Converting a Horse Barn to a Car Barn

[Guest Bill Hummel]

I just relocated to Boerne, TX near San Antonio.

The house I just purchased comes with 11 acres and a big Horse Barn. The only kind of horses I am interest in, are under the hood. So I want to convert my horse barn to a car barn / party barn.

I am not interested in putting in a big lift or a lot of mechanics tools such as media blasters etc. I feel that the only better than having these itmes is having buddies with them!

I am trying to create a show barn. Does anyone out there have experience in doing this? I plan to make the barn air tight, and I am removing all of the stalls and corrals. I will pour new concrete and apply a nice finish.

I think I will use a heavy chip hybrid polymer. This will last longer than epoxy and it has a lifetime guarantee. Since I will not be doing a lot of repairs in this barn, I am not worried about playing "Where's Waldo" if I drop a washer on the heavy chip floor.

What I am looking for is feedback on what to put into the barn. Soda fountain, antique displays, memorabilia nooks, etc. I don't like reinventing the wheel. I know there's a number of guys on this site that have some pretty spectacular show barns. I am looking at the Ultimate Garage book for ideas too.

Give me your thoughts!

Bill (One-man Stimulus Package) Hummel

[olcarherb]

Hi Bill - I have some ideas and experience in this area. We (my Dad & I) converted a 5200 s.f. brick commercial building into our private "museum" about 8-10 years ago. And I've visited scores of private collections over the past 2 decades. I'd be happy to share my thoughts with you privately over the phone. Please email me your phone # to olcarherb@juno.com so we can talk as I HATE typing......................aghhhhhhhhh!!!.......Herb Singe (Jr.)

[D Yaros]

IMHO, you HAVE to have some flags, banners. As I have both a Cadillac and an Olds, I have a flag for each.

I also have a good sized AC Delco Trained Tech sign and a Cadillac Certified Craftsman sign.

I do also display the correct license plates from my state of birth for both the year I was born and the years of my rides.

What I think is a neat item is an actual working traffic light. They are available on ebay from time-to-time, and a relatively inexpensive circuit board, which is easy to install, makes it cycle through green-yellow-red.

While it is not decorative, or responsive to your query, I do have one last pic of my car barn to post. I think it is neat, but then, I may be a bit sick!