Raven gets a new nest

autokunst

autokunst

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Hello all. I've teased that we're building a new garage - and progress has finally reached a point where I think it is worthwhile to document it here. I'd started a thread previously with a discussion of lifts - THANK YOU for all the input. I welcome more as the details come together.

The exciting "car guy" reason for a new garage is to have space to work on The Raven (my coupe). It currently resides at our "cabin" which is about two hours away from where we live and work. This has resulted in almost no progress on the car (as some may note in the lack of content on my restoration thread).

Here is a photo of the cabin, and The Raven quietly resting within the garage there.
01-bluff house.jpg

02-on dollies.jpg
 
So, back in Milwaukee, Wisconsin - here is an image of the original garage behind the house. It was built in 1929. It was small, but adequate for our two daily drivers. We likely would have just kept it intact and added on to it if it weren't for the fact that the concrete foundation beneath it was crumbling. There were plants growing through it, animals burrowing into it, and it was quite literally becoming a pile of sand and gravel. Not a good base for any reasonable structure.
03-exist garage.jpg

Yeah, she's a real beauty. All we'd done is install the overhead doors and openers in order for it to provide the basic function of parking our drivers year round...
 
Demo

The original structure came down in less than an hour (it was more like ten minutes). It was sad to see a 90 year old structure get reduced to rubble so quickly. but so much if its originality was long gone, so it was time to move on.
04-demo 1.jpg
05-demo 2.jpg
06-demo 3.jpg
 
Site prep

Soon after demo, the crew had the area prepped and the new garage was laid out. It's a wee bit larger than the original structure.
07-flat pad 1.jpg
08-flat pad 2.jpg


Funny side bar story about the size of the garage. The zoning ordinances would not support a garage of this size. I brought it to the board of zoning appeals and was successful in getting approval for a detached garage that is 50% larger than allowed. And I already wish it were larger!
 
Excavation and foundation

By the end of the first week the foundation was excavated, footings poured, and foundation (frost) walls were cast.
09-excavated.jpg
10-foundation poured.jpg


And the following week we were back filled. It was a tenuous week of worrying that someone would drive into the hole.
11-backfilled.jpg
 
adawil2002 said:
My .02 cents...Radiant floor heat.
Click to expand...
Yes, that's what we have at the cabin (throughout and in the garage floor slab). It is extremely comfortable. But that is definitely not in the budget for this garage. We will have a heat pump that will heat, cool, and dry out there though.
 
Andrew,
To give this amazingly comfortable amenity its due course, I did study the option to add radiant to the garage. It would add 30% to 35% to the budget for the whole build. While I would absolutely love to roll around on a warm floor, we can't swing it. Unfortunately I don't have the budget that most of my professional projects have. But I still suspect I'll get good use year 'round out there with the heat pump.

And wait until you see the vintage light fixtures I found out of a barn in Utah!!! Good things to come. :cool:
 
autokunst said:
Hello all. I've teased that we're building a new garage - and progress has finally reached a point where I think it is worthwhile to document it here. I'd started a thread previously with a discussion of lifts - THANK YOU for all the input. I welcome more as the details come together.

The exciting "car guy" reason for a new garage is to have space to work on The Raven (my coupe). It currently resides at our "cabin" which is about two hours away from where we live and work. This has resulted in almost no progress on the car (as some may note in the lack of content on my restoration thread).

Here is a photo of the cabin, and The Raven quietly resting within the garage there.
View attachment 75909
View attachment 75910
Click to expand...
Your cabin is very cool. Looks like Frank Lloyd Wright Usonian style. A photo with your e9 parked in front would be awesome.
Good luck with the new car digs.
 
JMinNJ said:
A photo with your e9 parked in front would be awesome.
Click to expand...
Thank you! The crazy thing is I don't have a single image of the coupe (or any car other than our Jeep Cherokee "Snow Cat") out there. But here's a video of the car "arriving" at the cabin. Just pulled it out of the trailer, and motoring it up the driveway for the first time a few years ago.
 
Your pics in the city are so perfectly Milwaukee. Are you in Bayview?

I feel I recognize that alley but they all start to look the same.

Love the cottage although I’m sure your home takes offense to that. That is most definitely not a typical Sconni cottage. I sold my Russell Barr Williamson home in Fox Point last year and miss it dearly.
 
autokunst said:
To give this amazingly comfortable amenity its due course, I did study the option to add radiant to the garage. It would add 30% to 35% to the budget for the whole build. While I would absolutely love to roll around on a warm floor, we can't swing it. Unfortunately I don't have the budget that most of my professional projects have. But I still suspect I'll get good use year 'round out there with the heat pump.
Click to expand...

You'll be just fine without floor heating, with the lift there's no reason to be crawling on the floor, eh? ;)
I had the same dilemma when I built my garage, what I want vs. what my current budget is.
So what I did was to put down the tubing in the slab for heating if I ever felt I really needed it and/or had the money to finish the system later on. Putting down the tubing is cheap (well relatively) but I know it all adds up in the end.
With that said, I installed a heat pump as well, and since I started using the garage I haven't been suffering from a cold floor at all, but my floor slab is quite insulated so I guess that might have an effect, but my plans for floor heating is non existing at the moment since I'm very happy with the heat pump.

Looking forward to see the rest of the build!
 
milwakeesk said:
Your pics in the city are so perfectly Milwaukee. Are you in Bayview?

I feel I recognize that alley but they all start to look the same.

Love the cottage although I’m sure your home takes offense to that. That is most definitely not a typical Sconni cottage. I sold my Russell Barr Williamson home in Fox Point last year and miss it dearly.
Click to expand...
Yes, Bay View - wow, good eye. We were in the Third Ward but never felt like "home" in that neighborhood, so we moved down to Bay View about 5 years ago. The house is a 120 year old bungalow that we're working on slowly. Funny thing is, my office is now in the Third Ward - a block away from our old loft. That would have been convenient - but then I wouldn't be able to build this garage there...

I love your old RBW house. I think I know which one it is - I had some clients asking me to look at it for them.
 
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autokunst said:
Hello all. I've teased that we're building a new garage - and progress has finally reached a point where I think it is worthwhile to document it here. I'd started a thread previously with a discussion of lifts - THANK YOU for all the input. I welcome more as the details come together.

The exciting "car guy" reason for a new garage is to have space to work on The Raven (my coupe). It currently resides at our "cabin" which is about two hours away from where we live and work. This has resulted in almost no progress on the car (as some may note in the lack of content on my restoration thread).

Here is a photo of the cabin, and The Raven quietly resting within the garage there.
View attachment 75909
View attachment 75910
Click to expand...

Wow! I love your cabin, beautiful design!
 
What a great project. I have built new "quarters" for my cars in every place I have owned. Now I live on a farm so I renovated a barn to accommodate my current needs. Years ago, on one smaller lot, I designed a small "studio;" with a loft above, with pull down staircase so we could get to the slot car track up there! Best of luck Stephen, hope the neighbours are "on side" ;) Mike
 
Do love the cabin. Have a pair of FLW chairs that wish they lived there.
I'm ready to pull the heat pump trigger. Would love to know what unit you decide upon. My stand alone is about your size, currently has a small propane furnace that will cook in the winter, but I'm not really a fan of an open flame in "the car barn", and I really need the cooling in the summer. Like today...92 in western NC. Stupid.
 
dave v. in nc said:
I'm ready to pull the heat pump trigger. Would love to know what unit you decide upon.
Click to expand...
Hey Dave,
I took the advice of @Gary Knox and purchased a unit from ebay. It has arrived, and has some good parts, including a Toshiba compressor, despite its low cost. Here the link to the unit I picked up:
www.ebay.com

Aircon ABXCIEM4H4S24 24000 BTU Ductless Mini Split Air Conditioner - White for sale online | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Aircon ABXCIEM4H4S24 24000 BTU Ductless Mini Split Air Conditioner - White at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
www.ebay.com
It will cool, heat, and dry. I think it will work well for my needs.

I thought about a wood burning stove to make the space really warm and wholesome, but The Raven with her triple weber carbs emits some fuel fumes such that it doesn't sound like a great idea to have a fire burning in there. :oops:
 
autokunst said:
Hello all. I've teased that we're building a new garage - and progress has finally reached a point where I think it is worthwhile to document it here. I'd started a thread previously with a discussion of lifts - THANK YOU for all the input. I welcome more as the details come together.

The exciting "car guy" reason for a new garage is to have space to work on The Raven (my coupe). It currently resides at our "cabin" which is about two hours away from where we live and work. This has resulted in almost no progress on the car (as some may note in the lack of content on my restoration thread).

Here is a photo of the cabin, and The Raven quietly resting within the garage there.
View attachment 75909
View attachment 75910
Click to expand...


i absoultely envy your cabin, that has a flavour of lloyd wrightness architecture, or you are a very good photographer
regards
 
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