Well almost. Met today with local council official to rent a plot of land to put a garage on.. £40 a year..result. well within walking distance from my house. Now it's just a case of building the garage. It will be wooden with plenty of room to open the Coop doors.

Been along time coming, but I'm finally going to have a garage...

Good news, it's great when you can get your pride and joy out of the elements and get everything dry, especially when you have to maintain them and have spent £££s on them. Make it as big as possible.

Great news Jim, as a rule of thumb build it bigger then you need, you'll appreciate the extra space

What I'd give for a proper sized garage. Well done Jim.

Thanks guys. It's been a while I've been this excited. Aye big as I can be allowed might just stretch it a wee bit more. Chap told me not to go too daft with size, but also hinted they don't really check up...

I've got plans for a tyre rack & storage for Coop stuff. Mind you this will cost three grand or so, ach well life's too short....

You were warned to keep off those stripey ones Jim

Seriously, great news - any chance of getting power to it or access to water?
One of our coopsters here in Ed has rigged up an ingenious lighting system in his rented lockup as well as exhaust extraction run off a chain of special power packs - added to a full set of shelving it means he can do a sleepover if necessary

Unfortunately not Simon.The plot is behind some houses, even if I could talk some kind house holder into letting me use their electric, the amount of cable I would need & trench digging would be a huge undertaking to say the least. Lighting will not be an issue really as modern led lighting is very good.

You never can tell what the future holds though, I'm a glass half full person. That garage in Edinburgh sounds the dogs dangly bits by the way...

Great news Jim!

I'm currently using my neighbours garage FOC but he's moving so I'm just hoping the new neighbour will rent, sell or let me use it for free if not back on the street!

It really makes all the difference sadly this one is just big enough to park in

just out of interest , how much would a double garage cost to build as the girlfriend is enticing me to move in, with the promise of a double garage [ don't think she realises how much this might cost her ! ]

Is a house out of the question?

Seen decent wooden double for about three & half grand. Brick double tend to be much dearer, around fifteen grand & more.

fifteen grand ! she don't love me that much ! May have to be a wooden one unless I can find some local Poles [ better build and hopefully cheaper

the garage might be more enticing than her house

Bad news, received a call today informing me that the plot is on hold. Seriously my heart sank. Council chappy says although there are empty plots, paperwork says otherwise. I'm obviously hoping that this is just a minor setback, but I should've said nothing on here until the Coop was safely parked in her house....

Bummer Jim. If the Council chap left you with the impression it was yours he shouldn't if he wasn't sure

Ach Simon, typical Highland council kcuf up. Ironicly up here it's a lovely easy ozy place to live, but things can drag on for no real reason. For me a garage is a deam.....

Just had a phone call ,I've just been given the go ahead to build my garage.... I was beginning to give up hope, but at last. Really happy. Thought I'd share my good news......

Great news, thanks for sharing Jim

Good stuff!!

Nice one Jim. Make sure you build a chimney into it for those long winter nights.

Oh chaps, you really have no idea how happy I am. So much going on in my life at the moment, serious stuff, I made the mistake a few years ago in revealing too much personal detail on here, but that's a different story. This forum has been very good to lot on here with problems both car & other.

I'm almost thinking what a sad old git I am just because a garage is in my sights. May the Coop be with you...
















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Excellent news, I'm glad you've got the garage Jim

You can post personal detail if you ever want advice or a chat, just don't post it in this section, as it's public viewing for the whole world.
Club members section is more restricted or you can always pm me or someone you like/trust, if you feel the need to talk about things

I hope you, your garage and coupe will all be very happy together and maybe help take your mind off other things going on

Thanks Thersa, appreciate the kind words.

Update on the monthly rent....£4.68, bargain or what. Sometimes the Highland council comes through for the motorist.

Cracking news Jim, we'll be expecting a tour when we eventually get round to a Highland meet

Oh and don't forget to update your sig pic.....

Finally the garage is up. It's not exactly been a nightmare to get to this stage, but I've had to jump over hurdles every step of the way. The weather has been against me as well, torrential rain as I type this out.

Lots to do. First thing I'm going to seal the concrete floor & take it from there. Bloody weather...

photos?

My garage has been full of my Daughter & her Husbands furniture since it has been built. They have been in limbo for some months due to a house buyer letting them down...(long,long story) but in the next couple of weeks it's all go.

The things you do for the family....

Thought I'd just make an inquiry about getting an electricity supply to my garage. There's a pole just a few yards away & although I did not think for one minute it would be cheap, I got a shock when the company came back with a quote of £1500.... Ah well plan B it is then.

Extension lead Jim

Here in Az, it's simple. Get your mate to run a cable, feed him with tea and cake, and 'hey presto' you have electrics.

Presumably you have another mate with a fire engine who also likes cake?

Yes, my boss owns the fire brigade - called FHM here

Sorry guys just having a moan. Weather here is crap, so all hope of me doing anything in my garage is nil. Typical, I get my garage back & the weather is against me. Ah well, can't expect more at this time of year....

Jim, isn't that why the Scots invented whisky? For those long, cold winters...?

Jim, you may be right about the whisky, ironically we really haven't a bad winter up here for some years. It's just pissin' down here, so water everywhere. I'm a whisky drinker but I've had to dramatically reduce the intake these days, mind you it's a good idea.....

It's five o'clock somewhere!

Generator?

Aye Simon, that's plan B. I'm doing my homework on which one.

Have you considered Solar Power for the garage, if you have enough sunlight.

Found this from the USA. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mdkhh7SWkE

Would be cheaper than connecting to "mains power".

Weather is hot at the moment here & I've had a chance to seal my garage floor. First of two coats applied, second going on at 5pm. Spent more time clearing out the accumulated bits & pieces that were put away all this time since it was built....

Five o'clock came & the first coat wasn't quite dry, so the weather/food & refreshments were all shouting at me. Second coat now done. Weather is lovely here at the moment.

Today I was up and down to my garage working on the Coop, council chappy on his own filling in pot holes. Now you don’t get if you don’t ask… I have a car space piece of land next to my garage, but it’s just earth, I’ve been meaning to concrete or slab the first metre as this bit is sinking and my cars are scraping on the semi ditch that’s forming. Asked the council chap if he would have any tar left, explained my situation, no problem and no cost, I did insist but he insisted better..Happy days, I have practically the beginnings of a driveway next to my garage.

Great opperchancity snapped up Jim, did just the same myself - help, around 40 years ago

Quite a long time ago I came home from work to find a huge stack of large paving slabs in the front garden.

It turned out that the council was replacing the stone paving footpath outside with tarmac.

Our drive needed doing soon so, unbeknown to me, she had asked the site foreman what they were doing with the old slabs, and was told they would be crushed for hardcore.

Don't ask, don't get, but they crippled me laying them: 2 feet square or 3 feet x 2 feet and 3 inches thick.

Not saying he was a strong chap - but he was a deep coal miner in the sixties. One of my childhood memories of my grandfather was him carrying two of those great york stone paving slabs in one hand, and a damn great sledgehammer in the other. Fair old grip he had.

Great progress Jim, and an added bonus for the start of your drive, you sound you might have room for a spare Coupe