who has a lift in their garage?

[Frank Coppola]

I just bought a new 3 car garage with a house and thought I was nuts for getting a lift. Then the first two people I met at Carlisle last weekend both had lifts for their Cobra's. I feel much better now. If any of you have pictures of your lifts/garages please post them as I would love some suggestions on how to set up my new shop!

ps. the lift I am getting looks just like this one:

http://www.eagleequip.com/products/l..._post/fp12.htm

[Steve Siedlecki]

Frank I just installed the same lift from eagle 2 weeks ago! Excellent people to deal with. Also an excellent quality product. I went with the 220 volt pump and aluminum ramp option. I only have a 2 car garage so to gain a little more room I mounted the hydraulic pump on the wall near the left rear of the lift. That allows me to push the lift all the way to the wall on the 1 side. Also centers the tracks better on the door. Also I extended the tracks in the garage door so the door hugs the 9 ft ceiling. Also gives me more head room for the top of the car.
Good luck
Steve

[JoeLafives]

Steve:
I don't suppose you could post a picture of the lift in your garage and the track extensions?

Best
Scott

[BLACKJACK]

HELLO, FRANK,

I HAVE AN "AUTO-LIFTER". IV'E HAD IT FOR ABOUT THREE YEARS NOW AND I LOVE IT. VERY STURDY AND MANY SAFETY FEATURES.

THE CORVETTE CLUB HAD A THREAD ABOUT LIFTERS/DISASTERS A WHILE BACK. A FRIEND DRIVES A 'VETTE AND FORWARDED IT TO ME. PRETTY DARN SCARY.

IF YOU CAN'T FIND IT THERE LET ME KNOW AND I'LL TRY TO "RESURRECT" IT.

GOOD LUCK, AND, Y'ALL HAVE A REALLY GREAT DAY,

BLACKJACK

[wilf leek]

A lift in your garage? Something I have never come across here in the Uk for the vast majority of folks I spoken with.

Most Brit cobra-builders do their builds in tiny, bare, unheated single car garages . Some have managed under a sheet of polythene in their front yard.
Me? I was lucky- at least I have a double garage. But as to lifting the car - thats down to jacks and stands. And of course the sore necks and arms that come with working on a car laying on the floor underneath.

You guys are just plain spoiled!!!

(and I'm jealous OK)

[Zderf]

Probably knot what you had in mind, but I'll take the liberty to link it anyway....

KwikLift, Inc: Two Thumbs UP!!

I love it!

Zderf

[ohekk]

I installed a Globe in ground hydraulic lift 12 years ago!

By far the BEST tool investment I've ever made!

[renaissance man]

I'm with you Zderf. I really don't have $3k lying around but next year I'm putting in a "Kwiklift". At $1300 it's easy on the wallet, takes up little space and still allows 30" of clearance under the car.

SCORE!

[Bill Wells]

i am fortunate to have two lifts in my garage. an assymetrical two post ROTARY LIFT and a 4 post drive on STINGER lift. I stack 5 cars in a 3 car garage ! kinda like a wheel borrow, once ya get it ya wonder how ya lived without it. pics are posted in my 'photo gallery'. for a Cobra, the 4 post drive on is easier to use and recommended due to side pipes and low ground clearance. Bill

[Clois Harlan]

Don't let them fool you, they are the 2% you here about. I built mine in my garage (2 car) with jack stands etc. I had the same sore neck and arms as you.

But a lift would really be great, humm only $2995.00 delivered.
My wife is ready to kill me now...I mentioned racing slicks and rims last night...she never said a word just gave me that far away look.

[Zderf]

KwickLift is in Broken Arrow!!! No shipping!!

Just a thought... I smell bargin..

(I love Tulsa.. lived in the shadow of the City of Faith, near Delaware and 91st for 6 years)


Zderf

[got snake?]

after you roll your car onto the KwickLift you have to jack up the rear? Will a 3000lbs jack do it?

GS

[Ron61]

Snake,

I have one of the first lifts that Kwik Lift sold and I have no trouble at all jacking up any of my cars with a 2,000 pound jack. There is one thing that you may consider though. With the powder coating the ramps are slick with any dampness so I went to the hardware store and bought some of that stuff they put on boats so you don't slip and just stuck it on each ramp and I have never had any problem at all. I talked to the Kwik Lift people at the car show this year and they were having troble getting a 1969 Super Bee on the ramps because of that and when I told them what I had done they went right out and got the same thing and put it on their ramps they used to display at the show. My garage just isn't high enough for any other kind of lift and I have been very happy with the Kwik Lift. I also got the bridge that goes across it for you to put a jack on.

Ron61

[Larry Romaauski]

Hi frank,
I have a 2 post lift and love it. Also would suggest good electrics. You would want to run a compressor and possibly a welder. I have my garage set up with its own breaker panel.
Larry

[kountzecobra]

I have had an Eagle 4-post lift for abour 3or4 months and am very pleased with it. I should have bought it years ago!! Check my photos in my gallery, there are a few pictures with the "replica of a Cobra" on it with the lift at half-mast. Later, David Shelton.

[Steve Siedlecki]

Here it goes Frank!
Frank,
I wish I had a 14 ft ceiling!!! WOW! As for bolting the lift to the
floor I chose not to. After adjusting and tweaking it is so stable. I
would guess that if you felt more safe by all means bolting it wouldn't
hurt. I have an uneven floor that is probably out 2 to 3 inches from
front to back. it slopes to the door side. NO problem just adjust the 4
corners till all the locks are evenly spaced. If I were to bolt it I
would drill with a carbide hammer drill and use bolt anchors. They are
an expanding concrete bolt.
3/8" would be fine. Really think that it would only prevent sideways
movement. But I have not had any. Just for fun I put all the cars on to
check the fit in the bay. Had a 2001 trans am ram air 3800lbs. 1979
corvette 4000 lbs.. and of course the measly 2400lb cobra....lol.. Ah
yes the next problem the door. I encountered 2 problems.
1. When you add an extension to the side tracks to get more height, the
outside handle hits the top board running across the garage! Remember if
you look at your tracks now the top wheel is engaged in the radius.Thus
when the door opens the handle moves inward to clear the top piece. When
you add an extension the door travels straight up longer before it
curves to the ceiling. What I did was remove the handle on the outside.
Then I machined an aluminum button to take the place of the handle. Cant
open it from the outside but.... small price to pay. 2. I could not use
the auto door opener... I didn't have enough room....All in all Iam
happy for the room and luxury of the lift..Maybe you can call a garage
door co. With all that nice height they may have a really simple
solution so you can use your opener also.
My card reader for the comp is on the fritz. I will try to get some
pics..
good luck. any thing else give me a shout.
Steve

[niles]

Could the members that have lifts specify the minimum garge ceiling height you need to install a lift and do the double stack?

This might be a cheap solution; wife keeps mumbling things like we need a new house with a bigger garage.

thanks
gn

[Bill Wells]

my 2 post lift is under a 11-1/2 ' ceiling and i could get a panel truck there lifted 6' and have room to spare.

my 4 post lift is under a 9-1/2' ceiling and while you can't get full lift height , it will go up most of the way (depending on what car is on top obviously). I can stack in the shorter stall my cobra and a taurus or 02 mustang or 65 stang . you just have to remember to have an antennae lower than the top of the car or it will puncture the ceiling !! i moved my garage door track to the side and extended the door tracks vertically to snug the door to the top of the ceiling (raised it 17" when open, door companys refer to it as a 'high lift kit' ).

to figure out what you can fit: measure the cars in question at the highest point (remember antennaes count unless you get a retractable or rear mount antennae) and then add 6 " (4" is required for the hoist cross bars and another 2" is required to raise the hoist off the safety stops and allow 1/2" breathing room . 10' would be good, 10-1/2 feet better but 9-1/2 feet will allow you to fit in alot of car combos !!! you can also back the top car in getting more clearance under an open garage door and if a convertible lower the top getting more clearance. bill wells

[niles]

Just measured; it's 9 ft 6 in; so it's feasible with the cobra if the second car in not especially tall??
gn

[Bill Wells]

Niles ::

my 4 poster is under a 9-1/2' ceiling. i just measured my 'safety stop' maximum for the cobra. with no top on the car , the lift raises 60 inches from the floor to the safety stop. the cross rails are 4"high, so therefor the bottom of the tires are 64" off the ground (ie, parked on the ramps/rails). plenty of room to work under the car. if you are 7' tall, then duck when underneath. that max lift position leaves me about 2" to the ceiling and it takes about 1-1/2" for my hoist to raise in order to 'release' the safety stops. so go slow and easy, a half inch to spare .

any car less than 60" tall at the highest point then would fit under the lift with the cobra on top. assuming your car's top most part of the windshield ht from the ground is the same as a SPF . a new model taurus fits underneath with a 1/2" to spare (moon roof can't be vented if so equipped) . many cars of that size should measure less than 60" tall (antennae excluded). my 01 mustang was lower in ht than the taurus but had an antennae that stuck up over the top of the car, so i cut it in half with no perceptable reception difference on fm and some in outlying areas on am.

see photos in my gallery. bill.