Let's just say that I've reached a certain age after being extremely near sighted most of my life, and now I've gotten to the age where I can't see anything up close anymore either. Reading glasses work at about a foot or so, but what do you folks do about the stuff that's about three inches from the end of your nose while underneath the car? Doing the cabin air filter on my Z was a real pain in the ass, vision-wise.
Get longer arms I use jack stands intended for a truck (8,000 lb rated load capacity). They are a lot taller than those for cars as well as being safer due to their wider base. They just simply move the car away from your nose. If you get a brighter light, your pupils constrict thereby increasing your depth of field. I bought these safety glasses, thought at first they might be hoaky, but they turn out to be really useful: http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_03493338000P An other alternative, I suppose, would be to buy fancy jewelers glasses, although the safety protection for the eyes is dubious: http://www.ottofrei.com/store/product.php?productid=17017
"Let your fingers do the walking." Sometimes, you can't see anyway. I do a lot of stuff out of focus. There are different magnifications available, too. I usually wear a 1.50 or 1.75, but I have 2.75 readers for very close work like building models.
Wow, the binocular magnifiers are pricey-- maybe my wife the veterinary surgeon could justify those. I've got a headlamp that's been used when dashboard diving, and it helps, the lighted safety glasses might be a little more low profile when I'm sticking my head in a footwell. And as far as lifting the car higher, maybe I could get a doctors prescription for a two post lift
THAT is the ticket. And you're freaking stuck with it is you absolutely need it. Fortunately, Bimmers seldom require reassembly of 4-bbl Holleys<G> To be determined is the fun of juggling glasses! the best deal IMHO is Costco, about $18 for a package of 3. (keep a spare in the tool box!) I use 1.75 readers in general but often take them off under the car (God, I am coming to HATE the under the car shit! Takes to damn long to get down, and longer to get up to get the fuerschluginer 8mm I need but forgot<G>) Sears has high-lift 3000# stands at $25/pair. I found the std 17" lift stands can barely get the tires off the ground in the Bimmer. but these are 23"--a good fit with the aluminum jack I bought at Costco that takes it up to 23.5 or so. (man do I ever avoid the heavy 75#? SOB I've used for years now that I have the maybe 40 pound Alcan Al!!). If variable lenses (the "lineless bifocals" extended to a trifocal lens) don't bother you (they DO me!) you could get some cut to suit. figure out what distances you need to work with and have the Doc do his scribbles. But they are gonna cost a hundred bucks or so.
Brighter light also helps a whole lot!!! (I carry a small flashlighte just so I can see key slots in locks and stuff like that<G>). Some fluorescent lights can be really helpful here.
