BendPak GrandPrix GP-7LCS 2 Post Lift Installed in My Garage!

This Tuesday I had one of the biggest pieces of my garage build delivered and installed. My BendPak GrandPrix GP-7LCS which is their new 8ft 10" two-post car lift that fits in low garages with 9ft ceilings. It was a super tight fit in my garage, because a part of my ceiling is a little lower than 9ft. We were off by literally 1/4 inch. However the guys from BendPak were amazing and managed to get everything to fit.
Once I cleaned up I decided I should do my first on-lift repair and replaced the broken Diode Dynamics side marker on my procharged s550 mustang. Hopefully this one lasts a little longer than the last replacement.
#bendpak #grandprix #carlift #dreamgarage #garagelife

[@MrBat000]

Your garage is every mans dream! I'm jealous! I have a single garage and the car can barly fit. if i had your garage, i'll probably live in it.

[@DmitrysGarage]

Thanks! I really appreciate it. The running joke around here is that I should just move out of the house and into the garage :-).

[@BjWraps]

Such a beautiful garage!

[@DmitrysGarage]

Thanks!

[@dustin9258]

Your garage setup is awesome man. I wish my garage had that much room

[@DmitrysGarage]

Thank you Dustin! Glad you liked it, I'm very proud of the setup I have going :). Also thanks for the sub!

[@thefate6656]

Nice setup man...I'm definitely jealous. I'm living the jackstand life with my S550. Unfortunately my garage is too small to fit my truck, Mustang, and a permanent lift. However, I have been considering the MaxJax lift since you can disassemble it and move it out of the way. Can't wait to see new videos...I watched your header install, it was very informative. Cheers!

[@DmitrysGarage]

Thanks Andrew! The MaxJax was one I considered too, it looks real good, but because I had the space I went permanent. I think you'll be happy with the MaxJax too. There are some scissor style BendPaks as well you could look at, they take up less space. Really depends on the kind of work you wanna do. Glad you enjoyed the header install! I'll have a video on Fore fuel system (double pump) install real soon!

[@thefate6656]

Awesome! I look forward to the fuel system install!

[@RepairGeek]

Looks like a clean install. That is a really nice option for a low ceiling. I really like that it doesn't have a floor plate. As far as your jacking rails, every jacking rail for an s550 that I have found is bolt in. So, I doubt they would be any longer than the ones you have now. I need to get some for my new edge. My pinch welds are starting to deform from being on my lift so much.

[@DmitrysGarage]

Thanks, I like your install too! I watched your videos before I got my lift and subscribed to your channel. I noticed mine shipped backed with plywood, so I didn't get those big scuff marks. There were a few small imperfections, but it did include touch up paint. Makes me wonder if they took notice from your video or if something went wrong with shipping with yours last time? I have seen trucking companies try to do really dumb things to make room. Could totally see them trying to unwrap yours to see if it was somehow split-able. They don't seem to have a lot of foresight. There is one S550 rail from BMR that is longer. However it would clash with my Steeda IRS subframe stabilizers, since they use the same install point. My guess this is why the Steeda jacking rails are so short, they want to make compatible products. I could switch to the BMR version of the IRS stabilizer, the lockout kit, but I'm not sure if it's better or worse than the Steeda setup I have now. The jacking rails may not be worth the change if I'm going to re-introduce additional wheel hop. I may just weld some plate on.

[@RepairGeek]

I doubt Bendpak knows we exist at this point and personally I'm perfectly fine with that. I'm sure with you getting a new product a higher level of quality control and care may also be involved on Bendpaks part as far as packaging. As far as one being better than the other, unless you're living at the track and doing lots of passes I find it hard to believe that one is THAT much better than the other. Welding in some sort of square tubing on the pinch weld may be your best and cheapest option. But, look at the bright side, you have much better access to it now haha.

[@DmitrysGarage]

That's what I'm thinking too. I'll prolly just weld up square tubing, I actually have a bunch. I also doubt there's a huge difference between the BMR and the Steeda, both hit the same part of the cradle and connect it to the same part of the body. Can't imagine it makes any real difference.

[@JzLyfe]

Repair Geek i was wondering if it does not include a floor plate can one be purchased? I thought a lift would benefit from it for more stiffness.

[@RepairGeek]

This lift does not need a floor plate because it has an overhead that ties the 2 posts together. Most low clearance lifts use a base plate linking to post together. It also gives a place for the equalizing cables to rin though. A base plate will make certain jobs harder like using a transmission jack for example.

[@daishi9000]

cool. i'm gonna look into this once my house is ready. 9' ceilings...

[@DmitrysGarage]

You'll love it :)

[@OEMPlus]

fellow houstonian/garagejournalinian here. sweet shop, man.

[@DmitrysGarage]

Thanks man!

[@noisetechnician2711]

Got a 30x40 shop with 16 foot roof. That was a prerequisite for buying my house. I looked all over my state for the just right property. I have one of the taller rotary lifts in it, but im selling to build a 60X100 with a 18 foot roof.

[@DmitrysGarage]

Lucky! Wish I had a tall roof. Just had to eventually pick something and this was a pretty great compromise overall. Good community and big garage, just not tall enough. I know the feeling of searching for a while.

[@noisetechnician2711]

Its a nice lift. I work in a dealership as a technician and all of them ive seen had rotarys but after looking in to it i think that bend paks make a better lift. One thing I dont like about where I am now is my neighbors. They dont like my air compressor running at 3 am on the weekend or any other loud power tools for that matter. That being the case I think when I go to buy land ill try to get enough so I dont have to worry about neighbors. Maybe 10 or so acres in the country.

[@DmitrysGarage]

Thanks! The rotarys are nice lifts too, I don't think you can really go wrong with either. Neighbors are tough. Luckily so many tools can now be electric, though I think ultimately the cost is higher between batteries, and replacement cost of tools as they wear vs. air tools. Today I'm just using all electric and have a strict battery maintenance program :-).

[@havoc010101]

Dmitry great video. Where did you get the gantry hoist set up? I Was looking to create something similar but on a smaller scale in my garage. Thanks, keep the content coming!

[@DmitrysGarage]

Thanks Michael, really appreciate you watching :-). The gantry crane itself is pretty standard, you can even get one on amazon. As far as the beam it rides on im not too sure. The garage was expanded to include storage rooms sometime before I bought the property. They used it to support the roof. I later tore down the storage rooms to make one big space.

[@hjc0706]

I'm in the houston area as well, looking to put in one of these lifts but I was looking at the taller one and installing it thru the ceiling drywall for extra clearance. Thoughts? Also was the installer local?

[@DmitrysGarage]

Ive seen people do that successfully. Especially if you can build a box up there to keep the space insulated. Real important for future HVAC. My install was done by the folks from Bendpak. They flew out from California. But there are local installers and distributors.

[@Navs126]

There’s a way to push the forklifts together so you could’ve carried the lift properly.

[@DmitrysGarage]

EmilioLV126 yep, i understand that. The issue was the forks were too short. When i put them together and tried to lift, it would slide off because the lift was too long center of gravity wise vs the short (pallet) forks.

[@Navs126]

Dmitry's Garage you’re absolutely right. Now I know what you mean 👌🏼

[@DK-vx1zc]

Nice setup. You need a seat creeper now.. A bit low but you can still work under

[@DmitrysGarage]

Thanks! Yep I was actually on a little creeper at the end of the video. I'm tall and I don't clunk my head on the creeper so really it's very usable. Not a full size lift, but infinitely better than jack stands.

[@aarong8633]

Nice shop

[@mikeceli]

So much for the claimed incredibly long LED life! My bought new, 208,000 mile, mostly driven w/ headlights on, 2000 Ford Excursion 7.3 diesel, has only burned out headlamp and 1 turn/stop lamp bulbs. Typical of incandescent bulbs.

[@DmitrysGarage]

It's weird, but the other side has never burned out, just something with that passenger side fixture. It's also aftermarket, not OEM, OEM was a basic bulb. So it's possible their manufacturing has some defect in that side, it's always the same LED that burns out too.

[@MrSpeed-cn7pp]

Very nice setup! Was looking to pull the trigger on one. You said the top of the tire on your mustang comes up to about your nose...... how y’all are you? Also what other vehicles have you tried on your lift? Standard sedans? How far do other cars come up? Tried any SUVs yet? Debating between this and the max Jax. Thanks for any input and advise.

[@DmitrysGarage]

Thanks! I'm 6ft2 and nose height is about right for the Mustang. The wheel itself is right at chest level at the highest lock it can reach before maxing out. I've lifted a variety of coupes and sedans with my GrandPrix lift. I haven't lifted anything bigger. My truck is about 8klbs so it's over the 7klb ALI rated limit. I'm not going to try exceeding that limit. It should in theory hold based on how the ALI rating works, but I'm not a fan of doing things that way. Furthermore my F250 rides so high from the factory, it wouldn't go up all that much anyway. Crossover type SUVs should be fine, I haven't tried any, but they aren't that heavy or tall. Crossovers and other unibody SUVs are taller/fatter/longer sedans. Will you be working on frame based full size trucks and SUVs in the 7k+ weight range? If so I'd get an even larger lift than mine. Definitely not the MaxJax or the QuickJack, they're way too small. Weight and height of the vehicle is going to be a potential issue with any of the entry level stuff. The portable MaxJax lift and the Quickjack lifts are good products. Bendpak actually makes the Quickjack. If you can't get a traditional 2-post like the GrandPrix to fit in your space either of those two are an option. I don't prefer them, because of my personal research and resulting opinion. Which is that traditional 2-post lifts from established manufacturers offer easier operation and well established safety practices. I'm not saying the portable lifts are dangerous, because all car lifts are inherently dangerous. You're lifting thousands of pounds over your head. I just feel I'm more likely to have issues like keeping sides synchronized and would be more likely to screw up with a non-traditional lift.

[@srhatfield]

Yeah, 2 post lifts don't work well with the jacking rails. I use the jacking rails to jack my car up and then some ZL1 Addons Lift Pads for jack stands at the track. The Lift Pads work great with a 2 post lift, though!

[@humbucker87]

Great video. Thanks for documenting. I'm curious what research/confidence did you have in your garage floor specs? Did Bendpak recommend any checking of depth? cracks? psi? etc? I just bought a house and plan to put in a lift too and don't know the original specs of the poured concrete.

[@DmitrysGarage]

To be honestly I was definitely worried about it when I was initially deciding on a lift. However, several things helped make me feel better. For one it's a 7000lb capacity lift and the requirements for concrete depth are not immense, and I'm lifting well below that capacity, usually around 1/2 or less. Check the specs for yourself, but as I recall it was a 4.25" depth requirement and 3,000 PSI. My slab depth was way over 4.25" where the lift was installed. This is due to the grade they built the garage on. As far as 3,000 PSI that's a pretty standard rating for new houses around here. Since your house is new maybe the developer could tell you. I would either drill a test hole or see if you can dig up the side around the garage or use a coat hanger to feel how far the slab goes before the grade under it starts. I would definitely make sure you're not trying to install it over a structurally weak or cracked area. Definitely can't put it on a seam between two slabs either. Talk to an installer as well. Ultimately if the concrete is too shallow or unsound it is possible to pour a new footing, I'm told it's not too expensive.

[@humbucker87]

Thanks so much. Great info!

[@ErikU19]

Whats up man, i'm in Houston as well - looking at the same lift - how do you like it 8 months later? What flooring have you decided on? Nice Mustang!

[@DmitrysGarage]

Hey Erik, I still really like the lift, it's performed perfectly thus far. Not much I'd change except maybe wish I had a bigger garage for more lifts :). Flooring wise I think I'm going to pull the trigger on swisstrax as soon as my schedule frees up and I'll actually have time to install it instead of watching a pile of tile sit in the corner. Projects really start to stack up with real life getting in the way. Glad you like the Mustang!

[@sammymaciel3876]

Nice clean garage man im jealous!! Whats this 2 post lift with installation go for if you dont mind me asking? Btw i live in NJ

[@DmitrysGarage]

Thanks for the subscription! I used to live up north and visited NJ many times :-). I don't believe BendPak set a street price that I can share for this smaller GP lift yet. I recommend contacting them directly for a quote, they were great to work with.

[@MuffinMan0521]

The retail is $2,750 I believe. I also believe installation would run somewhere around $500.

[@georgespangler1517]

Just put in my Aplus hw-10kbp, it's 111 inches high with cables and hose in bottom tray,,,you could have recessed your posts 3 inches in ceiling and been about to raise your car another 14 inches, and made a big difference. But what the hell, any lift up is better then none at all..

[@DmitrysGarage]

Congrats! Yea I thought about that option as well. Just didn't want to go that route vs. bolting something up. I also like the overhead design more as far as keeping a clear floor. A few more inches would be nice, but either way it's a comfortable height in a chair.

[@georgespangler1517]

@@DmitrysGarage I guess I like that I've gained another bay to much, I keep my street rod up and put 45 pickup under it,,,helps justify getting it,lol,,,enjoy your lift, sure makes life easy.

[@bobfoglesong3079]

I'm also in Houston. What company did you have do the install for you?

[@DmitrysGarage]

@@bobfoglesong3079 Bendpak did the install for me so it wasn't a local firm. Thanks for watching!

[@aaab7422]

Money doesn't seem to be an issue. Consider a Mohawk A-7 so you can stand underneath the car?

[@DmitrysGarage]

Thanks for taking the time to comment. I wish I could fit a taller lift in my garage, but this was basically the tallest thing out there that would fit. It just barely clears my ceiling by a fraction of an inch. There is no way I'm working out making the garage physically taller with the HOA. I hope to build a shop in the near-ish future though. Goal is to find a nearby plot of land and throw a steel building on it and have that be my actual work space. Garage can then just be more of a service area if I want to change oil or swap wheels.

[@shawnsavage9015]

nice lift. whats the max lifting height. nice garage also

[@DmitrysGarage]

Thanks Shawn, appreciate the compliments. The max height is 58" for the baby model of the GrandPrix lift. That's the one I have, it's not the tallest but it fits my low ceiling (9ft). There is a big daddy version of the GrandPrix that goes to 78" but it's too tall for my garage. Of course they have a ton of other lifts too from other series.

[@marionavarrete8050]

What are the specs to tour garage? It's a beauty

[@DmitrysGarage]

I'm going to do a garage tour video. But basically its something like 1400-1500sqft or so. Sadly only 9ft ceilings. It can hold about 6 cars if you really squeeze them in, but 5 is a more comfortable number.

[@johnclintonmusicandmore]

nice lift

[@DmitrysGarage]

my94silva1 thank you!

[@steelontarget]

Does the 220 work better than 110v? I have 110 only but if 220 is better ill pay for an electrician.

[@DmitrysGarage]

Thanks for watching, yea it does work a little better. Basically the lift operates faster on 220. My understanding is the 110 hydraulic motor is not as powerful. Thats what was explained to me at the time.

[@steelontarget]

@@DmitrysGarage thanks. I may just do 220 since I also plan on getting a 2stage air compressor.

[@gejay99]

Maybe a long shot but are you able to put in a lowered car below the mustang to store? I'm thinking of putting 2 older Porsches on top of each other. I have a similar garage height.

[@DmitrysGarage]

It would have to be two quite slim cars with a similar garage height. It's really a math equation, they have design specs on their site, you'd have to estimate and see if it's realistic. I'd say be conservative if you only want the lift for storage.

[@berounduptv96]

Dmitry's Garage will the company work with us if we call? I’ll do the measuring and then they suggest which lift and if it’ll work.

[@DmitrysGarage]

I would try that. Also most cities should have a local disty that installs them. Also a great source for info.

[@arthurvin2937]

Дима, is your floor post tension slab or rebar and what thinkness?

[@DmitrysGarage]

Arthur, my floor is a typical rebar slab. The thickness varies as it's on a grade. Where we sunk it in the floor it was very thick, 10+ inches, don't remember exact total depth of slab. A tension slab would require extra precaution when installing. Ты пишешь по Русски?

[@arthurvin2937]

@@DmitrysGarage И пишу и говорю :) У меня пост-теншен плиты, хотел сверлить сам но отговорили товарищи из интернета якобы жизненно опасно если наткнутся на трос. Пришлось заказать рентген чтобы профи отметили эти подтяжки. Красивый гараж кстати!

[@DmitrysGarage]

Понятно, да это более сложная процедура. Надо найти тросы рентгеном, а то можно наткнутся, товарищи правильно подсказали. Спасибо! Я очень горжусь гаражом.

[@arthurvin2937]

@@DmitrysGarage Мне еще далеко до такого, но я только начал. Купил дом в Фениксе, теперь в ближайшие планы входит 1) подъемник 2) кондиционер 3) освещение 4) трехфазное питания.

[@DmitrysGarage]

План примерно, как мой был. Все не особо сложно, но занимает время. Если возможно, то я бы сделал все в одновременно. Лучше один раз пару недель мучатся.

[@jacobscutzlas8712]

How much space do you have to the right of the lift closets to the wall? I like your channel. Subbed.

[@DmitrysGarage]

Thanks Jacob, I looked and it is about 2 feet. Really appreciate the sub and that you like the vids :). You got some good track vids man! Subbed right back :).

[@jacobscutzlas8712]

I'm also building a garage and I've had my eye on the maxjax but this might look like a viable alternative. I have 10ft ceilings so I should be able to get a GP-7LC 10' ceiling model but width is my main concern. I feel that the maxjax is overpriced for what it is. The lift you got shows listed on some sites @ $2400 is only $500 bucks more then the old maxjax design and only $100 more then the new maxjax design. Much better bang for the buck imo.

[@DmitrysGarage]

If you can squeeze the GP-7LC into your garage I would take it over the MaxJax. I was considering the MaxJax setup too and I'm sure its fine, but I really like the more traditional connected design of this lift. It's especially nice because it's overhead instead of on the floor, so you can roll around under it really easily. With a 10ft ceiling installation will be a lot easier than in my 9ft space. The only other cost to consider is that to install the grandprix lift you'll need to rent a forklift to unload it and install it. Get the one with real long forks, not the short pallet ones I had. Scariest unloading ever with the short forks.

[@jacobscutzlas8712]

How did they lift the top gantry portion into position? If they used the forklift wouldn't the cage attached to the forks hit the ceiling before you got the gantry to the proper height?

[@DmitrysGarage]

Jacob Scutzlas the gantry was already in place we didn't install it in this video.

[@oldhobomanl1747]

How much installed?

[@sandromuller5669]

Did you do any prep work to the floor prior to installing the lift?

[@DmitrysGarage]

I did not, just made sure the concrete was deep there.

[@brettdore2635]

How much to have it installed? What kind of concrete depth?

[@DmitrysGarage]

I don’t know on install cost since bendpak set it up for me. My concrete depth is pretty thick due to the incline the garage was built on. I want to say 4” minimum is whats required but definitely check out the manual/specs.

[@jamesrgarrett0422]

How did you mount your fans?

[@DmitrysGarage]

I drilled two holes into the fan stands spaced at 16 inches so I could sink them into two of the studs in the ceiling behind the drywall. I then wired them up to a light switch at the entrance so I could turn them on and off. I got these fans at home depot, they were supposedly non-mountable floor fans, but the only difference between them and the more expensive wall mountable model was pre-drilled holes for mounting and screws. I recommend checking that out, because I'll certainly save $10 a fan to drill two holes myself and I've got a ton of screws. Furthermore the pre-drilled holes in the more expensive model weren't 16 on center, so they would never hit two studs assuming your layout is 16 on center at home. That means at best only one would be in a stud and the other would be in drywall with an anchor. I prefer to sink fans into studs :).

[@optimistichorizon]

Finally, an alternative to a MaxJax!

[@DmitrysGarage]

Yea it's a really great alternative, I feel a lot safer with this than I would have with the maxjax. I'm not saying that maxjax is a bad product, I just worry a lot more with the design being disconnected.

[@optimistichorizon]

Dmitry's Garage How do you explain that you have this product assembled in your garage a full 3 months before its release date at the end of March of this year, 2018? You have to be connected to the company for this to be possible. I just tried to order one and it is not available for another month. I can be the first though. How are you the first?

[@DmitrysGarage]

As far as I know I'm one of the first people with this lift, could be the first but I'm not sure. I reached out to BendPak online after finding out about their plans to release this lift and it worked out. I was really lucky to get one so early in time to complete my project. I also post on garage journal and they did see my post about building this garage and my need for a lift. That may have helped my cause. It's a really great lift and I've had no issues so far. Would definitely recommend it.

[@JohnKaufmann]

C7000 Triumph is an alternative than beats the MaxJax

[@optimistichorizon]

@@JohnKaufmann *Thanks for that.*

[@maineac5615]

You did a nice job of installation but yer garage is way too neat and clean lol.

[@DmitrysGarage]

Haha yea its not always that neat. Sometimes its a huge mess. This was just after I remodeled it.

[@KuvHlubStephanie]

Hey will this lift fit a regular height garage?

[@DmitrysGarage]

You need at least 9ft ceilings but yes it can.

[@siucbset]

MidRise: Why didn't you just get a BendPak mid rise lift?

[@DmitrysGarage]

I'm not a fan of scissor lifts, I'm sure theirs is excellent too, I just prefer a 2-post for ease of access to under the car.

[@OEMPlus]

Because transmission work.

[@salahhamed7506]

Can you fit another car underneath? Also, how tall are you ? Can you stand under the lifted car ? Thanks man.

[@DmitrysGarage]

It will really depend on the size of the vehicles. But probably not unless they’re small. However this isn’t a storage lift either. Im 6ft3 and no i cant stand under any car Ive lifted with it. I just sit on a rolling chair.

[@salahhamed7506]

@@DmitrysGarage I appreciate the reply. Love the space!

[@warrenmullett]

Wish you were my neighbor..

[@DmitrysGarage]

Thanks! My new neighbors don’t seem to be car people :-(, but I’ve got friends who are gonna have to box for lift time!

[@limitedslip]

There is not enough room to park another car underneath is there?

[@DmitrysGarage]

Unfortunately not my cars. Maybe very thin ones. My ceiling isnt very tall. Thanks for watching!

[@touyang2846]

how tall is your garage ceiling?

[@DmitrysGarage]

Thanks for the sub! My ceiling is only 9ft tall which is why this lift was such a great setup for me. I didn't have to carve the ceiling up or make a custom insulated box (I have AC & insulation) that cuts into the ceiling for a traditional taller lift. I also didn't have to use a small unconnected portable lift or a scissor lift, both of which were suboptimal for my needs. I wish I had a taller ceiling, 14ft+ would be amazing, but beggars can't be choosers. Plus this property was already at my limit money wise, especially since I don't have kids and don't need the room. I have dreams of building a warehouse somewhere and leasing most of it out to pay the nut on it while I use the remaining part for my own nonsense =].

[@touyang2846]

can you do a video on that gantry...

[@DmitrysGarage]

I have a little bit of info about the gantry in the video "Procharged Mustang Bypass Valve Sound" at 3 min 15 seconds.

[@georgespangler1517]

How's your welds? Most benpak lifts welds are sloppy and halfass, enough I couldn't trust them, knowing welding the way I do,,My Aplus hw-10kbp welds are robotic welding and perfect,

[@DmitrysGarage]

They seem pretty clean, this is a new model so maybe they've improved things. I really don't see anything negative about the way this model is designed and it is ALI certified.

[@williecurry6086]

How big is your garage sq feet

[@DmitrysGarage]

I want to say it's around 1,400 or so.

[@ghostlegz]

dude the rail telescopes you can extend the arms out more just pull them out.

[@DmitrysGarage]

The problem is they're too long not too short. I realize they extend out. It actually sounded like bendpak was potentially going to revise it with a shorter front arm and longer rear arm. Not sure if they ever did.

[@stevenweede7184]

Is that what you meant by your short lift rail issues? Do you think it was just an issue with that particular model car or some other design issue?

[@jorgeardon2040]

Not tall enough

[@DmitrysGarage]

Wish it was taller, but it sure beats jackstands by miles. Sitting in a chair under it isnt bad.