UK entrepreneurs open Pit Start, the country's first self-service garage
If you're a London gearhead and want to work on your car but have no place to do it, you'll want to check out Pit Start, a new self-service garage. It is exactly what it sounds like – a communal pay-by-the-hour workspace. Would-be tinkerers can pre-book a space or drop in, and upon arrival, a Pit Start employee will assign you one of the twenty repair bays depending on the kind of work you'll be doing.
Bays can be rented for a minimum of hour, and it's £10 for bays without lifts (a little over $15 USD) or £20 (roughly $30 USD) for one of the six bays that come with a four-ton hoist. Pit Start provides an array of common tools for free, sells oil and basic fluids, has a directory of nearby mechanics, and can arrange to have parts delivered for you within the hour. The only things you can't do are tasks that involve welding or paint spraying. This month, bay rental is 50% off, and the garage is open 24/7 in case you get the urge to install a turbo at 3 a.m. They even provide shop manuals.
Would you be interested in having something like this in America? Drop us a line in 'Comments.'
[Source: Pit Start]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 6)
Ben 8:35AM (5/11/2009)
YES!
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Sam 9:29AM (5/11/2009)
Yes'ing at 6 months old news?
Duders 10:13AM (5/11/2009)
There was one of these back in my city all the way into the late 70s. Operated on the exact same principle. They even supplied the tools like this one did, although you had to rent them. I like the idea of having shop manuals supplied for you too. Very cool.
Clay Garland 10:34AM (5/11/2009)
As much time as I spend under the hood of one car or another, I'd be able to buy a lift at the end of a month.
bornfromjets03 11:52AM (5/11/2009)
YES!
Spiel 12:30PM (5/11/2009)
Reminds of Christine (the movie).
EXP Jawa 8:35AM (5/11/2009)
I've been toying with an idea like this for a while. I just wasn't sure how to get to actually make money...
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Tim 8:48AM (5/11/2009)
Yep, me too. I just figured the liability insurance costs would be way too high to make it economically viable.
Kitko 9:48AM (5/11/2009)
UK is not so insurance-crazy as the US. I assume the guy has thought it through and the use is at the car-owners risk who would also be liable for any damage they may cause to the garage owner.
Sort of a track-day principle. You can race your car on a public track-day event but only on your own risk and your normal insurance doesn't cover circuit adventures.
DayShifter 9:50AM (5/11/2009)
Yeah, me three!!
Came up with this about 5 years ago, my idea was the same, but my shop would be 24/7 and the tools were a seperate rental. I would just provide air connections. Just never figured how to implement... It's still a viable idea.
Rick 10:26AM (5/11/2009)
I would think you'd have to sign a disclaimer before using the bay/tools, etc to protect the facility owners from any litigation. Very cool idea!
Mark S 8:40AM (5/11/2009)
A friend of mine ran one of those almost 30 years ago in Raleigh, NC.
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ScottC 8:48AM (5/11/2009)
Really? Where in Raleigh? I grew up there and can't place a shop like that in my memory. My Dad always worked on the cars in our carport and hurt his back putting a transmission into a '60 Valiant on jack stands....
I too think this is a great idea. What would be best would be a rural setting with a "Test Track" to check out your handy work when you are finished.
I wonder if it would make money if you made it like a club with monthly dues?
golly 1:10PM (5/11/2009)
There was one of these in the mid 70's in the Vancouver BC area. I remember because I actually used it once. The shop didn't last too long.
Patrick Starling 8:36AM (5/11/2009)
This is such a great idea. I've always wanted to be able to do things like install a bolt on turbo or an exhaust system on my rides, but unless you have a buddy who's a mechanic it's really hard to find a place to work without a lift. THis is a great idea!
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Gilly730 8:37AM (5/11/2009)
I think these would be great in some of the larger cities where most people live in apartments or have very small garages. I for one would use them.
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E34some 8:41AM (5/11/2009)
I would definitely want to see this in the states. I sometimes could use a hoist, and in the winter, I don't get a chance to work on the car because of no heated garage space and its just too cold. Not to mention the people it would draw could turn into a sweet sub community, everyone helping out with other peoples cars. I was wishing I had a garage like this last summer and my friend and I went looking for spaces to start one, but we lack all business sense, and thus never went for it. If you pursue this, in addition to fluids, manuals, etc to have on site, make sure you have take out menus, fort those of us that would be there for a long time without food and without a car to go get food. This is a sick idea, and I think you should definitely pursue it.
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StickShift 8:42AM (5/11/2009)
This would be great. Even though my house has a garage and big driveway, we can't afford or fit a lift. Having the option to rent a bay with one for such a paltry fee sounds very enticing.
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Neil Schelly 8:43AM (5/11/2009)
I wish one of these was local to me - I would use it almost every week or two at least.
-N
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armstrom 8:45AM (5/11/2009)
Oddly enough, something like this already exists on most US military bases. It's usually called the Auto Hobby Shop. But I agree, something like this would be great for some people here in the US. Cities like London are so strapped for space that there is literally no place most residents can work on a car so the model works much better there. Maybe somewhere like NYC would be a good place to start. My only concern would be the cost. At ~$30 an hour you're only about half the cost of playing someone else to do it, but if you factor in that most people will take longer to do a job than an experienced mechanic then there may be no real savings at all compared to taking your car into a shop. Of course, this doesn't factor in the satisfaction of doing the job yourself, but you can't put a $ figure on that.
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