http://udoitautoworks.com/

I am not affiliated in any way with this place. I just saw a write up of it in our local paper and thought it was a great idea and maybe some of our members who are in the area would benefit from knowing about it.

They basically let you use the lift and tools for $30 for the first hour and $20 per hour after that. It sure beats laying on your back under a car on the driveway...once you have worked on a car on a lift you never want to go back.

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Marty D.

2013 C300 4Matic
1984 BMW 733i
2013 Lincoln MKz

That's cool! I remember a discussion here about someone wanting to do just that and was looking for input on the idea. Can't remember who it was, liability seemed to be a big concern. Sure sounds like a great idea, at least in theory.

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1980 300TD-China Blue/Blue MBTex-2nd Owner, 107K (Alt Blau) OBK #15
'06 Chevy Tahoe Z71 (for the wife & 4 kids, current mule) '03 Honda Odyssey (son #1's ride, reluctantly) '99 GMC Suburban (255K+ miles, semi-retired mule) 21' SeaRay Seville (summer escape pod)

I actually floated the idea, but then found a tenant for the garage I had so I abandoned it...yeah, liability is the biggest concern...I can't imagine how much it would cost to insure a place like that...even if people sign a waiver (which they require) they could still be sued if they were to get injured in there due to someone's negligence. Just the cost of defending some frivolous lawsuit could bankrupt them.

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Marty D.

2013 C300 4Matic
1984 BMW 733i
2013 Lincoln MKz

See, I knew it was someone! There are a few functioning brain cells left.

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1980 300TD-China Blue/Blue MBTex-2nd Owner, 107K (Alt Blau) OBK #15
'06 Chevy Tahoe Z71 (for the wife & 4 kids, current mule) '03 Honda Odyssey (son #1's ride, reluctantly) '99 GMC Suburban (255K+ miles, semi-retired mule) 21' SeaRay Seville (summer escape pod)

oh man, marty, thank you! I will definitely visit this place in the next week for a couple tasks.

i thought i was going to have to replace a hard brake line on my back.

dd

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'85 300D, 'Lance',250k, ... winter beater (100k on franken-Frybrid 3 Valve Kit)
'82 300D, 'Tex', 228k body / 170k engine ... summer car
'83 300TD Cali Wagon 210k, wife's car

Out of curiosity, how far of a drive is it from Boston to Nashua?

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Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

Less than one hour if the traffic isn't bad. I can usually be downtown in 50 minutes.

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Marty D.

2013 C300 4Matic
1984 BMW 733i
2013 Lincoln MKz

Very interesting! It seems that the theory is they can circumnavigate or at least attempt to circumnavigate and/or mitigate the liability threat by structuring the operation as a club and defining users as members of said club, "YOU MUST BE A MEMBER OF THE U.D.I.A.W CLUB TO USE OUR SERVICES [you automatically become a member with your first payment on a bay rental and if all the above requirements are met]

It will be very, very interesting to see how they do; particularly in these economic times when one would suspect we will have people forgoing new car purchases and opting to repair older cars as a way of conserving financial resources.

At $170 for 8 hours, the pricing seems a little high for the lift use alone but supposedly that includes some tool rental in the price. But definitely worth it for some jobs! It would seem to me more logical to have a price for the lift as a separate tool, and rent other tools out separately as needed. When I was in the service they had a base “Hobby Shop” that operated in this fashion, it was very well equipped all Snap-On hand tools. You could “rent” a lift for $3 an hour or $15 for an eight hour block, a complete tool box was $3 an hour or $15 for eight hours, tire machine stuff like that was $1 a use, they also had a tool cage with tool boards and you had a “chits” numbered brass tokens which corresponded to your name, which where hung on the tool’s spot when you had a tools out. At the end of the job you returned the tools the clerk counted up your “chits” and you paid out what you owed. The place was always full you had to reserve a spot most of the time.

I’m sure nowadays with bar codes and RFID interlocks you could easily itemize tool rental, this would be particularly useful if there where specialty tools available and needed.