After years of procrastination I finally submitted a budget request and got approval from the Chief Financial Officer to add a car lift to the workshop.
This isn’t a new idea – the workshop was designed for a lift. At least 12 feet of ceiling clearance is needed. This was addressed by making the shop walls 10′ high, making the concrete stem wall a foot high, and going with a cathedral ceiling instead of a flat ceiling. These design choices also make the workshop feel more open and airy.
Lifts require a 4″ thick concrete floor. 4″ is the standard thickness, so I had them make the floor 5″ thick. I wanted 6″ of concrete, but my builder talked me out of that, claiming it was overkill. I thought the lift would be about 12′ from the door, so I had the concrete crew dig a deeper concrete “bathtub” from 10′ to 14′ from the door the full width of the shop. This bathtub makes the concrete 10″-12″ thick where the lift should go.
With budget approval in hand I dived into research. There are two styles of lifts: two post and four post. Two post lifts are generally considered better for working on a car. Four post lifts are generally considered better for storing a car – there may be more discussion of this in a future post…
There are several manufacturers, ranging from commercial lifts that go up and down dozens of times a day for years on end to hobbyist lifts for lighter use. The lower end of the market is dominated by cheap imported lifts.
After extensive research and cogitation I decided on a four post lift, probably from Bendpak.
Additional research uncovered three suppliers of car lifts within a reasonable distance. One of them had the best reputation, so jump in the F150 and see what they had.
Long story less long: I walked in looking for a four post Bendpak lift and walked out with a used two post Rotary lift. Surprise, surprise…
After discussing my needs and the size of the shop they expressed concern about the floor space a four post would take up. They didn’t recommend Bendpak – they had another brand they preferred. But they also had a used Rotary two post lift that they had taken in on trade from a hot rod shop. They claimed lightly used and in great shape. It actually looked close to new.
Rotary is a commercial lift. This one is a 10,000lb capacity model as opposed to 8,000lb or 9,000lb on the four post lifts. Installed and ready to use it was 40% cheaper than a new four post.
So I stopped stalling, made an offer, and scheduled delivery and installation.
I could have saved a lot of money by installing it myself. The lifts are solid steel, 12′ high, weigh about 2,000lb, require precise positioning to work right, and have a complex array of cables and hydraulics. When I got budget approval the CFO looked at me and said “They are going to install it, right?” This was not a question…
Two guys showed up in a flatbed truck with a crane. The crane picked up the legs, let them rotate from horizontal to vertical, and dropped them in place. I drove the Imperial into the workshop for a test fit and they tweaked the position a bit.
Drilling holes for the anchor bolts went through 10″ of concrete – the bathtub idea worked!
They had the lift installed, showed me how to use it, and ran the Imperial up and down for a test – in about three hours! Money well spent.
Now to use and enjoy this uplifting experience!