I also didn’t have the height for full sized lift and after a lot of research I went with a Bendpack 7X. Unlike some scissor lifts it’s completely open in the middle, raises 68" and is rated to 7000 pounds. I recessed it into the floor so it's completely flush and it takes up zero space when not in use. This video (not my garage) shows a flush mount (many people have plunge cut their slab to do this).
I can push the SL-C on it, locate four 1.5" rubber blocks under the lift points and lift. That's right, you can lift a car with 1.75" clearance and not need to jack it or run it up on boards. In addition, when the car isn’t on it, you get two 19" x 63" rubber-padded, height-adjustable work benches. So, you can push your transaxle, lawn mower, whatever on it and get it to the exact height you want. You also don’t have the posts and lift arms in the way.
Once I added the Ricardo things got tippy because 2” x 2” chassis tubes slope inwards in the engine compartment and the platforms are fixed and can’t reach in like the arms on a 2-post. I solved that by using an aluminum 2” x 4” tube with some rubber mounted on top to span the two lift platforms in the back. So, now I slide two rubber blocks under the front and the tube under the rear. This is still 20x faster than a 2-post lift and it’s rock solid. Note that my car is currently at a fabrication shop on a 2-post lift. The fabricator asked me to bring the aluminum tube which made the SL-C rock solid on the two-post.
PROS:
- Consumes zero space when not in use
- Drive on and lift (jacks and boards need not apply)
- Posts and arms are out of the way
- Two 19" x 63" rubber-padded, height-adjustable work benches
CONS:
- A lot more work if you recess into the floor (optional)
- Doesn’t lift as high as a 2-post (although that’s irrelevant for you and I)
- If you drop something, it seems to wind up in the trench
- Can’t access the bolts mounted under the side pods or the outer seat mounts. I lift the car, slide lift jacks underneath and drop the car when I need to do this. You could also jack the car like you would with a two post and use taller blocks.
If I had a larger garage, I’d have a 2-post and the 7x, but the car would spend the majority of the time on the 7x. If I could only have one, that would be a tougher call. My point is that you’re not compromising much if at all with a scissor lift for a SL-C, especially if you recess it into the floor.
I keep mine stored on the floor, between the 2 ramps of my 4 post. I store the SLC on the 4 post and drive my daily right over the quick jacks for parking.
