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and Custom Garages

Classic car shops and custom garages are becoming more popular in Colorado.  Although the definition of a classic car varies, we can all agree on one thing, these cars are old.  They need to be cared for.  Especially in Colorado where they need to be kept inside.  Most of the time you will work on your car indoors.

How can you make your classic car shop or even an extra garage better for working long hours on your diamond in the rough?  Take a few cues from auto body shops.  They are troubled by exposure to chemical and physical hazards.  That is why planning a new garage for working on older cars becomes so important for the individual car collector.

Building Safety into Classic Car Shops

You will need very good venting.  The correct systems, windows, and doors will protect you and your friends from paint, fillers, solvents and more.  As well as dust from sanding, metal fumes, and the like.  The best engineering and plans will cut noise, too.  And remember the floors.  Oil and grease needs to be cleaned off so plumbing and floor design also come into play.

Broad Spectrum of “Classic Cars”

Hobbyists, insurance companies, the IRS, and governments define classic cars in different ways. Some incorporate vintage cars and antique cars and others do not. Antique cars are over 100 years old. In the West, you may have seen some of those horseless carriages. They conjure up visions of driverless cars that are now appearing in California and Arizona, right?

Let’s simplify it for your classic car hobby. In the USA, the Horseless Carriage Club of America defined and antique as before January 1916 and then the Brass Era cars or the Four Model T during the 20s.  Most American classic car shows allow vehicles from the 1920s through the 1970s, some from the 1980s, and even a few from the 1990s. Cars from the 1990s are called Youngtimer’s or modern classics. All cars must be unmodified. A narrower interpretation defined classic between 1930s and 1945. These cars are divided into the modern customs, exotics, collectibles, and muscle cars.

A Hundred Years of Improvements

Most older classic autos lack basic safety features.  You don’t see many with crumple zones or rollover protection.  The first automobiles went relatively slow on the bumpy dirt roads.  As roads were improved, cars started picking up speed.  Lots of inventions also improved how cars handled.  Better steering, brakes and tires helped tremendously.

By the time the speedy muscle cars hit the market, safety became a big issue, and new laws required safety belts.  Today’s laws address the road worthiness of these classic cars. Licensing and insurance rates are based on the unmodified reconstruction of the original release.

Improved Construction of Shops and Garages

A new method of constructing outbuildings is being used to improve facilities for classic car shops and garages.  The pole building construction provides a wide-open span, good lighting and ventilation, and excellent vehicle access.  Custom pole buildings by Lester are comprised of measured, tested materials engineered special for each project.  They are ordered after conferring with property owners to determine the exact size, layout, needs, and budget.  Complete kits will be delivered to building sites in Central Colorado.

Colorado Builders Specializing in Outbuildings

For information about Colorado pole buildings for classic car shops, contact Sapphire Construction, Inc. at (303) 619-7213.  Our team custom designs each building using high-quality, engineer-tested materials from Lester Buildings.