Double 9 Garage

In the beginning...

True story: Carlos and his wife Natasha mainly purchased their home because it had a four-car garage (well, at least Carlos did). Nestled in the historic district in Bloomfield, the couple purchased a home built in 1874 - the garage though was not historic. After performing significant restoration to the home's interior and exterior upon purchase, the garage became center stage. Photo: historic photo of the house ca. 1900.

Conversion to a carriage house style

The ca. 1970s cinderblock garage had seen better days, and the time was right to do the unthinkable: make a modern box look like a 19th century carriage house while preserving 3 walls. The building grew 7 feet in height to reach 15 feet; the facade was brought forward 8 feet to allow for more depth. A center divider wall was removed, expanding the interior space without any separation. True hand-built barn doors were crafted and four 4 post lifts installed so the space can accommodate up to 8 cars. Carlos' trusted friend and builder/restorer, Andy Fediw of AJ Renovations, served as the general contractor. Carlos worked with architect John Fallon to help carry over gothic-revival elements from the house to the carriage house (most notable, the pointed arches depicted on the house's porch, windows and main door).

More than just a collection of cars...

The Double 9 Garage is more than simply a place for cars to be stored, it's a gearhead's recreation room. The space is constantly evolving as Carlos works to add to the Double 9 Gallery which includes personal items from his youth to recent car competition collage boxes. Interesting items on display: Carlos' collection of toys since his youth, car parts, automobilia (Mobil Gas especially), vintage oil cans, retired roadway signs, his son's collection of Lego builds, numerous collage boxes dedicated to each family member and an authentic Route 66 tumbleweed in a case (yes, no kidding)! A workbench converted into bar with kegerator, TV, sound system, air conditioning/heat and dad recliner are also included.

Making memories every season...

Just as much fun as car events is simply documenting them. Using his museum training, Carlos and often with his good friend William, a very talented artist, create collage boxes which captures the good times had with the cars. At left: Team Bloomfield Cruisers at The Great Race 2022 collage box featuring the endurance medal the team received, team badges, and the actual decal mounted on the competition car (1972 Corvette). Nearly 20 large scale collage boxes are currently on display with more to come.

It takes a network...

Carlos is fortunate to have a team of friends just as eccentric as he is with classic cars and wild ideas. Among them is William Perez, a recognized artist. They often work together creating additions to the Double 9 Gallery. Aside from the collage boxes, together they have built sets, hung automobilia and garage art, worked on cars, and so much more. It's a great blend of artistic talent, car knowledge, collector passion, family history, and community spirit. Be sure to follow William's own amazing work at: https://www.instagram.com/william_perez_f/

You just never know what's in store...

The Double 9 Garage is an ongoing work in progress, but above all, it's a place where nothing seems too crazy and too ambitious to do.

Thanks to the many people over the years who have helped make this a place a dream come true for Carlos.

Photo: Artists Jorge Wellesley Bourke, William Perez, and Douglas Arguelles with Carlos after completing the painting of Natasha's bus.

Now onto the gallery of cars and more...

The Double 9 Garage on the Road...

The Double 9 Garage is Transformed

On the eve of demolition, Carlos began to document the transformation of the garage into a carriage house through a series of videos he later compiled into a playlist. In the first short video, the layout and condition of the building is clear. The four-car garage was split into two bays separated by an interior wall. Though there was one 4 post car lift at the right, the limited height did not allow for stacking of cars - but it did make working under a car easier and safer. Ultimately, the roof and facade of the building was removed while keeping the three remaining walls and expanding on them. The project was completed exactly one year after the start. These videos tell the rest of the story...

D9G on the road...

The garage serves as the home base for fleet and the related events. For example, in 2022 Carlos embarked on a dream-come-true: to cross the country. This was achieved by participating in the Great Race, the ultimate road rally event in the country. He enlisted his pal Steve as partner and team navigator along with some pals as support team members. The competition began in Rhode Island and ended in Fargo, North Dakota using Carlos' 1972 Corvette. Upon conclusion, Carlos' family joined him in Fargo and they continued westward, ultimately picking up Route 66 in Arizona into California, reaching the final destination of the Pedersen Automotive Museum. In total, the competition was nearly two weeks long with an additional two weeks of family road tripping. The experienced covered well over 5,000 miles! Carlos and Steve now participate in numerous rally events in a 1931 Ford Model A Victoria. Here's the 2022 Great Race playlist...

The kind of work done at the D9G...

The family is constantly working on their personal vehicles - and no, they do not do work for others as this is strictly a hobby lifestyle. Many friends come by to help out and enjoy their passion for the collector car hobby as well. Among the D9G's favorite project is Lucy the Mondrian Bus, which is actually shorter than some vintage Cadillacs, Buicks, and the Checker Aerobus (the car in the gallery with 8 doors) in the collection. Jokingly, Carlos introduces the bus to people as "Natasha's Bus" and generally, she is a good sport about it. This project was inspired for a desire to have a conversion van style vehicle for events and tailgating. Drawing inspiration from the Partridge Family's bus, Carlos sought to find this right vehicle. Three of his artists friends designed the layout based on some loose guidelines but kept true to artist Piet Mondrian who is credited with this style of art applied to the Patridge bus. Watch Lucy transform from ugly duckling to a beauty in short time...

Sometimes paths cross decades later...

Emotion and nostalgia often drive car collectors. It may seem strange that anyone would have a tow truck, better known as a wrecker, but at the D9G, nothing is unusual. In this playlist, Carlos reunited with a wrecker that was based just a block away from his childhood home in Union City - an original Highpoint Garage vehicle. As a child, he enjoyed seeing the huge towing apparatus based at that local business, often used to haul tractor trailers. This wrecker was basically the shop truck, mainly used to plow snow and to move an occasional disabled car. When he saw it available online, there was no doubt a reunion was inevitable.