I have been thinking about getting one of the Quick jack portable car lift units. https://www.quickjack.com/ Seems like a good item for the 914. It would allow you work on engine trans and brakes, tires. Anyone here have one that can give an unbiased opinion on the unit.

For a little more you can get a scissor lift. With a scissor lift you can drop the motor or trans too.
Do a search, this topic has come up quite a few times.

I own the small quick jack. It works great but is a little low for removing an engine with carbs. I raised the car and then set it down on jack stands then put some tall blocks on the lift points to gain some more room. The car was much less stable side to side like this but I was able to get the engine in.

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You can see the 4x6 blocks in this pic.

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I'd rather have a MaxJax, up here you can get them through Costco with free delivery.

But then it's hard to beat the 7k two post USA made Aamco I got off of Kijiji (like CL) for $1000

If you have a 10' ceiling, spend another $500 and get a 2 post lift. Added bonus - gives you more parking space. $1500.00 and took 2 3/4 hours to install with the help of 2 friends.
Dave
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If you don't have the ceiling height for a two post lift I would look at a scissor lift. You can get the 914 high enough to drop the motor and more. I was able to completely disassemble a 74 project car. Best $$ I spent for working on my 914s.

If your 914 is stock ride height you can just park over it, if lowered you may need to build a pair of ramps to help clear the lift.

Is the oil easy to get off the VW??

I tried the search function it didn't pull anything up. I have not had much luck with the search function. Maybe I'm doing it wrong.

I like the scissor lift wasn't sure if it would give you enough room to pull the engine or if the lift would be in the way. It lifts much higher for sure.

I'll give those another look.

With scissor lift it may take you a time or two to figure out the correct spot to place the car to drop the engine. You just need to make sure the engine bar clears the end of the lift and you should be good. My lift was $1500 out the door from Greg Smith Equipent in Indianapolis. That was like 6yrs ago now.

Good luck. Almost anything beats messing with jack stands when you want to work on your car.

Look at the portable, two post Max Jack lift that Mark Henry mentions. Free delivery through Costco and only $1799.00 when on sale.

I have the quick jack and use it a lot. My garage is only 8' so I couldn't use a two post. If I had to do it again, I'd get the XL version, as the QJ5000 is barely long enough to span the jacking donuts. Or, if portability isn't a factor, I'd get the maxjax. They say the maxjax is portable, but moving it requires unbolting from the floor. The QJ just pushes out of the way.

One note...for engine drops with the quick jack, I recommend getting the tangerine plate. The QJ uses a trapezoid shape which moves the car backward as it raises and forward as it lowers, making it difficult to position things using the furniture dolly method. Way better to use the plate to drop/raise the engine precisely in position. Also more stable than a furniture dolly and easier to transfer to an engine stand

I have a Tire Chief, it only raises the car a little over two feet. It is just enough to drop the power plant. If I had the ceiling space a two-post lift would be my choice.

I appreciate the feedback it helping with my decision. I have 16 foot ceiling in 30x40 shop but with all my tools and equipment I really work in one main 20x 20 area and the 2 post would be in the way often. So a portable would be ideal for me. That's the main reason I like the quick jack but the scissor style is appealing due to the height it lifts. Not sure what a Tangerine plate is. I assume something Tangerine racing makes.

Like Garrold, I got myself a scissor lift. Just kicking myself for not getting one years ago!

I bought a 7000# Snap On scissors lift as a second lift when I had my shop. When I sold the shop this past December, I kept some shop equipment for my home shop including my big compressor, press, parts cleaner, drill press, mig welder, and the scissors lift. I used the scissors lift to change tires on Chevy Tahoes and to reconstruct the unibody of a 1972 Mustang. Since I moved it home, I used it to change the clutch and IMS bearing on the Boxster. I presently have my old 300 TE 4Matic on it completing the engine change.

While I do miss my two post lift and I probably will buy one for my home shop, the scissors lift is a decent alternative. Just remember, you are working under a heavy object and you have to trust the device that is holding it up. Buy the best that you can. You want to be comfortable working under that car.

Charlie

Costco no longer handles the MaxJax at lest in Northern Ca. The best price I can find on them is is around $2000.

I have a 4 Post, so I don't have a Dog in this Fight. But I would get a scissor lift 1000x before I get something that could shift & Kill me. I don't care when I get it, but that would be a Mess for whoever finds me!

With that square footage and height I would find a way to rearrange to fit a 2 post lift. I've found it surprisingly easy to work around mine and I don't have as much space as you do. It would quickly become your favorite tool and you'd wonder why you didn't do it years ago.

This one doesn't leak.

Dave

I didn't think long term storage on the 2 post was recommended?

To me that's a no brainer.
I have one post beside a wall, so I only have one post in the way.





If it does leak it's easy to make or find a tray, a bit of jack chain, hooks and you just hang it under the car.
I park the ATV etc. under mine so a small leak wouldn't bug me.



I never had a problem with porsche or VW, except some swing axle models which may pinch the axle boots. I often take it off during the day to work, but I'll have a car on it for 6 months at a time in the winter.

Could make the opposite argument that long time storage on the ground will ruin your tires

ONE post? Show us that one

There are a few places that make them, example:

http://aclifts.com/products-2/parking-lift...4-5-and-m1-6-5/

Personally I have a 4-post BendPak HD9, since I knew I'd have mine stored a long time (but not this long!!!) and it's ramps widen out enought o do engine drops.

If that's directed at me read it again, 2-posts, but one post is against a wall so only one post in the way.

But there are one post lifts.
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=one+post+lift

My Quick Jack is very stable in normal use. It's just less stable when I stack a bunch of blocks. There is something to be said for being able to store the lift out of the way when not in use.

For me and the way I think I would use one the Scissor lift gives the extra lifting height but bulkier to store. The Quickjack easy to store but doesn't lift as high. Two post and 4 post won't work for me in this shop. I do a lot of fabrication and the lost room to do layouts and moving materials around is downside for me. I am going to build a three car garage to put my finished cars in. I'll most likely put a 4 post in there.

Search for the suddenly failed master cylinder overhead. Warning: it isn't pretty. Metal oil pan. The plastic one failed. Just saying...

Here's the tangerine plate I mentioned. Allows you to raise and lower the engine/trans using a floor jack. Super stable.

http://www.tangerineracing.com/tools.htm

A must have for a 914 owner. Chris Foley knows what he's doing when it comes to 914 tools.

That would. Have been handy when removing the engine. It was kind of dangerous with just a floor jack. I did pick up an adjustable bar with rubber pads that adjust kind of like a 2 post lift arm. Harbor Freight had them on sale during Father's Day.