A dream garage is more than just a place to park your classic car or two or more!
If you’ve already invested your money and time in a classic car, you’d obviously want to protect your investment. One of the biggest barriers to keeping your classic car in good condition is storing it properly.
Now, you don’t want your precious vintage car left in a cold and damp environment, especially during the winter. There will be days when you’re not using the car, like when you go on a holiday or through the winter season. And something as cherished as a classic vehicle shouldn’t be left where they can get attacked and damaged by rust and rodents.
Looking for classic car garage storage ideas? We’ve got a list of inspirations on how to build the perfect garage to keep your classic cars in tip-top shape.
How to Store Classic Cars?
Your garage where you store your classic cars is important. So, before anything else, you must understand what the space needs to offer protection and safety for your prized vehicles.
The best garage for classic cars has to protect the vehicles from:
- Weather
- Moisture
- Extreme temperatures
And lastly, it has to be secure where insects or rodents can’t cause havoc and damage your classic cars.
Classic Car Garage Ideas
Here are some common garage ideas where you can keep classic cars and protect them from the elements. Plus, there are extra tips on making a garage space perfect for keeping your classic cars in their best condition throughout their storage.
Pre-Cast Concrete Garage
Pre-cast concrete garages are pretty common. You may already have one built outside or part of your house where you keep your classic cars. They are suitable for housing your classic cars, keeping them away from the harsh outdoor conditions. Concrete garages are also secure enough to keep stray animals and rodents from entering.
The only problem is concrete can lack breathability. It means there is often reduced airflow inside concrete garages, making the space more likely to develop mold and mildew. For this, we recommend:
- Add a couple of garage fans to help circulate air inside the garage
- If humidity is a serious problem inside the garage, you can add a garage dehumidifier
Brick Garage
Another excellent classic car garage option is one made of bricks. This type of garage, whether it’s a standalone unit or one attached to your house, gives the best protection for your precious cars. Bricks are fantastic for keeping the space moisture-free, and it does a great job of maintaining a stable indoor temperature too.
Hence, brick garages are less susceptible to forming condensation, especially during cold conditions. You won’t need to worry about mildew and mold growth or rust on your classic cars.
The only things we can add:
- Keep an eye for gaps in the garage door, especially under it
- Secure all gaps and holes to help prevent condensation
But this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t keep an eye on the temperature inside the garage. Sometimes, it can be extra hot in summer or super cold and winter, and you’ll need to take additional precautions to protect your classic cars during these times.
Timber Garage
Timber-framed garages are another perfect environment to store your classic cars. Its main advantage boils down to how superior timber’s thermal performance is.
Timber has a cellular structure with air pockets that contain heat and act as a barrier to the cold. It’s naturally insulating, keeping the garage at a consistent, stable temperature. Timber garages are also condensation-free, a plus point for classic car garages. It’s naturally free of condensation, unlike brick or concrete.
If you add insulation to your garage, one made of timber frames already contains cavities where you can place the insulation. Unlike timber and concrete, any artificial enhancement to your timber-framed garage will not increase the thickness of the garage walls or floor.
The downside, however, is timber is more susceptible to damages if not properly taken care of. It can dent, break, crack, chip, and warp. Not to mention, pests can burrow and damage the wood. So,
- Consider a good weatherproof stain or paint.
- Make sure to cover any large gaps and check for rodents and insects inside the garage periodically.
Auto Showroom
A standard garage is suitable if you have one or a couple more classic cars. But what happens if you have a dozen classic car collections or even more?
What you need then is an automobile showroom engineered with humidity control to store your fleet of finest classic cars. Don’t worry because it’s still like entering a garage, just a massive museum-like one!
Now, you can modify your classic car showroom to the nines – think of anti-slip doors, commercial-grade windows, high ceilings, and massive skylights to highlight your classic car collection. You can even create a stage for your favorite classic car!
Portable Garage Ideas to House Classic Cars
It’s always best to store classic cars inside a garage. Unfortunately, not everyone is lucky to have one. In other cases, you might not have enough room in your current garage to house all your classic cars.
Instead of building a new one or a costly garage extension, there are other portable garage ideas to store your classic cars that can protect your vehicle from bad weather.
But here’s an important note: These are temporary storage ideas for classic cars, at best. Also, consider running a garage dehumidifier inside portable garages to help against humidity.
Pop-Up or Folding Garages
A simple car cover isn’t enough to keep classic cars protected, but a foldable garage is a great alternative. It could still look like a typical garage, but you can disassemble it once you don’t need to use it anymore. Instead of brick, concrete, and timber, foldable garages are made of waterproof covering and metal frames. Think of it like a tent, but something large enough to fit one or more of your classic cars.
These pop-up garages can keep classic cars from the worst weather, but there is always the problem of humidity. So, again, consider introducing a dehumidifier.
Car Bubbles
Like folding garages, car bubbles are another great option to protect your classic car from outdoor elements if you are short on garage parking space. They are especially efficient in keeping a consistent environment for the car during storage, keeping it cool and dry to avoid rust forming.
There are two kinds of car bubbles, those designed for indoor use and the other for outdoor use. Be sure to get the current one for your needs. The only catch about using car bubbles for storing classic cars outdoors is that you need to have an outdoor power supply. However, the cost of running the fan that keeps the bubble inflated and regulates the air inside is still low.
3 Tips for a Dazzling Classic Car Garage
Now that you’ve ensured the best condition for storing your classic cars in the garage, it’s time to enhance the space. After all, expensive vehicles like vintage cars deserve only the best accompaniments.
1. Declutter the Garage
Classic cars are a work of art, and they deserve the spotlight. Think of your garage as a bare, white wall on an art gallery and your vintage car as the painting. You don’t want clutter around it, so keep your garage neat and clean as possible.
There is probably a lot of car-related stuff in your garage but think of building shelves or installing grids to help organize your items.
2. Install Proper Lighting
When you have classic cars in the garage that are pure works of art, they need to be seen. So, what you need in your classic car garage is proper lighting to highlight your collection.
But more than that, you’d want to avoid accidental dents and scratches on your expensive vintage car. Proper lighting is essential to avoid accidents like that. Plus, it is perfect for doing random check-ups to make sure your classic car is still all good.
3. Match the Decors to the Cars
How exciting would it be to enter a garage filled with classic cars with decors on the wall that match the aesthetic of your collection? Just picture old-school tin wall hangers and the classic black and white or red and blue-themed decorations.
Don’t be afraid to go crazy with looking for stylish classic car garage decor ideas. Think about aged car books, old license plates, and many other old-school accessories.
If you’re a proud owner of a pricey vintage car (or two!), you know how charmingly costly it was when you bought it. And that means your vehicle only deserves the best garage, but there are far more important features the space needs than design and décor.
While beautifying your classic car garage couldn’t hurt, it’s essential that you maintain the best garage condition possible to keep your expensive vehicles in tip-top shape. That means the ideal classic car garage should keep your prized possessions free from condensation, moisture, and extreme temperatures that can cause damage like mold, mildew, and rust.
Hopefully, this roundup of classic car garage ideas inspired you to build a dazzling, safe, and secure storage space for your vintage cars!
