By Ed Higginbotham
Jan 30, 2015
Don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten. The results for the Classic Motorsports Show Us Your Shop Contest are planned to be released next week. We had to take some more time to gather quality pictures and info, but we think you’ll like the reason behind it.
There were so many awesome entries that it was extremely hard to narrow it down to one for each class. And so, while we are recognizing three overall winners, we are also creating nine more prizes to award to some more outstanding garages. These will be called “Golden Wrench Awards.” Naturally, adding more winners means taking more time to track down photos and info. We appreciate the patience while we wrap it all up.
When the winners are announced, all entrants will also recieve some really sweet offers from our partners: Battery Tender, Chubb Collector Car Insurance, CRC Industries, and Eastwood. So keep an eye on your inbox.
I thought the contest was wrong from the start. The people who have great garages KNOW IT, congrats to them. The majority or your readers that have garages that are too small, cluttered, shared with a gardening spouses & children and need ideas and equipment to make their garage better. That should have been the focus of your contest. Helping your readers fulfill their dreams of a "dream garage"! Like your article of ideas from some of your experts on tools and how to's!
Its gotten TOO BIG to call a contest.Its now a conglomerate,of Lifts,tools,air hoses,hub caps and every manual back to 1919.Throw in some dust some rust and just a love of enjoying the hobby. 
Good luck to all that entered.
What Contest????
I don't watch shows which show the homes of the hugely rich. I'm not interested in their garages either.
A guy who lives near me has a garage that I would never want to own. But it seems to work for him. The guy is John Schnater,(sic) AKA Papa John, the pizza guy. I haven't seen the inside of his garage but I have heard a lot about it from the guy who did the software programming for it to operate.
It seems Papa John and his bride don't like to back up. Instead of having to back up, they had a garage designed similar to what we who worked for the railroads would call a "Round House."
The garage is set up that whenever you hit the garage door opener, the garage knows what you are driving from the signal of your door opener. It makes sure to rotate the slot where that ride normally resides is available and you can just drive in and stop your ride on the mark. You then get out and take the elevator up into the house.
Should you want to go for a drive, there are options available in the house to make life comfortable for you. On each elevator level in the house there is a list of rides available in the garage at that time, to use. If a specific ride is gone, it doesn't show up as an option on your list. You just push the button to select what is there that you want to use and catch the elevator to the garage. When you step out of the elevator, the ride you chose is pointing out so you just climb in and hit the door opener. You can then drive straight out without having the hassle of having to back up.
Is this garage cool? Probably, if your name is Papa John. Has this anything to do with those of us who have our cars and subscribe to your magazine? I don't think so!
I have no intention to read online or in print, what you consider the greatest garage. That's like saying who can afford the rarest Bugatti Royale. For those of us who live in the real world, what does any of that hyper rich owned stuff matter?
Forget the GARAGE .Does he have a PIZZA OVEN?
thegreentreefrog wrote:Forget the GARAGE .Does he have a PIZZA OVEN?
GOT THAT RIGHT!!
The point of the garage contest was to showcase what folks have done--- some with limited space and budget. (hence the different categories)
Hopefully readers will see new ideas that they can incorporate into their own spaces. Useful ideas are useful ideas-- regardless of how much the property, or total garage cost to build.
For the folks who can afford to do it (bless their hearts), or the ones willing to go into significant debt to do it (good luck), it's a status symbol stating: "I'm a car-guy, just look at my garage." I have Ultimate Garages, books 1and 2, from a few years ago in my automotive library. They're fun to look at and think wow, now that's something... I don't know how much actual automotive dirty work is actually done in them. There's probably more white-wine-sipping-social-activity going on in the garage than operating the lifts or getting down in the pit and changing the oil, or working on the brakes, or making some suspension mods, not to mention metal fab and welding. There's nothing wrong with that if that's the owner's lifestyle and preference. They're paying for it. For me, it's entertaining to look at, but I'm not the least bit envious. On the other hand, the grassroots enthusiasts who put a ton of enthusiasm, ingenuity and personal effort into creating a work space designed for efficiency and on a budget, now that's what really interests me.
I think everyone would have liked to have seen a winner or winners with a HUMAN interest story.Not just RICH GUYS & THEIR TOYS!
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