Thinking Of Fitting An Inspection Pit In My Garage

[benny205mi16 19 1 Cars]

My link

 

Hello,

I have been lookking into digging an inspection pit in my garage, first of all I was thinking of just digging a hole and lining it with breese blocks, but then i found a company that make liners but they are quite pricey for what is really just some shaped fibreglass.

 

Link is at the top, not sure why or if it works, my first one, fingers crossed

 

The pit is just the linner no lights or sockets,

about £1000 for the sitting or £1800 or the standing.

 

What do you think?

[omega 82]

as well as digging it fitting electrics and a drain you usually have to tell the council

if you have a large wad of cash floating about it might be a better idea to look at getting some sort of car lift.

[benny205mi16 19 1 Cars]

Due to height issues (and money) I can not fit a lift, this is why I was looking into going down instead.

With the fibreglass shell thing, they say its sealed so there should be no need for a drain as it should be waterproof.

I did'nt know you had to inform the council, why is this?

[harryskid 193]

Due to height issues (and money) I can not fit a lift, this is why I was looking into going down instead.

With the fibreglass shell thing, they say its sealed so there should be no need for a drain as it should be waterproof.

I did'nt know you had to inform the council, why is this?

 

Not quite sure but pits these days are not so common as they use to be, i recall some one saying there are health and safety rules !

[omega 82]

you dont have to get a four post lift there are smaller ones

theres a guy on here from yorkshire who got one for about 600[he built a garage as well but cant remember his name sorry and ive bought bits of him as well]

if you dont have a drain what happens if you need to get water out? eg putting a wet car in the garage.

not sure why you have to tell the council think they have to check the water table or something

Edited October 25, 2011 by omega

[dodsworth_gti 11]

i cant see the point in having a pit to be honest

 

just get in the way when you need a flat floor and make jobs harder in my experiance

 

your better investing in a good high lift jack and 4 axle stands to match

[damien 22 1 Cars]

ive got a pit but it was here when i moved it.

i must say im not tempted to use it at the moment, it seems lined with brick with a broken ladder. its got some lighting but broken, the base of it is full of crap/rubbish/old gearbox and a endless suply of my sockets, to top it off its full of old oil and water from where my garrage leaks.

i will sort it out one day.....

[blue_haddock 2]

on the plus side you can fill it with water and swim some lengths of your 4 metre swimming pool!

[Wes 86 1 Cars]

i have a pit in my garage. we built it when we built the garage. its just breeze block about 9 blocks deep i think with steps at one end. its been very useful and well used over the last 15 years or so. it has lenghts of 3" thick wood over it that sits flush with the floor when not used, this is plenty strong enough to drive and park on. it has never leaked or filled up with water.

[marksorrento205 80]

One big thing I would think about before going any further, make sure you check there is no drains etc running under your garage floor. To move them would be a costly thing. I dont think a fiberglass one is much cop tbh. I dont like the idea of needing to jack the car up over it. Wood supported by fiberglass??

[Simes 248 2 Cars]

When you dig it out, make sure your footings are secure enough so that your garage doesn't collapse.

[notamondayfan 44]

Probably have to inform the council in-case of drains and other utilities that could be underground.

 

Just get a decent set of ramps for quick jobs, and a car dolly for the lengthy jobs.

[johnnyboy666 195 1 Cars]

Check theres no gas service pipes running underneath the garage too!

[benny205mi16 19 1 Cars]

I had not thought about drains or gas etc, there must be electric somewhere as my meter is in the garage.

 

Marksorrento205,

I was not too worried about it being fibreglass because as I see it from the instruction the fibreglass is just a liner, because you dig the hole a bit bigger than the liner, put it in, and back fill it with concrete.

 

Simes,

I had thought about the footings of my garage but am unsure as I live on a hill and my garage shares the middle wall with nextdoors garage except his has a lower floor then mine.

 

I am thinking this might be a none starter

[Simes 248 2 Cars]

 

Simes,

I had thought about the footings of my garage but am unsure as I live on a hill and my garage shares the middle wall with nextdoors garage except his has a lower floor then mine.

 

I am thinking this might be a none starter

 

I only mentioned it as I've considered a fibreglass pit for sometime now. The thought of my garage and my adjoining neighbours garage collapsing has led me to stick with a set of decent ramps.

[benny205mi16 19 1 Cars]

I think I too am going to stick with ramps and axle stands as well,

I just know that if I did start diging some thing would go wrong, drains, power or gas.

And the point Simes made about the footings is a good one, one side on my garage is to nextdoors garage and the other my own house, and I just do not like the idea of bringing either down into a pile of rubble.

[Henry Yorke 269 3 Cars]

theres a guy on here from yorkshire who got one for about 600[he built a garage as well but cant remember his name sorry and ive bought bits of him as well]

That will be M@tt

http://forum.205gtidrivers.com/index.php?showtopic=116495&view=findpost&p=1059276

[benny205mi16 19 1 Cars]

That looks good,

I wonder what the access to the under of the car is like when its up on it?

Ill have a look on ebay for one, unless anyone know who sells them.

Thank you

[benny205mi16 19 1 Cars]

My link

 

Not sure if that link has worked.

 

I have found this lift on ebay, what do people think of it?

[damien 22 1 Cars]

theres a video on there webbie - http://www.cjautos.site90.net/mini.html

[benny205mi16 19 1 Cars]

Looking at the video my only thought is do you have to slide the lift in from the side?

As I only have a single width garage so need to be able to drive over the lift or slide it in from the front or rear.

[Mongo 0]

edit: just noticed you already found the lift on ebay.

 

You would need to get the car over the mobile lift, achievable with some ramps and some metal planks and somewhere at the far end at the same height as the ramps to have the wheels parked at a higher level.

 

In a single garage it may be quite tight already to get fully round the car. As you can barely open a door in a single garage.

Edited October 30, 2011 by Mongo