Where to work on a car? (insurance, RX7, gasket, brake)

[Skyl3r]

Hello All,

I have an Rx7 Project car in which I underestimated the extent to which I would need to work on it. I'll be needing to rebuild the engine, cut off rocker panels, paint, etc.

So, my question is, if you've lived somewhere where there wasn't enough space to work on your car, where did you go to work on it?

Personally, I was considering renting a 700 Sq/Ft warehouse or getting several friends with similar interests to go in on a 1500 Sq/Ft warehouse.

[Coldjensens]

I had a friend who has a mechanics shop. I took it to his shop. I did brake jobs and oil changes and other minor/basic work in exchange for the use of his shop/tools and his occasional guidance on my engine rebuild. It worked out well for both of us (except that one of his employees stole my wedding ring when I took it off to work on a car).

[sj08054]

Originally Posted by Skyl3r

Hello All,

I have an Rx7 Project car in which I underestimated the extent to which I would need to work on it. I'll be needing to rebuild the engine, cut off rocker panels, paint, etc.

So, my question is, if you've lived somewhere where there wasn't enough space to work on your car, where did you go to work on it?

Personally, I was considering renting a 700 Sq/Ft warehouse or getting several friends with similar interests to go in on a 1500 Sq/Ft warehouse.

One thing that would concern me is liability insurance. One thing if you rent a space and uses to work on your project. You start inviting people over and someone get hurt..

[Professor Griff]

Originally Posted by Skyl3r

Hello All,

I have an Rx7 Project car in which I underestimated the extent to which I would need to work on it. I'll be needing to rebuild the engine, cut off rocker panels, paint, etc.

So, my question is, if you've lived somewhere where there wasn't enough space to work on your car, where did you go to work on it?

Personally, I was considering renting a 700 Sq/Ft warehouse or getting several friends with similar interests to go in on a 1500 Sq/Ft warehouse.

I can do most of the stuff I need to do in my driveway. But extensive work like a clutch repair, head gasket replacement, engine builds, etc., would have to go to a shop because I don't have the work area and couldn't afford to leave my car, tools, and parts out in the open for possibly days on end.

That being said, I used to know someone who had a garage and would open it up to people in the online car "community" I was a member of at the time. He would let us use his shop on Sundays and we would usually pay him a few bucks (not that he asked, it was just the right thing to do), chip in and buy pizzas, beers, etc. It was a fun time and I learned a lot from the times I would go. Sometimes I'd just go to hang out and help other people do things on their cars.

[Hemlock140]

If you at least have a driveway, buy a portable garage/canopy for just over $100. A town where I lived used to rent out stalls with lifts for people to work on their own cars, but after a couple of years the insurance cost became more than they made so they shut down. As a commercial property landlord, I can tell you that if you rent space for that purpose you will be required to have specialized insurance policies to cover possible hazards and damages.

[ukrkoz]

Back from my olden times, we did everything in the street. As in - everything. Engine swap included. Rebuilds. Not that it is fun to do, weather pending, but we did. Even when we had our first house with 3 car garage, I still did 2 engine rebuilds outside, as it's simply much more room and you can spread everything nicely on white sheets and not ruin the garage floor.
You can get a nice large carport to protect from elements, $200 Costco, and here ya go. Done that too.
But see, I am not spoiled by conveniences.
For major jobs that simply require car lift, renting a booth with lift is much more feasible solution.
But you'll be surprised, how many portable lifts are available, for reasonable price, to invest into. That will lift a truck, then get tucked somewhere.
Think it through, think it through.

[Cloudy Dayz]

Originally Posted by Professor Griff

I can do most of the stuff I need to do in my driveway. But extensive work like a clutch repair, head gasket replacement, engine builds, etc., would have to go to a shop because I don't have the work area and couldn't afford to leave my car, tools, and parts out in the open for possibly days on end.

Some years ago I had a friend of mine do a clutch job for me in my apartment complex parking lot. Normally he did repairs in his driveway, but there was no way I could drive the car there. Him and the other guy doing the work on it, budgeted four hours to get the job done. Unfortunately they went over on the time, and had to come back the next day and finish it. Obviously they packed up their important tools and took them with them. But they left a lot of stuff including my car parts sitting under the car. It was all still there when they came back, the next day.

I was almost sure that the neighbors would complain about the car being left there in that condition. Since it was a pretty nice complex. But surprisingly the only comment I got was from my next door neighbor who congratulated me on finding a mechanic who would work on my car at home.

[rbohm]

i have done engine rebuilds in my back porch, it was enclosed many years ago. i have done engine swaps in my backyard, i have done other work in my backyard, front yard, driveway, in a friends driveway. perhaps someday i will build a garage.....

[M3 Mitch]

Originally Posted by Skyl3r

Hello All,

I have an Rx7 Project car in which I underestimated the extent to which I would need to work on it. I'll be needing to rebuild the engine, cut off rocker panels, paint, etc.

So, my question is, if you've lived somewhere where there wasn't enough space to work on your car, where did you go to work on it?

Personally, I was considering renting a 700 Sq/Ft warehouse or getting several friends with similar interests to go in on a 1500 Sq/Ft warehouse.

Do you have the expertise and experience to do all the work? Do you have a shop that you can "farm out" say the engine rebuild?

If you are cutting into rockers due to rust, realize that this can get complicated, and quick.

To directly answer your question, since I am going to guess this will be a multi-year project, rent the 700 ft3 ware house, so you don't have "collaborators" coming and going, paying rent late, "borrowing" your tools, etc. You might want to consider signing like a 3 year lease...

[don1945]

The project you outlined is not a simple engine swap or brake job, it is a long term, labor intensive restoration. That is something where you need a lot of room to spread stuff out and still have working space.

Before we had our two shops, I rented two side by side 10 x 20 storage units and had them remove the center divider, so I ended up with a 20 x 20 work space. I was not supposed to be doing any work in there, but I would sneak in after they closed for the day, and since I had electricity, I could work until late at night. I also got to work there on Saturday afternoons, after they closed, and all day Sunday. I got away with it for a year because I was careful and flew under the radar. I actually was able to do a lot of mechanical work, and even did some spray painting.

Now, we have two 2500 sq ft shops that my Sons and I use for our projects, and I also rent a 10 x 20 for the overflow of parts. Point is, project cars take up a lot of room.

I do not like the idea of going in with other people, even friends, as these deals never work out. You would be best to find a shop in some industrial area to rent for the duration. It will end up costing you a lot of money, but there is almost no good way around it. In the 50's, we could get away with working in our driveways and on the street, but laws are very different today and neighbors are a lot less forgiving.

Don