Do you think people would be interested in renting time at a garage that has a lift and air compressor?

How much would people pay? $20/hour?

I know I would! 

I've often thought about asking a small garage owner that but never have. Would certainly help in doing some cleanup work under there. I guess I figured the cost would be too high, $20/hr seems a bit on the low side to me. Unless they always have an available lift.

I have a garage with a lift & compressor. Anyone in the CVR3 is welcome to use it for free. Bought the lift 3 yrs ago right after purchasing the vette. Only car I owned that I couldn't get on ramps...plus I'm getting older now & crawling under cars isn't fun anymore. So if you're close to Newark, DE just shoot me an e-mail & we can make arrangements.

Alan

There used to be a shop in Akron Oh that had about 20 bays and many tools.  You could rent a bay with lift, or without lift, and you could rent tools for an additional fee.  The guy there to run the place was a tech who would give advice and answer questions.  Perhaps even pump a brake pedal or something similar for brief periods.

It was very popular.  Almost any time of day or evening you could see several bays, if not all, with a car inside.  So what happened?  Lawyers and liability.   Insurance etc, got too expensive to turn a profit.  If he raised the prices would it still work, or would the price be prohibitive?

I never needed it.  I always just pulled the car in where I worked, or into the garage when I had one at a place I rented before buying my house, sans garage.  And the tools were not a problem for me.

At $20 bucks an hour, and one lift, I'm not sure it would do more than pay a power bill. On private property, I'd say no for the same reasons Ken pointed out, liability! On the other side, it might be like having a pool in your backyard............all of a sudden, you have friends coming out of the baseboards.

If this sounds like I've opened my shop to friends and gotten taken advantage of "BINGO" you win the prize!

I'm not totally soured on people, just had some not so pleasant experiences, get the lift, use it yourself and shut the doors to fair weather friends.

I'd still give an arm to a true friend though.

Anyone who gets circulation of the Auto and RV magazines should know that the personal lifts are not all that expensive anymore.  The drive on four post lifts are less than $2,000.00 now.  You don't need all the hydraulics, the huge piston in the floor, the dry well, etc.

It comes on casters so you can move it about the garage or pole barn, and it adds extra parking space when you need it.  For my money, at $20/hour or more to rent a bay, sign a waiver of liability, indemnify the owner and all his associates, relatives, past friends, lovers and enemies from legal action in the case of an accident, and all the other "lawyerfied" mumbo jumbo, I believe the 100 hours or less of renting would be much better spent in purchasing my own.  And that's exactly what I intend to do (when I get the extra money, of course)!

And when I do get the lift, any Vette owner and member of this group will have the guaranteed use of the lift as they require, with a condition...remember that course on engine maintenance, etc. for a pre-80's 350 SBC I was talking about on another post?  The users of the lift would have to become teachers and instructers as "payment" for their "free" usage of the lift, for an amount of time equal to the time used on the lift for their own maintenance, repairs, and modifications.

In other words, Quid Pro Quo.  Or in other words, You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours!  Then there's other words...You don't get nothin' for free!  So, in other words,, I'd be more than willing to invest $2,000.00 towards my continuing education in the near future for the chance to learn what it is my heart desires to do, but my brain just can't grasp on it's own!

Mark, it's really very simple.  Come to Ohio.  Build my garage, install the lift, and hang around.  I will teach you everthing I know about cars.  How does your summer look?       

You've just gotta appreciate humor like that. Oh wait, I think you were serious...

Actually Ken, Cuyahoga Falls ain't so bad a town.  I always enjoyed myself when I was there.  Unfortunately, I've got enough on my plate right now to be considering the actions that would lead me to divorce!

I will, however, let you know when I get that lift installed and we'll see if you want to make a side trip up here to Fenton, well Grand Blanc, uhmm, Mundy Township?  Aw crap, Michigan!

Looks like I'm going to have to spend more than $2,000.00 to get the knowledge, and experience, I want!