New do-it-yourself hoist rental shop

[Doc8404]

The US military used to have “Auto Hobby Shops” on every base. Two post lifts, drive on lifts, every tool imaginable. Pay the $1.00/hour lift fee or the $0.50/hour bay fee, with unlimited free tool rental. Huge selection of tools, from impact, sockets, pullers, and wrenches, to a hydraulic press, brake lathe, tire machine and balancer, they had everything you could ever need.

The staff would advise and help.

I learned to work on cars at the Oceana Auto Hobby Shop. Engine swaps, suspension work, oil changes, and everything in between. Spent a lot of time there.

After leaving Virginia Beach in 1997, I took my 4 Runner in for some work in 2012. I was a bit older, a couple ranks more senior, a bit less hair, but it felt like going home.

Same staff. Looking at me, one of them said, “haven’t seen you here in a while, Sir.” I had to smile.

Yep. Like going home.

They‘re all closed now. Lack of patronage. Young military members are just not interested in fixing their own cars.

A genuine loss.

I set up my own shop, though it costs me a lot more than the Hobby Shop ever did.

I don’t see the value proposition of these shops at the quoted rate. A couple hours rental, and I could’ve paid a mechanic to do the work. Granted, like many of us, I prefer doing it myself to know that it’s done right, but the dollar value just isn’t there in this business model.

There is one right near my shop.

American Do It Yourself Garage Home - American Do It Yourself Garage

American Do It Yourself Garage Virginia Beach - your garage away from home. Rent a bay, complete with tools, by the hour or by the day. Gearheads welcome!

americandiyg.com

Wonder how they’re doing?

Loves the shop st Oceana. 11/1992-8/1994.
The PRs used to help me modify my RX7 LOL.

 

[chrlsful]

If you ever listened to Click and Clack from the Car Talk radio show, it's how they started out. They had a garage that they rented out by the hour but they'd get DIY types who would take apart their engine or whatever and then they couldn't figure out how to put it back together so they ended up opening up the garage.

I met them in the '70s when over at the YW when I was giving tune-up, flat tire, etc classes to the women in Cent Sq. Like some of the guys on this site they were very giving and knowledgable.

"...whole shop to himself..." is another subject. This is abt 'DIY lift rental'.

During the winter some come in out of the cold to use the floor or 1 of our 2 lifts (must keep the other free for our income). Our business slows way down then, we wrk on the race car and a rest0mod or 2. We charge one guy because he was abusive (no clean up, no thanks, no nuttin.) He is mechanic for fence co (multi-trucks, owner's own daily). We went up a coupla times, the mechanic asks the boss, he continues to pay. This wrks out for everyone (but may B the fence co. owner?).
Another guy - da opposite. He changes his oil, leaves 50$ on the tool box. Right now he's terin down a 200K mi Tacoma crew cab as a noise had the boss say "pull he pan" and we saw a buncha alu/steel chips in there. Not @ timing chain area, engine pull time. Bet he's gunna drop plenty on the tool chest this time. Same tho, neither guy needs much assistance, mostly 2nd opinions. One uses the tools, other only minimum/specialty. Both the lift, etc.
Take the monthly shop's overhead, divide it in half (they use abt 1/4 - 1/2 of the floor space) charge them by the day. No 'piece of day' yet as they wrk right thru. The fence guy pays on show up. The other is not asked anything. Tosses money down (excessive) when we are not lookin, find it after he's gone. A 3rd we charge nuttin. He rarly shows (1X every 2 yrs?). Such is a small (big space tho), rural shop in SW New England...

 

[Hall]

The US military used to have “Auto Hobby Shops” on every base.

This same topic came up 1-2 days on a Dayton (Ohio) area "car group" on Facebook. Someone mentioned - and it gets mentioned every time - that Wright-Patt AFB still has theirs open and running.

 

[chrlsful]

is that like the commisary? only for the AF or ex AF guys or is it open to the public"

 

[97K15004WD]

is that like the commisary? only for the AF or ex AF guys or is it open to the public"

Military only at the ones I've used. Military ID card required, then safety class.

 

[Hall]

is that like the commisary? only for the AF or ex AF guys or is it open to the public"

Military only at the ones I've used. Military ID card required, then safety class.

Supposedly you can go with someone with military credentials, at least at WPAFB

 

[Cdn17Sport6MT]

I used one in New West years ago when I moved into the LML.
Since then they've gone under and nobody has offered anything similar.

Finding out if the following one is in operation yet...

DIY Auto Repair Vancouver

Escape the constraints of modern city dwelling life with Hoist & Torque, Vancouver's only DIY auto repair shop. The most affordable way to keep your car on the road

www.hoistandtorque.ca

 

[chrlsful]

I'd like to know how many guys use it on base.

This is the kind of demographics I spoke of above. Handy folks who need a dollar break (not much income till well upin rank).
I could C a biz plan for sub contracting all the branches. Might try test market SW usa airforce only or test at SE AF Bases w/over 5 thous on base only. (can't say as guys might use something on the base for free now?).

 

[Astro14]

Well, I called Oceana today. They're open!

Perhaps I misunderstood the MWR posting about hobby shops being permanently closed. It may have been that their COVID response was not worded clearly.

Anyway, I am relieved.

Oceana

The rate is considerably higher than it was back in my early days, but still a bargain at $5/hour for a lift.

 

[Astro14]

I'd like to know how many guys use it on base.

This is the kind of demographics I spoke of above. Handy folks who need a dollar break (not much income till well upin rank).
I could C a biz plan for sub contracting all the branches. Might try test market SW usa airforce only or test at SE AF Bases w/over 5 thous on base only. (can't say as guys might use something on the base for free now?).

I honestly cannot understand what you are trying to say.

Are you using a cell phone?

 

[chrlsful]

that's great, seems just the thing I mentioned - outreach to those who can use it
(youth'n children too). Betin it's an eastcoast subcontractor (not navy, but may be).

"...can't understand U..."
'S OK, I'm off now.

 

[Wolf359]

I'd like to know how many guys use it on base.

This is the kind of demographics I spoke of above. Handy folks who need a dollar break (not much income till well upin rank).
I could C a biz plan for sub contracting all the branches. Might try test market SW usa airforce only or test at SE AF Bases w/over 5 thous on base only. (can't say as guys might use something on the base for free now?).

I used it once. I was at Hanscom years ago and they had a hobby shop on base. It was open to anyone who worked on base including civilians, you just had to get yourself on base. I used it to change the transmission fluid. At the time, I think it was $3/hour but that was a few decades ago.

 

[JHZR2]

That's fine, but Bitog has thousands of posts about being ripped off by repair shops, be it dealerships or otherwise. For others, this is a hobby.

No place did I say I disliked the idea, nor was I overly pro shop or pro dealer. I think if you have the time and inclination, especially if it’s a hobby, more power to you.

Being ripped off at a shop or dealer is more about being a savvy customer. It’s this way in every field, every product. Selling wiper blades and blinker fluid is no different than selling warranties on junk, alcohol at inflated prices, convenience fees, or whatever other ridiculous costs one can think up…. Either it is worth it to you, you don’t know, you’re a sucker, or you’re an informed customer…. Everyone gets to pick….

My point still is thst it’s a cross section of being worth the cost, worth the time, and priced so it provides value to the buyer and profit for the seller… I’m just not seeing it at this price point…. To really need a lift for most automotive work, it’s either a really involved job (which means a lot of lift re two hours), a really skilled job, or else it’s something that can be done closer to the ground.

How does it make sense to pay $45 for an hour to rotate my tires when I could do it at home with two jacks, or pay any garage $20-50 (some places free) to do it instead? That’s the sort of logic I’m going through. The flip side, if you’re going to rent a bay for days to do an engine or transmission swap, you’ll rapidly run up hundreds if not thousands of dollars in fees!

 

[JHZR2]

Well, I called Oceana today. They're open!

Perhaps I misunderstood the MWR posting about hobby shops being permanently closed. It may have been that their COVID response was not worded clearly.

Anyway, I am relieved.

Oceana

The rate is considerably higher than it was back in my early days, but still a bargain at $5/hour for a lift.

Joint base MDL and NWS Earle both have them. Earle has project bays which seem particularly interesting… no idea how long or difficult to get into one….

 

[researcher]

I'm glad that DIY places are around, I know the place I went to you had to schedule an appt in advance! Yes, they were THAT busy. Still my dream is to have my own garage with a lift, like that one.. what's that name, it's portable, attaches to bolts in the floor.. just found it.. maxjax. I can dream!

 

[madeej11]

There's one I use here in Montreal 7 bays and a paint booth. Not the most high tech lifts and tools but at $10 Cdn /hr. includes free fluid disposal. Tools are available to rent from $2- $5. Sure beats working with ramps lying on my back. Unbeatable price for sure.

 

[Wolf359]

Joint base MDL and NWS Earle both have them. Earle has project bays which seem particularly interesting… no idea how long or difficult to get into one….

Interesting. The cap at 250/month seems to say that people could have a project car being worked on for over 2 years.

 

[Snagglefoot]

I'm glad that DIY places are around, I know the place I went to you had to schedule an appt in advance! Yes, they were THAT busy. Still my dream is to have my own garage with a lift, like that one.. what's that name, it's portable, attaches to bolts in the floor.. just found it.. maxjax. I can dream!

Exactly! I’d like to have one as well. But for now I guess I’ll pay $44 per hour at the place in Calgary. A 4 post model is about $3500, which is equivalent to 80 hours at $44/ hr. It definitely would be nice to have though.

 

[Astro14]

Exactly! I’d like to have one as well. But for now I guess I’ll pay $44 per hour at the place in Calgary. A 4 post model is about $3500, which is equivalent to 80 hours at $44/ hr. It definitely would be nice to have though.

I could rack up that 80 hours in a month or two, easy.

For me, it’s a question of working space. I lease my 800 sq ft shop. I don’t have room at home. I did a lot of work in my driveway prior to the leased shop, and there is no comparison, particularly as I listen to the sound of rain this morning, and know I could work in my clean, dry, warm shop instead of a cold, wet, driveway.

 

[Snagglefoot]

I could rack up that 80 hours in a month or two, easy.

For me, it’s a question of working space. I lease my 800 sq ft shop. I don’t have room at home. I did a lot of work in my driveway prior to the leased shop, and there is no comparison, particularly as I listen to the sound of rain this morning, and know I could work in my clean, dry, warm shop instead of a cold, wet, driveway.

Are you talking about a hoist or a shop. We’re talking about hoists. Or do you mean you would have a car up on a hoist for 80 hours a month. Anyway, hobbyists will pay for the privilege of access to a hoist if they enjoy what the hoist gives them the ability to do, just as leasing a shop gives you the ability to do what you want. All good.