thanks for all the comments! keep em' coming!
now, to answer a few questions & add a few details...
the existing slab to the left HAS to go. it was a small garage years ago & has dished out over the years. when it rains, it holds water about 3"deep. its also tall & with new grandbabies fixing to start running around, its a "busted head" waiting to happen! lol!
the burning barrel sadly has to go too.. our little community recently voted to be incorporated into metro nashville & they don't allow burning. that deal has been a real problem lately with the ex commisioners who lost their power creating problems for the ones who signed the petition to put it to a vote. i've been turned in to codes once already because i signed it (everyone on our street that signed had a violation) so figure i better watch what i do for a while until the vindictiveness dies down.
won't be putting anything on the roof as there are houses about 20 feet from the rear of the bldg. have good neighbors back there now,so don't want to stir them up. the old neighbors tried to stir up trouble because they didn't like the bldg so close to their houses (they bought with it already there, but for some reason thought they could make me tear it down... idiots!!)
i have an eco air meter (currently in the house) that i restored 17 yrs ago, but really hesitate to move it outside. the front of the bldg faces north, so doesn't get any sun & mechanical things tend to futz up & quit working pretty quickly. static items fare pretty well, but have to be kept clean or will mildew in a heartbeat. i might try to find another one & do a static "paint only" resto & put it out there. after the rebuild from the fire, i added an air line outside, so have the "usefulness" part covered
i am looking into the opaline & pennsylvania signs & thought i had found the third in the set (polarine?) a while back but missed it by a day. the credit card sign is also a possibility, but seems like the earlier ones that would go with my desired era are hard to find. guess i could always make up the stencils & make my own on the cheap! all the pump signs, globes etc will be repop.
any recommendations on what grade to do the second pump in?
thanks again!