"I’m just nipping out to the garage for 30 minutes," – a phrase often uttered with optimistic intent, yet frequently morphing into hours immersed in the world of cars and tools. For many car enthusiasts, the garage isn’t just a storage space; it’s a sanctuary, a place of solace and creation where the magic of automotive repair and modification comes to life. It’s where the humdrum of daily life fades, replaced by the satisfying clink of tools and the scent of motor oil.
For those outside the car world, the allure of spending countless hours in a garage, often dimly lit and filled with the chill of concrete, might seem perplexing. Yet, within these walls, a unique form of happiness thrives. It’s a realm of endless projects, from simple maintenance to ambitious overhauls, a space where organisation battles delightful chaos, and where the satisfying thud of a hammer can be music to the ears. A garage, equipped with cars and tools, is more than just a building; it’s a personal universe for the automotive aficionado.
This sentiment perfectly encapsulates the essence of the SH Garage series, a platform for sharing personal automotive narratives. It’s a space to delve into the nitty-gritty of car projects, the triumphs, the setbacks, and the often-unforeseen adventures that unfold when you dedicate yourself to working on cars. It’s about the real, unfiltered experience of car enthusiasm, shared directly from the garage to fellow enthusiasts.
Speaking of garage adventures, the latest project involves a rather substantial red van, a testament to the diverse nature of garage undertakings.
The sheer size of this VW Transporter highlights a common garage reality: sometimes, the project outgrows the space. In this case, the van, with its distinctive South African front end, is too large to fit inside the garage, turning the driveway into the temporary workshop. This exemplifies the adaptability of car enthusiasts. Garage space, while ideal, isn’t always essential. The spirit of car repair transcends location.
Resourcefulness is a hallmark of the car community. Even in urban environments where garages are a luxury, car enthusiasts find ways. Stories abound of wheel changes in multi-story car parks and even suspension swaps in public parking lots. Necessity, as they say, is the mother of invention, and car people are nothing if not inventive when it comes to pursuing their passion.
One particularly memorable example involves a resourceful individual in East London who transformed rented parking spaces into a makeshift workshop. By boarding up three spaces, he created a clandestine garage under an apartment building, unbeknownst to his neighbors until a jack was spotted entering the plywood enclosure. Inside this unlikely garage, a campervan transformation for a round-the-world trip was underway. This tale underscores a powerful message: passion and ingenuity can overcome any spatial limitations. Progress on a car project isn’t dictated by the perfect garage setup, but by the drive to create and improve.
Recent garage activity has been focused on preparatory tasks for more complex endeavors: wheel swaps, decluttering by selling surplus parts, and strategizing for the next major project. The ambitious plan is to convert the humble 1.9 diesel Transporter into a more agile 4WD version. This involves a significant engine swap, replacing the diesel with a 2.0 8V petrol engine from a Mk3 Golf. While seemingly unconventional, this engine choice aligns with the power output requirements of the Syncro drivetrain. Sourcing parts for this conversion has become a global treasure hunt, with components arriving from as far afield as Croatia and wheels from Germany, showcasing the global interconnectedness of the car community.
Adding to the garage fleet is a charming 1987 Vauxhall Nova 1.2 Merit. This acquisition was quickly followed by a week of intensive garage sessions, stripping down and rebuilding the Nova in preparation for a car-centric meet-up with a friend.
The magnetic pull of an open bonnet or garage door is undeniable. It’s an invitation to conversation, a beacon for fellow car enthusiasts. Visiting Chris’ garage and his meticulously crafted VR6 engine bay, with its smoothed surfaces and centrally located mono wiper, provided inspiration and new ideas for future projects. The garage becomes a place of shared knowledge and collaborative enthusiasm.
The Nova, despite its “1.2” badge, is far from stock, boasting a high-compression 1600cc engine with twin Weber carburettors. Initial drives revealed the car’s potential, but the desire for personalization quickly took over. The original wheels, while stylish, felt like someone else’s touch.
To make the Nova truly ‘mine,’ a set of new-old-stock Irmscher wheels, originally an option for the Corsa C, were installed. This subtle change transformed the car’s character, lending it a more OEM+ aesthetic. The original Compomotive MO5 wheels will be refurbished, ensuring every detail of the car reflects its meticulously maintained condition. This Nova is a testament to the joy of finding a well-preserved classic, a car that has been cherished and garaged throughout its life.
Speaking of cherished cars, a rare opportunity arose to garage a Porsche ‘911 HUL,’ albeit temporarily, in exchange for a 996 Turbo. This swap, a story in itself, provided a taste of 992 Turbo S ownership while the 996 received some expert attention from Porsche Classic.
In stark contrast to the Porsche spa treatment, the Nova demanded more hands-on garage work, specifically wrestling with decades-old Vauxhall CV joints. The paradox of low-mileage classics is that inactivity can lead to component deterioration. The Nova, despite its pristine condition, required a series of replacements: CV boots, front brake calipers, master cylinder, and brake booster. Routine maintenance and safety checks further extended garage time, but every moment spent was relished.
The brake issues, seemingly sudden, presented an opportunity for an upgrade. A Wilwood 4-pot 256mm front kit was chosen for its simplicity and readily available, affordable replacement parts, utilizing Astra GTE discs.
The engine bay of the Nova is where its true character shines. While perhaps less globally recognized, the Vauxhall Nova holds a special place in UK car culture, particularly for the youth of the 90s and 2000s. It was a blank canvas for self-expression through tuning and modification. For many, the Nova was a first car, a gateway to automotive passion. This particular Nova, with its uprated engine, evokes a strong sense of nostalgia, a reminder of simpler automotive times, albeit with a surprising performance boost.
The twin Weber carburettors are a tinkerer’s dream, offering endless hours of adjustment and refinement. This analogue system provides a tactile connection to the engine, where small adjustments can yield noticeable improvements. The Nova project is a reminder that car enjoyment isn’t solely about grand engine swaps or expensive parts. Sometimes, the simple satisfaction of optimizing a classic engine with a few turns of a screw is just as rewarding.
The garage, filled with cars and tools, is more than just a workspace; it’s a place of learning, creativity, and passion. It’s where simple tasks become therapeutic, and complex projects become a source of immense satisfaction. Whether it’s upgrading brakes, swapping engines, or simply fine-tuning carburettors, the garage is the heart of the automotive enthusiast’s world. It’s a place where time both flies and stands still, where the connection between person, car, and tools deepens with every project undertaken. Long live the car life, in all its garage-bound glory.
