Choosing a garage lift (and a garage to go with it)
 

Does anyone have experience with a mid-rise scissor lift like the one shown here?

http://www.ultimategarage.com/Sprinter2.jpg

I know it's not preferable to a two post lift because it doesn't raise the car high enough, and it makes it harder to access the under side of the car. However, the part that raises up has no cross beams (they stay on the floor) so you should have reasonable access to the transmission, drive shaft, exhaust, etc. Changing a clutch on this thing may not be ideal, but it seems doable. It's also less obstructive for walking around the car because there are no posts.

I'm trying to decide if this would be acceptable if we find a house that we like, but the garage isn't big enough for a 2-post lift. Of course, the ideal solution is to build a separate garage, but that's a committment I'm not sure I'm ready for yet. If we find a house with a 3-car garage and I can put this thing in one of the bays, it may tide me over for a few years. If I'm still into cars 5 years from now, I can build my dream garage. :dunno:



Thoughts?

Oh, and I really (really, really) want the ability to wash my car in the winter. The odds of finding a garage with a drain are probably near zero, so I'm thinking something like this may work. He basically puts a rubber mat on the floor, and washes the car with the garage door open a crack.

Thoughts?

Hmm, this doesn't seem so bad.

http://www.asedeals.com/SP7Xrearjpg.jpg

http://www.asedeals.com/scissor_lifts.html

Matt's talking to himself again.

Alex

Matt ... don't forget you need a hot and cold water running hose in the garage ... I had it put in a couple of years ago and it is great to be able to adjust the temperature when washing the car once it hits late sept/early oct.

Plus it makes washing the wheels in the winter much easier.

About washing the car in the garage ... I've never really thought of it because I would be concerned about getting everything in the garage wet while doing it.

What type of solutions have you found out to prevent this ?

The garage floor option is one of the tuffest choices to make ... I did the whole paint the garage floor thing and wasn't too happy with the result.
I don't know if I would go with the large mats like your link had because it seems more temporary than the individual tiles though the install has got to be a lot easier ...

The mats are only for channeling the water. Depending on the garage designa nd what is under it, you may be able to install a simple drain to an exisintg garage. Just core drill the floor. If the garage floor has gravel under it, you will be fine for occasional use. If not, you would have to get a company like Flow Mole to channel in from teh side to put in an actual drian. Not cheap and simple in that case, but doable.

I find that having mixed hot and cold, makes it ossible to wash outside, then into the garage for final drying and other work.

The scissors lift may work OK for many jobs, but soon you will be wishing you had done the right thing and put in a 2 post lift.

My guess is that your back would be what drives that feeling of regret.

Alex

That lift would not have been of much help to me during my M3 rebuild. While most of the actual work took place forward of the lift, my body would have to lie right in the path of the base of that thing. And I shudder to think how we would've installed the transmission with all that stuff in the way, or work on the driveshaft. That said, not many people do this sort of thing at home. :eeps: This should be fine for oil changes, some moderate suspension work, that kind of stuff. If it were my garage,though, I'd save for the two-post.

Regarding washing indoors -- I did this once in February in my two-car garage, which had no drain and no hot water. It was not a problem. The trick was to be careful with where you aim the hose, and to generously flush the garage floor afterwards. Most of the water flowed out the garage door naturally, but I had to do a little clean-up with a push broom.

Yeah, this is definitely something that I want. I'm assuming I can install this myself eventually. May be a PITA, but it's doable.

Yeah, I don't know. I was thinking you just need to be careful where you spray the water, but I suppose it could be difficult.

Why's that?

If it were my garage, I wouldn't settle for anything less than a two-post/drive on lift, or equivalent. Judging from the pic you posted, I can already tell there are lots of jobs which would be very uncomfortable to do. Work smarter, not harder.

But if the most technical kind of DIY you're planning is brakes, it might be fine - looks to be about chest-height. Or get a creeper.