Building New Garage for Ferraris

From the extremely impressive garage-mahals posted here, I seem to have gone for a different concept. While it would be nice to have a nicely decorated clubhouse, I tried to construct an efficient working environment for playing with cars.

What started me thinking about this is that I offer a suggestion to have lots of pegboard on the walls. While the look sucks relative to laser cut cavallinos and Ferrari flags, it is extremely convenient for hanging up all the bits and pieces.

I also second (+) the suggestions for lots of outlets (on different circuits) along with tons of lights.
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No! It's a plug that is recessed in the wall where you plug in a clock to tell you what time it is.

 

Alex: good idea on the L shape for the garage doors. Must make the building MUCH more versatile.

--Dan

 

The configuration possibilities are very good. I can get 6 cars in what really pencils out as a 4 car space. because cars can be moved in E-W or N-S

 

I've consulted on quite a few high end garages for collectors and enthusiasts over the years. The nicer projects have 3 different garage areas....one dedicated as a showroom/museum , one for service & detailing, and one for the daily drivers.

My approach is to engineer the technology into the space and integrate it into the interior design. The cars are the stars here....elaborate paint schemes on the floors and walls will detract from that.

Here are some must-have's for serious garages........

Radiant heat - I prefer Munchkin, Buderas or Viessmann boilers

Wall Mounted Split A/C units - 2 to 3 units at various locations in a large shop

Rotary Screw Compressor with cycling drier and proper filtration -

100-200a power including digital 3-phase for the compressor, electromechanical lifts and large machining or woodworking equipment .

Rack mounted equipment - for audio, video, security and controls - Middle Atlantic

Lifts - single post parking lifts 2 post electromechanical service lifts, and flush mounted scissors lifts

Cameras - inside and out

Clean Agent fire suppression systems

Ventilation & Fume extraction

Humidity control systems (independent of the AC)

Lighting - mix of T5/T8 linear and MR16 halogen for general and task applications. Direct and indirect. Some LED or fiberoptic for color

Flooring - tile in the museum area, epoxy in the workshop

Walls - washable paint, tile or FRP

Storage & Workbenches - Lista

Switches & Outlets - Hubbell or Pass & Seymour (5362A)

etc etc etc.

You can see a bit of this on my website at http://www.ultimategarage.com/UltGar2y.htm . You can contact me directly if you need assistance with your project. Steve

 

This is my 1200 sq/ft guest house. It holds 2 cars...

plus
- office in same room as 2 cars
- AC/sat/cable/internet...ect
- full kitchen & bar
- full guest suite & bath
- glass doors are top hung bi-folds. They use only a guide track and that
can be driven over w/o issue
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Always a favorite of mine...
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and this one just because....
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Good lord Steve. Unbelievable.

 

That looks awesome! What's that car on the right side of the picture? Is it an F1 nose cone by itself; I don't see a car suspension. Please post more pics!

 

yea that is just the nosecone

 

Assuming you have a central station security system, make sure you add fire and burg zones for the garage.

BTW, I am totally envious of these garages. I know I'll never have one. Where I live it would take (literally) years of permit wars and so much money that it wouldn't be make sense to try. If (when!) I outgrow the garage at my house I'll have to go for an "off-campus" warehouse rental.

 

I have just finished an addition to my garage which adds another 2 bays for storage. I currently have 2 dual post above ground lifts, heat and a/c, commercial air compressor, hot and cold running water, overhead lighting, complete fire protection and alarm system, and a drainage system for the water run off. The new addition includes a flush mounted 4 post drive up 9,000 lb. lift. I designed it to be flush mounted to avoid any additional labor to get my 360 Challenge up in the air. The side post lifts are tough to get a low ground clearance vehicles in the air. If you use a 4 post drive up, make sure you include a jack support to give you the flexibility to work on the suspension and the wheels. Make sure you include many outlets, 220 supplies, and use retractable reals for your air lines, water lines, etc. Make sure you include heat and a/c to control your climate. Extremely important for quality car care. Also use a good quality epoxy floor covering since it will resist any problems caused by abrasive chemicals. The only thing I have not mastered is the correct lighting. Flourecent lights provide a glare and make it difficult to detail a vehicle. Also make sure you have good ventilation if you want the option to run your vehicles while inside. Leave enough room in the front of your lift area to build or install a good quality work bench with a steel deck so you can have a good work area. You need to make sure your floor base is strong enough to support a lift. I used an archetect to design a garage with the proper height, for the lifts, and the correct concrete for support. I also prewired the walls for stereo. Make sure you leave enough clearance for the garage doors not to interfere with the lift when raised in the up position. It is very easy to make mistakes without the proper planning. Hope this information is of some help in designing the ultimate "functioning" garage.