Best-Rated Lifts for Classic Car Storage

People use auto lifts for all types of passenger vehicles. Some auto lifts are best for compact cars, while other lifts can also handle longer, heavier vehicles. The top-rated car lifts for classic cars include two-post and four-post lifts in the mid-range of weight capacity.

Why You Need to Use a Storage Lift for Your Classic Car

When you own any classic automobile, it is crucial to keep it in the same condition as when you first purchased it, whether it's a box car from the 1920s or a muscle car from the 1950s. Cars like these are highly valuable and command big bucks among collectors of classic automobiles.

While you might never drive the vehicle, the outside appearance and shape should never be worn, scratched or dented in any way. Even if you don't intend to sell the vehicle, it still deserves to be preserved in the best condition possible. As time goes on, fewer and fewer vehicles of its kind will exist. Few people will get to own or even see a classic car like the one in your possession.

For all these reasons and more, it is important to do everything you can to ensure your classic vehicle receives special protection. To that end, one of the best things you can do with the vehicle is to hoist it off the ground with an auto lift. With a two-post or four-post lift, you can keep the car protected from bodily and vehicular movement within the garage.

Some of the best-rated auto lifts for classic cars will fit inside any residential garage. Whether you buy a portable or anchored lift, you can use it to elevate the vehicle off the ground and keep it overhead and out of the way as you do other things inside your garage. This way, you won't have to worry about the car getting scraped or dented by a bike or moving objects.

If you have a classic vehicle parked on the ground inside your garage, you could easily wind up scratching the paint or causing other light damage as you carry around tools within the confined spaces of the garage. For example, if you park the vehicle beside your tool cabinet, damage could easily occur as you move trays, carry boxes or handle saws or hammers. Moreover, you might even be tempted to set boxes on top of the vehicle as you search for stored belongings.

The use of an auto lift can also help keep your vehicle protected as you open and close the garage, as you won't have to worry about the car getting grazed by any part of the door. The best lift for classic cars will provide safety in single and double-car garages alike.

A lift will also keep your classic car protected from the vehicles you actually drive. If you store a classic vehicle in a two-car garage next to the active vehicle you park and pull out every day, you won't have to worry about driving in too close, because the classic car will be above instead of beside the area where movement takes place.

Most of all, classic car storage lifts keep valuable vehicles protected from the hands of thieves. While any skilled thief will know how to hotwire an automobile and possibly even pick a door open if he knows what is inside, no thief will bother with a vehicle that must first be lowered from an auto lift. Basically, an auto lift will give you ultimate protection from incidental damage, sideswipes and auto thieves.

Top-Rated Classic Car Storage Lifts

1. Universalift 2 – Two-Post Auto Lift

One of the best auto lifts for classic cars is the Universalift 2, which can lift vehicles that weigh as much as 7,000 pounds. Acclaimed for its durability and flexibility, the Universalift 2 can mount widths of 120 inches. Easy to assemble singlehandedly in less than 10 minutes, the hydraulically run lift is not bound by cables.

Measuring at less than 100 inches in height, the Universalift 2 fits in standard-sized residential garages. Specs of the Universalift 2 include the following:

• Capacity — 7,000 pounds
• Height overall — 95"
• Max lift height — 72"
• Max inner-column width — 120" (adjustable)
• Minimum pad height — 4.5"
• Lift speed — 45 seconds

Learn more about why the Universalift 2 is one of the most popular auto lifts among homeowners.

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2. Universalift 8000 FP XLT

With its height, length and weight capacity, the Universalift 8000 FP XLT is one of the best car lifts for classic cars. The free-standing lift is suitable for DIY work, as well as for use in professional auto-repair shops. Mountable on any flat, solid stretch of concrete, the Universalift 8000 FP XLT runs on a 110-volt electro-hydraulic power unit.

Equipped with a wheel kit, the Universalift 8000 FP XLT is easy to move from one location to another. Moreover, the lift comes with drip trays that will keep anything beneath the lifted vehicle safe from oil leaks. Therefore, it is safe to park other vehicles underneath the elevated car. Specs of the Universalift 8000 FP XLT include the following:

• Capacity — 8,000 pounds
• Overall height — 94"
• Overall length — 190"
• Lifting height — 82"
• Height under runway — 79"
• Length of runways — 180"
• Distance between posts — 99"
• Lifting speed — 40 seconds

Learn more about why people love the Universalift 8000 FP XLT

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3. Atlas SP6000 Single-Post Specialty Lift

The Atlas® SP6000 is the perfect auto lift for homeowners who wish to maximize their garage space. Able to fit in any garage with a 120-inch ceiling, the SP6000 allows you to turn a one-car parking space into two. Ideal for owners of compact cars and classic vehicles, the SP6000 runs on 110-volt electricity. Specs of the Atlas® SP6000 include the following:

• Capacity — 6,000 pounds
• Overall height — 110 1/4" (9' 2 1/4")
• Overall length — 176" (14' 8")
• Runway width (drivable) — 15 3/4"
• Lifting height — 80 7/16" (6' 8 7/16")

Learn more about the Atlas® SP6000 auto lift and how it can help protect your classic car.

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4. Universalift 9KAC Two-Post Autolift

The Universalift 9KAC is one of the best-rated car lifts for classic cars because of its carrying capacity, width and height. Long and wide enough for muscle cars, the dual-hydraulic lift will keep your classic vehicle safely off the ground, regardless of whether you have a one-car or two-car garage. Specs of the Universalift 9KAC two-post lift include the following:

• Capacity — 9,000 pounds
• Overall height — 145"
• Overall width — 133"
• Lifting height — 72"
• Distance between posts — 107"
• Drive-through width — 96"
• Lifting time — 40 seconds

You can learn many more great things about the Universalift 9KAC

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Atlas Garage Pro 9000 Portable Heavy Duty

Another one of the top-rated car lifts for classic cars is the Atlas® Garage Pro 9000, which can elevate vehicles as high as 85 inches above the ground. With its superior weight capacity, the 110-volt-powered lift can handle cars as well as pickup trucks. Specs of the Garage Pro 9000 include the following:

• Capacity — 9,000 pounds
• Lifting height — 85" (7' 1")
• Overall length with ramps — 227 1/2" (18' 11 1/2")
• Length between columns — 184 1/2" (15' 4 1/2")
• Total runway width — 21 1/4"
• Runway length — 199 1/2" (16' 7 1/2")
• Width between runway rails — 35 1/2"

More details of the Atlas® Garage Pro 9000 are available

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Factors to Consider When Buying a Classic Car LiftHeight to Store — Full Lift vs. Jacks

If you need a lift to elevate your vehicle for maintenance purposes, you have two basic choices — a jack or an auto lift. The first of these options is the simpler of the two, but the latter will give you more capabilities. That said, a jack might be all you need if you only do simpler types of maintenance, such as tire and leaf spring changes.

Jacks come with a fair amount of benefits. When you opt for a jack, it won't consume much space inside your garage. If you have a smaller garage, you won't have to work around the space constraints that might make an auto lift impractical, given the circumstances. Moreover, a jack is portable and can lift the rear or front of your vehicle in virtually any location where you park.

A full lift, after all, is generally a stationary device. Even if you buy a portable lift, you cannot keep it in your trunk in case of an emergency. With a jack on hand, however, you can pull over your vehicle at any time to perform quick maintenance, such as when a tire blows on the freeway.

With a full lift, on the other hand, you get complete access to the underside of a vehicle. Any top-rated lift for classic cars will be optimized to let you hoist the vehicle and perform maintenance if necessary along the chassis. A lift will also give you greater safety when the vehicle is raised, because you will have legs and cross-beams to keep the vehicular weight fully supported.

The best-rated lift for classic cars can make things easier when you need to change out tires or leaf springs on a vehicle. Likewise, if you need to gain access to lower engine components, you can do so by raising the vehicle off the ground and accessing the parts from the underside.

Portable vs. Anchored Lifts

As soon as you choose to purchase an auto lift of one design or another, you'll need to decide whether you would prefer to have a portable or anchored lift. The former will give you more flexibility, but the latter offers greater overall strength.

The main advantage of a portable auto lift is that it will only consume space when you set it up for use. During all other times, you can keep it stored away and leave your garage space free for other things.

Portable lifts are generally easy to assemble. In fact, most lifts can be set up with a single pair of hands in under 20 minutes. If you only use the lift for periodic maintenance on one or two household vehicles, a portable lift would be the most practical option. Regarding cost, portable lifts are relatively affordable devices that allow you to perform a range of underside vehicle tasks that would otherwise have to be done at a shop.

Anchored lifts, by contrast, are far stronger than portable lifts. As such, you can lift heavier vehicles with an anchored lift. When an auto lift is anchored to the ground, it offers more support and stability over the long haul. Classic car home storage lifts can turn a single parking space into two.

An anchored auto lift is also more suitable if you intend to turn your garage into an auto repair shop. Vintage car collectors have used some of the best classic car storage lifts to perform service work on such vehicles.

Single Post vs. Four-Post

When it comes time to buy an auto lift, your most crucial choice of all is the number of posts. Simply put, the number of posts will determine the weight capacity of a given auto lift. Depending on the type of vehicle you own, you might be constrained by the vehicle's length and weight specs. Moreover, you should factor in your intended use of an auto lift as you consider the necessary amount of posts.

Single-post auto lifts are simple and compact. The greatest advantage of single posts is that they don't consume a lot of space. It's easy to set up a single-post car lift anywhere, such as in a garage or on a driveway.

One-post auto lifts are convenient for some of the more basic types of underside vehicle maintenance, such as tire and leaf spring changes. Single posts are also a low-cost option for vehicle owners who wish to perform more DIY auto maintenance. A single-post lift can even be used to park one compact car over another. However, weight capacities are limited with single-posts auto lifts, which generally only support vehicles of 6,000 pounds or less.

Four-post auto lifts, by contrast, are the professional standard when it comes to vehicle maintenance. For starters, the best-rated classic car storage lifts of the four-post variety are stronger than one-post and two-post lifts. With four-post support, lifts of this type are more secure and balanced. Regarding weight capacity, four-post lifts are superior to all others. You can lift trucks, vans, SUVs and longer cars with a four-post lift.

You can also get better access to the full underside of a vehicle with a four-post lift because no cross-beam is placed directly under the chassis. As such, you can easily change out tires, hubcaps, leaf springs and also perform maintenance on lower-engine parts and chassis components with a four-post auto lift. In fact, any one of the top-rated classic car storage lifts of the four-post variety can turn your garage into a credible auto-repair shop.

Shop Online With NAAE and Save

At North American Auto Equipment, we carry the top-rated auto lifts for classic cars. Whether you need a two-post or four-post lift, we can match you with the best lift for the weight and dimensional requirements of your vehicle and parking area. Explore our catalog of auto lifts and contact us to learn about financing options.