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BLOG (RETIRED)

FOLLOW ALONG WITH WHAT I GOT GOING ON

Greg & Nancy's special place

2/26/2019

 
I am excited to share a very unique and inspiring garage story with you. I have been a fan of Greg and Nancy's space since they began sharing it on Garage Journal back in January of 2016. They have purchased a private storage condominium suite at "The Place" which is located in the St. Louis area. The Place has a motto: "For when your passion outgrows your garage" and it is one example of a steady movement that is spreading across North America. People in need of more space, but not in a position to expand or move, can purchase a suite where they can enjoy extra space while also becoming part of a collective community. These facilities usually have a common space where people can host social events or just hang out. Greg and Nancy have done a tremendous job of appointing and finishing their condo and I was excited when they agreed to allow me to feature their space on my blog. I furnished Greg and Nancy with some questions about their car condo experience and I have no doubt you will enjoy their responses along with the photos that effectively showcase the high quality of planning and execution that went into its completion. 
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Name | Greg & Nancy
Location | The Place, Chesterfield, MO –
Unit | 25
Dimensions
  • Main floor | 45’ x 23’ x 20’
  • Mezzanine | 23’ x 15’ 
What attracted you to the idea of a car condo?
I came by an interest in cars honestly as we averaged about 15 cars at any time, scattered around our house (in the driveway, in the garage, in the front and back yards) at any given moment while I was growing up. But as much as I could blame myself alone, my wife certainly had a part in it as well. She was driving a manual Toyota MR2 Turbo when we were dating and always liked fast cars. Our 10th wedding anniversary was spent at Mid-Ohio, taking a 3-day driving course. Although we both loved cars, I was only expecting us to just each have a single nice car that fit in our small 2-car garage. The turning point happened when my wife was fighting through cancer. Part of our discussions as we sat talking during chemo sessions was that she should buy her “bucket list car” when she beat it. Once she was declared in remission, she found her dream car; a 2009 Porsche 911 C4S PDK. However, she didn’t want to sell her VW EOS, so now we had 4 cars, and with our daughters getting to driving age (meaning more cars to be acquired in the near future), our little two car garage was not going to cut it. Expanding the house garage was not an option, due to the small lot. We considered moving to a bigger house/garage, but didn’t want the larger yard and maintenance. My wife saw an advertisement for The Place and the rest is history.  
The Facility
What do you love about your garage?
Obviously, a garage condo is a bit different than a garage attached to a house or even a pole barn on your property. It is a space in a facility. There is a clubhouse, gated access, internet, and security video cameras- all taken care of by the condo association. The units are commercial space, all with high bays. The Place currently has 35 units with plans to build another phase of at least that many. The Place draws events to the facility. We’ve had multiple cars and coffee events and even an event hosted by Amazon, with a night time showing of the Grand Tour on a big inflatable movie screen. I love the social aspect of the facility. 
The Mezzanine
As far as our unit, I love how our mezzanine turned out. People are always surprised by the fireplace and the four screen / big screen TV set up. My wife and I have spent more than a few evenings shooting pool in the club house and then heading over to our unit for the bar and TV. We also work in our unit to do simple oil changes, tire swaps, and the like. I love the fact that I can turn on the heat from our house and drive down to wash our cars indoors when it is 15 degrees F outside.  ​
What future plans/dreams do you have for it?
First, I want to see the current phase of the facility get sold and populated with like-minded enthusiasts. I want to see more car shows and events at The Place. We are taking an active role in that by working with the local Porsche club to do a single marque cars & coffee this month. I really want to see the second phase occur so that the facility rounds out to its full potential. As far as our unit is concerned, there is a lot of work to do still to fill out the space and decorate some more. I’d like to add in a 4 car (2X2) lift under the mezzanine, and even more important, find the right cars for the lift. 
What advice do you have for anyone interested in a condo such as yours?
I’ll answer this in two parts. As far as the condo space itself, there is a lot of planning that has to go into it. Be prepared for a lot of work. Anyone building a garage from scratch will have similar stories. The fact that the condo here was held to commercial code was a layer of complexity I was not really ready for at first. Most car condos have taller vertical space and so understanding how to use that space is key. Working through lighting that works from 20’ up and having a plan on HVAC, including moving air with a ceiling fan, are all important parts to your plan.

The second part to the answer is to just do it. My wife’s brush with cancer was really a wake-up call for us. Yes, we bought a Porsche and then bought a condo. But more importantly, we have joined the Porsche club and gone to its national convention. We have been out to do DE events at Gateway International Raceway. I’ve used the condo space to have happy hours with people from work. We have attended car shows and had car shows come to us, where we have met tons of great people. A Porsche is more than a car and a car condo is more than a garage.  

As you can see, Greg and Nancy have carved out a little piece of paradise with their car condo. In addition to developing their space into a warm and comfortable place to relax, they have developed and equipped the space in such a way that they can effectively store and maintain their expanding collection of cars. Beyond that, they have become members of a vibrant car community and forged relationships with other like-minded people.

​Greg has done a masterful job of documenting each step of the build process on Garage Journal, so I strongly suggest you check out this thread to witness all the victories and tribulations that have come along the way. If you want to see even more photo documentation of the build process, I highly recommend checking out this family of Flickr albums. 

My thanks to Greg and Nancy for allowing me to feature their amazing unit on my blog and I wish them nothing but the best as they continue to enjoy the special place they have created. 

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If you have an interesting garage project in progress, or if you would like to show off your completed garage, feel free to contact me and let's get the ball rolling! 

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    RAD GARAGE is my personal detailing theatre. I am a teacher who finds immense pleasure in completing deeply therapeutic, thorough and highly satisfying detailing projects in my residential garage. I have converted my suburban double car garage into a world class detailing environment and I enjoy caring for my own car and select cars belonging to others. The garage and the work I complete in it have allowed me to connect with other detailing enthusiasts from around the world. ​
    Contact me

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    I have teamed up with Teespring to offer viewers an opportunity to grab some RAD gear! Click here to see the current inventory of RAD merchandise available at my Teespring store! 
    Use "RAD10" to save yourself 10% until the end of March, 2021. 
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    Carzilla is a local detailing store that caters to the North American community of professional and enthusiast detailers. I have been a longtime customer and I am fortunate to call the owner a friend. Besides stocking a vast quantity of top quality detailing products, the owner has supported various garage and detailing projects of mine over the years.

    5 %   d i s c o u n t   c o d e
    "RADGARAGE"

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    I am able to offer all Canadian detailing pros and enthusiasts a 5% Carzilla discount code. Check out the awesome Carzilla online store here.

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    The team at Annovi Reverberi North America reached out to me and commended my work. They generously offered to supply me with one of their pressure washer systems. I can't express how satisfied I am with the performance of my AR630TSS pressure washer and highly recommend this machine to all enthusiast and professional detailers. If you are considering upgrading your existing pressure washer system, I highly encourage you to price things out over at the Obsessed Garage website. 

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    I have equipped my garage with a variety of LED lighting systems from this family-owned company out of Saskatchewan. They have a variety of garage lighting solutions to fit every need. Be sure to visit their website and use "RAD10" at checkout to receive a 10% discount on your order.

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    I am proud to rep Obsessed Garage. Click on the banner below to explore the complete OG inventory. By using my affiliate link, any purchases you make will help me equip and enhance my garage. 

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    25¢ per sq ft discount
    "RADGARAGE"

    Swisstrax manufactures the highest quality modular flooring system you can get for your garage. I am able to offer a 25¢ per square foot discount to Canadian friends wanting to install a Swisstrax floor in their garage. Simply reference "RAD GARAGE" in your email or phone call correspondence with the Swisstrax Canada sales staff. 

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    The  expert team at Glove Box curates boxes of high quality products that work together towards a common goal. I highly recommend you check out their website to see the various boxes and purchase options they offer. You can make a one-time purchase of any past or present boxes, or opt for a 3, 6, or 12-month subscription. Whatever option you decide to go with, use "RAD20" to receive 20% off your introductory order. 

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    Adam's is one of my all-time favorite brands of car detailing products. I have made friends with a number of team members and I appreciate the support I have received from them over the years. I have also been fortunate to meet many other Adam's fans from all over the world. Check out the Adam's website here. 

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    If you are in the Calgary or surrounding area and you are looking to have some concrete work completed, I highly recommend reaching out to the team at Concrete Innovations. They did a tremendous job on my garage drainage system. You can save $300 on your own double garage drainage solution by contacting them and telling them I referred you.

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    Tim and his team at Ethos have been hard at work bringing innovation to the detailing industry. I have been fortunate to have received a number of high quality Ethos products and I have found all of them to be highly satisfying. I am a huge fan of this company and their "Defy" ceramic protectant spray is one of my all time favourite products. 

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    Tunerworks is a performance-minded automotive service centre located in Calgary. It is my go-to source for wheels and tires and all other things automotive. If you are interested in connecting with the team at Tunerworks to see how you can improve your car's appearance and/or performance, give the team a call at 403.398.9833 and tell them Rick sent you. 

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    A few years ago, a Quickjack representative reached out to me because I had mentioned on this blog that I was looking for some sort of lift system. We corresponded back and forth and I ended up receiving a sweetheart deal on a QuickJack BL-5000 SLX lift system. I immediately fell in love with it. I sent the team at Ranger Products a variety of photos of the lift in action in my garage and they have featured them in various online ads, including the US and Canada Costco websites.
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    TRITON DOOR SERVICES
    Triton is owned and operated by Mike Awada and he is a highly skilled and experienced garage door technician. I highly recommend reaching out to Mike if you have any garage door concerns or if you are interested in upgrading your home's garage door and/or door opener system. 
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    The team at Auto Shield Canada has been extremely supportive of me and my detailing pursuits. They have provided me with samples of their graphene coating and even gone to the lengths of helping me apply it on a friend's 2008 RS4. I look forward to watching this company make deeper inroads into the market with their high quality coatings. 

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    The team at Lithium Auto Care has been highly supportive of me and my detailing hobby by sending me a number of samples in exchange for my feedback. I have been very impressed with the products I have tried and I have been even more impressed by the quality of service they have provided me. 

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    Extra Tough is a highly effective and versatile all-purpose cleaner. The team at Extra Tough sent me two complimentary gallons of this cleaner and I have used it in a variety of jobs around the garage. Most famously, I used it to deeply clean the carpeted wheel arches of a pristine Misano Red RS5. It is available through their website. 

    CROWN RALLY 8
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    I was fortunate to have been invited to participate in the 8th edition of the Crown Rally. This is a high octane car rally that explores some of the most amazing drives in the Untied States. Click the image above to learn more about this amazing adventure. 

    OTHER RAD FRIENDS

    ​Custom Decals YYC
    Geoff Wilkings Photography
    Glenmore Audi
    ​Kaizen Foam
    Space-Ray Heaters
    ​Tire Rack
    Trek Bicycles
    ​TSW Wheels

    OTHER RAD GARAGES

    In addition to showcasing my own garage, I enjoy sharing other amazing garages. Here are some spaces that I have featured on my blog: 
    Tavin Garage
    Tyson's Acura Museum
    Larry's Charlotte Showroom
    dubber's double
    Chad's "Next" Makeover
    Gully's Dream Garage
    Orland Park Audi Oasis
    Cory's Industrial Arts Studio
    Brynjar's Icelandic Garage
    Pat's Controlled Chaos
    ​Greg & Nancy's Place
    ​Brandon Burrell's Toy House

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  • Home
  • Affiliates
  • Audi
    • 2018 SQ5 Technik (Current)
    • 2014 SQ5 Technik (Previous)
    • 2009 Q7 S-Line (Previous)
  • Blog
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  • Drainage
  • Gallery
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  • History
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  • Merchandise
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  • Organization
  • Pressure Washer
  • QuickJack
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  • Videography
  • YouTube