# Can you stand another workshop thread?



## OllyK (23 Jan 2007)

We moved in to our current house 2 years ago. During that time we've pretty much gutted the place, and most of it I've done myself. The one exception however was the garage and workshop, the construction of which started late in 2005. I'm now finally sufficiently complete on the house related stuff that I'm now getting the workshop under way.

*The Plot*
Our garden is pretty long, about 50m with the property sitting between 2 roads. The house occupies pretty much the whole width at the front, so the only option for a garage was to build it at the bottom of the garden. This is the view down the garden from the back bedroom






The trailer in the distance is where the garage will be going.

As part of digging out the foundations, an armored cable and 28mm water pipe were run the whole length of the garden in a trench, which will connect back in to the main circuit board and the outside loo respectively.


----------



## OllyK (23 Jan 2007)

The garage will be 5m x 5m with a 3m x 3m workshop on the back connecting through, giving me the option to over run in to the garage on larger projects.

The foundations were fairly deep due mainly to being on a hill





Then they were filled with rather a lot of concrete





Next came the footings, the brickie said this was the first time he'd been stood upright and still laying footings


----------



## Philly (23 Jan 2007)

Wow! Olly, that is one BIG back garden! :shock: 
Going to be a great workshop - keep the pics coming.
Philly


----------



## Anonymous (23 Jan 2007)

Major work there!! Keep 'em coming


----------



## Waka (23 Jan 2007)

Olly

Really lokking good, can I ask why you didn't consider having the WS the same width as the garage?

Keep the pic's coming.


----------



## PowerTool (23 Jan 2007)

Yep,keep 'em coming - I love to see other peoples workshop builds and workshop tours,always interesting  

Andrew


----------



## MIGNAL (23 Jan 2007)

Plenty room for expansion should you ever need it. Also makes a change from the recent wooden structures. Should be interesting.


----------



## OllyK (23 Jan 2007)

Waka":210qthht said:


> Olly
> 
> Really lokking good, can I ask why you didn't consider having the WS the same width as the garage?
> 
> Keep the pic's coming.



Couple of reasons - the second of which will become more apparent as the build progresses. The first was at the suggestion of the architect to make getting planning permission easier.


----------



## OllyK (23 Jan 2007)

Footings complete and the base goes down, another 12 cubic metres of concrete





Walls going up





Workshop window gets fitted





Main structure complete - view from the rear and some may now guess what the garage isn't full width!





and from the front


----------



## OllyK (23 Jan 2007)

And then on to where we are currently at!






Studding in place ready to receive some insulation. Wiring and lighting done as well as the alarm. Plumbing in place for sink, water heater and external tap. Kitchen type units to go in front and high level cabinets above, one to house the MCB for the garage. Walls being clad in 9mm ply where I may want to hang anything, higher up I'll revert to plaster board. Ceiling to be insulated and plasterboarded. Lighting comes in the way of 3 x 4 foot fluorescent and 2 x 2 35W spots






Listening to people on here, I've put in plenty of power sockets:
13 x 240v 13A doubles
2 x 240v 16A singles
2 x 110v 16A singles

No 3 phase  
- yet


----------



## mambo (23 Jan 2007)

where are the 110v and where is the tranny?


----------



## OllyK (23 Jan 2007)

mambo":llg9zz6e said:


> where are the 110v and where is the tranny?



If you look at the pic with the extension lead hanging off the wall, above it is where the cupboard with the MCB will be and also the transformer. You may see the cable with yellow insulation which the output of the transformer will plug in to.

On the same picture under the left hand side of the window, there is a large gap between 2 sockets, a 110v and a 16A will go there - you may be able to see the cables, the same again on the other wall, 3rd section in from the left.

I'll try and get some more pics done tomorrow - the ply is now in place below the window with the 16A and 110v sockets fitted. Also the floor is now a very fetching "smokey blue" and the high level cupboards are in place.


----------



## mambo (24 Jan 2007)

o yes i can see the 110v and the 16amp sockets on the window sill now
will the be putting a 16amp socket in the floor for the table saw?


----------



## Chris Knight (24 Jan 2007)

Olly,
Fantastic job!

It's nice to see a new building in brick too - pretty rare these days.


----------



## Waka (24 Jan 2007)

Olly

I now see why the WS is not full width, good idea. really good progress, how long has it taken so far?


----------



## dedee (24 Jan 2007)

Olly,
It's always nice to see a workshop build and in brick too!.

Looking very good.

Andy


----------



## OllyK (24 Jan 2007)

mambo":s5w7dje8 said:


> o yes i can see the 110v and the 16amp sockets on the window sill now
> will the be putting a 16amp socket in the floor for the table saw?



No - the floor is solid concrete. The wiring is being done radial rather than as a loop, so if I need to add another socket it's no big deal. The sockets are being set in an easily removable 6" wide bit of ply so I can get back in if I need to. I may end up ceiling mounting one in the main garage in due course however!


----------



## OllyK (24 Jan 2007)

Waka":3fjn3wn5 said:


> Olly
> 
> I now see why the WS is not full width, good idea. really good progress, how long has it taken so far?



Indeed - as the garage is the full width of our garden (the poly tunnel etc to the left is next door's) and we only have a narrow path down the side of the house, there was a danger that we wouldn't be able to get larger items (like a mini digger) up the garden when we get on with some of the other projects. I suppose I could still have gone full width and had the door there, but the additional costs and risk to not getting planning permission (2 applications by the previous owner had been refused) resulted in what you see.

The building work began in Sept 2005 and culminated in ovember with me fitting the 2 garage doors and the side door. The 2 garage doors came off eBay, the double one was 50p - delivered for £30 all in and the other was £50 off eBay.

It's been used as a material store since then while I've been renovating the house. In one of the pictures you can see the replacement floor joists for the dining room and sitting room.

Actually getting things moving towards a workshop started 2 weeks ago, so it's had a few evenings and a weekend on it so far.


----------



## Fecn (24 Jan 2007)

Thanks for posting the pics. I love to see workshop build threads. 
Looks like it's all going nicely and you'll have a superb workshop at the end of it all. I like the two sets of garage doors... I'm planning on doing something similar myself.. one day (assuming cash and planning permission all work out)


----------



## OllyK (24 Jan 2007)

Fecn":nwafsz34 said:


> Thanks for posting the pics. I love to see workshop build threads.
> Looks like it's all going nicely and you'll have a superb workshop at the end of it all. I like the two sets of garage doors... I'm planning on doing something similar myself.. one day (assuming cash and planning permission all work out)



It certainly isn't a cheap option. With running power and water, architect and planning fees I reckon it's run to close on £17K for the basic structure. Mind you being on a hill and needing so much concrete didn't help.

I am beginning to worry about space already though, I still want to be able to get 2 cars in the garage. I do have about 3 feet of extra width to the left as you look from the front, but I need to find homes for a table saw, thicknesser planer, lathe, SCMS never mind work bench, dust extraction and compressor. I can see me suspending stuff from the ceiling at this rate!


----------



## Fecn (24 Jan 2007)

Ouch.. 17K was a bit more than I was planning on - Unfortunately, my situation is much like yours though.. I'd need a 150ft trench straight down the garden to get water/power down from the house.... proper footings dug.. etc

Ah well.. if I need to find 17K, I suppose I'd better stop reading the forum and find some more paying customers for my company.


----------



## scotswood (24 Jan 2007)

Hi Olly,
Looking good mate, tremendous sense of satisfaction looming on completion i suspect!!
Enjoy,
Graham


----------



## OllyK (24 Jan 2007)

Fecn":11cfz45b said:


> Ouch.. 17K was a bit more than I was planning on - Unfortunately, my situation is much like yours though.. I'd need a 150ft trench straight down the garden to get water/power down from the house.... proper footings dug.. etc
> 
> Ah well.. if I need to find 17K, I suppose I'd better stop reading the forum and find some more paying customers for my company.



It certainly all adds up. I'm doing what I can, in otherwords the electrics and plumbing as well as the joinery etc in the workshop, but my brick laying skills aren't up to doing a garage that's for sure.

The trench and footings weren't too bad, about £1000 or so for a couple of days hire of a guy and a mini digger, the supply and laying of the cables and pipes and then back filling. If you can do that yourself you can save. The big, and unavoidable cost was the concrete.


----------



## OllyK (24 Jan 2007)

scotswood":2eva80iv said:


> Hi Olly,
> Looking good mate, tremendous sense of satisfaction looming on completion i suspect!!
> Enjoy,
> Graham



I do hope so - can start all those little finishing touch type jobs on the house then. I just hope I can fit it all in!


----------



## woodbloke (24 Jan 2007)

Looking very good so far.....keep the pics coming - Rob


----------



## DomValente (24 Jan 2007)

Lovely thread Olly,
Sell your cars buy a Smart car and use the double garage as your workshop

Dom


----------



## wizer (24 Jan 2007)

nothing wrong with smart cars, I absolutely love mine! I'm serious!


----------



## OllyK (24 Jan 2007)

DomValente":37dyhqkg said:


> Lovely thread Olly,
> Sell your cars buy a Smart car and use the double garage as your workshop
> 
> Dom



Lol - part of the reason for the back garage door was so we could look to get a Westfield for weekend use and keep it out the back with the trailer!


----------



## DaveL (24 Jan 2007)

WiZeR":158d2q99 said:


> nothing wrong with smart cars, I absolutely love mine! I'm serious!


 
OK then lets see you put 5 cube of timber in it, in 8 foot lengths. :twisted: :wink:


----------



## mambo (24 Jan 2007)

bet i could


----------



## Jake (24 Jan 2007)

DaveL":3n0md30g said:


> OK then lets see you put 5 cube of timber in it, in 8 foot lengths. :twisted: :wink:



That's what roof bars are for. Not that they'd work on a smart for anything over 4'.


----------



## llangatwgnedd (24 Jan 2007)

Enjoying the thread, keep uploading the pics. 8)


----------



## DaveL (24 Jan 2007)

mambo":21mj887e said:


> bet i could


 
Does the back of that cab open? 

I make the rest of my team smile at work, I drive a company car and one of the major questions I ask when I have to change it is: 
_*'Can I get 8 foot boards in the car'*_ 
Its a spec that car makers don't list in their glossy leaflets and I have caused raised eye brows in show rooms by producing a tape and asking for the seats to be folded down, picky who's picky.


----------



## wizer (25 Jan 2007)

DaveL":207a8ekd said:


> WiZeR":207a8ekd said:
> 
> 
> > nothing wrong with smart cars, I absolutely love mine! I'm serious!
> ...



that's what the missus car is for :twisted:


----------



## Paul Chapman (25 Jan 2007)

DaveL":3opwa8np said:


> [OK then lets see you put 5 cube of timber in it, in 8 foot lengths. :twisted: :wink:



Is that what they call a drive-by gloat, Dave 8) 8) :lol: 

Cheers :wink: 

Paul


----------



## mambo (25 Jan 2007)

DaveL":wm4ucexq said:


> Does the back of that cab open?



no but i have a rollbar on it now :lol:


----------



## OllyK (25 Jan 2007)

DaveL":yjpi9luq said:


> WiZeR":yjpi9luq said:
> 
> 
> > nothing wrong with smart cars, I absolutely love mine! I'm serious!
> ...



You never heard of a roof rack? You'd be amazed at what's been on the top of the scoob.


----------



## RPM (25 Jan 2007)

Great thread OllyK! 

Lots of good information and fine WIP photos! 

Thanks for taking the time to share them. :wink: 


RPM


----------



## OllyK (25 Jan 2007)

RPM":86ii510g said:


> Great thread OllyK!
> 
> Lots of good information and fine WIP photos!
> 
> ...



No worries - not done much this week - been a bit nippy. Hope to crack on at the weekend and will get a few more pics up. More insulation and plasterboarding of the ceiling to be done - no I'm not skiming it!


----------



## RogerS (26 Jan 2007)

OllyK":pa1d6dbp said:


> Fecn":pa1d6dbp said:
> 
> 
> > I'm doing what I can, in otherwords the electrics and plumbing as well as the joinery etc in the workshop,



I'm sure you're doing it right..just be careful when you come to sell the house ...unless you've got Building Control signing off the electrics.

You also mention plumbing. Have you got drainage as well? Reason for the comment is that around our way, Building and Planning give that a big no-no as they think we'll convert the workshop/garage to a granny-flat. As if!

Great thread and a super build. I'm envious of solid walls. My walls are all stud partition around an oak frame...trying to find fixing points is entertaining.


----------



## OllyK (26 Jan 2007)

Roger Sinden":2xo9znc3 said:


> OllyK":2xo9znc3 said:
> 
> 
> > I'm doing what I can, in otherwords the electrics and plumbing as well as the joinery etc in the workshop,
> ...



Garage falls under Part P, my sparky will be installing the MCB in the garage and hooking up the armour cable, at that time he'll check over what I have done and sign that off under Part P as well. He advised on the required cable for each of the circuits and supplied it. 



> You also mention plumbing. Have you got drainage as well? Reason for the comment is that around our way, Building and Planning give that a big no-no as they think we'll convert the workshop/garage to a granny-flat. As if!



Drainage was originally planned as a soak away, however, we've spoken to the planning officer and we will be building an underground storgage tank so the rain water from the garage and run off from the drive is collected and can be used for watering the veggies.



> Great thread and a super build. I'm envious of solid walls. My walls are all stud partition around an oak frame...trying to find fixing points is entertaining.



I've sort of created myself the same problem by putting up studding internally to allow me to insulate as the walls are only single thickness with pillars. However, I have planned where units etc will be going and have put noggins in suitable places, it can take my weight climbing about over it, so it should cope with a few cupboards  . 9mm ply over it all means I can stick hooks pretty much anywhere for hanging stuff!


----------



## RogerS (26 Jan 2007)

If you've not yet covered your studding, why not take digital photo's of where they are. Then choose a series of reference points inside (that will be accessible when you've finished) and then mark up the photo's with the distance of the studding from a reference point.


----------



## OllyK (26 Jan 2007)

Roger Sinden":17xssnda said:


> If you've not yet covered your studding, why not take digital photo's of where they are. Then choose a series of reference points inside (that will be accessible when you've finished) and then mark up the photo's with the distance of the studding from a reference point.



See photos earlier in the thread - however the screws holding the ply on to the studding will be a bit of a give away as to where the studs are!


----------



## OllyK (27 Jan 2007)

Well done a bit more today - wall units up






The rest of the garage in disarray!





and finally all the insulation in and some more of the dry walling and ply up


----------



## PowerTool (27 Jan 2007)

Looking very good  

Andrew (looking forward to seeing it all finished)


----------



## mambo (27 Jan 2007)

i like the spot lights very posh :lol:


----------



## OllyK (27 Jan 2007)

mambo":3vtzlbg5 said:


> i like the spot lights very posh :lol:



Lidl - about £4 each! Posh they ain't, functional they may be!!


----------



## Anonymous (28 Jan 2007)

Roger Sinden":1owakj7u said:


> Building and Planning give that a big no-no as they think we'll convert the workshop/garage to a granny-flat. As if!




I really don't understand the beaurocratic mindset of the planners. Would they rather that we we all put our grannies in residential homes at public expense? 

I think that we should all be encouraged to build granny flats in our gardens. 

And workshops! :lol: 

Cheers
Brad


----------



## ByronBlack (29 Jan 2007)

Olly

What did you use for insulation? I'm at the stage now when I need to purchase some for my workshop but havn't settled on a product yet


----------



## OllyK (29 Jan 2007)

Time for a couple more pics. It's all a bit piecemeal at the moment as I can drywall the ceiling without some assistance and helping hands have been rather intermittent over the weekend!

We'll start with an external view looking down the garden





The window wall is now pretty much complete. A few more sockets have been wired in on the left hand side.





The ceiling plasterboarding continues, oh how I love fiddling around with drywall with lights dangling 





What do you mean my workbench is in a mess? There's a Myford ML8 wood lathe under that lot somewhere!


----------



## OllyK (29 Jan 2007)

ByronBlack":3qa4vhaq said:


> Olly
> 
> What did you use for insulation? I'm at the stage now when I need to purchase some for my workshop but havn't settled on a product yet



It's 100mm fibreglass roll from Wickes. About the cheapest stuff I could find, but not a lot of fun to handle. You can see it in the foreground of the picture below. 3 rolls has done the lot


----------



## Inspector (30 Jan 2007)

OllyK 

I notice that your insulation installation doesn't have a plastic vapour barrier between the insulation and the sheet goods. Is that standard in England? Here we always put one up to keep the insulation dry.


----------



## 9fingers (30 Jan 2007)

Inspector":3lg358gh said:


> OllyK
> 
> I notice that your insulation installation doesn't have a plastic vapour barrier between the insulation and the sheet goods. Is that standard in England? Here we always put one up to keep the insulation dry.



It would be normal practise in a dwelling to use a vapour barrier and I have also used one in my workshop just in case but it really depend on was moisture sources that are anticipated by the owner.

Bob


----------



## OllyK (31 Jan 2007)

Inspector":23fn5rl6 said:


> OllyK
> 
> I notice that your insulation installation doesn't have a plastic vapour barrier between the insulation and the sheet goods. Is that standard in England? Here we always put one up to keep the insulation dry.



At the end of the day, this is a garage and there are no permenant sources of heat in it. I do have portable heater which will be used if it's really cold in the workshop, but to be honest the ventilation is such through the garage that I'm not too concerned about condensation. Add to that the number of holes through the wood and hence in to any vapour barrier behind and it pretty much renders it a waster of time!


----------



## hajsaftar (5 Feb 2007)

Ollyk great job with the pics and stuff.

I just had a question. I am going to bite the bullet and build my own porch soon (never having laid a single brick in my life...). I am going to go for a basic leanto roof which fixes on to the main wall. I was just wondering about a couple of thing. 

what did the builder of your garage do with the trangle sections which are left by the end brick of each course when you give the angle on the brick side walls? is there any venting in the roof? how is the roof exactly fixed onto the bricks?? also its looks like just a flat roof, is this correct or will you have slates later on? sorry if the questions sound stupid, in my quest for DIY challenges this will be the first time I will venture outside of the house...

If you can post some close up pics of the roof to go with your explanation that would help. 

cheers


----------



## OllyK (6 Feb 2007)

hajsaftar":1pexg38i said:


> what did the builder of your garage do with the trangle sections which are left by the end brick of each course when you give the angle on the brick side walls?



The bricks are cut at an angle to follow that of the rafters. The exterior is then covered with a barge board.



> is there any venting in the roof?



No, we used Tyvek roofing felt which is breathable and is supposed to negate the need for additional ventilation - seems to work, we have the same stuff on the house.



> how is the roof exactly fixed onto the bricks??



The roof is a little complex, if you look at the picture below it may be easier to follow my comments:





The main part of the garage is a traditional pitch roof and was formed with premade rafters. The tops of the walls have wooden wall plates on then and then metal straps holding them on to the walls. The rafters sit on the wall plate and then are connected together with batons.

The workshop end is a half pitch and constructed with rafter going directly from the top of the lower wall to the higher one, again on wall plates, hence the open higher space in the workshop.



> also its looks like just a flat roof, is this correct or will you have slates later on?



It's pitched and the roof is slated, well synthetic slates anyway.



> sorry if the questions sound stupid, in my quest for DIY challenges this will be the first time I will venture outside of the house...
> 
> If you can post some close up pics of the roof to go with your explanation that would help.
> 
> cheers



I'll see if I can sort some better pics out, but it could be a while as I am away this weekend.


----------



## OllyK (25 Feb 2007)

Well folks, I've done a bit more. There is now a partition between the garage and the workshop. Wide enough to get the table saw through if I need to, and deisgned to allow the SCMS to operate with long lengths through the door! SCMS will be the other side of the parition in due course!





A sliding door will be fitted, self made, with one of these in due course.

That's the old man working hard there sorting out the tenons I plowed with the SCMS with the depth set. What are the tenons for you ask? The work bench of course. It's not quite Sketch up, but ply and chalk works wonders.






And finally the stock for the panels that will make up the bench. I have a cunning plan for some support for long lengths for the SCMS which I'll show in due course! The panels between the rails and styles will be 9mm ply, same as the walls!


----------



## Shultzy (25 Feb 2007)

Its coming along quite nicely. Remember where the sliding door will go is a dead area of wall space, so if you cover it with a false wall you will get your hanging space back.


----------



## OllyK (26 Feb 2007)

Shultzy":u57pvt1k said:


> Its coming along quite nicely. Remember where the sliding door will go is a dead area of wall space, so if you cover it with a false wall you will get your hanging space back.



Sure, but the door will be on the garage side rather than the workshop side, so I'm not too worried about it.


----------



## Benchwayze (11 Mar 2007)

Good brickie too!

Have fun in there with all that machinery and stuff...  

John


----------



## OllyK (2 Apr 2007)

Well things have been a little slow over the last couple of weekends, got a new 4 wheeled toy to play with 

Anyway, moved a lot of the wood out of the way






creating some room in the garage for said new toy.






I'm building a single and double cupboard / work bench type affair










There are pull out trays made of ply, which you can see a bit better here






The idea being that the SCMS will go in the gap between the 2 cupboards. As I don't want to obsure the door, these shelves can be pushed away when not in use, but if I want to cut long lengths I can do so through the door and have the wood supported. These will be faced out in due course. Not sure about drawers / doors on the units yet, I'll live for them for a while and then decide how I want to sort it all out.


----------



## ByronBlack (2 Apr 2007)

No pictures of the new 4 wheeled toy?


----------



## OllyK (2 Apr 2007)

Not at the moment - but it's one of these


----------



## ByronBlack (2 Apr 2007)

A ladies sportscar? :lol: :lol: 

Only joking - nice motor!


----------



## OllyK (3 Apr 2007)

ByronBlack":1jz864qg said:


> A ladies sportscar? :lol: :lol:
> 
> Only joking - nice motor!



 

With the older models I'd be inclined to agree, but it seems to have grown up somewhat in the Mk3, however, there isn't any wood in it let's change the subject  Having said that, I did help my Dad with the restoration of a 1934 Riley kestrel which did have and ash wood frame with an aluminium skin!


----------



## OllyK (20 Aug 2007)

Well a quick update for anybody that's interested (sorry some of the pics are poor, I didn't have my camera handy so had to resort to the phone)

For those that saw the pegboard thread in general, here's all the accessories piles up (bought way too many). Those kitchen units now have a work top on them, must grab a pic of that as well





Pegboard in place and SCMS station is now complete




(I know, I know, the dust from the SCMS is going to be a PITA until I get the dust extraction sorted)

To the right of the SCMS. 





And finally, the first project to come out of the new workshop, a new garden gate


----------



## mailee (20 Aug 2007)

Where's all the sawdust? :shock:


----------



## OllyK (20 Aug 2007)

mailee":1rmz7jbk said:


> Where's all the sawdust? :shock:



Either in a rubble sack or the vac!


----------



## woodbutcher (20 Aug 2007)

i like the extensive use of the filler! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: 



woodbutcher.


----------



## OllyK (20 Aug 2007)

woodbutcher":35o8zm69 said:


> i like the extensive use of the filler! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
> 
> 
> 
> woodbutcher.


Crappy wood unfortuately, plus lots of nail holes to fill from tacking the boards on.


----------



## Vormulac (20 Aug 2007)

It looks great OllyK! Good thread!  How are you finding the dimensions of the workshop portion stacking up now you've used it in anger?
As a matter of interest, you mentioned a scooby earlier, do you still have it or did the new toy replace it? (I'm looking at buying a scooby in the near future).

Cheers,

V.


----------



## OllyK (20 Aug 2007)

Vormulac":2geb1fct said:


> It looks great OllyK! Good thread!  How are you finding the dimensions of the workshop portion stacking up now you've used it in anger?
> As a matter of interest, you mentioned a scooby earlier, do you still have it or did the new toy replace it? (I'm looking at buying a scooby in the near future).
> 
> Cheers,
> ...


As you will no doubt hear time and again around here, it could do with being bigger! The problem I have is there isn't much room for laying kit out. On this project I was using the SCMS, morticer, router table and hand held router. I was frequently putting things on the floor to create room to work. The actualy construction was done in the main part of the garage. I've been offered a table saw and thicknesser / planer, no idea where those will go!

Yup, scooby went. It was a very nice car, reliable but thirsty. I got rid as it was looking like it was going to need £1500 or so spending on it with new tyres, brakes etc and it was only worth about £4K.


----------



## Vormulac (20 Aug 2007)

OllyK":mhjw33bn said:


> Yup, scooby went. It was a very nice car, reliable but thirsty. I got rid as it was looking like it was going to need £1500 or so spending on it with new tyres, brakes etc and it was only worth about £4K.



Urk! That's quite a lot of money - perhaps I'll get a nice Ford Fiesta instead... :shock: :wink:


----------



## OllyK (20 Aug 2007)

Vormulac":3mu23rg2 said:


> Urk! That's quite a lot of money - perhaps I'll get a nice Ford Fiesta instead... :shock: :wink:



They're not cheap to run. Service every 10K, about £200 notes a time (not too bad), 60K is a big service and will run to over £1000. 20 mpg if you're gentle, sub 10mpg if you're pushing on. Tyres £150 ish a corner and you'll wear all 4 at much the same rate with the AWD. I'm actually quite glad it's gone now!!  Mind you, it was fun to drive.


----------



## devonwoody (20 Aug 2007)

Looking through your pics. I noticed a very large tub of joint filler, does that mean your joints are not well made?  


Lovely workshop though.


----------



## Vormulac (20 Aug 2007)

I'm working on having my mid-life crisis a bit early (I don't want to wait, I want it _now_ *stamps foot*) and a scooby is a lot cheaper than a Lamborghini or a Swedish mistress. :lol: 

V.


----------



## OllyK (20 Aug 2007)

devonwoody":l8x4djb3 said:


> Looking through your pics. I noticed a very large tub of joint filler, does that mean your joints are not well made?
> 
> 
> Lovely workshop though.



Seen the one you mean, that's plasterboard joint filler. Tape the seams and then run that stuff over it, it's a powder a bit like plaster of paris.


----------



## OllyK (20 Aug 2007)

Vormulac":2ijo3ki6 said:


> I'm working on having my mid-life crisis a bit early (I don't want to wait, I want it _now_ *stamps foot*) and a scooby is a lot cheaper than a Lamborghini or a Swedish mistress. :lol:
> 
> V.



I'd go for the Evo if I was going down that route again!


----------



## Vormulac (21 Aug 2007)

OllyK":1dthvn6n said:


> I'd go for the Evo if I was going down that route again!



I've known a couple of guys who have had Evos and it seems that in stark contrast to the scooby, they are not very reliable. Fun though, I imagine!


----------



## OllyK (21 Aug 2007)

Vormulac":1bk8ya8z said:


> OllyK":1bk8ya8z said:
> 
> 
> > I'd go for the Evo if I was going down that route again!
> ...



Certainly quicker than the scoob. The scoob comes in a number of guises and that can make a big difference. UK Classic is pretty bulletproof, the Jap imports are more powerful but also can suffer with expensive engine failures with the 3rd cyclinder overheating with them being a highly tuned boxer engine. Suggest you have a look at http://bbs.scoobynet.com before you commit.


----------



## OllyK (21 Aug 2007)

Gate now sanded






(toy in the background)

And primed and undercoated






And a coat of gloss, just need to do the back and sides now


----------



## Vormulac (21 Aug 2007)

Hi Olly,

The gate looks really good, looking forward to an in-situ shot. 
Scooby-wise I was thinking of a UK spec WRX, nice and bog-standard, nothing an insurance company can ream me over! 

V.


----------



## Gary (21 Aug 2007)

Vormulac":2ykjb0kt said:


> Scooby-wise I was thinking of a UK spec WRX, nice and bog-standard, nothing an insurance company can ream me over!
> 
> V.


 :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: hahahahahahahaha :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:


----------



## OllyK (21 Aug 2007)

Vormulac":3mc33tcr said:


> Hi Olly,
> 
> The gate looks really good, looking forward to an in-situ shot.
> Scooby-wise I was thinking of a UK spec WRX, nice and bog-standard, nothing an insurance company can ream me over!
> ...



Yup - may get to fit it this weekend, you should see the supports on the house :roll: (all will become clear)

Bug or blob eye or a brand new one?

Insurance wasn't too bad, about £500 per year fully comp.


----------



## Vormulac (21 Aug 2007)

Gary":2jwmd7tb said:


> Vormulac":2jwmd7tb said:
> 
> 
> > Scooby-wise I was thinking of a UK spec WRX, nice and bog-standard, nothing an insurance company can ream me over!
> ...



Yes, ok Gary, I should have said 'in relative terms...' :lol: 

Olly, I am looking at an '03 or '04, so 'blob eye' (just missed out on a low mileage '05 last week - gutted). I have been quoted £770 fully comp, so actually not as bad as I was expecting. Unfortunately most of the ones I am seeing for sale near me are PPP models, so an extra £400 on the quote! :roll:


----------



## OllyK (22 Aug 2007)

Vormulac":352ci5ch said:


> Gary":352ci5ch said:
> 
> 
> > Vormulac":352ci5ch said:
> ...



Extra £400, that's silly. It's an OEM modification and only adds about 25 bhp. Don't know who you've tried but Elephant and Liverpool and Victoria have traditionally been good with scoobs. You may need to fit a tracker for some insurance firms though.

A lot of people PPP the WRX to get it up towards the standard output of the STI. Of course you can PPP the STI as well!


----------



## Vormulac (22 Aug 2007)

Curiously, I found Bell were the cheapest by a long way, approximately half the price of the nearest competitor - although I have been advised to try various other companies who invariably don't have websites and are therefore a pain in the @rse to deal with! :lol: 
I don't know, maybe my brain will chime in and I'll end up getting something sensible that makes me want to fall asleep in the drivers seat, but the rest of me is still desperate to get behind the wheel of a scooby :roll:


----------



## OllyK (22 Aug 2007)

Vormulac":1o48a1ue said:


> Curiously, I found Bell were the cheapest by a long way, approximately half the price of the nearest competitor - although I have been advised to try various other companies who invariably don't have websites and are therefore a pain in the @rse to deal with! :lol:
> I don't know, maybe my brain will chime in and I'll end up getting something sensible that makes me want to fall asleep in the drivers seat, but the rest of me is still desperate to get behind the wheel of a scooby :roll:



Depends what you want from your car. The scoob, apart from the acceleration from stationary is actually quite dull to drive, the MX5 I have now is far more fun, but more difficult to drive. With the scoob, just point it at a corner and it goes round, foot flat to the floor at the apex. The MX requires rather more finess to avoid wild tail sliding.


----------



## Vormulac (22 Aug 2007)

It's probably more the scooby's reputation for otherworldly roadholding and handling that I'm interested in. I'm not interested in driving everywhere at 100mph, but I want the ability to get out of the way of any morons I encounter on the road (there seems to be an ever increasing number of those!).


----------



## OllyK (22 Aug 2007)

Vormulac":3lriyedv said:


> It's probably more the scooby's reputation for otherworldly roadholding and handling that I'm interested in. I'm not interested in driving everywhere at 100mph, but I want the ability to get out of the way of any morons I encounter on the road (there seems to be an ever increasing number of those!).



Road holding is certainly impressive, about 20mph higher cornering speed than the MX, although it feels quicker in the MX, or so the misses complains. Very competent in the wet, but change the standard tyres to Goodyear Eagle F1's and you'll notice a big difference. I had the prodrive handling pack with uprated springs and a few other bits and bobs which helped. It can understeer a bit, but when the back goes, it does so very quickly.


----------



## OllyK (22 Aug 2007)

Anyway to get back on topic 

Did somebody ask where the sawdust was?





OK, the new gate is being positioned slightly back from the existing one, can anbody spot a problem?






Yup, I live in a mining area and the house subsided slightly 70 or 80 years ago (stable now the surveyor tells me). That's a lot of shims to get vertical!! :shock: 











I will be scribing a piece to fill the gap in due course!


----------



## mailee (22 Aug 2007)

Phoo! not muh sawdust there Oly, you want to see my shop at the moment :shock: I must gety the extractor plumbed in properly when I get the time. :lol:


----------



## Vormulac (23 Aug 2007)

Erm... sorry to go off on such a tangent there Olly  

That's some very neatly collected sawdust - well done! One minor project about 6 weeks ago and my workshop is still caked in the stuff! :lol: 


(ps I had Eagle F1s on the MG and you're right, they're cracking tyres)


----------



## OllyK (23 Aug 2007)

mailee":3ntdhipc said:


> Phoo! not muh sawdust there Oly, you want to see my shop at the moment :shock: I must gety the extractor plumbed in properly when I get the time. :lol:



I don't have any dust extraction at the moment so it's a case of opening the doors and windows and sweeping up afterwards!


----------



## OllyK (23 Aug 2007)

Vormulac":rf29hjo3 said:


> Erm... sorry to go off on such a tangent there Olly
> 
> That's some very neatly collected sawdust - well done! One minor project about 6 weeks ago and my workshop is still caked in the stuff! :lol:
> 
> ...



Mine would be too, but SWMBO popped in last Sunday while I was pottering about and went round with the vac as she thought it was messy :roll:


----------



## Vormulac (23 Aug 2007)

OllyK":3gzzdql1 said:


> Mine would be too, but SWMBO popped in last Sunday while I was pottering about and went round with the vac as she thought it was messy :roll:



LOL :lol: I can just see that! Oh God - she didn't _tidy up_ as well did she? :shock: I live in fear of my other half doing that, I'd never find anything again!


----------



## OllyK (23 Aug 2007)

Vormulac":2e134sqe said:


> OllyK":2e134sqe said:
> 
> 
> > Mine would be too, but SWMBO popped in last Sunday while I was pottering about and went round with the vac as she thought it was messy :roll:
> ...



No, but it was funny watching her vac around the tools on the workbench :lol:


----------



## Vormulac (23 Aug 2007)

:lol: Aw bless! :lol:


----------



## OllyK (7 Sep 2007)

Some slight issues with that funny yellow ball thing in the sky, but gate now in situe. Some issues with the bottom hinge which will need resolving and the frame needs a final top coat to cover up the plugs where the screws went to hold it to the wall.


----------



## Vormulac (10 Sep 2007)

Nice work Olly, that looks really good in place!


----------

