Workshop Design Basics
Practical lessons I’ve learned from planning and building an automotive restoration garage
Article Pat Matthews
Images Richard Simonds & Gary Anderson
Before I designed and built my current workshop and display building, I had worked in several other situations, starting with a rented garage space in a widow’s home. As I gradually took on more ambitious projects and had additional resources, I was able to move into new space, applying the lessons I had learned previously. I can assure you that regardless of how much space you have, if you’re doing major restoration work, the same guidelines will apply.
1. Plan your garage or workspace layout so that there is sufficient working room around a project car to allow unencumbered access on all sides and underneath for you and your tools.
2: If you’re planning to tackle a full restoration, the cost of a lift (portables aren’t very expensive) will pay dividends for years to come. At the very least, get a high-quality manual jack, and sturdy jack stands to support the car.
3: A rolling storage cart on which to store parts as you disassemble the car will pay dividends, both in day-to-day work flow and later when you start reassembly.
4: A separate tool cart can be fancy, or just a toy wagon with your toolbox on it; a cart improves efficiency by saving multiple trips back and forth to the workbench.
5 & 6: As part of overall shop organization, keep hand tools orderly and easily accessible. Always buy the best-quality tools you can afford for items you use all the time; buy sets from discounters for specialized tools you will use only occasionally.
7: Make a place for reference material – manuals, notes and reference books – away from the main work area in a place where you can do research efficiently. Be sure to include space for a desk or table with computer, camera, telephone and drawers or file box for records storage – an area where you can sit and talk to suppliers, order parts, read and plan.
8: If your budget allows, a good-quality air compressor will give you access to efficient air tools and compressed air for cleaning parts.
9: Create a separate area for machining and parts cleaning – the dirty work – away from the rest of the shop so that close-specification parts won’t get contaminated. A pristine area – think high-tech clean room – is critical when reassembling components such as engines, carburetors and electrical gear.
10: Build a neat, accessible area to store parts and components in an organized, easy-to-find way. Buy new parts as you do disassembly to make sure you’re not delayed waiting for a critical part during reassembly.
11: Organize parts storage by model and component subassembly.
12: Buy fasteners (bolts, nuts, washers, screws, spacers, gaskets, etc.) in bulk ahead of time, and store them in drawers, sorted by size and type, so it’s easy to find what you need when you need it, rather than having to run to the store for that one elusive nut.