I recently upgraded my floor jack and stands.The 993 works better with flat
top stands, and I wanted something that would enable me to raise the cars a little higher than my old set up, so I went with the ESCO from Ultimate Garage. It is a copy of the NLA AC Hydraulic stands, and shares the beefy construction, useful 13”-21” range, and build quality with the original. They also share the price, but thanks to a group buy on Rennlist, I saved $13/corner. For a floor jack, I picked up a very nice piece from Griot’s Garage at their annual garage sale – only $85 rather than the normal $400 price tag.
Last weekend I used the setup for the first time and was blown away by the
difference in stability.I’ve never had a pair of ratchet type stands that lock
at exactly the same lift height. This doesn’t seem to make a difference in a
real car where the vehicle weight is sufficient that modest chassis flex keeps
all the jacking points in contact with the stands. With the Westfield, however, the car is so light, that it would only rest on three stands at any given time. With the ESCOs the Westfield was rock solid. Very comforting.
Unfortunately I discovered that my bargain floor jack is broken. After lifting
the car a few inches I noticed a puddle of hydraulic fluid forming under the
piston. Not good. A quick call to Griot’s and they told me to bring it by for
a look. If it is repairable then they’ll take care of it, otherwise they will
simply exchange the jack – even though it was bought at the garage sale which is an all-sales-final affair. They may not offer the lowest prices, but their customer service is outstanding.
I know that last time I promised pictures of the new transmission tunnel caps, but I unfortunately didn’t get around to it. The caps are installed and are completed except for minor trimming, so the next step is to cut out the pattern for the cover, pull out the sewing machine and relearn how to use it - and take pictures. Hopefully I'll complete everything this weekend.
top stands, and I wanted something that would enable me to raise the cars a little higher than my old set up, so I went with the ESCO from Ultimate Garage. It is a copy of the NLA AC Hydraulic stands, and shares the beefy construction, useful 13”-21” range, and build quality with the original. They also share the price, but thanks to a group buy on Rennlist, I saved $13/corner. For a floor jack, I picked up a very nice piece from Griot’s Garage at their annual garage sale – only $85 rather than the normal $400 price tag.
Last weekend I used the setup for the first time and was blown away by the
difference in stability.I’ve never had a pair of ratchet type stands that lock
at exactly the same lift height. This doesn’t seem to make a difference in a
real car where the vehicle weight is sufficient that modest chassis flex keeps
all the jacking points in contact with the stands. With the Westfield, however, the car is so light, that it would only rest on three stands at any given time. With the ESCOs the Westfield was rock solid. Very comforting.
Unfortunately I discovered that my bargain floor jack is broken. After lifting
the car a few inches I noticed a puddle of hydraulic fluid forming under the
piston. Not good. A quick call to Griot’s and they told me to bring it by for
a look. If it is repairable then they’ll take care of it, otherwise they will
simply exchange the jack – even though it was bought at the garage sale which is an all-sales-final affair. They may not offer the lowest prices, but their customer service is outstanding.
I know that last time I promised pictures of the new transmission tunnel caps, but I unfortunately didn’t get around to it. The caps are installed and are completed except for minor trimming, so the next step is to cut out the pattern for the cover, pull out the sewing machine and relearn how to use it - and take pictures. Hopefully I'll complete everything this weekend.
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