One thing I miss about being in the military is access to the auto shop facilities. oilBabe wants to live in the city, I want a place where I can have a pole barn once the last kid is out of high school.
Our family's place(old small farm house) in the mountains has an incredible barn with it. It can fit 9 cars in(3 garage doors) and about 10 sedan height underneath at the lower level that is open and has dirt floor.
You could easily build a pit into it since floor is open below
Our barn though is drafty but that stove looks like it burns half trees!!!
I (mis)spent my youth (late 50's-early 60's) working at a local service station that had 3 pits just like that.
You want to make sure they are vented as fumes gather in those low-lying areas and can be dangerous.
A pit is great for many jobs and a hoist is good for the others.