Another option, this innovative car ramp design:-

http://www.restorationramps.co.uk/phdi/p1.nsf/supppages/ramps?opendocument&part=2

Location: Oxfordshire

I am in the process of adapting one of the to take a cradle suitable for long and short A7 chassis:

http://m.g.ebay.co.uk/itm/262409812533

Location: North Yorkshire

Hi Ruairidh, when you say you are adapting one to take a cradle, would this be able to do a totally horizontal "all four wheels up" lift?
I would imagine that as a Seven weighs at most a third (?) of the stated capacity that the device might be capable if the feet were extended to provide enough cantilever? Would the vertical part of the device stand the bending moment?
If so, this could be a most useful piece of kit…

Am I talking through my fundament here?

I've just seen that they do a two-post lift which would be more appropriate and less trouble than adapting an existing one.. twice the price but ,
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-POST-LIFT-CAR-VEHICLE-RAMP-LIFT-HOIST-3-5-T-3500KG-TWO-POST/282324393781?_trksid=p2047675.c100011.m1850&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140107083358%26meid%3D8920dd48c4944a0f9182e8259f60a699%26pid%3D100011%26rk%3D5%26rkt%3D12%26sd%3D262409812533

Location: Ripon

It may be all too obvious, but with any of these modification ideas, the most important thing is to ensure the failure of hydraulic systems or overstressed steel members doesn't leave you trapped underneath. In the dark ages people would put a pile of bricks under an axle. I often think of the chap we met on a rally who died shortly after under his Trimph 2000 when the bricks crumbled.

Take care when you are having fun!

Location: not in the garage :(

Location: Channel Islands

There are moulded glassfibre pits e.g:-

https://www.mech-mate.co.uk/

Location: Oxfordshire

I also bought a second hand 4 poster the same brand as Stuart's. It was 3 phase but I just bought one of those Single/Three phase Variable Frequency Drive thingys off Ebay and it works a treat.

Location: Rokeby, Victoria, Australia

We have a four post lift that we got for free from a freindly garage who bought a bigger and stronger one. It is a KONI 1.5 Ton lift of 45 years old and works perfectly, it even survived the fire in the workshop. We made the runners a bit narrower to run on and off our A30/35 easier and by luck we did it right too for A7's and also the bigger cars we own.

Location: behind the dykes

For anyone following this thread I am now thinking of buying one of the readily available 2.8 t scissor lifts rather than a"narrowed" one and fitting side channels to run the cars straight on rather than to straddle a narrow one.
There are some brilliant lifts available from Bike-lifts Europe but they are about 4 times the price of a heavier lift.

Location: Channel Islands

There are quite a number of plans and examples of bike lifts to be found on line which are constructed using a trolly jack as the lifting ram. It would be easy to adapt and fabricate one of these to take an Austin 7, I have been meaning to build one for a while now but never seem to have the time.

Location: NZ

Ian,I want to be able to do is say work on the propshaft,or drain the gearbox which I think would be difficult using a motorcycle table based lift.
I've considered altering a machine mart motorcycle lift or two (Too wide),to get the gap in the middle. They are less than £400 here.

Location: Channel Islands