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Posted by: jrmole Sep 13 2006, 11:02 PM

Howdy,

I have a 1950's house with what the realtor called a 2 car garage. Two 914s maybe, but only if people climbed over the doors. I would love to have seen two 1950's Fords in there :-)

Into this tight space, my 914 will soon have to share with a stable-mate. When I was in junior high my father and I did a frame-off restoration of his 1953 MG TD. That was a (cough) few years ago and it is time to do it again. Since my son is soon to be in junior high, my father decided it was time to pass on tradition.

Since I can't go sideways, it is time to think about going vertical with my 10 foot ceiling. I am looking for recommendations or experiences with light-duty four post lifts for home use. Since I live in earthquake country, I am not interested the the two post lifts (too tragic to imagine).

Help!

My wife has pointed out that I am going to go from a 30 year old German car to a 60 year old British car so the logical next step will be a 90 year old Italian car. Hmmmm....

Pictures of my toys below

...


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Posted by: URY914 Sep 14 2006, 07:18 AM

Go to this site and look around. They have different sections like we have here and also do a search for lifts. The subject comes up all the time. There is also a section on product reviews that will have some info. Good luck.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/

Posted by: JmuRiz Sep 14 2006, 08:13 AM

I'd be sure to get an ALI/ETL Certified Lift, probably a 4-post and bolt it down (being in earthquake zone). The ones from Rotary's Revolution line look nice (what I'll probably get), also the Bend Pak.

Good idea going up, 10' is plenty high clearance for those cars.

Posted by: mskala Sep 14 2006, 10:17 AM

10 feet for the common four-post lifts is enough for a 914 and a 'normal-size'
car stacked. I have about 9'5" but sometimes I want to go higher I take the
roof off the 914 to go between the rafters.

The common four-post does not need to be bolted down, and if I was in an
earthquake zone I would much rather not bolt it. Think heavy item on top not
connected to earth, posts would shift a bit on the floor, but if they were bolted
down then you have a giant moment arm throwing your car around.

Posted by: Ferg Sep 14 2006, 10:29 AM

I'm happy with my bend pac, it's a older model, but does the job, plus it's made in the usa, and parts are available should I need them. My ceiling is just shy of 11ft and works well with my two cars. I did need to raise the rails on my garage door closer to the ceiling so that when the door goes up, it still clears the car that's in the air...

Ferg


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Posted by: GTeener Sep 14 2006, 11:15 AM

Ah, if money were no object

This would be so cool to have!

http://hardingsteel.com/st24c.htm




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Posted by: jrmole Sep 14 2006, 09:10 PM

Thanks for all the suggestions.

One thing I am interested in is experience with installation support (especially unloading). I live on a really steep street. I once watched a forklift almost flip over when they turned slightly down hill with several cases of slate tile I really do not want to deal with a 1,500 pound lift.

Thanks.

Posted by: Joe Sharp Sep 14 2006, 11:13 PM

jr, don't be affraid of the 2 post type. I saw a news clip of a garage that had been blown away, house and all. A Pontiac Grand Am was still on the lift with the house and garage gone.
Joe

Posted by: LowGT Sep 15 2006, 02:43 AM

Sideways worked for me for a while. I made people envious because I said I had a 3 car garage, however many people told be just because I could fit 3 cars in there didn't mean it was a 3 car garage.

Posted by: Ferg Sep 15 2006, 08:46 AM

I bought my lift slightly used, so It had to be taken apart transported and put back together. I hired a local installer to do the whole job, best 700 bucks I spent. I'd imagine that since yours is just set up, it would be much less complicated...

Ferg

Posted by: gopack Sep 15 2006, 09:03 AM

this looks like a good deal! can't guess at the quality, but at 7000 lbs, should be WAY over engineered for a 914!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Car-Auto-Lift-Four-Post-Portable-7000-lb-Parking-Garage_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ63697QQihZ016QQitemZ260030659839QQrdZ1

Posted by: Two914s Sep 15 2006, 09:16 AM

I have a scissors lift that I LOVE but it doesnt really make any more room for other cars...

Posted by: mikez Sep 15 2006, 09:32 AM

I have a four poster....pisses off the neighbors to no end....

Posted by: GTeener Sep 15 2006, 10:30 AM

Why? Is it in the driveway? Are you ruining their view? Wouldn't they be more pissed off if your cars were parked on the street in front of their house?

Posted by: GTeener Sep 15 2006, 10:34 AM

What is the minimum garage ceiling height to stack 2 cars with a parking lift?

Posted by: JmuRiz Sep 15 2006, 10:48 AM

Probably pissed because that means more cars and more wrenching at home (impact wrech at midnight, hahaha).
Here's the height calculator from Revolution:
http://www.revolutionlifts.com/Ceiling.asp

Posted by: mikez Sep 15 2006, 10:54 AM

9 feet is absolute minimum and you can only stack small cars....

As to why it pisses off my neighbors....well the short story....

They called the City on my cars out front, so I asked the City if I could jump the curb put them in back....sure, so I cleaned up some mud that slid onto my property from the City proprety behind me....I live under a reservoir.....the neighbors bitched ABOUT THAT....

City hits me with an order to build an engineered wall to hold THEIR FARGIN dirt....OK, so I build a wall and a garage.....the neighbors bitch about THAT......so to really piss them off I put the lift in and I can get three cars in it now....

If they woulda shut the fuck up the garage wouldn't have been in their line of sight....I wrench on my cars and fuck up their view....I also do my refrigerator repair guy impression with a good moon in between....I used to have a jacuzzi up there too....

Got lemons? Build a garage and let yer dickwad neighbors cry like an onion...or something like that....

When I bought this house it was a derelict...like me. Ask Howie...it's quite nice now. Last house on a quiet street then a buncha yuppie DINKs moved in on newly subdivided lots above me....then try to take over the 'hood.....weeeelll guess what, "Homie doan play that game"....

Posted by: Aaron Cox Sep 15 2006, 10:56 AM

shoot them mike

Posted by: mskala Sep 15 2006, 10:58 AM

It's going to be different with different height cars. Add the height of both cars,
then add 8 to 10 inches. There are blocks on each post which are maybe 6
inches apart, and you need 2" of room to get over each block before the
ratchet will grab it when you lower.

Official height of 914 is 48" but many of us with slightly lowered cars and low
profile tires are in the 45" area.

Posted by: jrmole Sep 15 2006, 11:02 AM

Who said the 914 was going up top? When my 914 sees rubber on pavement again, it will be my daily driver (famous last words). The MG will be my weekend car and end up on the top.

That said, 7,000 pounds is over kill for an MG too!

Thanks for the link, I'll check it out.

Posted by: erikstoll Sep 15 2006, 11:06 AM

thank you SO much for that link
/hijack

Posted by: GTeener Sep 15 2006, 11:08 AM

Hey Mike,

Too bad you have such whiney neighbors. A lift in a garage on your own property seems kosher to me.


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Anyone have pictures of cars stacked in a garage with a 9' ceiling?

Posted by: Ferg Sep 15 2006, 11:23 AM

two cars and stacking all comes down to ceiling height and where the safty catch's on the lift are. For me with my 10" 10" ceiling i'm can barely clear the mustang going underneath. The 914 will get to the second highest safty catch, but it's very close, since on my model you have to go past the catch's fold down the saftey arms, and then lower back a few inches untill it's resting on the arms. I've only got maybe 4-6 inches from the targa bar of the 914 to ceiling at that point.

I had the luxury of percise measuments on the actual lift before I bought it, and it paid off. I would suggest asking any seller about the measurments of safty catch's and make some good measurments of the cars you plan on parking.

Ferg