Sally’s Speed Shop | Quonset Hut Garage
Garageology features all kinds of Garages big and small. We especially like things that are different.
Quonset huts would definitely not be the norm.
But Sally’s Speed Shop has taken a very utilitarian building and made it quite stylish.
Jacob Davis is the owner of Sally’s Speed Shop. The shops slogan is “Built to be Driven”
“What I love to do is get cars back on the road that haven’t been driven in awhile. Or make cars that are already being driven even better to drive so the owners can get out and enjoy them.”
Jacob chose a quonset hut mainly for cost as the price per square foot is very cheap compared to other types of structures. Plus he loves the way it looks.
“The big plus is that the roof itself is the structure so you don’t need to build frame work and then put a roof and siding on it, they’re incredibly strong and built to last
The downside is that you don’t have a lot of flat walls to set up equipment and work benches next to and they’re tough to insulate while maintaining the good looks inside.
The first few arches are really tricky to put up, but once you get those up it’s pretty straight forward. I highly recommend a scissor lift though and you will never want to see another 5/16” bolt again in your life after installed 5,000 of them.
Also, the end walls required a good deal of creativity to attach them to the metal structure and every cut of the framing was unique to match the curve of the metal.”
His brother is an architect and helped to design the building. While his Dad helped him to build the structure.
The shop has been a Family affair, even the name came from his Grandmother Sally.
“The name Sally comes from my Grandma’s name because I grew up building cars in her driveway. I always joked that I was heading over to Sally’s Speed Shop haha.”
A little history on Quonset huts. The first Quonset huts were manufactured in 1941 when the US Navy needed an all-purpose, lightweight building that could be shipped anywhere and assembled without skilled labor. The building was designed in 1941 by a team of engineers at Quonset Point Naval Air Station in Rhode Island.
Jacob used a 40’x60’x16’ Q series Quonset kit from Curvco for the roof and then built their own end walls to achieve the custom look he wanted.
All the windows are polycarbonate, the wood is white pine, the rear is all reclaimed tin, and they used a glass garage door they bought from a dealership that was replacing its doors. They did everything, except for pouring and finishing the concrete for the slab, themselves to save money.
Sally’s Speed Shop has only been open for a few years, but Jacob is getting to be known for the ‘67 El Camino shop/ race truck/ car that he bought from my friends family after he passed away. “I’ve been doing all the things he wanted to do with it since I got it.”
If you are ever in the Newnan Georgia area or are looking to build out that car that has been sitting in your garage or yard forever. You should look up Sally’s Speed Shop to get it road ready and get out and drive.
You can find Sally’s Speed shop via these links:
