For those who live in an apartment complex....

[Mr Josh Zombie]

How do you go about modding your car honestly? I've been living in an apartment for about 2 months now and I always get all depressed when I think about all the work I want to do to my car, yet there's no place to work on it. Taking it to my parents is out of the question, as they're 2 hours away. I don't know anyone well enough in Michigan to take my car over to there house and work on it, and I don't like the idea of my car sitting on jack stands in the parking lot or anything.

I've been wanting to paint SOOOO many different things on my car recently, (i.e. headlights, taillights, rims, calipers, eyelids...) but there's no place to keep my car while these parts are off. Not to mention, I can't paint them in the apartment, and the complex is surrounded by trees and pollen, so a lot of dust would just get in the paint. Not to mention, when my exahust and CAI comes in, I have no idea where I'm going to go to install these parts. When it came to my stereo, I just drove my car to the top level of a parking garage, and installed it up there. Hell, I don't even wash my car because there's no hose hookups or anything.

So, for those of you who are in my situation, what do you do? Do you just live in a good enough neighborhood that you don't worry, suck it up and work on the car anyways, or pay someone to do the work for you?

[kc2005ptgt]

Unfortunately, I live in an apartment complex, and they do not allow any cars to be "worked on" in the parking lots. I am lucky, however, as I live about 5 minutes from my parents house and they have a nice two car garage that I can use at any time. One thing you might want to do is think about renting a "garage" at a storage facility... for $50 a month, there is plenty of options near my apartment that do just that. Anyways, justa thought.

[KrackstaR]

when i used to live in an apartment complex i did all my work out side, i didnt care the rental office was closed on saturdays and sundays, also i did my paint work in my living room (yes my girlfriend hated it) Its one of thoese things, you just gotta find ways to get by. ya dig.

[Diablo0]

I used a self storage garage and a space heater in the winter time.

[King Crab]

I guess I'm kinda lucky in that respect as our Apartments have a one car garage. When my car is inside the garage I have about a foot to a foot and a half on each side. Not very much working space at all but something is better than nothing. Hell, I've only just started working (Moding) on my baby over the past 2 years. Before that it always went to the dealer.

[TeckNeon]

My old roomate, after he moved out on me, moved into an apartment complex (still there after 7 years or more) and he sanded, prepped and painted his CRX body kit in his living room. Dust got all in his stereo components and ruined it. LOL He's a tool for doing that but hey! He had a mad JDM tyte body kit, y0!

I am moving to an apartment complex in a few week and they limit what you can do. Rotate tires is about as far as you are allowed to go. Change a battery. Stereo install is all fine but swapping transmissions, headgaskets, etc. they will fine and/or toss you.

If I were you, I would rent a garage from some old lady who will let you work on your car there. Lots of people do it. Either that or do the large "garage" storage facility thing like Diablo did. I know people have done that in the past but it can cost around $150-$200 a month just for one of those places in our area.

[FTWNeon]

I used a self storage garage and a space heater in the winter time.

I've got a 10x30 with a car, bunch of shevles and neon parts.



Not a ton of moving room but I did a suspension swap in there during the winter. There were outlets close enough that I could run an extension cord for a light. It can be tight but it works. Once you get the car in the car though you can use the creeper to just roll under the car and it makes it a bit easier to move around.

[Diablo0]

Shop around for a storage if you do, prices can differ a lot from place to place even if it's only a few miles down the road. I went with little mom and pop storage places since they were cheaper than those "Public Storage" places. for a 10x30 I paid about $100/month. Plenty of room to work on the car, store parts, and have floor space to walk around.

[FTWNeon]

Yeah, I really liked your old storage unit. Tons of space, good security, the really high ceiling surprised me. I pay 119 now but when I started it was 109.

[kornholio788]

I am lucky in teh fact that I live only 45 min from my parents. And I can work on my car all I want at my work which has an indoor heated wash bay and full compressor and spray booth. But when I quite this job for a higher paying one soon then it will just be at my parents. Or I might rent a place. But ya I do no work at my apt.

[racer12306]

Major stuff I go to my parents, who are currently an hour away. But I change oil, spark plugs, cam position sensors, rotate tires, change brakes, etc in the parking lot. I just find a level surface and do what I need to do.

Even my new house allows you to work on cars, so long as its not an ongoing thing where the car is out of commission for more than a day. But even then, I'll do major stuff at my parents, then they will be 30 min away.

One nice thing is that I'll be living at my parents for a few months between my lease ending and my house being finished so I'm going to work as much as I can to get my monte in road worthy shape again.

[Nutmeg]

Just out of curiosity, why is it that apartment complexes don't allow people to work on their cars?

[racer12306]

Probably worried about image and people not taking care of their crap.

[03_SXT]

I know the perfect person

But seriously, you know are more than welcome to come over. Obviously if I am going to be doing the work myself, I would like some compensation.

If you need to do some little stuff to the car, or major projects that can be done within a day or two, I don't mind at all. I can give a helping hand, and all you have to do is put food in my stomach, or give me some pocket money...

You can ask Brad on here or on DNO, I love to work on cars. I enjoy busting out the tools, and making a mess. Ask most of my freinds actually...

~Amit

[Mr Josh Zombie]

o'rly? and here i just thought i was going to pay you to do stuff.

maybe i'll paint my rims/calipers while my car is over at your place...

we'll talk more later.

[LowNSlow]

I have a garage at my apartment

[TNK]

at my old apartement they didnt give a shit, i always worked on my car. hell, i was outside sanding bondo off the hood of the skunk one night til 1030pm and noone said a fucking thing, if i needed to spray something i carried it away from all the cars and did it, then carried it back over by my car. i made do. i did exhausts, bumpers, everythign. never heard a damn thing form anyone. half my neighbors would coe out and keep my company and drink beers with me while i did it!

[SlvrACR]

Some storage units wont allow you to work on them also so ask. I had my Cougar in one and the old owners let me. The next year it was sold to another company and the freaked out on my because they are worried fumes or fluids that are flammable will burn the place done.

[NeonBluSXT]

I live in an apt and they do not want you doing major stuff in the parking lot either. I have done a few things but nothing really major. I had the CIA installed out there and nothing was said to me. I was told once tho if I wanted to do work on the car that there was an area located by one of the buildings I could use. I think mine is the area for maintance for the complex. Does your complex maybe have a area like that?

[MoxHair]

I have a garage at my condo. It's large and yea

[Hudson_Neon]

painting, you're shit outa luck. i hear ya on not wanting contamination. other stuff... i live in an appartment and i did a head swap on a 1gn out in the lot. i mean it didn't take long, but i'd consider it to be a "major project". just find a spot that you can do it away from people and their cars. i doubt anybody will care then. also, not that YOU need the advice but others might need it. scope out the project ahead of time. get EVERYTHING together that you'll need and THEN do it. that head swap, i had the new head, new head gasket set, new head bolts, torque specs memorized, etc. all there.

[Passt]

I don't care what my apt complex says. I've done a wheel swap, installed a downpipe last weekend in the parking lot, and I also niteshaded the headlights out there too lol. I say at least try it until they bitch. Then look at other options.

[kc2005ptgt]

I had the CIA installed out there

You mean CAI??? Just being funny. <3 U!!

[Paul56]

How do you go about modding your car honestly? I've been living in an apartment for about 2 months now and I always get all depressed when I think about all the work I want to do to my car, yet there's no place to work on it.

I can feel your pain and frustration over this issue coming through your post.

The ideal is to have a two-car garage complete with lift and full set of hand/power tools along with a second "go get parts" or "get to work" car, but many of us don't have that.

I've been able to do the odd project on various vehicles I've owned in an employers parking lot... weekends or after work.

I've been working on my Neon during lunch, after work and on weekends in the driveway at my current employer... a small family owned web hosting company. They don't mind and I don't make myself a problem by leaving a mess.

[INVUJerry]

I can see why apt. complex's don't like it though. There are lots of dumbass' out there.

I went to a friend's place over the weekend. One of her neighbors was doing an oil change on his explorer. All of a sudden I heard him go, "FUCK, SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT" and look over. 6 quts of oil alll spilling into the ground. The bucket he was using had been tipped over. So now there's that permanent stain and skid all over the parking lot.

[03blackrt]

In my old apartment I painted stuff out on the patio/deck.