To me this is more than a hobby, I used to make my living turning wrenches, hot cars are a passion, and this is a lifestyle so I have lots of good quality tools and equipment. One piece of equipment I use daily is a four-post lift. I've had two of these things and as I get older I just can't see not having a lift. As a Ford service tech I used a variety of lifts, mostly the old single cylinder installed below grade with four arms -- much like the two-post lifts that are popular now. Hated them things, always laying on the floor to get the lift points aligned with the chassis and low cars usually needed ramps to make it over the arms.

The four-post lifts are inexpensive for what they do. Get the long ramp option and even lowered cars simply drive up on them. The ramp width is adjustable to accommodate a variety of vehicle track widths. I've used mine to service the wife's lawn tractor, ATVs, tractors, and my F550 -- simply adjust the ramp width (no tools necessary) and drive on the lift. When I fabricated the aluminum bed for my F550 I used the lift as an overhead crane to lift the bed and then back the truck under it. I've used it as an extended work bench when dealing with long cumbersome items, a welding positioner for long items, a stacker for storing vehicles, and a bunch of other stuff only limited by my imagination. I purchased the caster kit with my first lift and could roll the lift around the shop and even outside in the driveway where I could pressure wash the salt off my truck. This is an option for some that may not have the ceiling height in a garage. Then again, it's popular for muffler shops to install four-post lifts outside even in Flagstaff which is one of the snowiest cities in the country.

For less than $2K you can purchase a very handy piece of equipment that will get you off your back, make servicing vehicles easy, and solve storage problems when you have one more vehicle than you have room for.