CHRISTOPHER J REILLY wrote:
>
> All;
>
> I am looking for creative ideas on how to transport a car from NY to
> Utah. Any experiences and ideas are appreciated !
>
Chris:
I've moved a few cars in my day.. It cost us about $600.00 to have a
VW Convertable picked up on a flatbed tow truck in Sag Harbor NY (WAY
out at the end of Long Island,) transferred to an 18 wheeler and brought
here to my doorstep in Jacksonville Fl. Of course, there's a booming
market in moving "Snowbird" cars back and forth from NY to FL, so there
was probably some economy of scale at play. See if you can find a
trucking broker in your area, if they don't broker cars they'll know
someone who does. I used a guy named "Ren" (as in "and Stimpy") with a
company called Larick Towing in Northern NJ. He's at 800-286-9562.
Good guy. He'll hook you up. He'll probably remember our VW. (It's
immaculate.)
I've also moved cars using a 14' U Haul truck and "auto transporter"
(drive on type trailer), and you might find a good deal on a one way
rental if you shop around with the various companies.. Apparently their
rates on one way rentals are dependent on the supply and demands at
their different locations across the country. If they have a ton of
trucks in NY and few in Utah, you'll find some really cheap prices. Let
the rep know if you've found a cheaper rate, I've had them hack hundreds
off their prices to get my business (again, I suppose they really needed
to move the stuff to where I was going. The downside of this is
grinding your way across the country at 50 to 60 mph in a U-Haul. Not
as much fun as it sounds, and probably only a good option if you have to
move a bunch of parts too (can you say "restoration in progress"?? I
love it when they get tired of 'em!!) Add the gas costs and lodging
along the way, not to mention the airfare to NY and related hassles...
Is the NY car *THAT* nice???
Option three: Fly out, buy cheap tools there, get it running and point
the bitch towards the sunset. A possibility of a memorable road trip,
you get a decent set of "trunk tools" to keep, might be fun. Might also
consist of trying to locate spares for a LBC somewhere in the middle of
nowhere, or more likely, on the side of some highway at 3:00 AM. Got
big cohones? This might be for you. A variation might be to drive out
to get it, bring a tow strap to pull it to somewhere convenient if it
breaks down and caravan home.
I'd go with the broker if I had to do it again, which I doubt will
happen...... We're buying a Jeep Cherokee with a hitch just for such
situations. (Well, the wife needs a new car too...)
Best of luck, and call Ren. (Usual disclaimers, etc etc etc.) Perhaps
Ross can whip up some "legalese" we can just paste in for such
occasions..
"The above is for general discussion purposes only and does not
constitute an offer to assist in any way nor to assume any potential
liability for any loss of goods or services arising from your choice to
act upon the information provided so generously by the writer..."
John
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