Garage Mahal, Man Cave, or Dream Garage

Do you want a dream garage? Thought so. Well, it's not out of reach. If you have a one-car or a six-car garage, your dream garage is possible. If you don't have a big budget, get creative. Stickers and decals, brand and model emblems, and license plates and hubcaps all make good decorations in the garage. Flooring options include epoxy paint from the local big box store to professionally applied polyaspartics. There is something for every budget. I'm sure you can look around and find items of interest all around you.

Racedeck, Swisstrax, G-Floor...and epoxies

The floor is the first thing to address when doing your garage. There are many flooring solutions, so do your homework. Epoxy paints work well if you invest time in the prep. Allow a week to prep, paint, and time to cure before parking on it. Interlocking tile products from Racedeck and Swisstrax, the industry leaders, are a solution that is quick and has endless creative patterns. The floor pictured is Racedeck. A simple pattern that was installed in a few hours. Another product, G-Floor, is a vinyl mat that rolls out covering the floor just where you park or wall-to-wall. It's pre-cut in various sizes. I recommend the thickest of the G-Floor products.

If your floor is reletively new and has no stains, give the epoxy products a look. For older floors or floors with cracks and stains, look at the interlocking tile or mat products. Do your homework. There is plenty of information available online.

Surf City Garage Road Trip destroys grime...and adhesives!

I have this V8 powered RX7 that I hoped would be more of a track car than a street car, but it hasn't been like that. It's a convertible that does not have a convertible top anymore. It has a serious roll bar and an aggressive stance. But it's useless when there is rain. I recently attended the Hot Rod Power Tour and got caught in the rain. Anticipating this, I brought a roll of duct tape and a sheet of plastic. When the need arose, I created a top with the plastic. Problem is I used the duct tape to secure it to the body. Yeah, you know what's left when you remove duct tape. The sticky remains do not come off easily. Several people made suggestions on what to use. The lacquer thinner suggestion was scary! So I had a bottle of Surf City Garage Road Trip with me for the road grime I expected to deal with. I tried this on the duct tape adhesive and it worked! SCG Road Trip is a gel. Let it sit, rub it gently, and off comes the junk stuck on your car. Keep in ming it removes your wax also. So you'll have to wax again.

The 'BONE' Creeper

Have you seen this creeper? Looks cool and is the most easy to use creeper you'll ever work with. The large wheels make this thing glide across the concrete. Check out my website to learn more and order one of your own.

But wait... the same company recently released the 'TAILBONE' mechanics seat. Same concept of comfort and easy to use. Again, large wheels allow you to scoot around your car.

Do you need a garage vacuum?

I have one and it's great! With all of the garage vacuums on the market none have evolved beyond the typical bulky, awkward, and space hogging units. Mine is a GarageVac manufactured in the USA with a 6 year warranty. It's a sleek, powerful, injection molded from polycarbonate vacuum with a 12 amp, 113 cfm twin fan 5 peak HP turbo motor. Installation is simple. The 40 foot stretch hose and all tools are in one place . Want one? Check out the http://LegendaryGarage.com shopping cart.

Die-cast collections

Are you a die-cast car collector? Most of us have a few replicas of our favorite race cars or dream cars. Some of us have hundreds. Whatever your interests are there is likely a replica being produced by someone. There are several manufacturers who rate very high with collectors including AutoART and GMP. Both of these companies have race cars, sports cars, muscle cars, and classic cars. Looking for a classic BMW, AutoART probably has it. Looking for a vintage '32 Ford Hot Rod, GMP probably has it. If your interests lean toward commercial vehicles, then you probably are aware of First Gear die-casts. Do you want to add a classic tow truck or stake bed truck to your collection? Check out First Gear. But don't think you're limited to replica vehicles. There are die-cast clocks, motors, and all the accessories to create your own diorama garage or drag race. If you've limited yourself to Hot Wheels, you should check out some of these companies. The quality will blow you away!

Garage Inspiration...Books and Magazines

There's great cars and great stories in the pages of "Garage Style" magazine. The stories of the inspiration behind the car collections and the garages where they are kept are written by true enthusiasts. The garages may belong to individuals, businesses, and clubs throughout the country. The magazine is based in Orange County in Southern California and usually has a garage or two from that area. You might read a 3-part story about Jay Leno's collection and a story of an individual holding on to a dusty, covered-up Duesenberg purchased by a distant relative following World War II. There could be stories about collectors of engine parts, model cars, or automobilia all kept in a garage, basement, or building built specifically to house the collection. I urge you to get a copy, find a quiet corner where you won't be found, and devour this magazine from front to back.

After you've been inspired by "Garage Style" magazine, you'll want to check out "How To Build Your Dream Garage" by Motorbooks. This book will help you organize your thoughts and put a plan on paper. You'll begin to understand the inner workings of a garage and the systems needed to make it suitable for your activities. Construction, electricity, and plumbing are all covered in detail to help you build the garage of your dreams. Options for flooring, cabinets, and storage organization are addressed. By the time you're through researching with the help of this book, you will have planned the most well equipped, envy inspiring garage in the neighborhood.