Garage Yourself

92_SquareEye said:
This has me really curious, as I lived in SoFl for 20 years and would have been there for his years 1-3, assuming the 5 year story is current; otherwise, I'd have been there for even more of it.

With a $100k budget on one store in year 2, even the residuals would turn up in searches. In year 4 with a $500k advertising budget, where is this spent? If you google "Florida DIY Garage", there are very few hits, other than Garage Yourself in Miami. Of those, most are no longer open and the hits are really stale (3+ yrs). Even just $10k in viable SEO work would generate more than this. I'm still somewhat active in the South Florida (Miami) gear head scene and I get no FB ads, nor are any of my gear head friends down there aware of a 16 bay DIY shop (including my Euro trash friends). Can you share his business? Really interested!! Thanks!

Lots of redundant points in this thread and as to housing and demographics, it is very accurate. I lived where what would be considered "inside the beltline" and was in the heart of Miami. In a typical single family home, I had a 6400 ft2 lot (corner even) and no garage. Additionally, my driveway/parkway was gravel. Even having bought the $200 walled garage tent to do a frameoff, it sucked...real bad. South Florida is also the land of high-rises and condo commandos and those guys love their tuners. Add in all the house farms with militant HOAs and you've got a sound base of customers. Just more thoughts...
Click to expand...


If he will jump in here I will let him speak to the particulars partly because I dont want to divulge more than he is willing and partly because I dont know the details.
We played ball together in college. He graduated in '98 and started the business probably around -01?

Remember though marketing dollars can be spent lots of ways. I remember him driving around in a fully wrapped H1 for a while...that may well be a full marketing expense included in those numbers. etc.
If you were there 20 years you would certainly overlap.
 
Yep...Elon College '93...landed Miami with an '83 CJ7 in '95 and left in '14 w/ a '92 square eye. In that Garage Yourself didn't come on the scene until 2011 or so, I really wish I had known of your guy before now. Moreover, would be happy to evangelize him to a large group who don't know of him. GY often has waiting periods to get in...thanks for the info.

FWIW, I had an office by 5th & Washington right in the heart of South Beach. There were several fully wrapped H1s that I remember driving around and a few that were even tied to large warehouse locations, though the wraps usually referenced "MODELS WANTED" and the warehouses were largely suited to video production...something about a couple of brothers with the last name 'Bang'...or something like that...lol.
 
Last edited:
benXJ said:
Home - American Do It Yourself Garage

New shop in VA. Seems quite a few people have the same idea.
Click to expand...
With all the Military in that area he better have a damn good biz plan. The hobby shops on Oceana, Little Creek, Norfolk, and all the other bases in the area had everything that you could want for near no cost. I used the heck out of the hobby shop on Oceana in the early 90's.
 
obullfish said:
With all the Military in that area he better have a damn good biz plan. The hobby shops on Oceana, Little Creek, Norfolk, and all the other bases in the area had everything that you could want for near no cost. I used the heck out of the hobby shop on Oceana in the early 90's.
Click to expand...
The ones on bases are fantastic... as long as you either have a CAC or a buddy with one.
The problem is everyone having something accessible for else.

FWIW the DIY shop here on base has parking on either side of it that is full of what are clearly people's project cars, where they brought something in, got over their head, pushed it out into the lot... it sits a long time... then eventually the shop sells it off for scrap.

This idea is CLEARLY not new to the private world. These have been around in various flavors for decades. The guys from Car Talk ran one for a long time, that's how they started learning so much. They pop up a lot, and many close after awhile.
Just like any business the key is finding just the right combo - like somebody else said it's like restaurants, they come and go a lot too, and mostly due to not having the right plan.

To work out it needs to be not set up and run by a guy who likes to wrench and is doing it to be fun. Has to be a business and run with business savvy.
 
I think they fail because all the owners are fat drunks and "Christine" gets them in the end. However this raw gritty garage scene has always been my image of the perfect gearhead shop.
 
Ron said:
BTW I am not sure you would insure the damn thing at all.
I think it would be too cumbersome. Cascade LLCs to create some security and if they sue let them have the business. Let the business lease all its tools from another LLC which would take back its tools and you just re open across town.
Click to expand...

if you do it right the assets can be liened as well. and if you really know what youre doing, the lienholders can also be liened. and if you dont pierce the veil the loss from a suit would be nominal.
 
This might be happening in Raleigh. My mechanic is moving his business to a 14k sq ft shop and has extra space. He is working through the logistics now, but will start small with 1-2 bays and test the waters. I'll give more info as I get it. For you 2 wheeled guys, Oak City Speed is providing this service for bikes...
 
92_SquareEye said:
This might be happening in Raleigh. My mechanic is moving his business to a 14k sq ft shop and has extra space. He is working through the logistics now, but will start small with 1-2 bays and test the waters. I'll give more info as I get it. For you 2 wheeled guys, Oak City Speed is providing this service for bikes...
Click to expand...

They recently got "rental" garages in Raleigh but they are just for a single owner, but its geared more toward exotics. Home
 
92_SquareEye said:
looks to be more of storage, socializing and paid repair & detailing services...doesn't say anything about DIY or bay rentals. I hope the concept catches on...
Click to expand...

They don't rent bays by the hour, they are a monthly/yearly lease and build out to your specs. Some will use them for storage but they are designed to be more for rich people wrenching (if that is a thing)
 
1-tonmudder said:
Bringin this back up.I just saw this on CL.In my typical negative way of lookin at things I see this turning out bad.

You GOT to be KIDDING me! What The .....?
Click to expand...

I like that idea and think it has a better chance of surviving than a rent-a-bay scenario. I’m not sure how they’re making any money though at $45/month. I’m looking at 20,000sq/ft for indoor vehicle storage. $400k loan over 10 years and 80 bays, you need $50-55 out of each bay per month, just to cover the cost of the building. Taxes, power, insurance, maintenance, and in their case things like lifts, tools, beer, pool tables, replacements, etc. Maybe they already own the building, but it cost something at some point, gotta pay yourself back. And then you get to battle the fun game of β€˜what’s wrong with my driveway with my buddies’.
 
In theory they could have whgat 100, 200 500 members?
 
Ron said:
In theory they could have whgat 100, 200 500 members?
Click to expand...

In theory yeah...also didn’t look like 20,000 sq/ft. Logical assumption if you have the money to spend on a car club and a vehicle worth utilizing the facilities, you’re probably employed, so won’t be there during the week due to work or sleeping. Relegating the vast majority of foot traffic to the weekend, driven by the ability to work on your vehicle with a few being a core group that swing in just to hang out. Again assuming $45/month isn’t providing a club nice enough to draw folks in on the facility’s merit by itself. Set it up with membership cancellation at any time, it’s dead after a year once the β€˜oh that’s cool’ wears off when guys realize they can’t get a time to wrench on their rig, or membership is only 15 people and they can’t pay the bills. Operate it and lock it in like a time share...might have a shot if they can get initial membership.
 
Ft Bragg has 2 of them

They even had a legit paint booth, but a dude went in after hours to spray his car and turned on the fan but not the ventilation button and he died (according to a patient of mine who works at the shop)
 
SDIVER2006 said:
Ft Bragg has 2 of them

They even had a legit paint booth, but a dude went in after hours to spray his car and turned on the fan but not the ventilation button and he died (according to a patient of mine who works at the shop)
Click to expand...
We have one here at APG as well, I have used it many times. Also w/ a legit paint booth.
I find this hard to believe though b/c at least here, they only allow you to work when they are open, and the guys running the place are there. For the paint booth they make sure to set up the vent system just to prevent this kind of idiocy.
But hey, sometimes people bend the rules....
 
RatLabGuy said:
The ones on bases are fantastic... as long as you either have a CAC or a buddy with one.
The problem is everyone having something accessible for else.

FWIW the DIY shop here on base has parking on either side of it that is full of what are clearly people's project cars, where they brought something in, got over their head, pushed it out into the lot... it sits a long time... then eventually the shop sells it off for scrap.

This idea is CLEARLY not new to the private world. These have been around in various flavors for decades. The guys from Car Talk ran one for a long time, that's how they started learning so much. They pop up a lot, and many close after awhile.
Just like any business the key is finding just the right combo - like somebody else said it's like restaurants, they come and go a lot too, and mostly due to not having the right plan.

To work out it needs to be not set up and run by a guy who likes to wrench and is doing it to be fun. Has to be a business and run with business savvy.
Click to expand...



so THATS why the cartalk guys dont know shit about cars.... thew never really worked on cars, just watched other folks... ahhhhh now I get it.
 
I know this is an old thread, but saw this video and thought it was a neat idea, and maybe less risky than the repair version.

www.instagram.com

The Detail Lounge on Instagram: "How to use Detail Lounge πŸ€” Become a Detail Lounge Member today! Link in Bio β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€” Hours: Tuesday - Friday: 10am - 7pm Saturday & Sunday: 9am - 5pm Monday: Closed β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€” Detaillounge.com

22K likes, 478 comments - the.detail.loungeDecember 10, 2023 on : "How to use Detail Lounge πŸ€” Become a Detail Lounge Member today! Link in Bio β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€” ..."
www.instagram.com www.instagram.com
 
paradisePWoffrd said:
I know this is an old thread, but saw this video and thought it was a neat idea, and maybe less risky than the repair version.

www.instagram.com

The Detail Lounge on Instagram: "How to use Detail Lounge πŸ€” Become a Detail Lounge Member today! Link in Bio β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€” Hours: Tuesday - Friday: 10am - 7pm Saturday & Sunday: 9am - 5pm Monday: Closed β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€” Detaillounge.com

22K likes, 478 comments - the.detail.loungeDecember 10, 2023 on : "How to use Detail Lounge πŸ€” Become a Detail Lounge Member today! Link in Bio β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€” ..."
www.instagram.com www.instagram.com
Click to expand...
Pretty cool

Although.... For $40/mo membership fee .. I already get unlimited premium washes at my local wash tunnel, which also has vacuum stations.

I know it's not anywhere close to the same and some people would rather diy detail, I just wonder how big the market is of people that want to do this regularly enough to justify a monthly membership fee. Especially since it sounds like there's an hourly rate on top of that?

EDIT: $40/mo gets you 2hrs of bay time.... Per month. $20/hr after that.
Seems kinda pricy, but I'm an inefficient penny pincher who also owns a driveway and a hose and doesn't care that much about detailing.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top