Anyone have experience with car shippers?

[nextproject]

Looking to buy a car from Vermont and have it shipped to TN, roads are getting bad up there this time of year, and a plane ticket is ~500, in addition to a hotel room and gas. I love a road trip probably more than the next guy, and id LOVE to drive this car back, but i need to explore this option.

I can google all day long but i know lots of you guys with super nice cars on here MUST have some experience with a reputable enclosed car transportation company. So here's your chance to drag their name through the mud or sing their praises. This car looks super beautiful in the pics, and enclosed is the ONLY way to go on this.

[sw20>>s14]

I bought my Lotus Elise from AZ. I used uShip as the marketplace and placed a bid with Montway Shipping which is a broker. They dispatched the shipment to Nationwide Autogistics which is a contractor.

My experience with uShip was pretty good even though they didn't really do much. Good communication and turnaround whenever I had questions. At that time, my bid qualified for a $25 rebate so that wasn't bad.

Montway had a pretty good feedback ratio and volume, not to mention the cheapest price. I took a shot in the dark with them and have no complaints. They were very helpful and updated frequently. Only gripe would be that that are a broker, so they dispatch trucks in that area or are planning to pass through so the actual ETA of pick up varies A LOT. Ask whether they are brokers or actual carriers and plan well ahead.

Nationwide Autogistics was awesome. The truck driver called to update me exactly when he said he would. Rearranged his rig so that excess oil from a "dripper" wouldn't drip on my Lotus. Also took a lot of care in not scrapping the front clam while loading and unloading the car. He knew what he was doing and cared for the car as if it were his. Couldn't ask for more.

The worse thing that happened to the car during its journey was one tiny chip in the Starshield from a pebble. Although you opting for enclosed will negate the chance of this obviously.

[sw20>>s14]

Not sure if I understand your situation either. Will you be seeing the car in person beforehand or not?

[nextproject]

I really dont think seeing it beforehand will be an option. The aforementioned shipper quoted me 1200. May be in my best interest to just fly up with several rolls of blue painters tape lol. Either way, if i see the car first and decide i dont want it, or its not what i expected, im out almost a grand due to plane tickets.

[omgRWDgoodness!]

Look up Lepke Auto Transport, my friend referred me to them. I had my two-tone S13 shipped from the seller in CA to me in south FL. It cost $850 and it got picked up within a couple days, and made the journey in a few more. No complaints here.

[badbob2121]

I have shipped multiple cars over the years and I highly recommend spending the extra coin on enclosed transport if you care about the car.

I recently used Enclosed Vehicle Transport | Insured Door to Door Shipping for Autos and Cycles and had a good experience. My S13 was nice and cosy next to a Bentley and a Benz. lol

[nextproject]

I think i may just bring lots of painters tape and drive it home. i was hoping that it would be roughly the same price to ship as to fly in and drive it home, this way i get to see what im getting into. i totally agree you get what you pay for. 500-600 seems the low low end where i imagine they dont really care much how the car arrives as long as its in one piece.

[K_style]

I have shipped 3 cars so far.. All S chassis with coilovers. I had to raise up them to have at least 10~11 inch clearance from the ground. However. I strongly suggest you or someone you trust to be there when it is getting loaded and unloaded.

This shit happened to me..
Dumb ass truck driver wasn't careful enough to control clutch and he gave too much gas to push out the ramp...

[badbob2121]

^ Another reason why you pay for enclosed (lift gate)

[K_style]

Originally Posted by badbob2121

^ Another reason why you pay for enclosed (lift gate)

Yes. but they cost a lot more. So if you care for your car.. it is worth paying extra..

Another thing was, there were tons of bird shit on my car after too....

[sw20>>s14]

Originally Posted by nextproject

I really dont think seeing it beforehand will be an option. The aforementioned shipper quoted me 1200. May be in my best interest to just fly up with several rolls of blue painters tape lol. Either way, if i see the car first and decide i dont want it, or its not what i expected, im out almost a grand due to plane tickets.

No way around it, chief. You go off of pictures and trust and you might end up with a lemon and wasting 20 times more than that. You fly out and it doesn't work out, you're out a thousand. That's the risk. I trust that this car is a good enough deal where the risk is palatable. Mine definitely was.

Out of curiosity, what car is it? I can't imagine myself shipping a car (within my own personal search) unless if it was a steal or a low supply/short production car like a Lotus, S2000 CR, or E86. I entertained shipping a Cayman S, but those are a dime a dozen, I decided to be patient instead.

Dang you guys opt for enclosed trailers just for 240s?!?! Ballers.

[nextproject]

Lol i havent ever shipped a car so i had no idea the cost before i posted this. Its the '98 240SX in the classifieds. You have an SW20? Are you over on MR2OC? Im sidewaysSW20 over there. I needed to find a super stylish DD with hardly any engine mods that would be reliable and i think i found it here on Zilvia. Theres a black one with 19s and a cf hood. Just awaiting further conversation with the seller at this point

Funny i named my MR2 "roxanne" as well. pretty much the same name for every project i've ever had.

[yokotas13]

19s lulz.....

[nextproject]

She will sit alongside my DD/project:




Not much yet as far as modded MR2s go, but i've only had her 18 months and i've been paying off bills simultaneously. Time to add a classy DD to the fleet to replace a fallen one.

[sw20>>s14]

Originally Posted by nextproject

Lol i havent ever shipped a car so i had no idea the cost before i posted this. Its the '98 240SX in the classifieds. You have an SW20? Are you over on MR2OC? Im sidewaysSW20 over there. I needed to find a super stylish DD with hardly any engine mods that would be reliable and i think i found it here on Zilvia. Theres a black one with 19s and a cf hood. Just awaiting further conversation with the seller at this point

Funny i named my MR2 "roxanne" as well. pretty much the same name for every project i've ever had.

Ah, I see. Was just curious as to your decision on shipping since you mentioned that enclosed was the ONLY option. I was imagining a Gallardo, pristine E30 M3, 993 Turbo, or something, lol.

Honestly, if it's just a 240 (and I don't mean anything by that, hell, I have one) AND it will be your DD, why not open trailer? Whatever damage it may possibly incur will probably happen while you daily drive it anyway. If anything really bad happens, you have the liberty to hop in the FS section and get another bumper for like $50 bucks. Or replace the windshield for like $100. We're lucky we have one of the most saturated used parts markets. I see opting for an enclosed trailer a little excessive considering the car. It's just a 240 after all.

Are you really prepared to pay over 15% ($1000 of $6000; just a shot in the dark price for a Kouki) of the cars value on shipping alone? I really want a GC8 and it seems most of the reasonably priced clean ones are out of state, but I determined that I'm not willing to pay $500-750 shipping for a car that's only worth around $5k.

Obviously it's your choice in the end, but I think you're racking your brain with the decision to ship enclosed. You don't have much room/margin to play with. In your same situation with my personal search, I told myself that if I fly out of state and don't end up buying, I'll be out a grand. Better than shipping it blindly and being out 30+ if I got a dud.

I am on MR2OC, not very active anymore though. I was there before the update under Swap?, then went by Moo2t after the redesign. Had a '91 NA and '93 turbo yeeeeears ago.

/sorryforthethesisstatement

[nextproject]

Yeah wherever i find one, i'll greyhound it there and drive back. that'll be the cheapest way.