C5Dobie

I purchased my current home 3 years ago - had everything my wife and I wanted (5 bedrooms, 3 full baths, good sized yard, fully gutted & updated like new etc) but no garage - (i really wanted that). Now we have 3 vehicles - my truck, her car, and the vette. During the nicer weather (I live in MA) like mid April through early November essentially, the vette stays tucked in the back corner of my driveway w/ a Noah car cover on it. During the winter I am able to store it at my mother's house only 7 miles away - she has an oversized 2 car garage, my father has passed, and my sister lives w/ her but they only use 1 spot in the winter allowing me to store the Z there.

I could build a garage, but it would require some excavation work in order to make room for it (a hill is right next to my current driveway, I'd have to excavate into that, build returning wall/concrete wall then put the garage in) so it makes it more costly/difficult than just throwing it onto a flat spot next to your house. There are other projects I'd like to do to the house as well that would probably be much less costly (unless I only did a very basic minimal garage w/ no room above & only 1 bay etc), and wouldn't require me to draw equity from my mortgage - stuff I'd pay cash for.

Question is - if you were in my situation, would you build a garage, or just wait out the next 5 years or so and see what happens - I may move to a larger home w/ a garage and better property or build a garage later etc. Only reason I am looking hard at it now is because it is nice to have the outdoor storage, and the interest rates are low and set to rise. I am sure if I didn't have the free winter storage option my mindset would probably be different and I'd absolutely do the garage.

Opinions?

grantv

When we bought our house it came with an open carport. Running a small business out of the tiny shop (12 x 10 including storing all tools) attached to the back didn't work well at all, so I enclosed it into a garage pretty quick.
Previous to my Z06 my cars have been year round drivers, so we just parked both in the wide driveway. I changed that recently. Cleaned it out, purged lots, organized my work area MUCH better into the rear space before original enclosed spot (total depth is about 40'; 20, 10, 10) and voila.
I'm also March/April to mid-November, so I feel your pain. In your situation however, particularly if you have to pay to have it built (I did my enclosure 100% myself, and wrote it off, and the roof/enclosure was all basically there) you'd be spending as much on the garage as the car is worth. I say keep it at your mom's; 7 miles ain't bad.

Moto One

We live in Snow Country and there is know way that I would ever consider not having a garage. That said, the first 8 years living in this area we had only one car as a daily driver (a Porsche 911, and after the that a Ferrari 365) with out a garage and open condo parking lot, and that was before Global Warming. As for taking out an equity loan to build a Garage with a room above (if I read that right) I would think that you would make your home more salable and recoup you investment.

my 2cents

Mark

C5Dobie

That is true, but keep in mind I don't keep it outside in the winter, I keep it at my mother's garage 7 miles away, I would never leave it outside in the winter!

But wait a minute...not to call you out on your financial choices, but you lived in a condo (I am assuming a nice one) and drove a POrsche and then a Ferrari!! As DD's!!!! What the heck?? Why not have a truck or an accord or something and save the exotics for the weekend?

troyguitar

I have a garage but I've been seriously considering just putting a cover on my Z06 and parking it outside for the winter so I can bring my other car inside. Getting into a frozen car every morning and driving it doesn't seem good for me or the car.

How much damage can being stored outside under a cover really cause? I don't know.

C5Dobie

You're exposing the car to alot more extreme temps and continuous moisture keeping outside in a new england winter (not sure about where you live) than storing indoors. Sitting outside in the spring/fall/summer is much more mild not as drastic for temp changes, and typically any moisture will evaporate during the course of 24 hours. Not the case during the winter.

bob guzzy

Invest in a carport, and a pad made of blacktop or if you have to crushed stone over plastic a good car cover for best results (those 800 dollar ports is good enough.)

Long before I had a garage I had many corvettes all of them had to stand out in the elements but I only had them a short time before I sold them to pay the bills.

Corvettes and used cars were my way of making a living back in the day, corvettes didn't make much money but they were my favorite car, so I had quite a few.

You need to do it keep the snow and rain off it, until one day you get it under cover.

The cover can also help with resale no one wants a car especially a corvette that shows signs of standing outdoors.

grantv

I'm with the Ferrari guy, my Z06 is my daily driver March to November, as would a Ferrari be if I had one. Couldn't imagine having a nice car sitting at home and having to drive a truck, Accord etc. to work.
Never needed anything like that for work reasons so personally maybe for winter driving? But to drive something like that while a nice vehicle sits at home, nope.

spdislife

This will be the third winter outside with a good car cover on it.

WannaC5Z

Even under a very good car cover, a car sitting outside is going to age quicker as the temp highs/lows are going to age all rubber and plastic parts, hoses, belts, door trim, etc. They don't build homes in Oklahoma w/o garages. Heck these days nearly every house now has a three car garage.

blktopmd

My $0.02, forget about the garage unless it will add recoupable value to your home. I think too many people take the “garage kept” notion too far. Yes, I understand all things being equal being stored indoors will “preserve” a car better than one stored outside. But really, how much of a difference that would affect reliability or resale value compared to the cost of the garage? I know a guy that can detail cars that have been parked outside under tree and you would swear have been garage kept. Also, most garages that I have been inside are not that “insulated” from the elements anyhow. My Vette is parked in our 1-car garage thankfully to my wife but I have an excellent car cover and would park it outside and not think twice about it. The garage just really helps keep it clean between washes. I’m considering a Z06 or Mercedes S63 as my next toy and only one toy can get put in the garage, most likely the new toy. The only other part I can say about a garage is that is adds a layer of security that could help with insurance costs but again will not out weight the construction costs. Save your money and it at your mom’s place. Again, just my $0.02

rochoa21

I have a garage but can no longer park it inside as the garage has a piano now sitting in it and tons of junk

C5Dobie

Yeah I've decided no bueno on the garage, doing some other updates to the home, widening the driveway (it needs to be repaved anyhow) and adding a 4' retaining wall to do so where, in the back left corner putting up a big shed where I can keep extra tools/car stuff/bikes etc - I realized from the replies there are people dealing w/ corvette no garage and no storage options - I'm lucky I have a garage to store it in for free 7 miles away. Whenever I travel for work or I know the weather will be rainy/crappy most of the week I leave it at my moms as well even during the spring-fall seasons.

I realized it wasn't so much the need for the indoor car storage that I was missing as it was storage for all the other stuff (tools, compressor, detailing stuff etc.)

Thanks for all the replies

MotoJB

If I had no garage, I'd have no Vette...

Ferg03 Z06

I don't have a garage either because I live at an apartment complex(great benefit with my job-free rent), but I keep my Z at my mom's also. She and my dad have 2 2 car garages and offered me a spot for the Z before I even purchased it. That was a huge point of me even purchasing it. I also have a DD and don't drive the Z much. Granted its a 45 min drive to get the Z but still well worth it. THANKS MOM!!

MotoJB

Proof positive the demographic for C5Z owners has truly changed.

C5Dobie

They're older used performance cars w/ two full generation model changes ahead of them, obviously they're going to be popping up in the hands of owners coming from lower age/lower income bracket - but not sure the garage would have much to do w/ that.

I can't speak for Ferg03 Z06, but for me, my mom is in her 60's, I own a rental property as well as my current home, and have a brand new $50,000+ GMC pickup - not like I'm stretching to afford the thing.

Not sure if your comment is meant to be a knock on myself or the other poster or if it is just lost in translation due to context, but as others have said I'd rather own a Z06 and no garage than a garage w/ no Z - I REALLY don't care that much considering I have a garage to store for free in the winter, but if I didn't have one and was 10 years younger (I'm 33) and still available to afford a Z while having a DD I still would get one - I wouldn't let not having a garage keep me from enjoying it!

danfink

I live in the city and do not have a garage where I live. However, I do have a cover and I am in Georgia, so there isn't much to worry about in the way of winter weather.

I also DD mine 45 minutes to and from work. 28 mpg

MotoJB

Yep and thus my comment...which isn't/wasn't trying to be a knock on you or any younger guy who owns a Vette. Low mile C5's have become as cheap as a Honda Civic, so I expect the demographic to continue to change.

Anyhow, for my tastes and with what I've spent on buying/modding my C5Z, there's no way I'd park it anywhere but a garage attached to my own house. I'm also one of those "It'll never get wet!", sort of owners so a garage year round is a must.

If I were in your shoes...I'd likely build the garage if I were planning on staying in the house for quite a while. It'll also can't hurt the home appeal and resale value.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

C5Dobie

I'm not building the garage because the way I want to build it will cost me $70-$95,000 (depending on location) and it wouldn't add anymore than $30-$60,000 to the value. I'm better off dealing w/ it for now and buying a house w/ everything I want/need in a few years. Something I'm starting to learn in my "old age" - better to wait and get exactly what you want many times than rush into something that is 80-90% and be unhappy later on. I think if I had no storage options my mind would be different...heck I'd probably have the same mindset as you - NO winter/bad weather storage options would probably mean no vette to me.