Saw these slat wall panels sitting a dumpster down the street so I cut them down and lined the right side of the shop with them. I have a couple smaller sections left that I can use to spot fill. In theory this is where more of the work will be happening so I wanted something to protect the wall/insulation and it provides a place to hang stuff. Also being free made it an easy choice.
Picked up a running race cart with a running 3.5hp Honda and spare 5.5hp Honda. Needs a clutch and brakes at least. I also have to figure out how to fit in it. A friend is talking about doing a 212 predator motor spec series at his property. Got into it cheap enough that I can probably sell the two motors to zero out the cost.
Mkpgt
12/29/21 10:45 p.m.
The shop looks great! What company did you use for the steel? I am in SW Florida and just starting to research steel buildings. I would like to install one on the property.
thanks
My electrician friend ran EMT from the main panel to an eight circuit 50 amp sub panel attached to the lift near the pump. This gave us the 220 for the lift and directly under the box we added a 220 receptacle, under that 110. Best decision ever.
Now I can add a lighting circuit to the lift for those vertical LEDs that all the cool kids are using.
Thats a good idea! I havent gotten a lift or run any of the 220 yet.
To Mkpgt: I ordered through Apex who do the drawings, place the order and arrange the delivery and install. Local concrete company did the slab based off their drawings. Apex subbed the install through Ferguson Metal Building Solutions. The owner of Ferguson was on site pretty much every day. I believe he can do the whole thing turn key. I was satisfied with their work.
No real shop update as Ive been busy with wedding travel and life in general.
Managed to pick up another rx7. Likely a parts car as its a bit rough, auto, convertible.
In reply to Greg Voth :
How roached is the top on the vert?
In reply to hobiercr :
Very very roached. The targa part may be salvageable.
Got distracted again. Bought a 2002 Impreza for a Gambler car. Single owner, 5 speed car at about 175k. Nice shape but plenty of bumps and scrapes.
Wanted to clean up the yard so dropped the LS1 / auto out of a trans am thats been sitting the last five years. Using a friends lift it took about four hour to strip the body panels, rear and drop the engine out the bottom.
Picked up some Forester springs/struts from the junkyard and threw the fronts on. Also had a set of snow tires i picked up cheap a while back mounted.
Stock fender height.
With the snowtires on the stock suspension
With the Forester spring and struts.
Ill throw the rears on when I have a chance. Still need to figure out how to connect the front sway bar and have an aftermarket rear on the way.
Finished up the rears over lunch. Its sitting at 30" both front and rear. Did a cutting board "saggy butt" spacer. Went from about 6.5" to 10.5" at the center of the car.
In the past week or so I found some low mileage Forester STI springs and struts for less than the junkyard units so I will return them. Threw on the rear and it lowered it about an inch. Ill put the fronts on when the axles come in. Both fronts have torn boots. I figured it still gives me some lift but should be better for rallycross and street driving.
Also picked up some pallet racking for the shop Ill install. Came with 2x4, 2x6 supports and plywood decking. He threw in some extra cross beams. Trying to figure out how to make a mezzanine out of a portion of it.
I'm loving all this. Keep it up.
In reply to Greg Voth :
I never thought ov pallet racking for a mezzanine, but I could see that working out fairly well for you.
Thanks guys. Ill need another set of hands to get the racks up so thatll be a little while. Just measuring and thinking of spots now that I have them.
I grabbed the Forester rear sway bar mounts when at the junkyard. I remember them breaking on my wifes forester after installing an STI rear sway bar. I did a quick and dirty plating of them across the side and bottom to hopefully prevent this. I just hope the next failure point isnt popping the bolts or tearing the subframe.
Also forgot to mention the primitive rear diff skid plate I put in when doing the diff fluid. It was apparently off the rusty white wrx a member here was selling (cant remember his handle off hand). Guy parting out the car already had the motor in his baja bug. It didnt bolt up to the R160 so i had to make a new braket. I swear I spend more time bending and grinding on things that seem so simple. A lift will improve the crawling to test fit.
Set up the two racks planned for the mezzanine area. The beams are set at about 7 and 10 feet high. The plan now is to get a 12' rack horizontally between the two along the wall. Then span the remaining at the 7' level with the spare 14' beams for the light weight stuff. You can see one of the beams set there at the moment.
Installed a drivers side axle and the front Forester STI springs/struts. Also got the front sway bars mounted with some random 2nd gen RX7 aftermarket end links that have been floating around forever.
Mocked then made some mounts for a front skid plate. Its off a Land Rover of some sort from when a friend of mine used to work at a dealer.
Adding some 1" spacers to clear some rubbing issues it was having in the fender well. Ill take a picture when its back on the ground.
In shop news I picked up the final main piece and set it and the narrow rack up. It gets a little sketchy with the longer 12 and 14 foot beams especially at 7+ feet in the air.
This is the basic setup for now with a mezzanine spanning the two coming out from the wall. There will be a work bench about belly height across the blue rack as seen in the picture. The next sections are at about 7 and 10 feet with a couple higher shelfs on the blue rack.
Stand alone narrow rack in along the rear wall.
Finished the 110v wiring and have the racks setup. Still need to do the upper shelves but its largely done.
Thanks. It turned out as well as I could have hoped for. It was also pretty simple to construct after mocking it up.
Almost forgot.
Took the Impreza to test it out. Made it through some nasty stuff and impressed the Jeeps I went with. Stayed away from the deep stuff but didnt have an option sometimes.
Could use a 4.44 gear and locker. Maybe a clutch. Only casualty is a clicking CV joint.
Your shop is looking great!!
Thanks! Did you find a rally car yet?
Unsurprisingly I got distacted again. Picked up a rust free first gen Rx7 shell with 12a. Going to pull that and sell the shell.
Also found a set of 5 good wheels and tires for the Subaru pretty cheap. Lifted it a little more with some additonal cutting boards.
My buddy picked up a Miata a couple weeks ago mainly for the cowl hood it had destine for his 5.0 miata. Since it ran and drove pretty well, was rough, and the Gambler 500 was last weekend we decided to throw a Paco lift on it and run it. I had a set of 29" tires on Jeep rims so with a set of adapters, beating, cutting, and welding and it was good to go. Had to cut and beat about three inches of metal behind the front wheels as well as fender trimming.
Both the Subaru and Miata did really well over the weekend and were surprisingly capable. Only real casualty is a heavily leaking rack and pinion on the Subaru.