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Just found this, Rent a Lift/Shop by the hour

V

Vette73

Lifer
http://www.ditymechanics.com/index.html

This one is in my area but not sure how widespread this is.
I will put this to good use when I do the diff and trans service on my C5 Vette. Worth the $18hr they charge instead of having to jack up my car with 4 stands and then try to get it level for the trans fluid addition.
In fact may do the service early since its in a closed shop. 🙂

Anybody have something like this near them?
 
we have those, and also rent a paint booth for 200 or so. you get it for a half day with a good dry air compressor and filtered air in the booth.
 
A couple people tried to do that in my old town but they couldn't get the insurance for it. What they could get for insurance would put the price far out of reach fo those average DIY'ers.
 
Gillbot said:
A couple people tried to do that in my old town but they couldn't get the insurance for it. What they could get for insurance would put the price far out of reach fo those average DIY'ers.
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Yea I am sure they have to be careful to rent the tire machine out to anyone, let alone all the other issues that may come up.

But wish I knew about this last week, I could have installed my BiLs tires instead of sears $130ish fee.
 
Gillbot said:
Their main issue was the lifts themselves.
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Maybe its cause I worked on cars for so long but that seems minor to me.

Put bars on flat part of frame.
Lift a couple feet up and rock car to make sure level (if nto lowwer and put bars different spot or move car)
lift up to height needed
Lowwer down on safetys
do work...

Of course no matter how dummy proof you make it, someone will just make a dummer dummy.
 
Military base auto hobby shops have lifts. When I lived close to one, I used it to change my oil and rotate my tires on my mustang.
 
Last year I scored one for the next door neighbor off craigslist for $1200
He did not have the cash at the time so I loaned it to him. The first rig on there was my truck, for a transmission replacement😀
 
A buddy and I are working on opening something like this. The hardest part is definitely the insurance for the lifts. They initially wanted no lifts and for us to use pits. Ridiculous! Now we're at a stand still, they want a trained professional to lift the vehicles for the customer. Personally, I would find it not just annoying but insulting if I went to a DIY Garage and had to have some guy lift my baby for me. I'm here to work on my car, don't you think I know how to lift it? Needless to say, we're contacting other insurance companies.

The tire machine isn't too bad, they either require a trained professional to operate it for you or a caged inflation machine (which I think is impractical, you need the boosters on the claws of a good tire machine for bigger tires).

And of course, someone has to be there monitoring the garage the entire time, catch any safety issues. It's a great business model and a great tool for DIY'ers such as myself with no garage. But due to insurance, theres alot of restrictions and high cost. To supplement rental rates, ours will also sell parts, order aftermarket parts, offer showers and lockers, etc etc.
 
^
I would think of skipping the shower part unless its already built into the building.
It will require a lot more code and city/county inspection from the health department. A shop I don't think requires health dept inspection. Let alone insurance would also add to that. Not sure if that applies where you are at?

Ask the insruance company if they would reduce rates if the person lifting the car had to be "trained". Trained could be a 5 minute here is how you do it the first time, then them doing it for you, and they signing something along the lines of "If something happens its my fault and I give up right to sue..." type thing.

Yea you still have the lift each car but only once and you give the person a card so they carry that with them and remember your shop and can pull it out if people ask. win win type thing.
 
That's cool you're trying to start up a place like that Jaywire.

I wouldn't see the big issue with lifting a person's car up. Someone has to be there regardless and insurance liability aside, a lift is not something for a nooblet like me to be playing with. I do all the work on my car, but I've never put it on a lift and if it were my place, I wouldn't be comfortable letting a 1st time customer use the lift regardless of insurance.

The shower is a nice thought, but as Marlin said adds a lot to the inspection and permitting. Some large sinks with GoJo and paper towels ought to be good enough. Lockers are great too!

Good luck and do keep us updated on your venture!
 
fbrdphreak said:
That's cool you're trying to start up a place like that Jaywire.

I wouldn't see the big issue with lifting a person's car up. Someone has to be there regardless and insurance liability aside, a lift is not something for a nooblet like me to be playing with. I do all the work on my car, but I've never put it on a lift and if it were my place, I wouldn't be comfortable letting a 1st time customer use the lift regardless of insurance.

The shower is a nice thought, but as Marlin said adds a lot to the inspection and permitting. Some large sinks with GoJo and paper towels ought to be good enough. Lockers are great too!

Good luck and do keep us updated on your venture!
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Yeah, too many things can go wrong especially on a 2 post lift.
 
Marlin1975 said:
Yea I bet the tech did not check the balance before lifiting.

I always lift the tires 1 foot off the ground and push on the front and back of the car. If it moves to much you drop it down and reset.

Anything can go wrong with any tool. Its, tool, only as good as the one using it.
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That's the issue with a lift though in a DIY shop. A wrench, you bang your knuckles. A lift can smash you.
 
Gillbot said:
That's the issue with a lift though in a DIY shop. A wrench, you bang your knuckles. A lift can smash you.
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Oh I agree. That is why I suggested a person be "trained" before using by themself and also waivers.
I don't see how someone would win a lawsuit if THEY lifted the car and it fell off. Unles the lift broke, then that would be on the shop owner.
 
I'd love to have one local. But I understand that there are just too many idiots that you can never imagine.
 
everydae said:
I'd love to have one local. But I understand that there are just too many idiots that you can never imagine.
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Wecome to business school 101.

I remember in my marketing class how I said thats junk no one will fall for it. My teacher said that is how it works and people buy stuff when you market it this way. Me:Oh... so thats marketing. 😛

Every business has to take into account idiots, even if they are not their customers. Add tools and well...
 
Marlin1975 said:
Oh I agree. That is why I suggested a person be "trained" before using by themself and also waivers.
I don't see how someone would win a lawsuit if THEY lifted the car and it fell off. Unles the lift broke, then that would be on the shop owner.
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To a good lawyer, waivers mean jack. Local track we used to rent makes everyone sign a waiver, they got sued and lost even with the waiver.
 
Gillbot said:
To a good lawyer, waivers mean jack. Local track we used to rent makes everyone sign a waiver, they got sued and lost even with the waiver.
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Any leagal doc is only as good as its written and also if is it enforced to a T.

In the Fed gov you can have written rules fall out as unwritten rules were allowed.
Example being a guard allowed soemone to eascpe jail. They fired him but the board said he had to be rehired as the unwritten rule was you do not get fired the first time you allow someone to escape. Other guards allowed people to get out and did not get fired, i.e. the unwritten rule that had been enforced.

But yea there are a lot of things that can go wrong, but I hope 1 idiot does not ruin this as its a good thing for people like me.
 
At $18/hour per bay your DIY shop would have to have a LOT of bays full of paying customers just to break even.
 
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