vehicle lifts

[Alanc]

I'm not certain whether this is the right place to post this question but here goes. Are there any classic car enthusiats out there who have installed a car lift in their garage, or indeed anywhere else for that matter ? I am such a desperately sad person, according to my other half, and am looking to buy and perhaps have one installed at my property. I am driven to posting a message here as I can't find a supplier in France. There are plenty in the uk (suppliers that is ) but the response to enquiries is generally " sorry we don't deliver to Europe ". Isn't the Uk in Europe ??

[Sunday Driver]

Plenty of car lifts available in France.  Try this lot for starters:

http://ponts-elevateurs.fr/

http://www.cdiscount.com/auto/outillage-atelier/pont-2-colonnes-3t-lne-pour-voiture/f-1330508-lne508082.html 

http://www.ops.fr/pont-elevateur-mobile-de-voiture-unic-occasion,fr,4,PELEVATEUR.cfm

 

 

[pachapapa]

A pit is cheaper.

http://www.leboncoin.fr/annonces/offres/ile_de_france/occasions/?f=a&th=1&q=pont+%C3%A9l%C3%A9vateur

[John Brown]

I agree with pachapapa on this one.

The garage floor will not normally have been laid strong enough to take bolting the 4 corner posts down.

At best you need to dig up the floor area about 3ft square at eacn spot the lift will stand on and make concrete pads in line with the Lift manufacturers recommendations.

A pit can be covered in with pit boards and you have your garage back.

Even if you need a sump pump to draw off any water that finds its way into the pit its still a cheaper affair

John

[Alanc]

Thanks for the replies. The 'pit' solution was something I considered when laying the garage floor. However I decided that the lift solution was, for me, the better option. The thickness of the concrete floor is more than adequate to accomodate the fittings  but more I want to use the lift not only for inspection purposes but also as two tier parking

[AnOther]

Not sad at all !

If I were to compile what would be a very short list of things I do miss from UK my pit would probably take pole position. I built a 6m x 6m pitched roof garage at my old place with a full size pit in and it was fabulous to work in there.

Digging a pit here with my rocky ground would need the services if Blaster Bates and even if the floor were strong enough there is simply no height in the garage for a lift.

You can of course get fee standing and mobile ones.

If I'm to do anything it will have to be in my 300m2 barn but that's not a nice place to work in in colder weather.

[John Brown]

Didn't realise you had done your preparation with the reinforced concrete slab, which is better than pads.

We leased our lifts for 5 years and had them replaced a couple each year so there should be a supply of re-conditioned units available in the UK

This seemed common practice in the trade.

At the right price it might be worth hiring a van or shipping it over.

Best of luck

[PaulT]

With you on a lift being better than a pit.

[AnOther]

Most ex-commercial lifts will be 3ph, something to bear in mind if you don't have it.

Fortunately my barn is separate from the house an on 3ph

[Théière]

[quote user="AnOther"]Not sad at all !

Digging a pit here with my rocky ground would need the services if Blaster Bates [/quote]

Ahh Blaster Bates, I had to pull over one time I was listening to him whilst driving, couldn't see for tears in my eyes [:D]

Retired Ernst!!! well done now what sort of mischief will you get up to?

[pachapapa]

up today on le coin, a snip at a shade over a thousand and open to negotiation, just right for two tier parking;

http://www.leboncoin.fr/equipement_auto/315184009.htm?ca=12_s

[Chancer]

There is a company in the UK that will supply and install a new single phase vehicle lift for IIRC less than £1500 anywhere in the UK, I know a guy who had one installed in Ireland and he reckons it is a really good quality piece of kit and a bargain.

Its one of the two post lifts with the swing out arms which is the type I prefer and would buy myself, for the moment I have to be content rolling on my back in the **** n bullits [:(]

[Théière]

A friend of mine has one in Woking (not relevant) but I thought it was marvellous. [+o(] (green with envy)

[dave21478]

There are normally plenty available second-hand, but be very wary and check it over very thoroughly indeed.

I was tasked with finding two lifts for a garage and looked at a lot of second-hand stuff. Leaky hydraulics, stretched and frayed cables, worn, broken or simply missing safety latches and all manner of electrical bodgery were the norm. Ended up stretching the budget to buying new ones to avoid the rubbish, as I couldnt find two suitable ones locally within the time needed.

Another large problem is that many are already dismantled, so there is no way to see it working and no real way of even knowing if it is complete and operational until you get it home and build it up again.

[AnOther]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-POST-LIFT-CAR-VEHICLE-RAMP-3-5-TON-BRAND-NEW-/280870167733?pt=UK_Lifting_Moving_Equipment&hash=item41652aa4b5

Buy 3 and sell two in France to pay for yours and cover the transport costs !

[AnOther]

[quote user="Théière"]Ahh Blaster Bates, I had to pull over one time I was listening to him whilst driving, couldn't see for tears in my eyes [:D]

Retired Ernst!!! well done now what sort of mischief will you get up to?[/quote]

Yes he was brilliant, saw him once in the British Club in Abu Dhabi. Check Youtube, lots of his stuff there.

Plenty of mischief planned for my retirement, you can bet on that !

It's a lovely feeling but still coming to terms with it as I only packed it in last week !

[John Brown]

AnOther,

Enjoy your retirement,

May it be long and trouble free.

The old saying that you don't know how you found time for work really is true

There's no greater feeling than standing back and saying "I did that"

John & Jack Daniels

[BIG MAC]

http://www.stertil-equipvi.fr/fr/lasociete

 

[pachapapa]

The cheaper pit option was excavated by hand at an average rate of around 15 cms/hr including disposal of excavated material.

The water table was encountered at around 90 cms depth. The final depth has been finalised on a rocky horizon at 1.46 metre depth.

Intermittent baling is in progress to reduce the local water table, currently at 1.2 metre depth.

[just john]

[quote user="Théière"]Ahh Blaster Bates, I had to pull over one time I was listening to him whilst driving, couldn't see for tears in my eyes [:D][/quote]

Are you sure it was tears and not a ''shower of 5hit over Shropshire?''?[:D]