Shared project car community workshop?
Discussion
Is anybody interested in the idea of a shared project car community workshop? A place where we could share car workshop space and the specialist equipment often required to setup to do a car restoration, performance or component car builds like chassis bench jigs, two post ramps, chassis tube benders, MIG/TIG welders etc? Do you think this is a good idea? What else you you think would be useful to have available for use or further ideas on how the space could be used?
Lets see what we could come up with!
Lets see what we could come up with!
TooMany2cvs said:
A rough clue as to which part of the country you're in might help.
Also - how are you thinking of covering the setup costs? There's tens of thousands of pounds-worth of kit that you could easily get in, not to mention the workshop lease commitment.
I already have a workshop in West Berkshire that is equipped, just wanted to get expressions of interest to see if this idea would work.Also - how are you thinking of covering the setup costs? There's tens of thousands of pounds-worth of kit that you could easily get in, not to mention the workshop lease commitment.
Beaker77 said:
I already have a workshop in West Berkshire that is equipped, just wanted to get expressions of interest to see if this idea would work.
Several years ago I used to have a fairly rare imported car and the few communities that sprang up online created tight knit groups of people. At least one of the community "leaders" had his own workshop and mini-breakers yard for the marque, and people on the forum he set up could pay a subscription to be able to join others at his workshop for gatherings, parties, or use of his equipment. It might be worth you setting up something similar, the forum allows local people to communicate with each other whilst you can also process some payments / subscriptions online.
Brigand said:
Beaker77 said:
I already have a workshop in West Berkshire that is equipped, just wanted to get expressions of interest to see if this idea would work.
Several years ago I used to have a fairly rare imported car and the few communities that sprang up online created tight knit groups of people. At least one of the community "leaders" had his own workshop and mini-breakers yard for the marque, and people on the forum he set up could pay a subscription to be able to join others at his workshop for gatherings, parties, or use of his equipment. It might be worth you setting up something similar, the forum allows local people to communicate with each other whilst you can also process some payments / subscriptions online.
We have a nice farm location so suitable for Sunday summer BBQ's and also have a separate recreation room with sofas and bar fridge etc for chilling out and chewing the fat. We also have broadband internet for those all important youtube clips.
I see the whole proposition providing some economy of scale so that we could all benefit from access to space and equipment that is generally prohibitively expensive if you are out of your own. Let's keep the ideas coming with a view to maybe getting something formalised down the track after hearing from more PH'ers.
I've always been interested in joining something like this!
Free up the space being taken up in my garage by a project car, parts and tools.
I think I'd want my own 'bay' though, not to have to try and share/ book specific time.
If you want the latter: http://www.pitstartgarage.com/
If 3 of my mates wanted to join me to rent a workshop with space for our 4 project cars, that would work. Although we likely wouldn't have a ramp - we'd have enough tools between us for most tasks.
Free up the space being taken up in my garage by a project car, parts and tools.
I think I'd want my own 'bay' though, not to have to try and share/ book specific time.
If you want the latter: http://www.pitstartgarage.com/
If 3 of my mates wanted to join me to rent a workshop with space for our 4 project cars, that would work. Although we likely wouldn't have a ramp - we'd have enough tools between us for most tasks.
Henzy said:
A bit like hackspace but with automotive equipment - I like the idea.
Yeah exactly, good comparison. I have a 3D scanner to scan car body and mechanical parts for modifications in CAD to reproduce with a CNC machine which would be great to get on the ultimate workshop list so keen to explore the higher tech side of workshop equipment. I also have a composite resin infusion system to make fibreglass/carbon fibre parts from the mold bucks that could be machined on a cnc. Further on the hackspace theme I am also working with a software developer on ECU programming software so have some additional capabilities to bring to the party there as well. dom9 said:
I've always been interested in joining something like this!
Free up the space being taken up in my garage by a project car, parts and tools.
I think I'd want my own 'bay' though, not to have to try and share/ book specific time.
If you want the latter: http://www.pitstartgarage.com/
If 3 of my mates wanted to join me to rent a workshop with space for our 4 project cars, that would work. Although we likely wouldn't have a ramp - we'd have enough tools between us for most tasks.
Hi dom9, I prefer 'allocated bays' so you have a permanent space for your car and workbenchs/tools etc as well as storage for parts/equipment. We then share things like the 2 post ramp and other larger equipment. I am not a big fan of the 'rent-a-bay-for-a-day' thing as that would be difficult to administer (not to mention expensive for users) and I am looking to build more of a workshop community of project builders rather than once a year repair or maintenance type work. Although that is not to say we might not leave one bay open for more casual users under some type of subscription basis as opposed to a day's rental if there is interest in such a model. I am happy to look at any ideas. Free up the space being taken up in my garage by a project car, parts and tools.
I think I'd want my own 'bay' though, not to have to try and share/ book specific time.
If you want the latter: http://www.pitstartgarage.com/
If 3 of my mates wanted to join me to rent a workshop with space for our 4 project cars, that would work. Although we likely wouldn't have a ramp - we'd have enough tools between us for most tasks.
I was thinking more about @Brigand @dom9 ideas. Although I am not keen on the 'rent-a-bay-a-day' idea as that is more a commercial proposition rather than a community builder, the subscription idea might work for car clubs i.e. the club takes a workshop bay and divides the cost of the workshop bay across the interested members and the members just book in time to use the bay when needed. If 10 members shared the cost, that's over 36 days of workshop time each year for a very small cost. What do you think about that idea?
Edited by Beaker77 on Friday 8th July 06:10
I think I prefer the 'community' idea as opposed to the 'commercial' idea just because it sounds a bit more friendly and will perhaps avoid a few disputes about who's using what, when etc. When it becomes commercial and you're looking at the clock, paying high insurances etc it may take the joy out of it.
A bit garage with some mates is my idea of ideal. Go there when you like, relax, work on cars...
A bit garage with some mates is my idea of ideal. Go there when you like, relax, work on cars...
dom9 said:
I think I prefer the 'community' idea as opposed to the 'commercial' idea just because it sounds a bit more friendly and will perhaps avoid a few disputes about who's using what, when etc. When it becomes commercial and you're looking at the clock, paying high insurances etc it may take the joy out of it.
A bit garage with some mates is my idea of ideal. Go there when you like, relax, work on cars...
Yep agree dom9 as trying to seed a community where the whole would be greater than the sum of the parts i.e not just bays for rent, but shared knowledge, experience and ideas etc. and maybe even shared projects? Could this provide an opportunity for people who don't have a project to get involved with one? Just a thought... A bit garage with some mates is my idea of ideal. Go there when you like, relax, work on cars...
A great idea, and not a new one.
This film is from the 1960s. Fast forward to 9.37. My late uncle - who gave me my interest in cars - is the "Engineer with 25 years' experience"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1ASl7hrKB8
This was long before I was born, but I guess it was a commercial venture and part of the payment included my uncle shaking his head, sucking his teeth and undoing whatever cock-up you'd made.
This film is from the 1960s. Fast forward to 9.37. My late uncle - who gave me my interest in cars - is the "Engineer with 25 years' experience"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1ASl7hrKB8
This was long before I was born, but I guess it was a commercial venture and part of the payment included my uncle shaking his head, sucking his teeth and undoing whatever cock-up you'd made.
Edited by wildcat45 on Sunday 10th July 09:16
Edited by wildcat45 on Sunday 10th July 09:16
wildcat45 said:
A great idea, and not a new one.
This film is from the 1960s. Fast forward to 9.37. My late uncle - who gave me my interest in cars - is the "Engineer with 25 years' experience"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1ASl7hrKB8
This was long before I was born, but I guess it was a commercial venture and part of the payment included my uncle shaking his head, sucking his teeth and undoing whatever cock-up you'd made.
Classic wildcat45...literally LOL. Love the sound track and the women in her dress and heels using the trolley jack, hilarious! And the guys in their ties working on their cars...really was a different age. Thanks for sharing this.This film is from the 1960s. Fast forward to 9.37. My late uncle - who gave me my interest in cars - is the "Engineer with 25 years' experience"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1ASl7hrKB8
This was long before I was born, but I guess it was a commercial venture and part of the payment included my uncle shaking his head, sucking his teeth and undoing whatever cock-up you'd made.
Edited by wildcat45 on Sunday 10th July 09:16
Edited by wildcat45 on Sunday 10th July 09:16
There is a chap in the midlands somewhere (I think) that got a mention on the MX5 nutz forum recently. He has a workshop as his main business but at weekends he hosts a day where he lets people turn up and use the garage and equipment.
He just asks for a donation, all work to be completed by a certain time, and that everyone pitches in and helps everyone else that turns up.
He just asks for a donation, all work to be completed by a certain time, and that everyone pitches in and helps everyone else that turns up.
I think the problem will be people taking the piss. Either deliberately or otherwise. EG:
I book some time in before I go on holiday. Strip the car down, parts everywhere, find the problem...
then order the part. By the time the part comes I am on holiday. So my few days with the ramp has now turned into 2+weeks. Over the holiday I re-evaluate my life and decide that, actually I don't want to finish the car at the moment: its a good time to repaint the garage. So I'll disappear for a while. (or I go into hospital for an operation. It may have been known about for months, maybe not but I'll be out of action for weeks)
The 2+weeks turns into a winters free storage for me. Lovely
Meanwhile, what are you going to do? You cant move the car as its in pieces. You cant sell it as its not yours, you don't want to put it back together yourself. You are stuck with my car taking up a whole bay for months.
It happens with normal car garages, whose owners disappear and the garage is stuck with the car for months on end. And they are paying for it. With the community workshop, I bet you are less likely to ask for money.
Good luck, but I really feel the above scenario will happen. I hope I am wrong. But unless the meter is running people will try and take the piss.
I book some time in before I go on holiday. Strip the car down, parts everywhere, find the problem...
then order the part. By the time the part comes I am on holiday. So my few days with the ramp has now turned into 2+weeks. Over the holiday I re-evaluate my life and decide that, actually I don't want to finish the car at the moment: its a good time to repaint the garage. So I'll disappear for a while. (or I go into hospital for an operation. It may have been known about for months, maybe not but I'll be out of action for weeks)
The 2+weeks turns into a winters free storage for me. Lovely
Meanwhile, what are you going to do? You cant move the car as its in pieces. You cant sell it as its not yours, you don't want to put it back together yourself. You are stuck with my car taking up a whole bay for months.
It happens with normal car garages, whose owners disappear and the garage is stuck with the car for months on end. And they are paying for it. With the community workshop, I bet you are less likely to ask for money.
Good luck, but I really feel the above scenario will happen. I hope I am wrong. But unless the meter is running people will try and take the piss.
Are you looking to primarily make friends/connections or to make money?
As a money making venture, I can see it being kind of limited. I don't know how much the equipment and workshop owe you, but the amount you'd have to charge to make a meaningful profit would probably put most off - Charge too much and people will just stick to working on axle stands in the cold or put someone else to do the work.
If you're looking to just about break even and enjoy the experience of meeting like minded enthusiasts and building a community around the workspace, then I can definitely see it working. I've been looking for a reasonably priced and sized work space local(ish) for about 10 years and never really found anything suitable.
The collaboration workshops that you usually see are almost always close friends that don't want a randomer around their cars, parts and tools, and self renting a workshop/barn/unit large enough to fit in a couple of cars and work on them is prohibitively expensive to justify for a 'hobby'.
If it's the latter and you do decide to go through with it, please drop me a PM. I'm always interested in a warm, dry place to work on my motors and it sounds like a good setup you have there!
As a money making venture, I can see it being kind of limited. I don't know how much the equipment and workshop owe you, but the amount you'd have to charge to make a meaningful profit would probably put most off - Charge too much and people will just stick to working on axle stands in the cold or put someone else to do the work.
If you're looking to just about break even and enjoy the experience of meeting like minded enthusiasts and building a community around the workspace, then I can definitely see it working. I've been looking for a reasonably priced and sized work space local(ish) for about 10 years and never really found anything suitable.
The collaboration workshops that you usually see are almost always close friends that don't want a randomer around their cars, parts and tools, and self renting a workshop/barn/unit large enough to fit in a couple of cars and work on them is prohibitively expensive to justify for a 'hobby'.
If it's the latter and you do decide to go through with it, please drop me a PM. I'm always interested in a warm, dry place to work on my motors and it sounds like a good setup you have there!
Beaker77 said:
Classic wildcat45...literally LOL. Love the sound track and the women in her dress and heels using the trolley jack, hilarious! And the guys in their ties working on their cars...really was a different age. Thanks for sharing this.
A pleasure. Imagine my delight when I found it a year or two back.
OT
I knew the guy who was the 'haulier' who featured too. He was the local businessman, car franchise owner, taxi firm owner and eventually town mayor. When I knew him he had a new Renault 18 with remote central locking and electric Windows. Pretty cool for 1980.
My uncle was a proper mechanic. He'd make spare parts quite often if something was out of stock, unusual or non standard.
He was in the RAF during the war and a few years before he died I was with him at Duxford museum. In a restoration hangar there was a guy working on a Spitfire or Hurricane, it's nose section in bits revealing the Merlin engine. A chap was clearly struggling to fit some part. My uncle ducked under the wire saying 'You're doing that wrong mate, don't force it.' And in a couple of minutes he'd done the job for the bloke. To say I was impressed is an understatement.
Good luck with the venture.
Edited by wildcat45 on Sunday 10th July 19:44
[quote=wildcat45]
A pleasure.
Imagine my delight when I found it a year or two back.
OT
I knew the guy who was the 'haulier' who featured too. He was the local businessman, car franchise owner, taxi firm owner and eventually town mayor. When I knew him he had a new Renault 18 with remote central locking and electric Windows. Pretty cool for 1980.
My uncle was a proper mechanic. He'd make spare parts quite often if something was out of stock, unusual or non standard.
He was in the RAF during the war and a few years before he died I was with him at Duxford museum. In a restoration hangar there was a guy working on a Spitfire or Hurricane, it's nose section in bits revealing the Merlin engine. A chap was clearly struggling to fit some part. My uncle ducked under the wire saying 'You're doing that wrong mate, don't force it.' And in a couple of minutes he'd done the job for the bloke. To say I was impressed is an understatement.
Good luck with the venture.
Thanks wildcat45, your uncle sounds like a man after my own heart!
A pleasure.
Imagine my delight when I found it a year or two back.
OT
I knew the guy who was the 'haulier' who featured too. He was the local businessman, car franchise owner, taxi firm owner and eventually town mayor. When I knew him he had a new Renault 18 with remote central locking and electric Windows. Pretty cool for 1980.
My uncle was a proper mechanic. He'd make spare parts quite often if something was out of stock, unusual or non standard.
He was in the RAF during the war and a few years before he died I was with him at Duxford museum. In a restoration hangar there was a guy working on a Spitfire or Hurricane, it's nose section in bits revealing the Merlin engine. A chap was clearly struggling to fit some part. My uncle ducked under the wire saying 'You're doing that wrong mate, don't force it.' And in a couple of minutes he'd done the job for the bloke. To say I was impressed is an understatement.
Good luck with the venture.
Thanks wildcat45, your uncle sounds like a man after my own heart!
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