What do you do with all the spares?

[MBS206]

The query here, is how do you arrange all of your spares and other random items? And then, what do you do, if you think you're hitting that point where you won't need them any more?

 

So, but of background; I've had lots of different cars, and tinkered with lots of cars over the last 18 odd years.

In addition, I have a habit of ending up with things, I'll now never need again.

For example, for the R33, I've got a side mount intercooler, and a GTR front mount cooler, as well as random items like aftermarket cam gears, starter motors, power steering pumps, and even things as random as the really small fuse box, that sits right beside the battery. 

So firstly, I've got a lot of stuff right there, that I'll never need again, as I'm not playing street/stock cars. So, I probably need to clear some items out, and at the same time, I hate Facebook Market place and dealing with people. So other than throwing this stuff out, how do you guys deal with it? Do you have a similar stash of parts hidden away taking up space?

 

So then the next part is, I have lots of stuff like aluminium pipe to make inlets from, lots and lots of electrical stuff too for making custom wiring looms, and so many random things.

How do you guys organise all of your stuff?

I've moved a lot, and lots of my stuff was just in random cardboard and plastic boxes, that were starting to fall apart! Lots of it was stacked on shelves in said boxes, and I've just gotten new shelving, and I'm re arranging the garage to fit some new (to me) large tools in. That means I'm presently opening boxes, being ruthless and ditching the trash (I think about 30 cables that would suit a TV/Desktop PC went in the bin alone!). However, now I've got parts laying in the middle of the garage floor while I work out how to store them on shelves. The shelves are all high, so if I lay all the parts out nicely on shelving, I lose heaps of space. But if I shove them all back in boxes, I'm back to square one!

 

So what mysterious and creative storage solutions have you come up with?

That is other than making the garage bigger, and buying more shelving, and pushing this problem back another 5 to 10 years...

 

Oh, and lots of things I have, are for projects I want to do one day, or am slowly doing too... The 80HDs can make life hard sometimes... So more storage space probably isn't the best idea...

 

Let's add another random question too, how much space is being taken up in your workshop/garage from parts you bought years ago, and still haven't fitted? Example, I have a brand new Safari Snorkel for the LandCruiser, and a box of RedArc gauges.

 

 Since November of 2016...

 

[GTSBoy]

50L plastic butcher's bins with or w/o lids are good for storing various parts and smaller boxes of part on shelves.

I've taken to writing a manifest on blank paper in texta and sticking it on the front of any such box, whether it is that sort of tub or just a cardboard box. Ditto to smaller boxes inside.

I can not give you ideas on how to be more ruthless or better organised than that, because I suspect that my shed is worse than yours.

[MBS206]

51 minutes ago, GTSBoy said:

50L plastic butcher's bins with or w/o lids are good for storing various parts and smaller boxes of part on shelves.

I've taken to writing a manifest on blank paper in texta and sticking it on the front of any such box, whether it is that sort of tub or just a cardboard box. Ditto to smaller boxes inside.

I can not give you ideas on how to be more ruthless or better organised than that, because I suspect that my shed is worse than yours.

Yours would only have been worse, because I've spent 2 weeks cleaning mine. And yet it barely looks any different... Ha ha ha

The work bench is unusable as things are stacked so high on it, as it down each walk way between the cars. And on one of them. And inside the other... And under one of them...

These days when working in the garage, I need to roll the Subaru out. Because the "workshop" portion is just so full of stuff... To do anything means to move lots of stuff...

 

But I recently got rid of a full rack of fish tanks, and a few more. Then have started just throwing shit that's actual rubbish.

And trying to sort everything else! Ha ha ha

 

Needing to move the Lathe into its proper spot, and then move all the other gear like the press, compressors, welding trolleys.

 

And let's not talk about the camping gear... I want to get rid of it, the GF wants to go camping... I think I'm getting to old to want to camp these days

 

Oh, I also evicted a few things, like the motorbike outside ages ago too! Ha ha ha

This is all in a 6x9

[robbo_rb180]

I did a pretty ruthless clean up before I left townsville. If it wasn't a part to suit a car I currently have it was sold or binned.

I have all my stuff organised in big tubs with lids that stack from supercheap and bunnings depending on who was cheaper at the time. Parts were sorted by either chasis/motor/Fabrication/general/electrical.

I have a mezzanine that's 7mx2.3m and all lives up there. Easy to access when needed and out of the way. 

I also have the issue of selling and dealing with scumplace/marketbook was actually going to list stuff today but couldn't be bothered as been stuffed around too much. I generally let a few people know I want to off load stuff and people pass it on to others to contact me, generally easy sale and I'm never looking to make big dollars. Rather it gets used than go in the bin.

Next clean up will be around Xmas and if doesn't go on the s15 it's going bar 2 sets of wheels. 

[The Bogan]

If they are a standard parts that have been replaced with a new, or better part, they mainly go in the recycling bin at home if there's room, or into the metal or big rubbish bin at work

Saying this, I have gifted or sold some random stuff over the years, but, if they don't sell, or aren't given away within a month or so, they hit the bin

I use to keep everything, to give away when I sold a car or bike, but typically people didn't want the parts, and the garage, shed, and other storage areas would fill up with parts, that got old and keeping stuff for the sake of keeping stuff was not the best use of space

I do still have a big box full of all sorts of nuts, bolts, washers and brackets though, which come in handy... "every few years" and typically only for other peoples projects 

[MBS206]

So what I hear from Rob and Mark is, Matt needs to stay the hell away from your places when you choose to do cleanups, for fear my hoarding will get worse, as Ill likely find things to suit some of the projects I want to build...

As for ditching stuff like Mark does, I wish I could do it so easily mate, but lots of my spares are for the R33 and I'm slightly attached to them...

 

However, I was staring at the pile of subs, 2 for the car, 2 for a home audio system and thinking I'll likely just ditch those... That's. A lot of space back...

 

I must hurry up and finish the Subaru, and then the skyline... That's probably get some space back...

 

But my main take away is, other than big plastic tubs, and some sort of categorising what you have in each, no one has found a good solution, that takes up the minimal amount of space possible?

 

And Rob, I've been wanting a mezzanine, and have been tempted to put one in, but I'm borderline not enough height, and secondly, I hate heights! (No good spot for stairs, so it'd either be fold up stairs, or a ladder, of which I hate ladders and can't carry the bigger stuff up).

[Duncan]

It's worth looking at Neil's garage thread, he was super organised (as you'd expect). He had a simple bunnings narrow shelving rack with tubs, each tub numbered, each number had a manifest.

Of course, only about half the parts had made it to that system, and he had random stuff from old projects like kawasaki triples and even a Bultaco (a wtf? I said). I really don't want to throw stuff like that because it is irreplaceable, but it's also hard to know who could use it without spending a heap of time I don't have on research.

Not co-incidentally, I've recently decided to try and move on some parts too, either random non-skyline stuff like S13 axles or anything R32 that I had more than 2 spares of (yes, I have a lot of space and a lot of spares). Most of the stuff is on commercial racking which is too deep for practical use for loose spares. Where possible stuff is in plastic tubs (various sizes) to keep critters from eating them. The whole place is a disaster for the poor person who has to clean it out when I'm gone.

For the R32 spares, I aim to have one ready to go spare (eg rebuilt gearbox, engine, driveshafts, hubs, control arms etc) and one ready to prep spare.  Even so I've ended up with lots of 3rd or more spares and I'd rather see someone else keep their car on the road. Also I've ended up with some interior stuff like boot trims and floor mats I'll never need.

So, I'm about to re-enter the painful world of online selling. I'm not on facebook (and won't be) so that is not an option, I'll start a thread on here for R32 stuff and people who need something can find it. I don't really need to throw anything for space reasons, but I somehow doubt the Greddy Rebec III will be in high demand.

Oh, and I've got heaps of bench space and heaps of racking.....but still the bench is covered in half done or about to start jobs, I really need to get it better under control but time is an issue

[PLYNX]

Oh thank God its just not me ! 

I thought I was the only one and I was some weird arsed automotive hoarder that need an intervention.

I've had a spare R33 in my garage since 07 and now its a blessing as I'm working on my car and all I have to do is turn around and there is the part I need ! ! 

Its like magic !

So keep every thing except the broken stuff.

As was said plastic tubs are your friend

Then again I've also got old Holden 6 projects that I work on from back in the 80s that I'm working on again for nostalgic reasons  

[PranK]

This is a great thread and going to be super helpful for me too. 

We moved into this place 3 years ago and the single garage has a really high ceiling, enough for a lift, but the car has never even been in there.

I have so many BMW parts and even a heap of parts from my R33's, the last of which I sold about 20 years ago. I'm sure I still have a HICAS lock bar. 

I also have a saltwater aquarium and I have so many pumps and lights and supplements for that. 

I really just need to chip away. Sort whats to keep, throw and sell. Like you guys I hate dealing with people online when selling stuff and I try to avoid it but a lot of this stuff will be useful to somebody and we already throw so much out.  

I have lots of shelves, but they're not well organised or stacked so I need to start there probably.

[TurboTapin]

I use large labelled stackable storage bins (70l and 102L from same company). I have a wall in my shed lined with them of parts I don't need everyday(Spare parts, fabrication material, piping, tubing, etc.). The rest of the stuff I use more often is in smaller wall mountable bins in the garage (Plumbing, electrical, etc.). 

[MBS206]

11 hours ago, Duncan said:

It's worth looking at Neil's garage thread, he was super organised (as you'd expect). He had a simple bunnings narrow shelving rack with tubs, each tub numbered, each number had a manifest.

Of course, only about half the parts had made it to that system, and he had random stuff from old projects like kawasaki triples and even a Bultaco (a wtf? I said). I really don't want to throw stuff like that because it is irreplaceable, but it's also hard to know who could use it without spending a heap of time I don't have on research.

Not co-incidentally, I've recently decided to try and move on some parts too, either random non-skyline stuff like S13 axles or anything R32 that I had more than 2 spares of (yes, I have a lot of space and a lot of spares). Most of the stuff is on commercial racking which is too deep for practical use for loose spares. Where possible stuff is in plastic tubs (various sizes) to keep critters from eating them. The whole place is a disaster for the poor person who has to clean it out when I'm gone.

For the R32 spares, I aim to have one ready to go spare (eg rebuilt gearbox, engine, driveshafts, hubs, control arms etc) and one ready to prep spare.  Even so I've ended up with lots of 3rd or more spares and I'd rather see someone else keep their car on the road. Also I've ended up with some interior stuff like boot trims and floor mats I'll never need.

So, I'm about to re-enter the painful world of online selling. I'm not on facebook (and won't be) so that is not an option, I'll start a thread on here for R32 stuff and people who need something can find it. I don't really need to throw anything for space reasons, but I somehow doubt the Greddy Rebec III will be in high demand.

Oh, and I've got heaps of bench space and heaps of racking.....but still the bench is covered in half done or about to start jobs, I really need to get it better under control but time is an issue

I'm not going to lie Duncan, Saturday and Sunday were pretty rough days. The sort of work I was doing would previously have ended up with me spending about an hour and a half chatting with Neil. Firstly about something I had a question about, and then both of us rambling off on tangents.  I think how Neil did things, and his attitude to getting it done is helping me in part to get this stuff done. Then I can actually do the things I enjoy more easily