Workshop/ramp hire (by the hour) East Midlands

[Chrisgti6]

Hi All,

Does anyone know anywhere in the East Mindlands that rents out garage space by the hour? I'm after somewhere with a ramp but don't necessarily need tools (I have most tools I would need tucked away in the shed)

There's a few bits I want to get done on my car, I have the tools and knowledge but not the space (Working on driveways isn't something I enjoy in winter!)

 

[klem]

How long would you need them for?

 

[Gavin J]

http://www.rampandwrench.co.uk/

Based in Coventry

 

[Tony Hunter]

What is it you want to do?

 

[Adam G]

I think rampandwrench needs to get their facts right. There was one in Brum thirty years ago.

 

[klem]

Im lucky enough to have a ramp/workshop at work but being able to hire them seems like a cool idea.

 

[dajones]

http://www.rampandwrench.co.uk/

Based in Coventry

Every city needs a place like that!!

 

[montana]

Just wear some extra layers and get the jobs done on your driveway on a dry day?

I am not being negative but If you having to pay to rent a lift & facilities surely it wont be much cheaper than paying a garage to do the complete job?

Plus you just know (as i have done in the past) there will be some obscure tool / something you thought you didnt need but you actually do and its at home tucked away.

If i had a drive i would be happy as larry with that, regular tea breaks, tools to hand etc....instead i need to make do with some spare land :dapprove:

 

[dajones]

Know what you mean with the tools, when I had the Clio I used my grandads drive. Realised once the car was off the ground at the point of no return there was a tool sitting back home that was really needed

 

[DannyR]

Do you have any friends with spare spaces?

I'm quite lucky in having a few friends with farms and one with a haulage company. I've got places to store cars as well as work on them over a pit.

Or even a local haulage company or any farmer ask if you can just use a barn for a couple of hours. Strike up a friendship and you could have a space for life.

A friend rents a container for £120 a year to store his kit car in at a farm.

 

[Chip-mk1]

People saying it will cost the same as getting a garage to do the work are nuts IMHO, 10 hour day on that one in coventry is 100 quid, thats a HELL of a lot of work you can get done, thats long enough to change an engine and box, complete suspension, all the brakes etc, especially given that you can take a mate along so two of you are going to be working on the car at the same time, so effectively 20 man-hours on the ramp for 100 quid and no garage is going to be doing that amount of work for 100 quid for you.

Just be careful that you dont take on any job that might go wrong and leave your car stuck on the ramp while you wait for parts to arrive etc, its frustrating when that sort of thing happens, Ive ended up doing similar on the rollers before, renting them at 50 quid an hour and then spending over an hour fixing a problem on the car I was meant to be mapping so was having to pay for time I wasnt properly using.

 

[Chrisgti6]

I'm going to be doing the belts and waterpump, new thermostat & probably some track rods too (and any other bits I can think of). All of which I could do on the drive, but with the crappy weather etc it's not something I fancy doing. I may just wait until spring and do it all then.

Cheers for the info guys.

 

[Chip-mk1]

Gazeebo?

 

[Chrisgti6]

Gazeebo?

I'll just wait for a nice sunny spring day (if such a thing exists?) and get it done then. I thought it was just worth checking if there were any in the area or not before slumming if on the driveway

 

[montana]

Yeah a gazebo would be a worthwhile and cheap investment

 

[Jay_G]

any farmer ask if you can just use a barn for a couple of hours. Strike up a friendship and you could have a space for life.

Me and a mate are seriously thinking about doing this, we need space to work on our cars. Thinking about trying to see if any local farmers want to hire us aN unused barn for £200 -£300 a month, cash in hand.

Anyone ever done anything similar?

 

[DannyR]

I'd be offering £100 a week for space for 4 cars which gives you 2 cars with plenty of room.

If he asks £150 then you've got a bargain!

 

[Jay_G]

I'd be offering £100 a week for space for 4 cars which gives you 2 cars with plenty of room.

If he asks £150 then you've got a bargain!

I'm gonna go have to find some local farmers me thinks! Gonna be embarrassing knocking on their doors though haha! But no farmer can turn down £600 cash in hand every month I suppose.

 

[(M)Gradidge]

Bloody hell £600 a month will get you a proper unit up north probably save yourself money commuting up and down lol.

 

[montana]

It seems an extortionate amount , my bro doesn't pay half that for a 4 car unit !

For £600 a month it would probably be cheaper building one from scratch , given what it's going to cost you over a year ! Honestly don't pay anywhere near that much or you have been dry bummed (IMHO)

 

[Adam G]

You can rent a house for that!

 

[Jay_G]

Did think it was a tad steep, ill go knocking soon anyway and see who wants what. Might be able to get a bargain. Fingers crossed anyway

 

[Chip-mk1]

It seems an extortionate amount , my bro doesn't pay half that for a 4 car unit !

For £600 a month it would probably be cheaper building one from scratch , given what it's going to cost you over a year ! Honestly don't pay anywhere near that much or you have been dry bummed (IMHO)

We spent about 2-3 grand building a 3 car unit at my mates place, so definitely cheaper than renting but it's not that simple as most people don't have land they can just build on willy nilly.

hundred to couple hundred a month seems more realistic than 600 a month for some space at a farm cash in hand.

 

[Ryanj]

If i were looking to rent some space in a barn cash in hand, i'de be starting with offering around £100 a month tbh, if they dont take it, offer more. For £600 a month you could get a small unit with electric and facilities!

 

[mitch1503]

my aunt's bf used to rent an old barn out on his farm... knew the blokes a few years so never ever bother'd to see what they had in there until the old bill turned up as the blokes renting were part of a ringing scam .. shame they live in Cumbria now or i'd of had plenty of space

 

[Fred@BTM]

forum members are welcome to borrow one of our ramps for a price (sundays only), although anything goes wrong your problem, you damage anything in my workshop = a) you'll get a slap and a firm kick in the balls, b) you'll be paying the bill

e-mail me for a price

 

[Chi]

Bump as it seems a good way of paying towards the rent in my new unit. Thoughts anyone?

 

[masekwm]

It's a good idea, I've struggled since March to fix my car as its a b**ch working under it so its hidden in the garage forgotten about.

Trouble is if the person is paying as soon as someone gets injured they are going to sue you so you've got to be insured correctly.

 

[Dan@SJM]

I looked into it a few years back. Just to get insurance cover would have put the hourly rate at £12 an hour. Plus the ramp/electric etc.

 

[Darius]

Ramps and wrenches in Coventry. Me and Loz went it's all they day rent u ramps and tools! It's great

 

[Loz H]

Ramps and wrenches in Coventry. Me and @Loz went it's all they day rent u ramps and tools! It's great

Yeah was good, the bloke was mega helpful & it was alot easier than crawling around on the drive with stands etc

 

[Stu172cup]

Chi

Id have thought as yours isnt a "business" as such , just somewhere you store cars and work on them yourself then big boy rules would apply as far as insurance is concerned wouldnt it ?

You break your car or your face its your own fault - If you do a die ill Drag you outside and say you fell over ??

 

[Chi]

Cheers guys I'll have a word with my broker but in the meantime if any local members are interested drop me a PM..
Ive got 2 ramps going in a 300l compressor and a 30" tyre changer too.. Thinking of tools also.. What else do I need?

 

[Rob]

Cheers guys I'll have a word with my broker but in the meantime if any local members are interested drop me a PM..
Ive got 2 ramps going in a 300l compressor and a 30" tyre changer too.. Thinking of tools also.. What else do I need?

To be honest, I think you're going about it the wrong way for your situation.

I'd give it a year with a "mates" kind of setup.

Basically, one of your CS pals needs to do some work, your down the unit anyway, he can get his car up, fit that dogbone mount he wanted to and leave you a tenner in the jar on the side.

As long as no one's an utter weapon, your little jar should build up quite nicely and help considerably to pay the rent each month and you'll probably make more contacts.

If you're enjoying it after a year, then try turn it into a fully fledged business and then worry about insurances and stuff.

Same with the tyre machine, let them bung you a fiver, you can help them out if need be, and done.

 

[Chip-mk1]

Sounds good if its people you completely trust Rob.

But sod letting randoms use thousands of pounds worth of tools and ramps and potentially knacker them!

 

[Rob]

Sounds good if its people you completely trust Rob.

But sod letting randoms use thousands of pounds worth of tools and ramps and potentially knacker them!

But even if it means Chi lifts the car, you see what I mean?

If a random CS'er turns up, have a quick chat, they back the car in, you lift it, they work, you lower it.

I just mean he could begin with a more informal approach, building people he trusts and a customer base for future.

 

[Chip-mk1]

But even if it means Chi lifts the car, you see what I mean?

If a random CS'er turns up, have a quick chat, they back the car in, you lift it, they work, you lower it.

I just mean he could begin with a more informal approach, building people he trusts and a customer base for future.

Sounds like Chi is investing quite a few grand in kit, and presumably quite a few grand a year in rent on the unit, so I can see why if he is going to make a business of it then sooner rather than later would be good to offset those costs from the outset.

If he had all the gear anyway and was in a bulding he owned or had free use of etc though it could work the way you are saying but it sounds a bit more of a financial commitment than that.

Agreed though at times he is there anyway, he has nothing to lose by letting people use it cheap and he can keep an eye out etc, but he sounds a pretty busy bloke so cant imagine he will be down there a huge percentage of the time?

 

[MartinR]

To busy buying cars iirc