Man Has A Project Car. Then He Tries A Garage Pass Membership: 'I've Wanted Something Like This FOREVER'

Having access to a car lift and ample space to work on a project car can be limiting if you don’t work at an auto shop. Some modifications require extra tools and a professional setup that may be unattainable for someone outside of the industry.

One car enthusiast decided to do something about this issue. His newly launched business has inspired one person to exclaim, “Man I’ve wanted something like this FOREVER.”

In a TikTok with over 89,100 views as of this writing, Abe (@garagepass.abe) showcases the first location of Garage Pass in Oakland, California.

The post starts out with a tour of the inside of the garage. 

“At the community shop here. We got all three lifts installed finally,” Abe begins.

The open garage floor has ample room to work on a project car. In addition to three car lifts, the garage has lockers and vending machines.

“Our community auto shop is open and ready for members! $150/month to work on your project car in peace. Sign up for a tour at garagepass.co” the onscreen text reads.

“Been Trying To Find A Place That Rents Lifts My Entire Life”

Abe's post caught the attention of many car enthusiasts who applauded Abe.

“Been trying to find a place that rents lifts my entire life. I'm not even kidding. Since I was 16, I'm 41 now. I do my own stuff until I can't or it doesn't make sense to try to,” one wrote.

“Man I’ve wanted something like this FOREVER. Maybe making an entire community type area out of it. I can envision an entire complex of stuff like this with car meets, parts stores etc,” another added.

Other viewers mentioned that this is an ideal solution for those who don’t have space to work on their cars.

“This is honestly such a great idea! Not everyone has a place to work on their car or cars,” one commented.

“Dude this is awesome for people who can’t access a shop,” another said.

An additional commenter encouraged Abe to go big.

“I love it when someone implements an idea, and they apply a reasonable rate. I hope this explodes for you. I’m talking franchising and all. You should add an onsite ASE mechanic that charges a reasonable rate for consulting!!!” they said.

“The margins are very low as you can imagine, but I'd like to keep it that way,” Abe replied.

Why Aren’t Car Lift Rentals More Common?

My Garage Supplies suggests that people are better off buying a car lift than renting one. It argues that the rental fees for five to 10 years of DIY car maintenance will equal the cost of a lift itself. A basic car lift costs between $1,500 to $5,000.

However, not everyone has a garage or somewhere else to keep a car lift. Plus, 34% of Americans are renters, which makes installing a car lift more challenging.

Public access to car lifts is rare for a reason. There’s high liability and risk, which can make getting insurance, business loans, and zoning approvals more complicated.

Most car lift accidents are due to human error, Motor1 previously reported. Shake tests can be done to ensure stability and that the vehicle is fully secure on the lift before working as this can potentially save a life. Even pros miss this vital step sometimes; amateurs working a lift are arguably more likely to make mistakes.

This concept has been pitched before, but many gave up after more fully understanding the potential liabilities. However, Abe was able to find an insurance provider and is requiring all members to get trained before touching the lift. 

“I’m surprised you got insurance to approve this. That's the biggest problem why these aren't everywhere,” one person said.

“I spoke to so many brokers you have no idea. They liked that I'm a lawyer. Do you have insurance experience?” Abe replied.

“Please make sure to do safety knowledge checks so people know how to use the lifts properly,” someone else said.

“Safety is incredibly important! Trainings are required,” Abe responded.

Is A Garage Pass Membership Worth It?

Garage Pass offers multiple tiers of memberships. Each comes with an allotted number of hours to access the shop and car lifts. The general membership starts out at $150/month plus a $10 processing fee. This includes five hours of garage access monthly.

“$150/month is so reasonable. There's a rent a lift in Phoenix but it's $50/hr,” one remarked of the price point.

The $30 hourly rate remains the same for the next two membership tiers. The silver tier comes with 10 hours of lift time; gold with 15.

There a price break on the hourly rate at the highest membership tier. Platinum members get 100 hours of lift time monthly for $1,500—which comes to $15/hour.

One thing to note is that Garage Pass does not offer day passes. Abe says that’s intentional.

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“More stable finances and keeps strangers from pulling up,” he explained. “Also better for the community aspect. May still do day passes one day.”

Motor1 has contacted Abe via Instagram and TikTok direct message, This post will be updated if he replies.

 

 

 

 

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