Pics of my newly finished garage & 1967 Pontiac GTO

[showroomgarage]

Five months ago I took everything down to bare studs, ripped out the carpenter ant-invested sheathing, the lighting and beefed up all of the electrical, and punched out two windows to let in some natural light. Basically I started completely over, replacing the overhead garage door with beautiful cedar carriage doors, removed the peeling epoxy floor in exchange for porcelain tiles and installed new cabinetry and new porcelain enamel neon signs.

The entire garage now is wired for surround-sound, a professional security system and satellite TV. It's an oasis for me to tinker for hours.

Here are pics of what I started with (its almost embarrasing to show them) ... and what it looks like as of last week. Its hard to believe where I was and what it looks like now.

Chad
Portland, Oregon

[redltg]

nice garage doors , looks good

[showroomgarage]

[For some reason, my post did not appear until a day later, so I was unable to post these follow-up pictures until today]

Here are pictures of the slatwalls being installed, paint, tile installation, etc

[showroomgarage]

[Well, hopefully these will post correctly]

Here are pictures of the finished garage ... and me tinkering on the Goat.

[showroomgarage]

... and a few more.

[showroomgarage]

My personal garage was just featured yesterday on a television show called Better (a TV magazine of Better Homes & Gardens). In case you missed it but are interested in viewing the video, you can find it at the following link:

http://better.tv/bettertv/?cid=713344341&lid=435027957&tid=1276240636&ordersrc=rafbettertv

Hopefully the link will remain live for awhile; otherwise, you may have to search for the video by searching for the title, which is 'Ultimate Garage'.

[Holtff1074]

Absolutely a fantastic change in your garage and even better yet another Ponti Fan! Absolutely love the design items such as the chair,signs and of course that great looking Crankshaft light! The Goat is sharp,very nicely done.Did you do the car as well? I can only hope i can get both my Ponti and Garage to look anywhere close to what you've accomplished. Be nice if you could get a copy of the video done on your garage and post it to a website like Photobucket or even You Tube. Man....i could ask a thousand questions about both the car and the garage,but i best chill for awhile and just follow any updates posted. Again,very nice......;)

[showroomgarage]

Absolutely a fantastic change in your garage and even better yet another Ponti Fan! Absolutely love the design items such as the chair,signs and of course that great looking Crankshaft light! The Goat is sharp,very nicely done.Did you do the car as well? I can only hope i can get both my Ponti and Garage to look anywhere close to what you've accomplished. Be nice if you could get a copy of the video done on your garage and post it to a website like Photobucket or even You Tube. Man....i could ask a thousand questions about both the car and the garage,but i best chill for awhile and just follow any updates posted. Again,very nice......;)

Hello Bob,

I purchased my GTO back in the early 1990's. At the time the car was not a head turner. It had whitewall tires, white exterior and white interior. Then I attended the Muscle Car Classic in Minneapolis/St. Paul one summer and saw an incredible '67 Convertible in Signet Gold. Shorter thereafter I spun a bearing in the engine and got ambitous. I took every nut-and-bolt off the car and sent it to Rick Danca in Turtle Lake, Wisconsin who did an amazing, amazing restoration. Rick had won two class awards at the GTOAA for previous restorations, so my car was in good hands.

Now, its loaded with options, including Hurst Wheels, an extremely rare Rally Gauge Cluster (one of half a dozen documented featuring Rally Gauges, Clock and a Hood Tach), Air Conditioning, Wood Wheel with Tilt Column, Power Windows, Power Antenna, Console Mounted Vacuum Gauge, PS, PB (aluminum disc), Remote Mirror, Deluxe Seat Belts, Soft-Ray tinted glass and Firestone Red line tires. The only option left on my list is an AM/FM radio; otherwise the car was built exactly as I would have ordered it from Royal Pontiac. The only item left to install is the worlds most expensive piece of plastic, a set of red fender liners.

Thanks for the feedback.

Regards,

Chad

[Holtff1074]

Well i must say i do love all the details. I really like the Mohawk gas pump setups.Where'd you ever find those? I'm hopeful of finding a few items like such for my garage upon completion. I even thought of trying to find upper logo pcs so i could build a replica pump. Have you visited the PY forumns in search of items you're looking for? i've seen some of both the items available thru sources like PY forum members and ebay. Later,DeWayne

[showroomgarage]

Well i must say i do love all the details. I really like the Mohawk gas pump setups.Where'd you ever find those? I'm hopeful of finding a few items like such for my garage upon completion. I even thought of trying to find upper logo pcs so i could build a replica pump. Have you visited the PY forumns in search of items you're looking for? i've seen some of both the items available thru sources like PY forum members and ebay. Later,DeWayne

Hello DeWayne,

Here are some good resources for you to check out:

Gas Pump Globes: http://www.slamaglobe.com/index.html
BarStools: http://www.hotrodbarstools.com/
Custom Crankshaft Lamps: http://www.campbelllevydesigns.com/
Cabinets/Tile/Carriage Doors/Neon Signs/Lighting/Garage Furnishings: http://www.showroomgarage.com/
Gas Pumps: http://www.roadsiderelics.com/

Petroliana Forum: http://www.oldgas.com/

[Holtff1074]

:D ....thanks.....:)

[John Larson]

Absolutely fabulous and it's not because I'm biased toward Pontiacs.
I'm going to get there someday. Still wrestling with tile vs. epoxy.

[showroomgarage]

I have a coating in my main garage, but chose tile for my detached workshop because I was looking for a timeless look. Make sure that you research the right tile because natural stone or ceramic can stain. This particular tile is imported from Italy and is of porcelain composition. A hundred years from now this tile is still going to look great; whereas a coating looks great once it is installed but like any painted product shows its age.

FYI - if you are concerned about durability and are leaning toward a floor coating, you might consider something that will perform better than epoxy, which has a history of delaminating, peeling, etc. Just Google the topic and there are thousands of problems associated with their improper installation. The key is also in finding a qualified installation company and one that mechanically, not chemically, prepares the flooring surface for a coating.

[Gunslinger]

Thats one of the nicest garages I've seen. Beautiful job you've done. If that were my garage, I'd never leave...

[frankiedakar]

hey Chad,
your garage is bad ass. im liking everything about it, right down to the phillips 66 sign (we use to pump phillip 66 gas). The countertops and the cabinets are way nice. thanks for shareing and giving us some ideas..Frankie

[showroomgarage]

Thanks for the feedback; I appreciate the complements.

Here are a few pics of the Phillips 66 neon sign. You might be suprised to learn that it is not from 1955, but rather a museum-quality reproduction that is faithfully reproduced to the same designs and strict standards as the originals, right down to every small detail, including the brass fasteners and the hand pulled porcelain enamel artwork.

Here are a few more pics of the other period-authentic neons of classic designs that hang in the workshop ...

[yangster]

Great job. It looks great. What did you use for that black edge that you drive over. I've read of some people using bull nose tile and I saw a pic of one that used a piece of metal. I think it was aluminum (1/4" x 3"). It looked great and I can't remember where I saw it. Anyway the black looks good also. I'm getting ready to tile my garage and am looking for some help for the edge.
Thanks,
Bill

[showroomgarage]

Thank you for the feedback,

Yes, you can use a bull nose on the leading edge of the tile, but my transition to the door threshold would have looked odd, so I decided to use a metal threshold/transition made by Schluter Systems (http://www.schluter.com/), which is a black anodized aluminum.

About the only thing that I don't like about aluminum is that it is a soft metal and scratches very easily. Aluminum has an advantage over steel in terms of strictly cost but definitely not in terms of ultimate strength so don't be surprised if after some pedestrian use this piece becomes scratched and marred.

You won't have those same problems with a bull nose tile transition, but in my case I had to choose differently.

Best of luck with your project and don't hesitate to ping me if you need anything.

Regards,

Chad

[Motorbreath]

That's one sick garage, man!

[yangster]

Chad,
Got another question for you. Is there anything special that I need to look for in picking porcelain tile? I know about the PEI ratings and the one's I have my eye on are rated a 5, but from what I understand, the 5 is more a result of the glazing verses the tile itself. I found some great looking tile on clearance for $0.79 for 12x12's (normally priced at $2).
Thanks,
Bill.

[showroomgarage]

Its hard to beat the price you are describing, but I know very little about the tile in question to be able to comment.

Generally speaking, I'll list some of the more important requirements that I look for in a tile, begining with the most important and working my way through specifications that may be less important:

1. Stain Resistance - If a tile cannot be warranted to resist stains then they will have little use in a garage setting if vehicles intend to be parked on them and will leak automobile fluids such as oil, grease, brake fluid, etc. After all, what is the point of installing beautiful tile if they stain after they are installed? Search for a tile that can meet the requirements of ISO 10545-14 for staining.

2. Water Absorption - Source tile that is categorized as "impervious" and does not absorb liquids. You will find a direct correlation between tiles that are impervious with those that will be stain resistant. Anyhow, look for tiles that meet ISO 10545.3 and have a water absorption rate that is less than 0,5%. The tiles on my floor are actually much less than this standard and have an absorption at 0.01%-0.04%.

3. Resistance to Deep Abrasion - Source tiles that can meet ISO standard 10545.6 for deep abrasions (less than 175mm3) which will be important when you move heavy items across the floor. The tiles on my floor held up amazingly well (no noticeable change) when subjected to the movement of heavy cabinetry slid across them, floor jack, pallet jack, and of course my GTO, etc.

4. Resistance to Change in Color - Some tiles can be photosensitive to direct sunlight and will change their color and fade. Source only tiles that are warranteed not to color fade when subjected to natural sunlight and meet DIN 51094 standards.

5. Chemical Resistance - Its common for garage floor tiles to come into contact with chemicals such as swimming pool chemicals, bleach, hydrofluric acid based products, etc. and you will want a tile that is unaffected by chemicals and can meet ISO standard 10545.13.

If you live in cold climate where the garage will not be heated, then you will want to pay attention to whether the tiles are frost proof.

From your installers perspective, they will be concerned about how the tile you purchase meets tile standards for uniform thickness and size. Many lower cost tiles are out of square and installing them can be challenging because they are out of tolerance. Confirm that your tile vaules meet ISO standard 105454.2.

If you would like a reference guide with all of this information in one tidy spot, I recommend that you download our tile guide and print out pages 10-11 for use as a resource guide on the industry standards describe in this post:

http://www.showroomgarage.com/_pdf/Porcelain%20Tile%20Catalog.pdf

Lastly, and equally important will be the grout that you use. I use an epoxy based grout from a company called Laticrete that is formulated for maximum chemical, stain and extreme temperature resistance and is unaffected by most acids, corrosives and solvents. If you choose a grout, make sure that is exceeds ANSI A118.3 and ANSI A118.5 criteria because you do not want to install a beautifully tiled garage floor only to have it marred because your grout joints are stained.

Hope this helps and good luck with your project!

[67restoproject]

Wow!! Nice garage!! Hope mine turns out half as nice. Well done. Love the GTO too!!

[showroomgarage]

Thank you for the feedback. I appreciate the compliment.

Good luck with your project!

[Hobie1dog]

Just came on this thread......fantastic job, congrats.