Auto Transport?
 

Hi everyone,

I'm wondering if anybody has used a reliable auto transport service? Florida to North Carolina. They ALL seem to be brokers and are chomping at the bit and stabbbing each other in the back to get my business (none of which I feel comfortable letting take Iris).

I did a search and was surprised to see so little on the topic. Maybe because they are our pride and joy? Work and not wanting to put the miles on her are my defenses.

Thanks in advance,
Mark

Why transport it when you can drive it! I'm not a fan of keeping low miles on cars, that's like keeping low useage on a blender to keep the blade revolution counter low (silly example I know). Use it for what it's meant to be used for!

Mr. Dean, you do have a point there. Resale value is one reason for keeping low miles though that's not my view. I just want to keep her new and perfect. That sounds as silly as the blender analogy doesn't it? At any rate, you do have me reconsidering driving her up. I have a few plans for her that I want to get working on so I need to get her up here.

So, question still stands; if anybody knows of a transport outfit please let me (us) know.

PM FuszNissan. He ships a lot of cars to customers across the country so he might be able to recommend some names.

Otherwise you might want to call some higher end dealerships and see who they use to ship their cars. I have heard some horror stories with car transport, so you really want to make sure you choose the right carrier.

Your local Nissan dealership should know of somebody who would transport the car on a flat bed for you. I had my '12 Nismo transported from 200 miles away b/c I did not want to damage the front bump with rock dings. I thought it would be silly for me to drive it back considering that I was going to put PPF on the car as soon as I got it.

what about overseas transport? Might be lookin to Ship my car from Texas to Hawaii. sorry to thread jack.

I mean really dude. This is a great time to have some fun in your Z. And Fl to NC isn't that long of a trip. You are so worried about keeping her perfect... what if transport gets in a wreck? Now she's fked. You'll have to get it fixed or get a new one. Either way? You are taking a risk and its ONLY a car dude.

The corniest part about people who hate driving there Z is that the VQ hits peak power @ 30k. 30k to 150k is the cars peak. I'm dying to hit 30k then I will savor the next 120k. Next thing you know, the car is 7 years old. 5,000 miles on it and you want something else. And you will be able to say you owned a pristine Z but will never be able to give any real feedback on how good the car was cuz u were never in it. Lol.:wtf2:

Florida to NC is not even a bad drive at all. If anything it's a fun drive on a nice day.

Well if the idiot was to get into a wreck, then they will get you a new one w/o any questions. I would demand a new one b/c I wouldn't want that one even if it was to get fixed.

Word... I used to do brooklyn to ft lauderdale and miami in car in :tup:my Rx7. Lol

Yeah, but the point isn't getting the new one. The point is, enjoy the Z cuz anything can happen. Its not worth being so protective over material possessions. They are meant to be enjoyed, not adored.
Of course u get a new one. That's whatt insurance is for. But you will still be out of a Z for a few months before getting processed.

I have used "Reliable" in the past on a Corvette purchase from MI to NC...and found them anything but "reliable". I would avoid them like the plague now, given my experience with them and the piss poor customer service (or lack thereof) that I received. Failed/empty promises on scheduling abound and almost ZERO communication once the payment was received. I know I've heard a few other stories around the Vette community that suggested I wasn't alone in my bad experience with them.

To the OP, if you are on any sort of schedule, make sure you know well ahead of time what their schedule is, as once they have the car, you are at the shipper's mercy to do whatever/whenever they please with your car...at least that was my experience with "Reliable".

Good Luck!

40th- all you need is

http://lh4.googleusercontent.com/pub...tPnKnUtz1aUdVM

and :driving:

You risk far greater damage with a transport than you would with driving the car... open carriers fling dirt and dust around, have steep ramps at times which your car will scrape on, and are often driven by the lowest denominator of human being (not all of them) infact it is generally known that they will steal any part out of the car that is not bolted down including spare tires, lug wrenches, etc... my friend had this happen with his Corvette...

No one will care for your car like you do...

If after everyones reco you still decide to transport the car, I would reco an enclosed carrier... they are much more expensive but you run less risk of damage on the ride. If you or someone you know has an SUV you might also be able to rent a car carrier from Uhaul.

Lol good luck with "demanding a new one"... the law of contractual obligation is that you are to be made whole... replacing a car with a brand new one regardless of you not wanting it is exceeding the value of the used car... now if it is a new car you might have an argument IF you haven't taken delivery of the vehicle from the dealership but chances are if you've signed paperwork they are under no obligation to do anything more than put the car back in its original condition.

Ask anyone that has been hit by another driver... the insurance company won't buy you a new car because you don't want the one that has been fixed... it sucks but that is life.

I would drive it yourself. Have done the drive back and forth from NC and FL many times, it is not a bad drive at all. Or haul it behind a U-Haul if you are moving. Just me, but I don't care how much they quoted me, it would not be worth stressing out over where the car was and who was driving it and is it being taken care of. Peace of mind would be way better for me if it was with me. But that's just me. Good Luck !

I have used car transport companies four times, each with danmage to my car (they were coast to coast moves). The worst was with a Z. You should be aware that cars do not necessarily get loaded once ... My Z was off-loaded in the midwest and stored overnight in a "secure" lot used for car transport. Car was broken into, shattered glass ruined the paint, when the alarm went off they smashed headlights/tailights and then they ripped the dashboard apart. They did not call but instead tried to fix it. Only after the car was delayed and many phone calls, did they come clean. Four thousand dollars of damage! Got smart after that, next time was my Lexus 430 on a flatbed point to point. They tied the car down too tight and ruined the wheel bearings. Need I go on?

NEVER use a car transport company! They make disreputable car dealers look like saints.

Bill

My Only Experience...
 

My only experience has been with this company...
A-1 Auto Transport: 22 years experience in car shipping industry

They were easy to get ahold of throughout the whole thing, which i hear can be a problem with some companies. Also, they delivered on time which i was totally stoked on. Good luck!

do yourself and everyone else a favor and avoid at all costs ( Adam Auto Transport ) put over 175 additional miles on my Z, luckily no damage other than the joy ride ...but who knows how hard they drove the car...they deny doing so of course

Had my Lotus shipped to me from St. Louis, it arrived safe (albeit dirty but that's bc I didn't opt for the enclosed transport) and earlier than expected. My cousin works for an auto transport company if you haven't already PM me for details and contact info, he might be able to help you out.

OP, I spend quite a bit of time in the Viper and Corvette forums and I know those guys ship their cars everywhere! I'll try to find out which companies they use. I had a car shipped from CA to PA a few years ago. Didn't have any problems at all. Can't remember the name of the shipper but I'll try to track it down for you. The guys on here must have shipped with Billy Bob's backyard car transport or some other hole in the wall company because I've never heard this many complaints on any forum about a transporter before.

Can use the company Jay Leno goes through. Just watched it on TV the other night, but cant remember their name. It is an actually company so anyone can hire them.


Ninja Edit, found the link:
www.intercitylines.com

Well, since it's a pretty short trip you could drive it in like 12 hours. If you DO wanna ship go with American Auto Move IMO

Well, it's settled....I'm flying home to FL to get her on Sunday. It takes 8hrs to get up to NC and then right to work. MattP725 reminded me that nobody will EVER take better care of her than myself.

If you want top notch enclosed transport use Intercity or Plycar. I've used them on Porsches for years. They aren't cheap but you get what you pay for. Plycar can even let you GPS track the car on the truck with webcam's and everything through your ipad. Both have nice website's and will give you free quotes.

If you don't mind open transport (though I think he has an enclosed rig too) and want a lower cost, call Ralph Brosious at 859-992-7409. He's based out of Cincy but works the East Coast. He was recommended to me and I used him to transport my 370z recently with good results. He's a "car guy". Tell him Mike from Lexington gave you his name.



EDIT - didn't notice above you'd already decided to fly to get it. Enjoy the trip. Perhaps the info above will help someone else out in the furture.

Fixed that for you. :)

Never used Plycar, but allow me to toss in another recommendation for Intercity! They helped me out of a real jam back last fall needing to transport an older Vette I had purchased. They fit me in on very little notice and were extremely friendly and helpful throughout the experience. Car was picked up on time, as promised, and arrived as expected. They are very highly spoken of on the Corvette Forums, and deservedly so from my experience!

I even joked with the driver that my Vette was the "runt of the litter", considering all the other cars on his truck were probably $250k+. I was impressed that my car had been covered and treated just the same as the high-end cars in the load.

I just drove it from NC to Daytona and return in Jan for the 24 hour race. Go up the coast. Savannah, Charleston, great places to see! And I did it in my Nismo 3 days after I bought it!