Carlifts

[Alex396ss]

Hi guys!

I´m about to buy a house with a pretty decent garage, where I think I can squeez in a carlift.

What type of lift would you recommend, a 2-post, 4-post, scissor etc?
Any special brands?

Thank´s,

Alex

[Leadfoot1]

Just a tought.

I worked at a Dealership for a few years and at a time the revamped the shop and we we're able to get the lifts if we took them out ourselves!

Try to look around and ask, you might get a surprise! Give your cars around (or get a cheapie one done fast)

Me 2¢

Lead.

Otherwise just do a search...

[rwhite692]

I have one of these but I haven't put it together yet.

www.backyardbuddy.com (http://www.backyardbuddy.com)

Silly name, great lift. I have a few friends that have them as well.

[ProTouringNyC]

What was the cost on the backyard buddy

[rwhite692]

If you check their website, you can see the prices, which vary according to the various options. There are certainly cheaper lifts out there but IMHO most of them are not built as well.

I was fortunate enough to buy mine from a friend of a friend who had purchased it and never put it together, and needed to sell it because he was moving due to taking a new job. Now it's sitting in my garage until my car comes off the rotisserie and I can recoup some floorspace...:lol:

[RaceMan]

We've used rotory and benwell , i just have the rotory now its a 7000lb and can pick up a crewcab dually no problem. One thing to consider is weight ,you don't to go too small IMO .Some day you might need it :yes: oh yeah and nothing to drive over on the floor

[EFI]

I don't own a lift, and I've never used their stuff, but I get email flyers from America's Pride -

http://www.americasprideonline.com/autolifts.shtml


________________________
- Dan

[Slick]

Depends what you want to do with it, 2 post probably has the most versatility as there is nothing underneath to get in the way but if you want to do alot of body work or exhaust stuff sometimes a 4 post is nice to have the wheels etc at ride height, plus a 4 post can be mobile with casters if you ever need to move it, 2 post isn't going anywhere....keep in mind with a 2 post your cement has to be right, I put up my own Bend Pak 2 post (which after alot searching seemed to be the best bang for the buck and made in the US) and I'll admit it was a bit scary at first getting under it thinking about how little is holding these things up :) Few big bolts in the cement is all....

[Bowtiguy]

I love my 4 post Bend pak from these guys...

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

They carry a couple different brands. I paid the additional $$ to home deliver and coordinated it with the lowes guys when they dropped off my decking material. $60 later I had it sitting right in front of the garage door.:thumbsup:

I think it was $2700 shipped when I bought it last spring to store my 57 nomad. Of course I just use it for storage and oil changes for now. cheaper than a new house here on the front range of colorado.

[Alex396ss]

Thank´s for your help!

Alex

[ProTouring442]

My dad just ordered one of these:

http://www.rotarylift.com/products/revolution/

Shiny Side Up!
Bill
'72 442 "Inamorata"
www.FQuick.com/ProTouring442

[vintageracer]

As stated earlier, the best type of lift depends on your needs. First, a few questions. Do you have the needed ceiling height for a 2 post, about 12 feet? Is car storage or car work the main need for a lift? If storage is your main need and a 4 post is your desire, will you have to modify the garage door tracks if you buy a 4 post and wish to open the door with a car in the up position? Most times this presents a problem. Measure before purchase as the movement of the garage door tracks is another expense you may forget to consider.

A 2 post is by far the best lift IF service/working on your car is the goal. These lifts are amazing as they also will let you lift engines, remove car bodies, campers, PU beds etc. You can't do that with a 4 post. If "I" have to have only 1 lift, it will be a 2 post. While not as good as a 4 post for car storage, you can store a car on a 2 post lift.

If vehicle storage is the primary goal, buy a 4 post. There are lots of hobbyist 4 post storage lifts available at cheap prices. 4 post lifts are fair at best as far as working/service on a car. I know that there are accesories that can be purchased to aid in working on car however that also ads cost to the lift. The fact that a 4 post can be moved is a nice plus but in reality have you ever met anyone that moved their lift once in was set in its location?

If buying a 2 post lift, look at Rotary (biggest lift supplier in the industry), Challenger and Bend-Pak. All good commercial lift suppliers. Yes, they are a little more expensive than the off-shore imports and they ARE worth the money. Particularly if you wish to sell a used lift. Buy a GOOD piece of equipment once!

If buying a 4 post, your use cycle will be much less since storage is the name of the game so a hobbyist lift will service your needs. Backyard is good as is the Rotary Evolution brand. This is Rotary's hobbyist brand. There are LOTS of parking lifts for $2000 or less. A Rotary or Backyard will add at least $1000to the ticket. Quality costs mo money!

You could look around for a used lift from a local supplier. I looked before I bought my lifts however the price difference installed was only about 1/3 less than new. I bought new commercial quality lifts and could not more pleased.

I have a friend that has a scissors lift. He is in the body shop business and this lift is GREAT for that application, body work. Gets the car up to a nice working height. Other than body work and pressure washing, it versitility is very limited.

I would'nt give 2 cents for those expensive drive-on tracks that raise the car about 18 inches. At $1,000 or more there are much better alternatives.

I recommend you buy locally from a local lift supplier. They will install your lift and provide hometown service IF you ever need it. That's worth extra money to me. While not that difficult to assemble a lift, they are not easy to move when you pick them up at the freight terminal or when they are dropped at your door by the truck line. These damn things are heavy!