RonC

Just bought a 2010 ISF last week!

I checked it thoroughly, test drove, negotiated a deal, and bought!

Problem is, all this occurred halfway across the country. The car sits at my dads place, 1500 miles from here. My dilemma now is how to best get it home. Either fly and drive, or get an auto transport company.

IF I were to get transport, does anyone know if there are any special restrictions or requirements or issues I should be aware of with the Isf? Ground clearances, etc?

If anyone has done this, do you have any additional advice?

Does anyone have any recommendations for companies to use?

I haven't decided yet which way to go, so I've posted these questioned to try to make a more informed decision.

Thanks.

sleepyray

iTrader: (11)

I sold (on ebay) and shipped my EVO few years ago from SC to CA. For what i remember, I drop it off at the shipping company after all the payment, paper works completed; the worker than drove the car on the 2 level trailer; I already give them the car cover and told them to put it on the EVO and tight it down. In additional, the buyer bought the insurance thru the shipping company just to be safe; we inspected the car together to make sure that's no damage on the vehicle before it hit the road.

The cost was about $2100 - $2800 i don't reammber on top of my head...

I am pretty sure you can google a company and call them, they will provide you more option and info; it's their job and i have no doubt they know how to ship a car

By again, for that kind of money, i would just fly there and drive it home myself....

Anyway, congrats on your new purchased!

shahir18

iTrader: (2)

I'm having my 2012 IS F transported right now from Seattle, WA to Houston in a enclosed, hard sided w/lift gate trailer. I only trust and use Todd @ TopRankAutoTransport.com

Always has given me the best deal and the most reliable/trustworthy shipping companies...

Mrd916

I had my first F shipped to me in Florida from Indiana about a year and a half ago in an enclosed auto carrier. I had dealer cover the cost as part of the deal and it cost about $1000

mikez

When I bought my Lotus I had it shipped using intercity lines, they are very professional and are known in the exotics circle as the transporters of choice. In fact, mine was in the same container as a DB9 and a GT3.

They use enclosed container with a lift, so even ground hugging race cars can get in no problem. They also cover your car in a bubble to prevent drip, even though the 2 levels of the container are sealed, and they also put coverings over your seats and wear gloves when inside your car.

Of course you will have to pay a premium, I had mine shipped from NC to NJ and it was $900, across the country you will have expect close to $2800 if not more.

A parting word: you do not want to use brokers for shipping, they will farm it out to the cheapest transporter to maximize profit and you don't want to end up having your car in an accident only to find out the transporter's insurance are having "issues".

Sean

iTrader: (3)

Be careful if you use an auction site like uShip. You may get some very decent offers for shipping the car, but the broker will likely not have a carrier lined up that can actually ship the car. Make sure you check out their "cancelled shipments" in addition to the positive and negative review for completed shipments. A high number of cancellations indicates people who got fed up waiting and cancelled. Also consider your location and the location of the car. If either you or your dad are significantly off of major shipping routes this will cause a delay.

This happened to me recently when I bought my ISF. Auto transports don't often come from the NY area to NW Florida and I didn't realize how much of a delay this would cause, especially when the shipping company kept assuring me it would be "picked up within a couple of days". After 3 weeks and even trying another shipping company I gave up and just took a flight to get the car. Finally two weeks after I got the car, the second company let me know they were ready to pick up the car

I probably could have avoided a lot of this had I arranged to pick the car up somewhere along a major route, but by the time I found this out it was a little late. Other than that, enclosed is obviously the way to go, and you want to try to get the top deck in order to minimize road debris and the possibility of the car above taking a dump on your new ride.

From my experience, I recommend flying and driving. You'll love every one of those 1500 miles and it'll go by fast.

13IS250C

Also, pay total attention to detail on the BOL at origin and destination. Check the vehicle VERY carefully at destination. If you sign it off clear and later find damage, there will be nothing you can do.

They will give you a BOL with a pic of a car and they will list all the damages at origin. Make sure you agree before you sign anything.

kteng7

iTrader: (1)

Big recommendation for magic carpet auto transport, ask for Don, he is a great guy.

http://www.magiccarpetautotransport.com/

I had two experience with them, and both were excellent. First time was transfer my cousin car from LA to Iowa,
the car arrived in Iowa earlier than expected, no damage at all and the driver was nice too. Second time was just few weeks ago, shipped my GLK350 from Indiana to Seattle. Again, the car arrived in good shape, no problem at at all they gave me driver's cell phone number so I was able to contact the driver.

shahir18

iTrader: (2)

I'm having my car transported over 2,400 miles, fully insured for $1,400



As I personally shopped around, I got quotes from $1,100 to $1,800. I ended up going with Todd's recommendation, reviews/ratings of the shipping company, pick up day, delivery time, and type of trailer.

RonC

I've been seeing quotes (online) in the $700 to $1200 range.

That's not too bad considering it will cost me at least $500 to drive it between flight, gas, hotel, meals, and a case of RedBull. Plus there's the two days driving and the miles added to the car.

I'm just afraid to trust my new beauty to an unknown transport. I've skimmed through some reviews, but there's no way to know how accurate they really are.

shahir18

iTrader: (2)

My car was picked up yesterday at the dealer, as the driver called me... took pictures for me and I have direct contact with him at all times. I too was in the same boat as you. I paid straight cash for my car, so it is really dear to me. With the customer service the dealership provided, the service with Todd @ Top Rank Auto Transport, and with the Driver - I am confident and at ease that my car is flawless and will arrive here the same way. The driver even assured that he will keep my car on top!

VtotheJ

iTrader: (2)

Definitely fly there and drive it back. The F is truly a road trip car IMO. I drove 13 hours in one weekend (6.5 hrs each way within 2 days) and had no issues with comfort. Supportive seats and lumbar support make it that much more comfortable (and of course the ability to pass cars with ease with a simple click of the downshift paddle). Granted 13 hours is a lot less than you'll be driving, but it'll give you a chance to visit places you've probably never been before. You'll probably break some necks too in the F, as I did on my road trip.

IMO driving it back makes more sense and costs way less. I wouldn't trust ANYONE around my F without my permission. I'd be too scared letting anyone else load it into a truck, and the last thing you want to do is see the car in a condition you didn't see it when you checked it out. Besides, the F will get you approx 28 MPG hwy. Just make sure you tape the front end with blue painters tape to prevent rock chips/bug guts, and wash the car when you arrive; my F went thru pretty much a monsoon and the tape still stuck and came off with no residue.

vbb

iTrader: (3)

Yep, I had my dealer cover the cost of shipment/delivery as part of my deal too. I had my F shipped from GA to VA, so not an incredible distance, but it was about 600mi or so.

psixtc

I've driven my F across the country twice since I've had it (July '12) and it was the easiest drive I've ever had. I've made the trip in a few other cars ('01 PT Cruiser, '13 Rav4, and about a dozen prototypes) and the F is by far the most comfortable. Not only will you be able to see the country, but it'll let you become familiar with the car.

My only suggestions would be to use some sort of paint protection for bugs/rocks (I used 3M Painters tape) and to avoid Kansas. It's boring.

VtotheJ

iTrader: (2)

^Matt's crazy but he did inspire me to do my own road trip. Plus he had the cojones to drive to April's ISF mega meet in Delaware with headers + no mufflers!