You have to want it

My big ol' '58 really fills up one garage stall. Weather permitting, I roll it out into the driveway so I have more room to work on it.

It's getting colder out, so I'll be doing more work inside the garage. Here you can see I have a decent amount of space to do my front disc brake work on the driver side. I started with this side because I knew I would be getting up and down a million times troubleshooting problems.

On the passenger side, it's pretty tight. I have a cheat method of moving a car sideways using my big floor jack, so I can gain a little more room than this. But it's still not real comfortable.

My point is this: sometimes working on cars can be a bit physically difficult and uncomfortable. So you really have to have a passion for it to put up with inconveniences. And my garage is luxurious compared to some places I have done work.

Back in about '84 I had a '68 Impala convertible project car stored outdoors in Poughkeepsie. I would drive up to there with my little tool box, after work, during the winter, in complete darkness, and get to work. I think I was doing a clutch swap or something. I'd slide under the car, on the snow, on a little plastic sled. Holding a flashlight in my mouth, I'd work until my fingers were numb, then get back into my daily driver and try to warm up again. Go back under and work some more, etc. I think I did this for a week or so, but the thing is, I was just doing what it takes to get it done. You don't do that without passion.


Now I have this great little propane heater in the garage that I got from my good friend Joe V. Ahh, toasty.

Nothing great happens without passion. I know I don't have to do this, but I want to do this. So I make things as comfortable as possible, and I can get stuff done. I love my garage, and I have a passion for cars.