Before you dive into your next car project, check out how one experienced guy maximizes his space and his time.

You may already know that our ’75 Laguna project car is going together at Arizona Auto Trim in Mesa, Arizona. Heath Elmer, owner of Arizona Auto Trim, has a unique and sensible system for keeping track of the many complicated projects he’s working on for his customers. Amazingly, he does all his work out of a modest three-car garage at home.

Staying organized in such a small space can be a chore, but it’s easy if you’re Heath. When Heath takes a car apart for restoration, all the small parts go in baggies that are tagged and stuck to the wall with thumbtacks. Once the car is apart, he makes a list of stuff he needs—usually on a large white board on the wall. As parts come in, they are tacked to the wall (the small ones), and wiped off the whiteboard list.

Before Heath starts assembly, he knows if he’s got all the parts he needs. Once he starts, it’s only a matter of pulling the right parts off the wall as he needs them. Space is conserved, and lots of trouble is avoided.