An MOT too far... End of an era!

I’ve done plenty of small maintenance jobs on various cars, but I prefer to have services done at a reputable garage to (theoretically) preserve resale value and because they can deal with things in their workshop if something unforeseen comes up. I recently had this with my Z where they discovered a pulley about to break and had the radiator overflow pipe disintegrate on them while doing other jobs. That would have been a disaster for me at home on the drive.
If I had a car lift I would do everything myself. I want a car lift but I just don't have enough power in my garage for one. Upgrading the power supply would be a BIG job (detached garage away from the house) so I can't really have one.

At nearly 60 I am NOT crawling around under cars anymore to drain oil, etc. It's also a ball-ache getting shot of used oil these days! I get a local garage to change oil and do stuff that requires a lift. Everything else I will do myself. Getting a garage to change oil also means they can stamp the service book, so keeping a 'record' of SH.
 
If I had a car lift I would do everything myself. I want a car lift but I just don't have enough power in my garage for one. Upgrading the power supply would be a BIG job (detached garage away from the house) so I can't really have one.

At nearly 60 I am NOT crawling around under cars anymore to drain oil, etc. It's also a ball-ache getting shot of used oil these days! I get a local garage to change oil and do stuff that requires a lift. Everything else I will do myself. Getting a garage to change oil also means they can stamp the service book, so keeping a 'record' of SH.
The lift I have runs off a 13A plug. Actually a 16A spur fuse in the fuseboard did trip as the motor pulls a spike for a moment as it starts. But works fine off the 30A ring main.

If your garage is on a spur what rating is that cable?
 
If I had a car lift I would do everything myself. I want a car lift but I just don't have enough power in my garage for one. Upgrading the power supply would be a BIG job (detached garage away from the house) so I can't really have one.

At nearly 60 I am NOT crawling around under cars anymore to drain oil, etc. It's also a ball-ache getting shot of used oil these days! I get a local garage to change oil and do stuff that requires a lift. Everything else I will do myself. Getting a garage to change oil also means they can stamp the service book, so keeping a 'record' of SH.

I've two. One uses a powerful 13A drill, the other uses a car battery.


I'm in the same boat as far as not enjoying crawling under cars :eek:
 
Hydraulic lift is best tool I ever bought.

The hydraulic rams at one end do block access but at the other end is good access.

liftech.webp
 
The lift I have runs off a 13A plug. Actually a 16A spur fuse in the fuseboard did trip as the motor pulls a spike for a moment as it starts. But works fine off the 30A ring main.

If your garage is on a spur what rating is that cable?
Due to the fact that the arseholes who built my house were cheapskates (aren't all developers?), I have a 16 amp supply to the garage. It is a 2.5mm2 SWA cable so I can't uprate the fuseboard. All my outside lights (most on PIRs) are also taken off the garage supply, so I have around 14 amps total for power.

If I had a lift I would want a 'proper' two post bolted to the floor/ wall to raise the car(s) to the joists. Those need at least a reliable 20 amps, possible 32.

The irony is that I put a 60 amp supply to the garage at the last house (which I built) but I didn't need a car lift then!!
 
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