How is your Neighborhood? Garage Usage.

[the]

Originally Posted by dmoolenaar

Depends on what you classify as Junk



I'm very O.C. - cannot keep junk/stuff around. We donate ALOT of stuff to local charities. The rest goes into the trash.

Yeah, that's what I'd classify those as.

The new cars you see parked outside are of course medium term rental cars, so the renter doesn't care if they get sun damaged.

People not parking their cars in the garage is a pet peeve of mine (one of the very few that I have). I hate it when our neighborhood looks like a used car lot, with cars parked everywhere.

Just because slobs and packrats can't get rid of the crap that their garage is stuffed with.

[Zeke]

2 car garage and 2 cars in it. A rented single garage and and 1 car in it. Still, I have the junk too. I work on them in the carport which is out of view. 1 truck in the drive and one more car in the street.

[Jagshund]

I used to park 2 cars in the garage until I bought my 911. Now I park two cars outside and the 911 sits in pieces inside; my wife only complains during rain and the winter months. Most of the other folks in the subdivision has loads of crap cluttering their garages with the exception of the obvious "car guys" (911s, M coupes, TTs, etc.).

[911boost]

I have a three car garage. It is a tandem, so an oversized 2 car door, and double deep on one side.

In it I keep:

My wifes Volvo XC90
My 911
My '66 Mustang
My Harley
My dirtbike
My daughters dirtbike
My 4 wheeler
Various bicycles, big wheels, etc.

Also I have a pretty large tool bench.

Yep, I need a bigger garage or a Morton building.

Bill

PS I do see lots of garages full of junk as well, it annoys me for some reason.

[masraum]

My neighborhood doesn't have the nice $$$ stuff that yours does, but it's about half and half, garage for intended purpose/junk rooms.

Some are outfitted with pool tables and dart boards, some are so full of crap that it'd take a bulldozer to fix and others are neat and tidy and contain cars. I know of one that has the entire thing tiled with 12" ceramic tiles.

We keep cars in ours.

[Noah930]

I live in SoCal, so I'm sure the mentality of people in my neighborhood is pretty similar to that of the neighbors of cab83_750. People spend money on nice cars. And leave them outside all the time. I suppose it fits with the disposable mentality. I don't think people think of it as trying to impress the neighbors. Why care about the paint on a car I'm just going to have for 3-5 years, anyway? It'll still look pretty shiny when I trade it in on the next new car. I'm particularly impressed (if that's the word) at what gets left outside in my parents' neighborhood. BMWs/Mercedes'/Lexus'/Range Rovers/etc. I recall one household that left a 1960s vintage Ferrari outdoors (albeit covered). Crimony.

[cab83_750]

Noah930 is probably correct about people trading them in a few years. As I have been here for a while, I see the new/replacement cars a few years later.

My left door neighbor actually does this. His 'retirement car' he acquired 2 months ago is pretty decent.....GS37. Of course, it is parked outside getting bird poop daily.

[Jims5543]

I can attest to to the throw away car mentality. My Audi, on lease, was parked in the driveway.

My reasoning is why park a car I am handing back in 3 years in the garage, put the cars your keeping in there.

[nota]

many in south fl convert the garage to an extra bedroom
I would guess about 1/2 of the homes around here have done so

I have a long wide 1 car garage that I can fit two small cars nose to tail in
and still have room for the bandsaw , drill press, washer /dryer, and shelves
plus a work bench

[djmcmath]

I see this almost universally. In my neighborhood in VA Beach, I was the only one who actually had a car in my garage. Everyone else had "stuff." Now I'm looking to buy a house in the Rockville area, and I find the same thing everywhere: the garage is packed to the gills with stuff, and some overpriced 4-wheeled appliance is sitting on the street. I only occasionally see Porsches parked on the street -- my in-laws, for example, have a neighbor who parks an early Turbo on the street. It makes me want to cry, or beat him, or something, it's just shameful.

Dan

[Rot 911]

Only a very small 2 car garage. I wish I had my old house with the 4 car garage. As it is we park the Mini, the 911 and 2 motorcycles in it. The 325i and the Wrangler stay outside.

[onewhippedpuppy]

My garage is packed with junk, but it's ORGANIZED junk. It's a small 2-car, my wife's MPV and my AMG fit. It's a bit tight, but there's no way I'll leave a car outside. The only time either stays outside overnight is when I have a project that isn't complete, and a torn down car that can't move.

I'd say we have more garage usage than usual. Maybe 1/4 of the neighbors in my small neighborhood leave their cars out. The others put them away.

[mattdavis11]

dmoolenaar, you ought to be getting rid of that pile, not posting. I am replacing a head gasket on one and can honestly say whoever designed that pos push rod v8 might be the biggest bunch of idiots ever. I especially like the galley cover they put on it. Tick, tick, tick, tick.....

[widebody911]

4 in the car port, 1 in the shop, 1 in front of the shop, 2 in the attached garage - the rest scattered around the back yard...

[grudk]

Too funny. Was just having this conversation yesterday. I have a two car garage with two cars in it. Neighbors have three cars and none are garaged. Same for two houses across the street. The modern garage seems to be for storage of anything BUT cars, at least in SoCal.

[id10t]

My garage just got cleaned/reorganized so I could put the 356 inside and start taking it apart. Unfortunately, our son decided to start making some bad behavior decisions, and now my garage is full of his train table, toys, etc.

[tcar]

Originally Posted by cab83_750

I just feel so bad seeing these new, expensive vehicles getting sun-damaged.

Very simple.

Like many new cars they are all leased. Not the owner's car. Don't care.

[Dantilla]

When growing up, I had a neighbor who left a Ferrari Dino out on the street. It was not to show off, it was because the "good" Ferrari got to stay in the carpeted garage.

[look 171]

New kids, moved in down the canyon. age 16 and 20 bought a 1.6 mil home. I hear one of them is a pro skaters or such from others from the area. They just got a big Lambo about 2 months ago and its outside all tthe time. I think the lambo is the kids' daily driver. We all have to get through the getto before we get up the hill and its only a mile away. What is he thinking. If it gets damage, insurance will pick up the tab.

My S2000 is in the garage along with a bunch of junk and 15k worth of the bicycles which I don't ride anymore. The 930 is at my parents' garage. My other vehicles are out on the street somewhere usually at a flat spot like a turnout 150' away. On our street, only 3 people use their garage for cars. It is one of those really narrow street where only one car could fit and the other has to pull over and let the other go by. We like it that way, keeps the bad guys out.

[VincentVega]

I measure a projects success by how long one of the cars has to stay in the driveway.

Same here. I'd love another bay to keep a project going. Having to break down saw horses is PITA.