Where do you work on your car if you live in a condo?

[shanehutton]

I finally received the dreaded letter where my condo's property manager outlined the section of the condo rules that specifies that we are not allowed to do anything to our cars in the parking garage. They are very strict and do not even allow anyone to have their winter tires neatly stacked in the corner of their space. For that matter, I bet changing your tires would even get you in trouble anyway.

That being said, where do you guys work on your cars? There is no way in hell I am paying someone to work on my car just because I don't have anywhere to do it.

I have always wondered why there aren't garages complete with lifts (and possibly a loan a tool setup) that can be rented our by the hour. There have to be enough people like me that would rather work on our own car but don't have a garage to make money. I guess the insurance would be crazy but I think it would be a good idea.

[John Powell]

The clutch went on my GMC 3500 when I was in Brampton about ten years ago, and we replaced it in a DIY shop there. I don't remember the name or exact location, but I think it was somewhere in the industrial area between Kennedy Rd. S. and Dixie. They had a lift and tools, and the owner was pretty cooperative and let me leave the truck in overnight while I was waiting for parts.

[13inches]

The clutch went on my GMC 3500 when I was in Brampton about ten years ago, and we replaced it in a DIY shop there. I don't remember the name or exact location, but I think it was somewhere in the industrial area between Kennedy Rd. S. and Dixie. They had a lift and tools, and the owner was pretty cooperative and let me leave the truck in overnight while I was waiting for parts.

If you're thinking of the one at Rutherford and Clark, it's closed as of early January. There's an eviction notice on the door :(

[shanehutton]

Damn. I didn't know that they existed. I guess I didn't have a brilliant idea after all.

If anyone knows of another one I would love to know. I need a spot to work on my car from time to time.

[13inches]

Damn. I didn't know that they existed. I guess I didn't have a brilliant idea after all.

If anyone knows of another one I would love to know. I need a spot to work on my car from time to time.

http://maps.google.ca/?ie=UTF8&ll=43.627211,-79.623021&spn=0.004069,0.009109&t=h&z=17

I drove through this area the other day and there was a sign for a rent-a-bay place in front of the plaza next to the L-shaped building.

[DEK]

Google still shows the Do it Yourself Garage at 300 Greenwood Ave in toronto East End. I guess the one near Kipling and the queensway may be gone.

DAVE KING

[RyanHuber]

Join up at ORF (talk to adam on here) and you get storage for a car, and full access to two hoists, welder, tubing bender, and all kinds of other stuff. That's where I went when my subie build got more serious. After a couple times getting asked by the security guard "is that your car?" while I'm laying underneath it wrenching on something, it was time to get more serious ;)

[shanehutton]

Is his username just Adam? I would like to know more about this ORF. I don't need storage as for the moment :) I only have the one car but the rest sounds great. I also don't know how to weld but you can bet your a$$ that if I had access I would take a class pretty quick.

[jgardhouse@gmai]

ORF's website, http://turbo240sx.ca/

[darcyw]

i would say this...set up a curtain, tent, or something like that...tell them its a "car cover"...then work on it late at night...say around 2 am...just don't use an impact gun.

later
darcy

[GordRoss]

When I lived in the Niagara region, I used to do work at a place called Your Own Garage. There were about a dozen bays equipped with basic hand tools, and a few bays with hoists. There was also a couple of paint booths. You didn't need to bring a single tool, they had everything and for about 10 bucks an hour, you could do pretty much anything. As far as I know, they are still there.

I would guess that there are other companies like that out there.

Good luck,

Gord

[shanehutton]

I was thinking of doing it late at night but the car cover won't cut it unless it was a proper car cover for that car. Definitely couldn't just use a tarp or a random tent because somebody would find it unsightly. You wouldn't believe how anal some of the people are in my condo. Worst part is, it's always those people who end up on the condo board so they also make the rules.

ORF looks great but I can't justify $625 a year when I would only really be doing basic maintenance and the odd upgrade.

Just went and checked the DIY on Greenwood and it is gone.

Found one in Hamilton though.

[ITMN]

Shane, feel free to use my driveway if you need to.

Mike

[George]

i would say this...set up a curtain, tent, or something like that...tell them its a "car cover"...then work on it late at night...say around 2 am...just don't use an impact gun.

later
darcy

Something like a curtain would attract too much attention - working late at night isn't the best time either as you might be mistaken for a thief by a resident or passerby who otherwise wouldn't have looked twice plus the guards usually do their rounds more judiciously at night.

I live in a condo at the South Kingsway & Lakeshore area. If I had a choice I would not live in Toronto but I'm stuck here and I've been doing work (brakes, starter, alternator, radiator, re&re carb, plugs, tuning, re&re wheel cylinders, ebrake cables wheels and oil changes etc.) on my cars and trucks in the underground for years and getting away with it.

What I do is find a remote corner of the garage and surround the vehicle that I want to work on with my other vehicles so that it's fairly obscured - it's one of those solutions that's so simple and stupid that it actually works..lol

Had one incident with a guard a few years ago and after stewing over it for a bit I went looking for him - when the confrontation was over I had enough on him so that it would be the end of his job if he made an issue out of it - haven't had any problems since then.

[ADAM]

"ORF looks great but I can't justify $625 a year when I would only really be doing basic maintenance and the odd upgrade"


we could work out a 1/2 year rate if you can do all your work in 1/2 the year..


I am flexible


Adam