Will this take off? - Rent a garage & hoist, tools supplied, fix your own car - New in Vic

[GO FURTHER]

Originally Posted by CyberWasp

What is the cost difference per hour between this and what a paid mechanic charges to do the work in their own workshop?

That is a very valid point... This hire garage charges $45 per hour (but gets cheaper per hour once a certain number of hours is booked).

What is the going rate for a local service station type mechanic (non-dealership)?

[The Yeti]

For $45 an hour I'd sooner take it to a mechanic, that knows what their doing and will do in an hour what a weekend warrior would take 2 or 3 todo, and it would be done properly with warranty and some one else gets their hands dirty for the fun of it

[Express]

Originally Posted by Stefan

Ridiculous idea IMO,

What if you roll up, start taking the car apart, the upon putting it together something does nit fit or you have the wrong part, the problem is worse than you expected?

What do you do with an unfinished car sitting on the hoist?

This would kill it for me.

I’ve had plenty of occasions when nothing was going right and I was starting to lose it where I’d walk away and come back tomorrow with my head screwed back on or armed with a bit more knowledge and try again.

Break a part and have to wait 2 weeks for a replacement would also be the pits.

I can see the need for such a service but for how many people I don’t know.

Most people would pay for the job to be done and the bulk of the DIY crowd would be saving money by finding a way to do it at home.

I could see sense in the occasional use of a hoist for some very basic repairs or just to check the vehicle over but for a DIY oil change all you need is a little forethought, a good jack & stands you should be able to do it at home without needing to pay for a hoist on top.

One thing that I would like is a hoist in a high pressure cleaning bay for those unhappy times when something has let go and the undercarriage is covered with fluids and you have a huge mess to clean up.

[Crazy Dazz]

Its a nice idea, the problem I see is in the practicalities.

Mechanical workshops know how long (on average) jobs take, so they know how many booking they can make for a day, to keep the workshop busy. It would be very difficult to manage the bookings for such a venture, to keep it busy enough to be financially viable, especially with amateurs who may take far longer.

I'm confident undertaking many tasks on my cars, and in many cases I know I'll take more care and attention to detail than the TA at the dealer, but I also acknowledge that I will often take much longer, especially when doing something for the first time. Therefore paying for my spot by the hour, may prove to be more expensive.

Theft, loss, and damage would be an issue. Won't be long before that kit no-longer has 254 pieces.

[GREGL]

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

Public liability, personal injury, lack of training by users.

Some workshop tools can cause serious damage or death if not used correctly. Each person will need to be baby sat while there.

My kids are not even allowed to use a 300mm disc sander unless they do pages of theory, observation of safe use, a written safety test which they must get 100% in then a final hands on demonstration to prove proficiency.

If I can't prove they have done that and they get injured I'm in a world of trouble.

Imagine what can go wrong in a workshop!

Your a qualified and fully licenced sander trainer ? I didn't realise they had a licence requirement. Maybe you have a crystal ball and getting in early, maybe soon the govtment will legislate soon and make it mandatory for all using a sander to pass a test.
Seriously good on you, you have probably put them off sanding for the rest of their lives. Saved them from a world of boredom !

[arronm]

I would rather be at home with all my own equipment. Then I can work at my own pace and stop and start anytime. I enjoy working on cars and wouldn't want to take the pleasure out of it with having to rush.

[Olbucko]

Originally Posted by Spammy

There have been 2of these businesses in Sydney that I know of, both have closed down.

I remember going to one in Wyndham St Alexandria in Sydney, in the late 60's, don't know how long it lasted. Not a new idea!

[T3rminator]

Not a bad idea for simple jobs like oil changes and exhaust fittings. It could definitely work with more people now moving into apartment style living with no proper garage.

Probably not suitable if you want to do major work like clutch and diff gears.

My current price point would be $20/hr. More than that you may as well pay a bit more and get someone else to do it properly, quickly and safely.

[Sabantien]

Like the idea, but plenty of problems people have already pointed out.
It reminds me of photography studios for hire, with photographers moving away from having their own space and equipment and just renting it when necessary.

I imagine that a group of like minded individuals could pool resources for a shared workshop and tools.
Head in on a weekend to work on your car. Catch up with people, lend a hand and share information.

[Itsme]

Originally Posted by wodahs

its not so much hurting them selfs using a certain tool as stated they can hire a tool go home and hurt them selfs

its hurting them selfs whilst on your property , indemnity insurance you let them carry out a procedure whilst on your property , like tripping on a council foot path thing , and being a designated work site and needing to cover any one coming and going insurance companies go to worse scenario because lawyers go that way

well that's how it was informed to me when I looked in to it

Reason why businesses have insurance.

[Itsme]

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

I'm not talking about equipment malfunction, I'm talking about its misuse.

You seen what compressed air does if handled the wrong way? High torque impact / rotation tools? His speed rotation tools?

In the wrong hands they can do a lot of harm. And you may be able to use it properly, what is the guarantee that the amateur that just used and returned it didn't damage or fiddle with it?

Coffee is hot.. right? Yet we still need a warning telling us so. Same with 'hot' apple pie.

I don't agree with the system at all. But you need to plan for the worst case as that will happen - eventually.

Terms and conditions mean squat. I recall several years ago when the whole insurance industry went nuts. Horse riding establishments had to close due to this and no amount of signing your rights away was able to help them.

Misuse can be by any one whether amateur or qualified, the OP has already stated the premises is staffed for good reason & stated this quote below

As far as using the tools and equipment on hand, they make you sign a liability waiver.... No different to if you go to a tool hire company, hire a machine or tool you are not qualified at using and take it home to perform a job, they make you sign a waiver.

[Crazy Dazz]

Originally Posted by trublu

Misuse can be by any one whether amateur or qualified, the OP has already stated the premises is staffed for good reason & stated this quote below

Liability waivers are what lawyers use to wipe their bum, and that is substantially overvaluing them.

Actually staffing the premises, makes it worse, not better.

[Express]

Originally Posted by Crazy Dazz

Liability waivers are what lawyers use to wipe their bum, and that is substantially overvaluing them.

Actually staffing the premises, makes it worse, not better.

Good lawyers write good contracts and even better lawyers break them.

If professional floor staff see someone struggling to use the equipment do they turn away because a waiver has been signed or do they react and have the owner of a half stripped vehicle put the car back together and send them home?

If they don't react do they become complicit in negligence?

I can almost hear the sound of the lawyers hands rubbing together.

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by GREGL

Your a qualified and fully licenced sander trainer ? I didn't realise they had a licence requirement. Maybe you have a crystal ball and getting in early, maybe soon the govtment will legislate soon and make it mandatory for all using a sander to pass a test.
Seriously good on you, you have probably put them off sanding for the rest of their lives. Saved them from a world of boredom !

I'm a high school Design and Technology teacher concentrating on woodwork. When I say my kids I mean my students.

Quite the opposite actually. They are initially scared shizerless of using the various machines in the workshop and once they pass the safety stuff can't wait to get in there and get their hands on the tools.

And have never so much as had a kid have a scrape of skin removed.

Since I've started there is now a demand to offer the subject as an elective in 9 and 10, something that was laughable before my time considering I'm at a a place that concentrates all their efforts on academic book based work.


So I must be doing something right.

Pull your bloody head in.

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by Crazy Dazz

Liability waivers are what lawyers use to wipe their bum, and that is substantially overvaluing them.

Actually staffing the premises, makes it worse, not better.

Spot on.... Anything can and will be argued and contested after the fact.

[baboon]

Not bad for those last minute 8PM exhaust changes that need to be done a day before track day, car inspection etc.

[The Yeti]

The thing is for a majority of the tasks described, by the time you've got your crap together and driven there, waited for the tosses before you who's run over to finish and go it up in the air,you've already jacked your car up put stands under it and are well on your way to finishing the job

[Yellow_Festiva]

This failed in a time when car owners had more free time and less restrictions and cars needed more working on.

Now we have less time, more new cars that have extended warranty and a general population owning these cars that will call the nrma for a flat or if the water goes down in the washer reservoir.

There is no chance this could possibly work now as a sound business venture. A guy in the car club I was a member of many years ago did a similar thing but only for friends and club members. I used the service many times and got great satisfaction in doing some of the work myself.

But that was on a 55 year old car. My new Mitsubishi gets taken to the dealership under warranty and to my local mechanic after.

[Spammy]

Originally Posted by Olbucko

I remember going to one in Wyndham St Alexandria in Sydney, in the late 60's, don't know how long it lasted. Not a new idea!

Wow... I used to go there late 80s/early 90s then it just disappeared one day.

[PaulXR50]

Watched Christine movie the other day, thought how good would it be to have garage space to hire & do some car work. Took the wheels off the xr8 to clean them, the other day could of used the hoist then, would also be great for oil changes and basic stuff.

[Cobra]

Originally Posted by Stefan

Ridiculous idea IMO,

What if you roll up, start taking the car apart, the upon putting it together something does nit fit or you have the wrong part, the problem is worse than you expected?

What do you do with an unfinished car sitting on the hoist?

Drop it down, roll it off and put it to the side! If the customer has to pay rent for the duration of time that it's stuck on the hoist, I'm sure they'll find creative ways to get it off.

I'm not sure what kind of setup this place is offering, but if there could ideally be a few spots outside of the workshop for a few non-driveable vehicles, it could work. You don't need all the wheels attached, either, just a couple of trolley jacks to roll it off the hoist.

Personally I wouldn't do it myself as I couldn't be bothered mucking around with a car outside of mine, or a mate's house. I've got a decent setup at home, and whilst I don't have a hoist I've still got most of what I need to get most jobs done.

[xrystl]

Back in the mid seventies I used to use the "U DO IT" workshop in East Sydney , the hoist or the bay and basic tools were the prime cost , specialist tools and welding equipment had to be hired as extras by the hour, the manager had to imagine that whatever specialist equipment that you were going to use that you actually knew how to use it because no questions were ever asked ,
At the beginning of 1978 whilst I was there a guy trying to use a spring compressor lost a finger because he had no idea what he was doing and from memory that was the start of the problems for that shop .
For those who knew what they were doing it was a godsend as having the use of a hoist and specialist tools at home was unheard of back then.
Great back in the day however Liability Insurance would be the killer now.

[The Yeti]

Originally Posted by Cobra

Drop it down, roll it off and put it to the side! If the customer has to pay rent for the duration of time that it's stuck on the hoist, I'm sure they'll find creative ways to get it off.

I'm not sure what kind of setup this place is offering, but if there could ideally be a few spots outside of the workshop for a few non-driveable vehicles, it could work. You don't need all the wheels attached, either, just a couple
.

It becomes a massive pain in the **** if the front end, or diff is out of it but it can be done just a time consuming pain.

But yes some storage bays would need to be there

[Spurious]

I had a relative look into this idea in QLD.
IMO owning your own workshop is key to success here.
In my relo's case, he would've needed to make at least $150 / $175 per day just to cover rent (commercial site was fenced, lockup workshop with office, toilet & 2 hoists for about $4K p/m). Then you've got utilities & insurance.
I estimated he'd need to make about $300 to $350 per day just to be viable.

This is wishful thinking though IMO 'cause most people would only use such a self service if was cheap, but obviously you wouldn't bother if it wound up costing you the same as it would've if you had a mechanic do it for you.

Me personally, on average I'd use a professional mechanic about once every 2 years as I can do most things at home.

[Mercury Bullet]

Originally Posted by Express

Good lawyers write good contracts and even better lawyers break them.

If professional floor staff see someone struggling to use the equipment do they turn away because a waiver has been signed or do they react and have the owner of a half stripped vehicle put the car back together and send them home?

If they don't react do they become complicit in negligence?

I can almost hear the sound of the lawyers hands rubbing together.

So how does this work in America?
There are tonnes of these places there and even more in Canada I believe.