Funny Story about Grand Pre Motors.

When they started their shop up on automobile row they took over an old auto repair shop on pike street. the shop was small but had a full basement but inaccessible for automobiles. An old 4 post cable car hoist was purchased and a hole was cut out in the back corner or the street level shop. Then the 4 post hoist was cut apart and lowered down to the concrete basement floor then the posts were extended to allow cars to be lowered from the Street level floor down to the basement floor doubling service area.

Cables for the hoist had to be lengthened to allow cars to be dropped down to the basement level. All work proceeded and it was time to try it out. A fellow was there watching the process and he had a Mercedes which was driven on to the hoist for a trial run. The car was driven on with no problems then lowered down to the basement level. Everything went as planned.

Next was to bring the Mercedes back to the 1st floor. Up it came until oh oh, the cables stretched. The heavy Mercedes not only showed just the top of the car above the 1`st floor. The reels that held the cable were up to their level of cable and the car was about 3 feet below the floor. There being no other access to the basement but a narrow stairway, needless to say the Mercedes owner was more that pissed.

It took a lot of timbers and jacks to inch the Mercedes up to the 1st floor level and several days as well to get the Mercedes out of the pit. After all was said and done seems there were no permits issued and it was deemed an illegal elevator. Don't remember how that was ever solved.
just sayin'
tr0768