I Bought a Lift today!

Sinisfun · 26 January 2008

Today I went into Calgary to check out Lift King (www.liftking.ca), I wanted to see their lifts in person. I have a two car garage, it's a good size but I need more storage and I can't put a second garage behind my house due to water pipes running through. I liked what I saw and the guys were great. I bought the same lift that Erik (soloracer951) has. I like the fact that it comes with coasters so that I can move it if I need to. I got it in black.

Same as in this picture:

BioBanker · 26 January 2008

I had the guys out to size my double car garage last weekend. The 4 post won't fit in my garage with two cars in it!

Is have to raise the rafters, which I would do, but it won't fit width wise either. Crap!

Lucky bastard!!!

Sinisfun · 26 January 2008

BioBanker said:
I had the guys out to size my double car garage last weekend. The 4 post won't fit in my garage with two cars in it!

Is have to raise the rafters, which I would do, but it won't fit width wise either. Crap!

Lucky bastard!!!

What's the width and height of your garage?

Oyagi · 26 January 2008

I bought one from the Lift Superstore in Oakville, Ont.

It was supposed to have been installed prior to the winter but I discovered at the last min I need to mod my door to lift out of the way higher to clear the car. Due to that, this thing won't be in now until the spring. Still psyched to see yours!

Red · 26 January 2008

I feel Dave's pain - I'd like to get more parking at my place too - but the clearance UNDER my garage door is 6'2" and over is only a foot - so unless I want to raise the cars into my living room I'm hooped!

Now that I'm looking for new office space - Indoor parking is a consideration!

BioBanker · 26 January 2008

Stop hating on us Stu!!!

You don't need all that space in your living room. You should put an elevator in your garage that will bring our cars into the living room!

ffffanman · 26 January 2008

Um, I hate you!!!
How much may I ask?
Trev

Sinisfun · 26 January 2008

ffffanman said:
Um, I hate you!!!
How much may I ask?
Trev

It wasn't too bad, it was $2900.00, I needed more indoor parking . When I measured it out in my garage it fits, but it's still going to be close.

GECKO · 27 January 2008

Ahhhh, the advantages of living in the country - just build another 3 car garage and you'll have plenty of room. Problem is, then you have too much space and have to go and buy more toys to fil it. Vroom, Vroom!

Sinisfun · 27 January 2008

GECKO said:
Ahhhh, the advantages of living in the country - just build another 3 car garage and you'll have plenty of room. Problem is, then you have too much space and have to go and buy more toys to fil it. Vroom, Vroom!

One day I'll get an acreage, I'd love to have the freedom to build a second garage. I'd need it to be close to town though as I don't really like the bad water part.

GECKO · 28 January 2008

There's plenty of land near Olds..........(spent 11 yrs in Banff) and then you can build the "whole 9 yards". Lifts are a great idea and I'm thinking of a similar one for my car garage just for convenience. GREAT idea for space saving and not expensive for what you get.

soloracer951 · 28 January 2008

Sinisfun said:
One day I'll get an acreage, I'd love to have the freedom to build a second garage. I'd need it to be close to town though as I don't really like the bad water part.

Congrats on the purchase! I just bought a second one - but this time went for the larger model that is long enough for my pick-up truck and it has the air jack system. The jack system rides on rollers between the two ramps and has arms that swing out to pick up one end of the car. It will make it much easier to change tires, etc.

I live on an acreage and before you go and buy one check out the MD bylaws. You would be shocked at how restrictive they are. I wanted to build a dyno bay addition to my shop so I called to get a permit. They told me that "You can't, and how in the hell did you get that shop on there?" The shop was here when I bought the place. Turns out the previous owner didn't get a permit. The MD told me that the biggest outbuilding I could have was 500 square feet and that because my shop was 2400 square feet that I was already in violation. 500 Square Feet? I could build something bigger on my lot in the city. WTF? They also said "don't worry we are not asking you to tear the shop down". They will have a fight on their hands if they try. I have 1.2 acres and they also say that that you have to build a minimum of 15 meters from the property line which would mean that I could only build an outhouse in the dead center if I were to follow the rules. They even told me that I couldn't build an attached garage on my house. This was because I already had a garage on the property. When I asked why the restrictive rules they told me that they were trying to preserve the "agricultural heritage" of the area. WTF are you supposed to farm on 1.2 acres? It's stupid. I asked around and it looks like people for the most part just build what they want and don't get permission. The only issue is if a neighbor ever complains you would have a problem. When the rules are so restrictive that the majority of people ignore them it tells me that there is something wrong with the rules.

From what I have been told my MD is far from the worst so be sure to check the rules before you buy. It may not prevent you from buying but at least you will know when you should call for a permit and when you have to do things illegally.

soloracer951 · 28 January 2008

Oh, one other thing. The first one was set up by my friends and it took around 5 hours to do with some difficulty and cursing and swearing. The ramps in particular are not light and one got dropped on a friends toe. The second one I had Lift King put together and install. They built it in their shop with the casters and then loaded it onto a flat deck tow truck. The then just backed into the shop and unloaded it much the same way you would unload a car. Took all of 1/2 an hour to get set up. If I remember correctly they charged me $400 to assemble, deliver and set up. Definately worth the money. The guys at Lift King have been great to deal with and I have absolutely nothing but praise for the way they conduct business.

Sinisfun · 28 January 2008

GECKO said:
There's plenty of land near Olds..........(spent 11 yrs in Banff) and then you can build the "whole 9 yards". Lifts are a great idea and I'm thinking of a similar one for my car garage just for convenience. GREAT idea for space saving and not expensive for what you get.

It would be nice to buy land, it's getting very expensive around here.

soloracer951 said:
The guys at Lift King have been great to deal with and I have absolutely nothing but praise for the way they conduct business.

That's a wild story about your land, haha. It's good to know you've had a good experience with Lift King.

Bigglezworth · 31 January 2008

I have my NSX on this same lift in my garage and can park a Honda Odyssey under it.

Tim

ffffanman · 31 January 2008

Mr B.... please post a picture or two.
What is your underside of your ceiling Height?
Any other details would be great.
What did you pay? Did you install or what was cost of that.
Thanks
Trev

BioBanker · 31 January 2008

They recommend adding the heights of the two cars together and then another 10 inches to determine if youve got enough clearance.

bjmills · 31 January 2008

My height isn't an issue, but door clearance is, much like Oyagi. I'll have to see if I can get the door to perhaps lift straight up, and not curl in as much, or at all. Or have it sink into the floor

Sinisfun · 1 February 2008

Well I still don't have it yet, the guys are having problems with their trailer, and I told them that I'm not in a hurry anyways. But to tell you the truth I can't wait, I want to go down there and strap it to the roof of my car, haha.

Now I'm having trouble finding a garage door installer to come in and take a look at my setup so that he can raise the rails and install a side mount opener. He was supposed to be here yesterday, but he is too busy.

I priced out a garage heater as well, installed I was quoted $1800.00 including the heater.

I think I'm going to need a second job, I hear Tim Hortons pays decent.

bjmills · 1 February 2008

I'm kicking myself for not having done this sooner. If I'd done it when I got my NSX 8.5 years ago, the lift would have been paid for and then some, due to money saved on winter storage. I just need my door rails raised as well, and then something done about the openener. Just moving it up won't work I think, as the lifting forces will be all wrong.

Bigglezworth · 1 February 2008

Q: What is your underside of your ceiling Height?
A: 10'-6"

Q: What did you pay?
A: $2900.00ish if I recall correctly. Pick-up was locally here in Calgary so I didn't have to pay for shipping. It would cost anyone extra to pick-up from freight forwarder and take home.

Q: Did you install or what was cost of that.
A: I installed it myself in an evening.

Tim

ffffanman · 1 February 2008

Cody, I can get you a furnace at cost, Just go into Ecco Heating or Sinclair Supplies and look at what you want. I think I have a little 40,000 BTU unit heater I got from Lennox when I built my garage. I don't buy from Lennox anymore but Ecco has the equivalent alternate name, I think its Armstrong.
Let me know, of course you have to get a guy to install it or you can do some of the work and just get a gas guy in to plumb it.
Trev
1-800-661-9928

Sinisfun · 1 February 2008

Thanks a lot Trevor.

Sinisfun · 8 February 2008

Well I got my lift dropped off at around 7:30 PM tonight and I've been putting it together until 1:30 AM. Man are those rails heavy, I had a friend helping me but without my engine hoist and floor jack I would have never been able to do it. It's a lot bigger than I was expecting. I'm still not done, but I am just too tired to do any more and I'll need a air compressor, which I wasn't expecting to need. This post might not make sense I'd better go to bed.

Pictures will follow tommorow, the battery in my camera died.

Bigglezworth · 8 February 2008

Sinisfun said:
Well I got my lift dropped off at around 7:30 PM tonight and I've been putting it together until 1:30 AM. Man are those rails heavy, I had a friend helping me but without my engine hoist and floor jack I would have never been able to do it. It's a lot bigger than I was expecting. I'm still not done, but I am just too tired to do any more and I'll need a air compressor, which I wasn't expecting to need. This post might not make sense I'd better go to bed.

Pictures will follow tommorow, the battery in my camera died.

Yes the rails are heavy (expecially the one with the hydraulic ram). I used floor jacks to assemble mine with the help of my wife. You can complete the installation without an air compressor if you are carefull. The ram needs to be fully extended and the instructions cite you use air to push it out. I didn't have an extra fitting to fit in the housing at the time and really wanted to complete the job. I used a come along and a second set of hands to stablize the ram as it was extended.

Anyway you've got about another 60-90 minutes to finish it all off once you have the ram extended for your cable hook-up, corner adjustment, and then fine tuning of the release locks.

Tim

I Bought a Lift today!

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