for 5 minutes to clean their workspace.

I stop every hour also JP (but just to finish my beer)

However 2 weeks ago when I was squeezing the cars into the shed for winter(had about 2 inches on either side between the cars and the doors) had my beer sitting on a shelf with about 1" left in it poured it into my mouth and it felt fizzy. I thought this is wierd so I spit it out and sure enough there was a bee(one of the stupid ones at this time of the year)in my mouth.

 

[drooartz]

uncluttered however it will never happen as I could not afford a big enough garage

Well stated, Will! :thumbsup:

Or you just have less stuff. When I built my shed/barn (12'x20') this summer, I had room -- and could have found the financial resources -- to build at least twice the size. Instead I decided to go only as big as I needed, for storage for one car and one bike. No more.

Why?

Well, that's as much stuff as I can enjoy (I discovered this limit through much expensive experimentation

). I made the space just big enough, so I have to think about each thing that I bring in there. I'm much happier as a result.

This is certainly not the correct answer for everyone, but for me it is. I've all the space I need at a price that I was willing to pay. And very little clutter.

It's a little more packed right now, but that's just for winter storage mode. Next summer I'll finish out the inside with some shelving, outlets (there's power out there now) and a modest work bench.

<span style="font-style: italic">I apologize for my soapbox preaching here, but I'm a big believer that less is more</span>

 

[weewillie]

Nice shed Drew and use of space. My shed is also 12X20 and held my midget lengthwise and a mini shell on a spit sideways, so I thinks to myself! (always a dangerous thing) if I cut 3 doors in the side of the shed and close off the door in the end I can fit both mini's and the midget in and now I have the midget in with about 3" to spare and the 2 minis with almost 2 ft to spare and I haven't closed off the end door yet.


And you know Drew that he who dies with the most toys----- Wins

 

[Bayless]

I guess I must at least tolerate clutter. That's the Sprite above the Prefect.

 

[DrEntropy]

My issue is I can never have too many spares. Engines, gearboxes, heads... or too many tools. Problem there is that I've tools beyond just automotive repair and yard work: carpentry, cement finishing, plumbing, tile setting, computer repair, gunsmithing, metalworking, A/C, electrical, & electronic repair gear. It gets crowded kinda quick! Drill press, band saw, 12" radial arm saw, engine stands, roll-cabs.

I've found that as soon as I've sold off something, the need arises to have it again. Then I have to spend more money than it would have taken to accomplish some needed repair. Space-limited but fairly self-sufficient. It has benefit for the friends and neighbors, too. :wink:

 

[drooartz]

And you know Drew that he who dies with the most toys----- Wins

He who dies with the most toys --- is dead.

I like the idea of putting side doors in your shed for the Midget and Minis.

My issue is I can never have too many spares. Engines, gearboxes, heads... or too many tools. Problem there is that I've tools beyond just automotive repair and yard work: carpentry, cement finishing, plumbing, tile setting, computer repair, gunsmithing, metalworking, A/C, electrical, & electronic repair gear. It gets crowded kinda quick! Drill press, band saw, 12" radial arm saw, engine stands, roll-cabs.

Space always has to be sized for the need you have -- you just have a bunch of needs, Doc! For me, once I realized that I was not going to do another car restoration (just normal maintenance) my need for space rapidly diminished. I've also got the main 2-car garage for all the non-car tools. I pretty much only do small projects so my tool needs are small, and lucky for me I've got a good friend near by who has all the tools and still lets me borrow them when needed.

 

[Guest]

Problem there is that I've tools beyond just automotive repair and yard work:

Pffffft (spits out coffee), from what you've told us, I doubt the "yard tools" take up much space.


P.S A hoe used to kill snakes because the grass is too high is no longer considered a yard tool. It's now considered home defense. :wink:

 

[70herald]

I wish I had a garage, then I could worry about keeping uncluttered.

 

[Basil]

I prefer uncluttered but it needs to be functional and need not look like another room in the house.

 

[judow]

Definitely UNcluttered and that is why husband now has his garagemajal. The regular garage can stay organized and serve dual purposes. I vowed I wouldn't tell him how to keep HIS garage but... After 15 years he got his garage complete with lift and lots of other goodies. He does keep it well orgainized even though he's rebuilding his old pick-up with a frame off restoration. I guess he's so used to me hovering and making sure he keeps everything neat that he just does it without even a thought or ... Could it be he's concerned I might go in with a white glove???

I personally think that we all work in environments that are comfortable to us and it really doesn't matter if it's cluttered to the untrained eye or uncluttered, especially if we are not sharing the space.

 

[AN5Sprite]

To me, there's a big difference between cluttered and dirty. I don't mind clutter, but I hate dirty. Given the choice I would always choose more space, but never less stuff. There's also a difference between collecting and hoarding. I have no tolerance for hoarders, but I love people who have massive collections of whatever they're into.

If I wanted to live an austere existence I'd have been a monk.

 

[DrEntropy]

Steve, My Ol' Fella imparted a well thought-out philosophy to me at an early age:

"Moderation is for Monks!"

I won't admit *publicly* how prophetic that advice has been.