Lets see those 50's style garages
- Thread starter rats28
- Start date
der Spieler
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Inside? Outside?
der Spieler
Member
I don't have any pics butI'm old enough to have spent some time in several 1950s gas stations and I would love to have a 50s style Garage Mahal for myself.
The first thing I would do after getting all of the insulation, plumbing and wiring sorted out would be to cover the walls with 1x8 or 1x10 pine boards, hung horizontally. painted white and given a faux worn finish to make them look old. The old shops weren't the shiniest places so I think a slightly grungy look would be in order. Maybe a few boot marks along the bottom of the walls or something to make it looked worked in.
I would get some replica signage from the era and put it on the walls. I wouldn't go overboard but I would hang enough of the old oil company and tire/battery signs to make the point. An old "Bear Alignment/Brakes" thermometer is a must. To me simple is best. That's my opinion. I would put wooden shelves up too to store my goodies and to display old style oil cans and other memorabilia from the era. Northern Tool sells signs and there are numerous other companies that sell this stuff. Do a google search for "petroliana" or "automobilia"and you should come up with a bunch of sources. Two of them are Automobilia - Automobile Gifts, Memorabilia, Collectibles, & Petroliana and Old Gas Station Collectibles - Primarily Petroliana. A bead board ceiling would look cool too. A painted floor probably wouldn't look correct but it would help in keeping the garage clean.
If you can find an old gas pump to put out by the driveway that would be icing on the cake. They are getting harder to find and are getting pricey. There are many companies that sell repop pumps, signs and other memorabilia. The repop pumps can be pricey too but they are great for effect. Other accesories could be an old oil display rack and/or an old hand cranked 90 weight lube pump (I have one of them in the garage).
Post pics as you progress and give us a full photo array when it's finished. Steve
The first thing I would do after getting all of the insulation, plumbing and wiring sorted out would be to cover the walls with 1x8 or 1x10 pine boards, hung horizontally. painted white and given a faux worn finish to make them look old. The old shops weren't the shiniest places so I think a slightly grungy look would be in order. Maybe a few boot marks along the bottom of the walls or something to make it looked worked in.
I would get some replica signage from the era and put it on the walls. I wouldn't go overboard but I would hang enough of the old oil company and tire/battery signs to make the point. An old "Bear Alignment/Brakes" thermometer is a must. To me simple is best. That's my opinion. I would put wooden shelves up too to store my goodies and to display old style oil cans and other memorabilia from the era. Northern Tool sells signs and there are numerous other companies that sell this stuff. Do a google search for "petroliana" or "automobilia"and you should come up with a bunch of sources. Two of them are Automobilia - Automobile Gifts, Memorabilia, Collectibles, & Petroliana and Old Gas Station Collectibles - Primarily Petroliana. A bead board ceiling would look cool too. A painted floor probably wouldn't look correct but it would help in keeping the garage clean.
If you can find an old gas pump to put out by the driveway that would be icing on the cake. They are getting harder to find and are getting pricey. There are many companies that sell repop pumps, signs and other memorabilia. The repop pumps can be pricey too but they are great for effect. Other accesories could be an old oil display rack and/or an old hand cranked 90 weight lube pump (I have one of them in the garage).
Post pics as you progress and give us a full photo array when it's finished. Steve
der Spieler
Member
I was going to throw in a dirt floor too but I figured we were in the 21st century now so maybe some concessions should be made.
der Spieler
Member
What mess? That's pretty clean compared to my garage. At least you can see some of your floor.
Yeah...what Steve said. That's gonna be a cool shop when you get it set up. you gan't even see the walls in mine! Got stuff (treasures) stacked all over them, stuff hung from the ceiling, on shelves and grinding dust all over the place. I call it "Organized Bedlam", but the magic happens there.
Someday someone is going to have to tell me how to build a car in a neat as a pin shop!
Ron
Someday someone is going to have to tell me how to build a car in a neat as a pin shop!Ron
ACJC
New Member
I've got to finish mudding and taping some sheet rock and then paint the garage to reflect my late father's Texaco service station in New York (1953-1969).
I will paint the walls in the upper half and ceiling white and dark green on the lower half. I have some Texaco advertising to hang. Will post pics. when complete. I wish I could find a Marfac Lubrication sign.
JMC
I will paint the walls in the upper half and ceiling white and dark green on the lower half. I have some Texaco advertising to hang. Will post pics. when complete. I wish I could find a Marfac Lubrication sign.
JMC
der Spieler
Member
Youngster said:
The only advantage I can see to having a neat-as-a-pin shop is that you don't have to spend half of your work day trying to find the wrench you put down 15 minutes before. I would prefer a neat-as-a-pin car and that can come from any shop.
That having been said, I am looking forward to seeing ACJC's finished garage mahal.
Steve
der Spieler
Member
Wrench Gremlin, hmmmmmm! I always thought tool disappearance was a time/space continuum thing. Kinda like the Hozone, that place into which one sock from every clothes drier load disappears.
P.S. Track-T. Nice quonset. Did that come with your property or did you build it? That would be a good building for up north. Easier to heat. How many square feet?
P.S. Track-T. Nice quonset. Did that come with your property or did you build it? That would be a good building for up north. Easier to heat. How many square feet?
der Spieler
Member
I can only dream of a shop like that. When I was in Germany there was a shop that a lot of GIs took there cars that was always spotless. The shop closed every day at 5pm and at 4:30 all work stopped. Cars on lifts were raised to the top, the brooms and mops came out and a couple of the mechanics took all of the hand tools to the parts washer for cleaning. When ever one left at 5 everything was in its place and the shop was spotless, ready for the next day.
It's all about discipline and time management, settings goals and sticking to timetables. Most of us work until we are ready to quit and walk away planning to pick up where we left off the next day. Unfortunately the next day is sometimes a week or so off and during the interim we have forgotten what we were doing or where we were in our project and have to retrace our steps to get reoriented resulting in even more time lost and misplaced tools and parts. I don't know how many times I have misplaced a small part, bought a new one and found the old one 5 minutes after I came in the door. I was changing the oil in my old Austin-Healey one day and couldn't find my filter wrench so I went to the hardware store for a new one. I got home and the new one was a POS. I immediately found three old ones laying around the garage. (All three were laughing at me.)
I preach a good sermon but I am the world's worst when it comes to keeping things straight and orderly.
It's a beautiful shop Ron. Where and whose is it?
It's all about discipline and time management, settings goals and sticking to timetables. Most of us work until we are ready to quit and walk away planning to pick up where we left off the next day. Unfortunately the next day is sometimes a week or so off and during the interim we have forgotten what we were doing or where we were in our project and have to retrace our steps to get reoriented resulting in even more time lost and misplaced tools and parts. I don't know how many times I have misplaced a small part, bought a new one and found the old one 5 minutes after I came in the door. I was changing the oil in my old Austin-Healey one day and couldn't find my filter wrench so I went to the hardware store for a new one. I got home and the new one was a POS. I immediately found three old ones laying around the garage. (All three were laughing at me.)
I preach a good sermon but I am the world's worst when it comes to keeping things straight and orderly.
It's a beautiful shop Ron. Where and whose is it?
