Shipping a Model A?

[Ezflyr]

Hi All,


I'm actively searching for a Model A for purchase. Several that I am considering are as much as a 1000 miles from my home base. I have previous 'A' experience, but I don't think trying to drive a newly acquired antique automobile such a long way is prudent. So, that leaves shipping, which I have zero experience with. This would likely be an east coast purchase with transport to my home base outside the Boston area.


Any recommendations?


Thanks,


John

[Jim/GA]

I agree that you should not drive a "new to you" car home very far. That's just asking for trouble.

If you have a vehicle that can tow it, you can go to the location of the car and (assuming you like it and buy it) go get a U-Haul open car trailer and bring it home yourself.

Finding a good, reliable car transport for a Model A is not easy. Most people advertising that they will transport your car are brokers, not the actual drivers. They will tell you anything you want to hear to get the job, but the clown loading the car, transporting it, responsible for it will be someone else.

See if you can deal directly with the driver. I have done that twice now with good luck. It is hard to filter out the brokers from the drivers, but it can be done.

Everyone has their own stories. I signed up for a company (many years ago, mind you) called www.Uship.com and listed the car that needed to be moved. I was SWAMPED with replies from brokers, but eventually I was contacted each time by a guy that had an enclosed trailed and a good truck for towing, was going from where the car was to where I needed it to be, and we made a deal.

The web site has a place for feedback on each driver, so you can see their history and screen out losers. Each time the driver kept in contact with me as they went, there were no surprises, I dealt directly with him and it worked out well for me. "Your Mileage May Vary".

In my case, the Seller loaded the car (knew how to start and drive the Model A) and I unloaded it (same reason). The driver loaded the trailer in the Seller's driveway and unloaded it in my driveway. We did not have to drive to a "depot" somewhere to meet a driver with 10 or 12 cars on an open car hauler.

You will pay more for this "door to door" service, but that's part of why it worked out so well for me.

[nkaminar]

Years ago I shipped a Model T from Utah to North Carolina and a buyer shipped a sports car from California to somewhere on the east coast. I had a good experience. I shipped in an enclosed semi. I drove the car into the truck but they transferred it to another truck along the way, so they drove it for the transfer. I shopped around for a good rate. The rate would not be useful as this was many years ago and rates have changed. I did not use a broker but called the shippers directly. I flew to view and drive the car and supervise loading it in the truck. I had to carry cash. I unloaded the car at the local supermarket parking lot as my cul-de-sac would not fit a semi. I asked the manager if it was OK beforehand.

The guy who bought my sports car, that did not have a top on it, did not have a good experience because the shipper shipped it in an open semi and it got rained on. So it is good to double check to make sure that it is an enclosed semi.

Insurance is a part of the expense. If there are loose parts that have any value, such as a nice radiator cap, make sure they are secured inside the car. Maybe in a locked box or underneath a seat. I have seen instances where the spare wheel/tire was missing after the shipment, but that was for a high end car where the spare tire had some value. I have a lock on my spare on my Model A.

[ModelA29]

You'll need to factor the transportation cost into the purchase. It's mileage based so the further the car the more it will cost you. You'll want enclosed transport so that adds to it. You could rent a Uhaul trailer (and truck if needed) and get it yourself if it's within 500 miles or so (open is OK if you are in control of it).
Professional hauling adds a lot of cost to the car - money that you could use to buy a better car closer to home. If you use the median cost of $1.75 per mile on a 1000 mile trip that's $1,750 spent that adds zero to the value of the car. Don't forget you'll also want to hire an appraiser to take a look at the car before you plunk down that hard earned cash based on a couple of sexy snaps and the hype penned by the seller.


Enclosed car transport generally costs between $1.00 and $2.50 per mile, cross-country trips typically fall in the $0.80–$1.30 range due to better efficiency.

[Setra]

I just got a Model A Roadster shipped from Florida to Texas.
The shipping was done in a enclosed Transport (Weather and Speed concerns, theft, vandalism etc.)
Just get some offers and if the transport has not do be done by the next days (bundling possibilites) you should get away like my, $1 for 1 mile in a enclosed trucktrailer.

And yes, it arrived there in same condition and everything was good.

[Gene F]

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I have not had a car transported in years. I can only imagine the costs now, but everything has gone up. Be aware that the shippers insurance does not cover your car, even if it falls off the trailer. Any insurance the hauler tells you about is; 1) legal hear-say, 2) coverage paid by the pound - likely 60 cents per pound. You can buy insurance, but it is not cheap. Try to buy it through your own insurance carrier, but it takes time to put that deal together (week or two). Of course you may be a lucky person. You know, the kind of person that goes to Vegas and always comes home with more money. Not me.

[Gil Sissons]

Look on Craigslist Poconos NY under autos
Looks like a very nice Coupe priced very well there.
Not my A…..do not know the owner nor the car
Gil. NoCal

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Allow me to interject my 2 cents also....

Regarding shipping, driving a newly purchased vehicle home (-especially one you know absolutely nothing about the mechanicals or its history) can be a neat adventure if you know people along the route that can assist you when things go bad, ...OR if you know Model-As well enough to problem solve on the side of a road. If you don't, that adventure can go from good to bad, to stressful very quickly! Depending on distance and backhaul availability, most single-car shippers are charging $2.00+ a loaded mile. Allow me caution you about this, -and I am NOT trying to sound racist nor prejudiced, but two separate vehicles were shipped to me in the past year or so by customers who chose to go with a Transportation Broker where non-English speaking foreigner truck drivers delivered their vehicle. The last one was so non-English speaking that I had to talk into his phone that had a translator app that converted my words to his language just to get him here. Trying to communicate with him via phone, -and him calling at 11:00PM at night wanting me to take delivery was the last straw for me. It is my opinion that if your new vehicle means anything to you, then hire a reputable single-car enclosed carrier that speaks fluent English. I can offer you a couple of names of whom I would recommend, -and one that I would not recommend. I'll just leave it there on that topic.


My other suggestion is unless you are very versed on what to look for in a Model-A purchase, you need to hire someone to go with you that is knowledgeable with Model-As, -and you need to go inspect the vehicle first-hand before you make the purchase. The majority of Model-As being offered for sale are on the market because they are, -or have been a problem. I tell this often, but the really good Model-As rarely ever hit the open market because there are always buyers who have told the owners of good cars that they would like first right of refusal. Those cars generally sell quickly by word of mouth. If you cannot travel to personally inspect your purchase, you need to deal with a shop that specializes in Model-As that has great integrity. Such a place is Steve Becker at Berts Model-A. There are others too, but know your Seller reputation.

Good luck with your purchase John, and welcome to Fordbarn!!

[Synchro909]

Originally Posted by BRENT in 10-uh-C

Allow me to interject my 2 cents also....

Regarding shipping, driving a newly purchased vehicle home (-especially one you know absolutely nothing about the mechanicals or its history) can be a neat adventure if you know people along the route that can assist you when things go bad, ...OR if you know Model-As well enough to problem solve on the side of a road. If you don't, that adventure can go from good to bad, to stressful very quickly! Depending on distance and backhaul availability, most single-car shippers are charging $2.00+ a loaded mile. Allow me caution you about this, -and I am NOT trying to sound racist nor prejudiced, but two separate vehicles were shipped to me in the past year or so by customers who chose to go with a Transportation Broker where non-English speaking foreigner truck drivers delivered their vehicle. The last one was so non-English speaking that I had to talk into his phone that had a translator app that converted my words to his language just to get him here. Trying to communicate with him via phone, -and him calling at 11:00PM at night wanting me to take delivery was the last straw for me. It is my opinion that if your new vehicle means anything to you, then hire a reputable single-car enclosed carrier that speaks fluent English. I can offer you a couple of names of whom I would recommend, -and one that I would not recommend. I'll just leave it there on that topic.


My other suggestion is unless you are very versed on what to look for in a Model-A purchase, you need to hire someone to go with you that is knowledgeable with Model-As, -and you need to go inspect the vehicle first-hand before you make the purchase. The majority of Model-As being offered for sale are on the market because they are, -or have been a problem. I tell this often, but the really good Model-As rarely ever hit the open market because there are always buyers who have told the owners of good cars that they would like first right of refusal. Those cars generally sell quickly by word of mouth. If you cannot travel to personally inspect your purchase, you need to deal with a shop that specializes in Model-As that has great integrity. Such a place is Steve Becker at Berts Model-A. There are others too, but know your Seller reputation.

Good luck with your purchase John, and welcome to Fordbarn!!

I have bought 2 Model As in the US from the the side of the world. For the first one, I used an inspection service but they didn't know much about cars of this age. Their reports covered things like the fitment of the doors etc. After one inspection, I was left confused by the report so I rang the guy. He said he was pleased I rang because he couldn't put the truth in the report but here it is.... He basically said "walk away". I did so I don't know what he saved me from. The car I finally bought was advertised on the MAFCA site and as it turns out, I knew a guy who knew the car. I trusted my friend and bought it. WINNER!. The second car was recommended to me by the sae friend after I had expressed interest in buying another. He kept an eye open for me and after a few months, found what I wanted. I was happy with that car too.
Moral of he story: Have someone independent who you can trust look at the car and report to you. That may not be easy but IMO, well worth doing. If the report is good enough, I would be comfortable driving it home but I have driven many many miles without support and know a Model A well. The secret to having a Model A last is don't try to keep up with cars made nearly 100 years later. These cars talk to you - LISTEN to them.

[Trapdoor2]

When I bought my 31 Coupe back in November, I went with a broker called "NAVI Auto Transport" and specified an enclosed trailer. Pickup and drop off went very smoothly. It helped that both buyer and seller are retired. The driver looked to be under 20yrs old (but that may just be my 69yr old eyeball prejudices).

Yes, he was eastern European. Spoke pretty good English. Nice kid. He had been schooled on starting the A but I had to jump in and take the parking brake off. I've made that mistake myself...yesterday.

The driver had a '62 Vette in with the Coupe. I thought my neighbors were going to have a litter of kittens when the Vette rumbled out first.

$779.00 total. 752mi.

I did all my research online. I'm still getting queries and Ads from that...

There's no way to "know" what you're really getting into, of course. I did a lot of talking on the phone, checking the BBB, reading reviews (posted everywhere). I found services from $300 to $2000. I made a list, tossed out the highs and lows and went with NAVI because they sounded competent over the phone, no BS, didn't try to sell me any extras or promise the moon. They set up an appointment a week out...and then called early because of a hole in their schedule. It was delivered ahead of schedule.

My previous shipments were handled by the sellers...both were 15yrs ago and ~$400. No problems with them either.

The only shipment I had trouble with was me and the open U-haul trailer. I got the Buick off-center and creased the front right quarter panel on the trailer's wheel-well. I would have given $2000 for that not to have happened.

[Benson]

Some people do not consider this when shipping a car:

Have someone you trust make sure that car has antifreeze installed before it is shipped!

I know of one case where an owner died.

He had two cars which had brand new rebuilt engines and new radiators installed.

The widow sold the cars and had them shipped about 2000 miles away.

Shipping truck got "snowed in" on a mountain pass for a week. Cars had water in the engines. Both froze and cracked the blocks and radiators split open.

An $8500 lesson learned.

[Bill's Auto Works]

Originally Posted by Ezflyr

Hi All,


I'm actively searching for a Model A for purchase. Several that I am considering are as much as a 1000 miles from my home base. I have previous 'A' experience, but I don't think trying to drive a newly acquired antique automobile such a long way is prudent. So, that leaves shipping, which I have zero experience with. This would likely be an east coast purchase with transport to my home base outside the Boston area.


Any recommendations?


Thanks,


John

John,

You are more than welcome to call, P.M. or email me for a cash on delivery price quote in the single car enclosed trailer any time. You don't have to wait until you make the purchase, you need to figure the price of the transport into your total.

I have transported Hundreds of Model A's over the years one at a time from coast to coast (many for folks here on the Barn).

I don't normally respond offering since I am booked 4-6 weeks in advance all year round, but I currently have a spot open on April 27th up to your area as Paintworks Unlimited in New Hampshire just finished a restoration of a Buick I took up there last year & I need to have it in Bowling Green, Ky on April 29th for the Buick Nationals Show.

God Bless
Bill Squires(owner)
Bill's Auto Works
[email protected]
(216)832-8697 No Texts
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/...closed.614419/

[trulyvintage]

John,

Spring is just around the corner
and with it comes great driving weather.
Be patient and try looking for your next
car locally or within a days drive at car shows
or swap meets or local coffee and car events.
Local car clubs are always a good place
to ask if someone has a vehicle for sale.


Jim

[desotoguy]

If you consider driving your vehicle somewhere and renting a U Haul trailer to tow a vehicle back home, I suggest that you check a local U Haul dealer as to suitability of your tow vehicle to handle the trailer and car load.

[ronn]

I agree with trulky. model As everywhere. Buy one within a 200 mile radius and go pick it up yourself with a rented or borrowed trailer.


a day to remember.

[WHN]

There are a lot of Model A’s around.

Finding one that fits your requirements is another matter.

I have sold two cars in the past few years. Both were shipped across the country.

Not everyone is just looking for a car.