Hi guys, currently im looking into getting a factory in melbourne to lease out car storage. The idea is so people like myself can rent a secure space for cars and parts and at the same location have access to a full workshop. This is what ive got so far.

Say $15sqm/pm for the first car/item (mini = 6sqm), discounted for extras, which gets you secure storage of cars or parts and access to a complete workshop (would aim to have a hoist and as many resto tools as possible). Open during business hours and by arrangement. Would also host possibly a pick-up truck and parts supply. Stored items would be in a separated locked area within the building and opened by arrangement only.

If there is any interest, post here and let rip any ideas. Im throwing this around a few clubs so if theres enough keen this may happen quite quickly

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'63 850/1100 + more cooper goodies

Security would be a big thing. Especially with shared tools disappearing into tool boxes. It isnt hard to do, I know ive borrowed a few of my mates tool accidentally when i pick things up.

Then thered be the usual niggly stuff, like if someone is running a car, someone is degreasing stuff etc, therell be a lot of fumes which could get a bit dangerous.

But go for it, its a great idea and means thered always be someone on hand to help out.

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Simplify and add lightness

Hi Callin, sounds like a good idea, so many self storage places will try and be super friendly to you and have lovely plants in the waiting area, but once you've paid your money that's about it - you don't feel like you're getting very much value for money.

Last year, I had purchased an old benz (had been looking for one for ages and I just had to have it). However I had no space at home for it, and it really needed to be undercover. I ended up going with a self storage place that was just around the corner from the panelbeaters where I was having some respray & rust repair work done - so it was in the self storage place for a few months, then went to the panelbeaters for a few months, then came back to the self storage place for a month and a bit, by then I had cleared out enough space and sold my other car so I could bring it home. The storage place was $180 month.

Things I liked were:
- It was convenient because I did not have to organise a car trailer or tow truck to get it to and from the panelbeaters, and I did not have it registered during this time either (even though I know I should have, I just took my chances driving it through the back streets the 400m distance it was to the panelbeaters).
- Once a week, I would go there on Saturday, start the car and there was enough room inside for me to drive it back and forth and around in a figure 8 to keep everything running nicely so that the car was not just sitting there. The open space was approx. 50mx100m which was good for giving the car a little exercise until it was fully warmed up.

However, things I didn't like were:
- Limited access hours (business hours Mon-Sat, No access on Sunday).
- The storage space was an old factory, with spaces for approx. 50 cars - so anyone in the whole complex who had a self storage locker or another car space could walk through the building and have access to the cars. Was just a bit uneasy of anyone in the building being able to come up and lay hands on my car.
- I dropped a globe and went to ask the front desk for a dustpan and brush, because I wanted to do the right thing and clean it up so someone didn't step or drive in the glass etc - took them 10 minutes to find one and then they made a comment along the lines of 'you're not supposed to be working on cars in here' - (even though I wasn't changing brake pads or removing an engine, I was just trying to replace a faulty globe so my lights were working and my car was roadworthy when I drove it home).

So all up, it was convenient, but for some of the reasons above I thought 180 was a little steep. Lots of storage joints do online quotes, so I'm sure you could do some research and come up with a price that is a little more value for money - I've always thought storage places were a bit of a rip, especially when you walk through some of the larger ones with thousands of lockers/units that charge a minimum of $100/month - there's like one person on duty in the whole place, I'm sure the rent is nowhere near the $/sq metre rate they're charging, must be making a killing!

So based on my experience, a few of ideas and suggestions I could make:

- Ready access to cleaning equipment such as broom, dustpan and perhaps even a commercial vacuum cleaner for vacuuming out cars - perhaps even some windex and cleaning rags for keeping glass clean.
- A car wash bay/detailing area and maybe a high pressure washer for engine bays? Unless covered, cars stored in large open areas can get very dusty - mine did.
- Better access hours (access was by keypad with individual pin no) - I wouldn't have wanted to be there at 3am, but something more flexible than business hours - say 7am-8pm or 6am-9pm?
- Maybe access to a courtesty car trailer? Or one at a discounted hire rate for users.
- Battery chargers / trickle chargers for keeping batteries topped up.
- A 'valet' sevice - maybe you could have an employee do like I did for my car and give cars a run and a little drive once a week?

Anyway I'm sure there will be many more but that's all I could think of, most of the above would be fairly cheap to buy and run, but would be very useful to customers.

I certainly don't want to poo poo your idea of a workshop - it sounds fantastic and I wish I had access to one while my car was in storage!... but the reason why storage places probably don't want you working on cars probably has something to do with their insurance - No doubt you've probably thought about this but I would just be a little worried about someone who isn't very mechanically inclined but who thinks they know cars inside out trying to operate a car hoist, or using heavy machinery (that a mechanic would normally be trained on), or using an angle grinder and the sparks setting something on fire etc etc... just concerned about people who you have no idea of their skill level being set loose in a workshop - the liability might be a killer.

My $2 and 2 cents - really hope you can get it off the ground!

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Dave - 64 Nurburg White Morris 850 & 67 Morris Mini Deluxe (Bro's Car)
Previous Rides - 62 Morris 850 (Sold '03 - Now 'Lulu-62') & 76 Clubman S (Sold '99 - SFW-863)
+ Too many other classics

Wow, I've had this same (well similar) idea for a while, but being inept and unwilling to attempt any kind of business, I had kind of thought of it as the sort of thing i'd do in a philanthropic manner when i win the lotto!!
Basically I was thinking the same sort of thing with a shared workshop (everything can be tracked by RFID tags), hoists, spray booth and so on and it would be a place for car clubs and so on to meet, have workshop days and so on. As a millionaire lotto winner, my own car collection would reside in this non-descript but bond-villian style lair of coolness

Hope it comes together for you. I think there's a lot of people in the suburbs closer to the city who don't have garages and workshops that would love such a facility.

Love the concept just make sure you have the insurance and personal liability bit worked out first. These ideas can have away of going bad (unfortunately) but as long as you have the arrangements clearly setout from the beginning.

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1970 Mini Deluxe - 1275, Weber, Clive 346 cam, MS 4-pot slotted discs, Megajolt ignition Now with new improved Mambas... almost on the road
1966 Van with Traveller rear seat conversion
2008 Prado GXL
All in various states of repair...