Introduction & build prep

[Nismo1982]

Hi everyone - thought it was about time I put up my first post.

I registered on here a few months back but I actually bought the book years ago when I was still at uni. Always said I would get stuck into it once I had finished uni, got a job, done all my professional exams and bought a house with a garage. Well now I have ticked off all of the above and have started getting setup for the build - very exciting!

I've always been in to cars and building / repairing things. Whilst at uni I made good use of the student loan and modified my MR-2 turbo before blowing up the engine on a 1/4 mile run. Then went on to an S14a 200sx which I tuned for drifting = great fun! A load of boring stuff followed but eventually got my 'dream' house with garage.

Decided to go down the MX-5 donor route with the build as I much prefer working on jap cars and cheap Sierras are like hens teeth up my way (Edinburgh). Have been really inspired by all the work you guys are currently doing - it's great. Almost binned the idea of building altogether when the first build thread I looked at was Eternal's and thought that if I needed a garage like that it would be at least another 20 years or so away

OK enough of the life story now - I will (try) stick up a post next with pics to show some of the prep work I have been doing over the last couple of months before I start building.

Cheers

Mark

[Nismo1982]

So...first attempt at putting some pics on.

As mentioned in my first post I have been doing lots of prep and planning before I start the build official. First thing I wanted to do was 'pimp' my garage
Been in my house for about 9 months now and gratefully received the permission of the girlfriend to start work in the man cave now that she has all the furniture and 'stuff' she wants indoors.

I've got a double garage but with a blockwork partition wall down the middle so wanted to make one half a workshop and the other the assembly area. Got some paint on the walls and nice floor paint down so it feels a bit more homely.

Couple of before pics:




And after:

[Johno]

Hi there...
Welcome to another MX5 builder....
Looks like you've got a nice setup there to build your car.
Remember to post plenty of photos along the way.

[K4KEV]

Howdy Mark and welcome to the forum, I remember when my garage looked like that many moons ago ....it wont take long to fill that space up until you are stepping over stuff.....all part and parcel of the project unless of course you are a tidy OCD type lol

[ayjay]

Hi

A bit of welding and grinding will soon make your place look a bit more "professional"

[baz-r]

ah i remember single garagedom before i started my build

looks like you made a good start i would make as much storage on the walls as possible to maximise storage and floor space

if you plan on making your own chassis i found making your build board on the floor and making it flat and level to aid build accuracy then you can add another board on top of the tr tubes and fab up other smaller parts on top of that

later on when your chassis starts coming together make a dolly to push it out and spin it around

[twinturbo]

I remember in may 2008, returning home to find my freshly erected 28ft x 10ft prefab garage.. I ran into the massive empty space and whooped and laughed..

Now it's full of sh.....

TT

[voucht]

Hi Mark, and welcome!
Nice working place you set up there, you could "eat on the floor"... not for long
We are looking forward to see the pictures of the first rails.

Good luck with the build

[BORNXenon]

I remember when my garage looked like that, now you can't even get in it and I haven't even started my build table yet.

Once the garden is done though, I will get my mancave back!

[Nismo1982]

Cheers guys! Yes I'm sure it wont stay clean and tidy for long...in fact its getting quite full already.
A few more pics of what I have been up to over the last month to prepare for the build, then it will be time for an actual build thread I think!

My mate was getting a new kitchen fitted and when I heard he was just going to dump all his old units and worktops I couldn't let them go to waste:


Then a perfectly timed Machine Mart VAT free day invite came through the door - it was like christmas.




So with the 'workshop' half setup I got some materials to make the build table in the other half of the garage:



And so concludes my preparation! I will get a build thread setup next and bring it right up to date.

Cheers

Mark