Stinger/Backyard Buddy Lift. Anybody Have One?

[Chuck G.]

I've been looking at 4 post storage lifts. Many brands are out there, Stinger and Backyard Buddy are two that come to mind. Here's my problem. The ceiling height in my garage measures anywhere between 8'9" to 8'11". Variations in the concrete floor and sheetrock ceiling account for the 2" differences in different parts that I've measured. Most say you need a minimum of 9 feet. I've measured the heights of my cars with the tops up, and things appear that they will be real tight. Has anyone installed one of these in their garage? How does it work? How critical are the height requirements? Can you "fudge" it? Any and all opinions appreciated. Chuck

[Rich Garguilo]

Re: Stinger/Backyard Buddy Lift. Anybody Have One?

Chuck, I have the AUTOLIFTERS 4 post lift.I have a 67 vette on the lift and a 69 camaro underneath.With the lift resting on the safety locks the height is 9'11".I modified the garage door so it rolls straight up so it won't hit the top car.Two things you have to take into consideration is will the garage door hit the top car when it is opened?Can you lower the car onto the safety locks without hitting the car underneath the lift? Safety locks are 5" apart and the ramps are 4" thick.Measure both cars and add 9" and you will get the approx. height you need.

[Dennis]

Re: Stinger/Backyard Buddy Lift. Anybody Have One?

I recently purchased a lift from "Lifts Unlimited". I looked around a lot, (approx. 6 months), before I decided on this one. Everyone I talked to offered literature with dementions. Most were about the same when figuring your garage height needed. There are a lot of sites on the internet that will help you "figure" out the space needed. I recently added on to my garage and raised the ceiling to 11' to be sure I had enough room. Good luck.

[Richard T.]

Re: Stinger/Backyard Buddy Lift. Anybody Have One?

Chuck, I've got an M-6 Autolifter and really love it. The ceiling heigth is really important. I have 10' 6" and am able to run it all the way up to the top with the 62 and can do the same with the 67 as long as I unscrew the antenna first. I would think 10' would be a minimum but perhaps other brands require less. If your not going to use it for storage then the ceiling heigth is nat as important but the storage capability is one of the ways I justified buying one. Rich

[kenrobb]

Re: Stinger/Backyard Buddy Lift. Anybody Have One?

I had a stinger and really liked it. One thought is how long is your garage? Since you are a bit short on full height, if your garage is long enough, you can just raise the top car enough to get the bottom car in underneath as far as the windshield. I had a "L" shaped garage and figured I could get the hood portion on bottom one under lift. My ceiling was 10" so I had no problem with 95 under a 65. Another idea is to raise the center portion of the ceiling depending on what type of roof you have. There is a set of pictures on person installing a lift at www.opms.com/corvette/atlantac5events/liftparty/ Good Luck

[Jim T.]

Re: Stinger/Backyard Buddy Lift. Anybody Have One?

I have two M6 Autolifts in my two car garage. My garage ceiling is 9 ft. A sometimes difficult thing to do is backing a Corvette on the lift without a assistant. After four years I am getting more proficient at it. I really enjoy mine and like having all four of my Corvettes in the garage. Autolifters build their own stuff from cutting, fabricating, and painting the lifts. The only thing I did to my garage door was adjust the travel so that it stops short. The cars stored up are really stable and my lifts are not secured to the floor. If you have to move you can just take it with you.