Featured Projects I bought a new creeper

I saw that on his show, and told wifey "I have got to get me one of those!"
Then I saw how much it cost. Damn.

Guess I'm not getting one of those.

 

The Lazyboy of creepers!! Hey the way I see it if you can swing the price and it does what you want it too the more power to you!! Trust me that looks like money spent well and this is coming from a guy that is starting to know the fun of old age pains and the effects of gravity

 

Last time I used a creeper I was 17 years old and had long hair like most kids at that time, I had rolled under my Falcon and got my hair caught in on of the creeper wheels, when you are in that situation the creeper doesn't want to roll and hurts like hell if it does! HRP

 

Been there with long hair , aways carry a knife in back pocket , afew times I have cut my hair ,
Also as you get older there is / can be issues with a Lift , 2 & 4 post Having to get down on Kneels & elbows to set arms , Need to choose a lift wisely ,
Most are not Old car / vehicle friendly.
Then Constantly hitting your head on arms ,, wearing glasses ect .
Over year's I have used pits , stack wheel's , Single post lift , bumper lift jacks , like most working inside car
With legs over seat up side down under a dash , installing transmissions from my chest , Time is caching up & is getting harder

 

I thought grunting and groaning while getting up was traditional.

 

You might check with your optometrist about the possibility of having a special pair of "shop" glasses made. I seem to recall hearing about having only one lens ground using your near vision prescription and the other lens ground using your bifocal prescription. You might have to close one eye or the other to get the desired depth of field depending on your working distance.

 

That's probably true if I could do the labor myself, but that ship sailed almost 2 years ago. Ladder work is out of the question now. Enjoy it while you can.

 

@ClayMart good advise, but I find the darn things flop around or there is not enough room for me, the glasses and the right view.
Plus these are old and beat to heck.
All solvable I guess, but gotta use the funds on car stuff! Another age thing, at least in my case.

 

I have nothing against anyone making a profit, but there is a limit. I have been looking around, and there are things called "Linear Actuators" available that seem suited for electrifying a manual version of this creeper. An outfit called Vevor in particular, makes one with a travel of 19" and a capacity of 1350 lbs. that seems ideal. It runs on 12 volts and costs less than $50. I have a welder and some scrap steel, so I'm going to seriously look into this.

 

We addressed working outside the car, cupholders and all, how about inside the car. I'm currently relocating my gas pedal laying half inside and outside. One of these day my wife is going to find me stuck a day later. Maybe one of these things is adjustable enough to wedge myself in there.

 

Have the glasses made with wire temples, the kind that loop around your ears. I’ve been using those since the 90s when an optician showed them to me. Now they use a deal that just replaces the slightly bent version…
Not the best picture, but you get the idea. I even have a pair of safety glasses that have been changed that way. Greasy skin, no problem!

 

Damn I'm only 37 and I'm jealous lol.

 

I looked at modifying my manual one and the linear would have been my choice. I've been pushing to get the truck cab off the rotisserie and I'll be useless for 6-8 weeks after knee surgery.

 

Fortunatly, I had a friend close by and he came to my rescue with a dull pocket knife,he was laughing his arse off while making a bald spot on the top of my head! HRP

 

I'm 73. Hell, I have NO trouble getting down under the car. Getting up, and out from under the car?
Different story.
If they ever put out a Silver Alert for me, tell them to look under my car.

 

I have a weight lifting bench that is just the right height for most auto floors. You lay on the bench, mostly outside the car, and stick your head in under the dash.

 

I’m 76 and although it’s getting harder to get up off the floor after being under a car or truck, I still can, and I find it’s good for me to do it. It’s somewhat of a workout, which I never do otherwise. And as long as I can do it, I will. My shop ceiling is too short for a lift anyway, and I can’t afford one of those fancy creeper things.

 

I got some specs with both lenses for reading and that works well for me.

 

I definitely agree with all of that. I was fortunate enough to buy a lift this year, and I went with a four post, so I should be able to use well into my older years. Luckily, I have plenty of ceiling height.

 

Actually the 2 manual models aren’t priced too badly. The powered one is salty. I can definitely see one in my future. They were built for the aero industry and that’s the reason for the large price. Joel, thanks for the link and heads up!

 

That is a Cadillac of creepers! @HOTRODPRIMER brought the painful long hair memory back. Accidental gear oil in the 'ol mop was fun to wash out as well.

 

Getting old means having to think three steps ahead of how you are going to get back up before you ever get under the car. And to make sure there is something close by and handy to grab hold of to help pull yourself back up.

 

Ain’t that the truth! Fell out in the driveway on ice a winter ago. Nothing to lever myself up by. Probably looked funny for anyone watching.

 

The other end of the spectrum is how I roll. Dad got this in the early '70s.

 

After saving my pennies for a long while. I'm finally installing a 2-post hoist. Between that and working on the FED (where everything is at knee-level) I figure I need one of those short stools/chairs that roll around on castors. Most of the ones online have mixed reviews - they either overbalance, or the wheels seem to crap out. A removable tray to place nuts and bolts on would be nice, but I don't need sliding drawers or a cupholder.

Anyone got recommendations for a shop roller stool that will last? Willing to spend, but perhaps not quite as much as a Vyper:
I Bought the World's Most Expensive Shop Chair

Cheers,
Harv

 

I use an old office chair, you should be able to find a cheap one at a rummage or estate sale

 

We had similar creepers in the hangar. They had hydraulic struts on them for the chairs. The guys loved them.