Twood

I am about to start buliding a garage to house the 964 (plus other unimportant things such as my partners car). I plan to buy a car scissor lift and wanted to use fellow rennlisters experience in such matters.

From what I have read the lifts are between 100-180mm high when fully lowered. I am thinking of making a 50-60mm recess in the concrete slab to make the lift low enough so I can drive the car over it and leave it permantently in place.

Any other thoughts to make the perfect garage before the concrete slab is poured or before the garage is built are appreciated.
thanks Ken

Makmov

I would buy your lift and have it when the concrete slab is poured. Otherwise it will be a guess and someone will guess wrong somewhere along the way.

There is a min. thickness and tensile strength required for on of these lifts. I would definately want to have it recessed, which means you'll want a drain in the recess.

The only other thing I can offer is get an attached private potty.

Make sure you leave room for the big refridge, and calculate for 2 ft 3 inches around the walls for counter tops, and would go for the extra deep option - especailly with 911 ownership it is nice to have extra room at the back of the car to pull a motor out.

Laker

if you are building your own garage, why not just make it high enough for a 2 post lift like the pros use?
I would think the scissor part would get in your way as you try to move about beneath. One Rennlister on here had problems dropping his Engine/Tranny (Tip) with the scissor lift.

+1 on counter space and a Keg-o-rator can double as a fridge in a pinch, but a fridge can't double as a Keg-o-rator...... just saying....

In case you missed this thread, great for inspiration!
https://rennlist.com/forums/964-foru...ar-sleeps.html

newsboy

I agree with Laker, since your building the garage. You can get a 9,000 lb. asymmetric lift from Eagle(no affiliation), for around $1,500.00.
You need around 10 feet of height. I got the one with the oil line that runs under a floor plate. You could put a car on the lift, and raise it up and park another below.

LouZ

I just dropped the engine with Tip tranny with no problem (should go back in another week). A recess in the floor for the scissors is ideal.

I would offer 2 suggestions. 1) when you recess the lift, allow for a 3/4" deep lip all the way around so you can drop in a piece of 3/4" plywood to cover the hole when not in use. 2) think about adding quick disconnect to the hydraulic hose so you can remove the line from the power pack for storage.

Wachuko

Scissor lift (mid-rise) are fine... but as others have mentioned. If you can go with a two post asymmetric lift that would be the best option... they cost about the same and not having anything in the middle under the car is priceless... specially for our cars...

This is what I had:



You will thanks us for going with a two-post the first time you have to work on your shifter assembly...



Because of ceiling height limitations, this is what I got now. It is great. When I am done I just unbolt it from the floor and put it away against the wall to free up all my garage space. Much better than my old scissor lift.

Livefreeandrive

I went the ramp route with scissor lift. I should have done another drain as the salt is killing it!

Richard Curtis

Agree that a two-post lift makes more sense for the reasons stated. Also: You can't have too many electrical outlets, so plan for that. Also, this is an excellent time to plan for an air compressor (usually installed outside the garage in a protected space) with plumbing for various compressed air outlets around the walls. Also: overhead lighting is extremely important. A lot of other tips available online at various websites; search on "garage."

Wachuko

Great site:

http://garagejournal.com/forum/

and a partial list of suggestions:

Structural
1. Raised structure (at least 24” stem wall). Even if it is not in a flood zone but since it is close to the river. To have some peace of mind
2. 4 or 5” 4000 psi concrete slab floor with thickened (6”) pads for car lift
3. Steel beam on the ceiling to be used as an engine hoist, allowing me to remove an engine and then slide it from the two-post lift area along the metal rail to the work surface (bench).
4. Drains in garage floor in each bay
5. Garage door notch for weather-proofing
6. Plumbing and drain (3/4” water supply) for sink in garage (using a restaurant type stainless steel sink to serve as dual sink and parts cleaner).
7. Outside taps8. 14' ceiling in first floor
9. 10’ ceiling in second floor
10. Three 12' x 10' insulated door. High lift track doors. Door should be pneumatic for quiet operation or using LiftMaster 3800.
11. In-ceiling pipes for air hose and electrical extension reels (or maybe do those outside for easy troubleshooting later if something goes wrong with them). Which ever is more cost effective.
12. Air compressor room in garage area with insulated walls to keep noise down
13. Full bathroom with closet area for working clothes. To be shared with first floor (two access doors, one from the garage and one from the living area). Toilet should have area for magazines to maximize the time reading the latest from CAR, Excellence, Panorama, etc.
14. A large floor level sink in the garage. Provides an excellent area to clean mops or parts.
15. Propane tank for generator. Unless I go diesel...



Electrical
1. 200 amp 220 volt service panel (40 breaker)
2. 30 amp 110/220 volt circuit for lift in ceiling
3. 30 amp 220 volt circuit for welder
4. 30 amp 220 volt circuit for powder coating oven
5. 30 amp 220 volt switched outlet for compressor
6. 30 amp 110/220 volt outlet for washer
7. 30 amp 110/220 volt outlet for dryer
8. 30 amp 220 volt outlet as spare
9. Circuits for A/C units 10. 20 amp 110 volt outlets in ceiling for lift, drop lines, ceiling fans, and air filter
11. 15 amp 110 volt GFI outlets outside on each side of garage door
12. 15 amp 110 volt outlet for exhaust fan
13. 110 volt GFI outlets at 48-52” height using double gang boxes located every 4’ around garage (approx 60 total)
14. Overhead high-output fluorescent lights (T8 bulbs, 4 per light)15. Switched (with motion sensor) outside 500w halogen floodlight. One on each corner.
16. Recess lights outside, over garage doors entrance
17. Individually switched ceiling fans18. Natural Gas/Propane, backup generator capable of running the living areas (unless I go diesel)
19. Decorative lamps on each column (dark brown and black)
20. Three Train A/C unitsOther wiring
1. Wired alarm system
2. Telephone service
3. Cable/satellite wired (lines for each room and garage)
4. Cat-5e network cables (lines for each room and garage)
5. Wire speakers for in-ceiling speakers in all rooms and garage
6. Wire video surveillance (power/video lines for 4 cameras)
7. Spare conduit to pull other future cables

Equipment
1. Asymmetrical two-post rotary auto Lift (since my Max-Jax stays in my main house)
2. Refrigerator for cold refreshments
3. Flat screen TV with DVD/VCR so that I can watch instructional videos on tuning engines, and play PS3 Gran Turismo to hone my driving skills :lol: , etc.
4. In-floor lighting. Excellent way to illuminate the underside of your vehicle when it's up on a lift. These lights are flush with the floor and have break resistant lenses.
5. Cordless phone and speaker phone for conferences
6. Two nice big tool case with wheels on it (in addition to the ones that are fixed) for moving the tools, under use, around easily
7. Wash-up area with deep stainless steel sink. An NSF-rated stainless sink with two sinks and a drainboard. There are two sinks so one can be converted to be a parts washer, using an aqueous solution that is EPA-rated to just be flushed down the drain. No solvents, no headaches, and no permanent parts washer to use up space
8. Computer area with digital camera, manuals on CD-ROM, and internet connection
9. Air line reels hanging from the ceiling and in the side walls
10. Electrical line reels hanging from the ceiling and in the side walls
11. Low temp work lights (fluorescent or LEDs)
12. Mig/Tig welder and cutting torch
13. Oscilloscope, digital multimeter, digital micrometer, digital calipers, diagnostic computer, and temperature probe/sensor
14. Fireproof cabinet for cleaning chemicals
15. HUGE fan (to cool down engine, exhaust, etc and to get fumes out of garage
16. Hose to use to expel exhaust gases from garage when doors are closed
17. Drill press, grinder, cutter, polisher/buffer, drills, electric saws
18. Engine stand
19. Engine lift/hoist
20. Powder coating equipment
21. Tools cabinets with stainless top
22. Oil drain unit (on wheels to move under the car when on the lift)
23. Pneumatic sit-on creeper
24. Keys cabinet
25. Stools for the workbench
26. 2’x3’ white board (sometimes you just want to make sketches and the floor or walls are not the place to do this…)
27. Washer and dryer to clean oily rags and dirty towels so they don't mix with the regular clothes
28. Fire-suppression system
29. Central vacuum system
30. Non-skid tiled floor

Miscellaneous
1. Carpets/rugs to check for leaks and keep mess off of tiled floor (yes, I want the garage tiled... easy cleaning)
2. Soap and towel dispenser3. A TON of sport cars/bikes posters, flags, toys, etc
4. EVERY garage MUST contain at least ONE "pinup" calendar that the wife/girlfriend/significant other does not approve of! This is a MUST! No respectable garage is without one! These are the rules and we as car enthusiasts must adhere to them! It does not have to be Playboy or something like that, but bikini-clad women in/around/near sports cars or on beaches is a requisite. This is age-old tradition so don't question it! Ok, ok. I will be the first one to admit that my garage does not have this because the last thing I want is my daughter to ask me why I have that in the garage... thus I will have it inside the tool box

Laker

Damn, I'd never return to the main house!!

hawk911

keep in mind that if you recess the floor to fit a lift, any subsequent home owner may not find that of value, or really find it annoying. A flat surface floor would be my choice with a 2-post. Sink a few threaded nuts or sleeves into the concrete so you can bolt down a lift like Jaime's.

cobias1

not sure about your area but here on march 26 is demo day for northern tool..reason i bring it up is im going to purchase a 2 post maxx jaxx like the one mentioned. two reasons my little shop isnt big enough for a larger lift and the maxx jaxx can run 110 current versus the other two posters. during the demo day sale i was told anyone gets ten percent off...that will cover the taxes. they can ship to a local store where they can help you load it on a truck and bring home versus having a freight charge/unload charge if they ship to your home. if you work where you can unload from a dock however, there is no freight charge. just my two cents and good luck with it.

Twood

Thanks everyone for their input. That list from Wachuko is great as are all the suggestions.
With regard to the two post lift:
My hestiation here is that when not working on the car (hopefully most of the time) I want to use that spot to park the car. If I use a two post lift wont the posts get in the way? Will they be in the way where the doors open? If these are not an issue then I agree the two post lift is a great idea. With the scissor lift I will just drive over and park the car on top of it.
I cannot go a full 3 meters because of the design of the house and my partner would flip if i tried. She is already letting me build the garage before we renovate the kitchen so I think I had better settle for 2.7 meter ceiling height.
Cobias 1 - I am in Brisbane Queenlsand Australia - great suggestion but a hell of a drive.
Rest assured their will be a beer fridge and pin up calendar installed and the air compressor will be located outside in it own insulated little home.
I am sure there will be times when it will become necessary to move out of the house and sleep in the garage.

Cheers Ken

Twood

I have been looking at the Maxjax that Wachuko shows in his post and i think the scissor lift will get the flick as I really like idea of the portable two post lift.
Are their alternatives to the Maxjax or is this the best of this type of unit.
Anyone flying to Australia and want to bring it as carry on luggage?

Laker

If you want to be able to quickly break it down and store out of the way, MaxJax is pretty much it for two post lifts. FYI ---> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEpYa_zgPvo