Hot Rods What Do Guys Use for Long Term Overhead Car Storage Structure?

Not really knowing what you are really doing with your floor space a 4 post lift is a possibility. They can be set up to move if needed. You will also be able to get the car off in just a couple minutes when you want to. $2300 will buy a new one to do the job. I have no relationship with this company.
https://www.gregsmithequipment.com/4-Post-Lift/Hobbyist

 

You not only have to build something thats going to be expensive, you have to be able to physically get it in place. Since it looks like you have plenty of room, I would look into building another small metal building to store it in and maybe provide room for another car beside it.
Or you could let a local museum display it while you retain ownership.

 

I have reached out to a local museum. I have yet to hear back.

I live in the city limits and am at the legal limit for outbuilding size, shape, quantity, etc.

I do have a 4 post hoist. Another is not in the budget, neither money nor floor space.

 

Anything we do is going to cost us something!
But Something like this is most likely your best bang for the buck. You might have to bring the deck closer to the floor to get more room between the deck and ceiling. If you can live with or make use of the center racks then you’ll be happy. Might be just what you need for a small machining center under there.
This one looks like it’s 12’ deep and 20 wide with a 8’ and 10’ beam with 2’ goat stairs. They incorporated plenty of storage shelves up top too.

Another option is to leave the car on the floor, get it as low as you possibly can maybe even remove the wheels and put it on roller dollies. Then build yourself a lower deck mezzanine to work on top of instead of working under.

 

You do not have $2k for a lift? You sound like me. It will cost you at least that to buy the materials for a mezzanine like above. Even if you can build it yourself. But if you are thrifty individual like me you may find the materials at a price you can handle.

A 12x32 mezzanine like above is over $8k
https://www.globalindustrial.com/p/...clid=ADL-8ca721ac-73d5-458e-bdd0-96b39fe3da63

 

As shown the commercial racking would be your best bang for the buck and will make a great area for your lathe underneath .
Vic

 

Right now, the plan is pallet racking.

1 additional item of note, the car will npt sit against the back wall. There is already a room on 1 side of my garage. There is also a staircase that goes to the upper part of that room so ithis unit needs to be free standing.

I will check on pallet racking tomorrow when I am at work.

Thanks again.

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What are your plans for the Deux CV?

 

Hey, verno;
Hnstray & 31Vic gave you the correct answer. There are a couple of ways to orientate the pallet-racking, & that depends on what you want to have under/on/in the racking. It's all good. Since you are familiar w/the racking n suppliers, go there 1st. If you can't find what you want/need, or it's too expensive, PM me. I've got some pallet-racking that I 'm taking down, & some of that will be for sale, as I don't need all of it. What I have would work pretty well for you, but I can get different section-height & length beams, as needed. An acquaintance deals in it, & will cut me a deal, if he has it. Price depends on how high & how many beams you want. Since it's all used, lots cheaper than new.
For storing it long-ish term, I'd suggest a plastic "cocoon". They work well to keep mice, dust n crap off of, & out of, the car inside. They have a reusable desiccant for moisture control. Couple of companies use to sell them, don't know iffen they're still available , as I haven't looked lately. Although it isn't required or necessary, I'd fold down the top, pull the w/s & posts, + rad cap (seal the rad w/aluminum tape) just to have more usable space under the car, & also to keep from puncturing the "cocoon".
Marcus...

Geez, I type slow.

 

Plus plans, someone to draw the plans, permits.....

 

That’s a free standing clear span mezzanine.
More than a little different than pallet rack

 

I would think you could build something similar for less. Get creative with pallet rack

 

I got some used pallet racking for free from a big cold storage warehouse. It is about 25 or 30 ' tall when it is used there, and if someone bumps it with a forklift and puts a dent in it, they have to replace it. So they had a big pile of them laying out back for scrap. They said take what I want before the scrap man arrives. Since I didn't need the height, I just cut out the damaged areas, and used the straight pieces. Then I got a bunch of 12"x 4" microlam beam from a salvage company that bought up a fire damaged railroad car, and again, cut out the bad and kept the good. I had to pay for that, but it was a good deal. Then I set it up like in the pictures, and use my 4 post Bend Pak hoist to put them up. Nothing is bolted down, it is all free standing, and I did nothing special to the concrete floor. I put the old Ford pickup up there first as a test, since it was the least valuable in case of disaster. The only negative is that the cars that go up tend to get very neglected. The good is that it frees up SO much room in the shop.

 

When I put my 4 post lift in, I positioned it with the plan of building a steel "rack" wide enough to hold 3 cars. I have no doubt they will get filthy, but they do sitting in the way on the floor, too. And the area they will occupy is all wasted space, currently. I am just waiting for the right batch of used steel to come along to build it.

 

There is another possibility, one that mightn't be what you want to hear. If you have no real desire to drive it and your children have no interest in carrying on the icon, it would be the time to sell it while there is still a possible market for it. Do you go to the trouble and expense of storing it only to regret not driving it more, or pass it on to someone to enjoy. I'm in the process of moving 6 hours away so have had to be brutal about what to discard out of 40 years of acquisitions. Sentimentality on some stuff went out the window. Bits that I 'might have used one day' went to the scrap yard or were given away. Trust me, it will be easier to do it now rather than later.
Yes, I've using small stuff that used to belong to my grandfathers. A brass fuel tank from a fishing boat is on a drag car and old axes from the other.

 

YES!

This is exactly what I needed.

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That’s bad ass

 

Piled up like firewood under the ceiling of many colors.
And btw the 1-1/2” x 3 upright is the medium duty stuff and doesn’t look like it’s even cracked a sweat. The heavy duty is 3x3”

 

"Ceiling of many colors" haha. One of those instances of getting a killer deal on surplus material that I now regret!

 

I’m cooking up the same kinda deal.

 

Man who has 12 cars stacked up like cordwood has a hoarding problem.

 

Could you possibly add a extension on one of the sides, you would only need2 walls and a garage door, you could even go a lean to roof, you could add a door & windows to view the car from inside the garage. HRP

 

PROBLEM SOLVED

I know it's been a little bit since I last posted but my dilema is solved.

I used pallet racking that was being disposed of at work.

A quick coat of Medium Gray and a couple of 2x12s cut to fill the gap. Viola! Car storage.

I will move the 1 light as it touches the car. It is super sturdy.

I will add LED's below and finally organize this cluster. I need a swap meet sooooo bad!

More to come!

Thanks everyone.

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Told ya it was/is a cluster

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Looks good, I'm glad it worked out.

 

Thanks for coming back and showing what you’ve done.
You have some very nice cars there.

Whilst I totally disagree with what you have done, and would not even consider doing it,
would you please consider some bracing perpendicular to existing bracing to lessen the risk of it coming down ( in an earthquake type situation ).
See my comment on this in post 6.

Pallet racks are not designed for people to get under.

 

The attic...?

 

Very neat family passed down heirloom.

 

What ever you do get a engineer and architect to draw the plans and get a permit. I think for insurance purposes. JMHO