Classic Car Shipping

Buying a classic car isn’t just “buying” a car. It’s making an investment to your future or to the future of your children or grandchildren. It’s a special moment when someone makes the purchase of their first classic car. When you buy a brand new car, you have to worry about the investment depreciating over time. Classic cars on the other end move up in value as time goes by.

Classic cars can be compared to property when it comes to increasing value. Just as with property value, classic automobiles increase value through the years. A tract of land that was $500 twenty years ago may cost more than $100,000 to purchase today. The same applies to those classic beauties you see in car shows around the globe today. A brand new 1965 Mustang was around $2300. In today’s classic car selling market the same car is valued at $60,000 or more! See what we mean? Classic cars are an investment that will continue rising as the years pass by. When properly maintained a vintage or classic car will keep its value over the years.

You Must Take Care of Your Classic Car!

When you have a classic car you may begin to feel as if a can of shine spray has become an extension of your own body. Classic car owners seem to have an amazing sense of tranquil shining care about them. Making sure your vintage Mustang stays show room spectacular just comes natural to you and you will do all that you can to ensure the car looks just as it did when it was first introduced back in 1965. Many people akin their car to a spouse or a life partner. After all, people will often take better care of their car than they will their own home or health. It’s true. Owning a classic car is a passion that can be compared to no other and being able to have one is something of a rite of passage for many classic car owners.

A Healthy Hobby!

If you have a wife or girlfriend be aware that as an owner of a classic car, you may begin seeing many jealous moments arise out of desperation to gain your attention away from the car. You’ll find that the more time you spend working on your car to restore it or make it shine, the less time you’ll spend with those you love. You’ll need to make sure you pry yourself away from your obsession to make time to spend with loved ones. Over time you may even find a way to bring them into the realm of your happiness for the car.

Introducing loved ones to classic car shows can be a great way to let them see just how amazing these cars are. There are shows all over the United States and while some are just for show, many offer prizes for looks, engines and many other aspects of classic car ownership. If you’ve been a smoker all your life, owning a classic car can help you quit. The more you invest in your new purchase, the less you’ll have to spend on tobacco products! A classic car can be way to a healthier you which in turn will bring happiness to all who know and love you.

When you find the classic car of your dreams and you need to have it shipped locally, state to state or overseas, you can contact Classic Car Shipping and let us take care of your investment just as you would yourself, one mile at a time

Image courtesy: freedigitalphotos.net / Serge Bertasius Photography

You searched online for weeks to find the perfect company to ship your car from Boston to San Diego and now it’s a week before your shipping date. You trust your shipper but how do you get your classic car ready for transport? You want to make sure everything is done correctly to ensure your car will arrive in San Diego in the same condition as when it is loaded onto the carrier. Your car shipper and transport carrier will most likely have insurance coverage for the transport, but you will also want to speak to your own insurance agent as well to make sure your personal insurance will cover the car while it is being shipped. There is never anything wrong with having too much insurance to ease your mind and protect your valuable classic automobile.

Next you will want to consider the type of transport your car will be shipped in. Some cars are shipped by open transport while others are shipped by enclosed carriers. Whichever you have chosen, you will need to prepare your car. You’ll want to remove all personal items from your car. If you have anything inside that is detachable such as a pull out stereo console or a removable DVD player you will want to remove those before the car is loaded. You’ll also want to make sure you have taken all personal paperwork and other items out of the car. When your car is being transported there are a lot of people who may be near the car as it travels and it is always safe to have anything inside of the car taken out before travel.  Also be sure to disable any alarm system you may have on the car. There is nothing more annoying on the highway than to have a car alarm begin going off as it travels down the road.

You will want to clean your car before it is loaded onto the carrier. Not only does this ensure that debris do not fly off the car while it’s being transported but it will also assist with seeing any signs of damage prior to shipping. That brings us to another good suggestion. The day that the driver arrives to pick your car up they will complete an inspection of the car for visible signs of damage such as chipped pain, dents and scratches. Both you and the carrier driver will need to sign the inspection paperwork after it has been completed. To better safeguard your investment, you should take pictures or videos of the car from all angles to check for signs of damage. Make sure that all photos and videos have a current time and date stamp on them. This way of there is anything wrong with the car when it arrives you will have pictures to show. Seldom ever does damage occur during car shipping, but it is always better to be safe than sorry on the off chance that something does happen. You’ll want to keep in mind that when cars are shipped, especially on open carriers, they are just as susceptible to the flying debris and weather as they are when you are personally driving.

Some last things you will want to check will be to your battery to make sure it is fully charged and your fuel and fluid levels. Fluid levels should be full but usually shipping companies will recommend that your fuel no fuller than ¼ tank during transport. Some shippers will need you to remove all fuel from the car prior to loading for transport. Your shipping representative will let you know what their requirements pertaining to fuel are. Just as your car is about to be loaded, take one last walk around it and make sure there is nothing that can fall off and make sure your side mirrors are pushed down so there is no chance of them hitting something and being broken during transport.

Once this has all been done your car should be ready for transport to where you need it to be.

Image courtesy: freedigitalphotos.net /  Sharron Goodyear

After you have selected and secured a reputable auto transport company, you will need to prepare your vehicle to be shipped.  Because each auto transport company differs slightly, it is in your best interest to verify the proper steps directly with the company your select.  However, the following steps are a good starting point.

1. Remove your personal items:  If you are moving, it may seem like a great idea to pack your vehicle full of things you need to also arrive at your final destination in order to save yourself some additional shipping costs.  Unfortunately, this is not a good idea for a number of reasons.  Most auto transport companies are not insured to cover your personal items, and many are not even licensed to have them aboard, so they will instruct you to remove them prior to transport, delaying the departure time, and messing up the shipping schedule.  The additional weight of your items in the vehicle can also put your over the pre-determined weight limit, which can lead to hefty fees and/or also cause delays.
2. Wash your car:  This one may seem counter-intuitive, especially if your vehicle is being shipped in an open container.  However, prior to departure, the driver will be assessing your vehicle from front to back, top to bottom, making note of any scratches or blemishes already present, and a clean car is much more easily inspected.  A proper inspection will ensure there are no damage disputes when your vehicle arrives at its final destination.
3. Protect Aftermarket Add-ons:  If your vehicle has any aftermarket alterations, you will want to make sure they are properly secured, or even removed, so as not to suffer any damages during transport.  Especially items, such as spoilers, that may extend the shape and size of your vehicle, and make it more likely to be scratched or dented.
4. Ensure Gas Tank is LOW:  You will want to leave your vehicle with approximately 1/8 tank to ¼ tank prior to pick-up.  A full tank increases the weight of the vehicle which can lead to delays at weigh stations, and additional fees for you.
5. Make Sure Battery is Charged:  Because your vehicle will need to be started after a prolonged period of disuse, depending on the shipping time, a fully charged battery will ensure there are no issues when it needs to be started back up at the final destination.

Again, confirm with your auto transport company additional steps for preparing your vehicle for transport prior to pick-up, but by following the steps above, you should be well prepared to having your vehicle shipped with no issues.

More often than not, when shipping a vehicle, you will receive a range of time/days indicating the vehicle’s arrival at the final destination.  Customers often wonder what contributing factors would go into delaying the transport of their vehicle.  Unfortunately, there is a quite a variety of components that can cause the delay, many of which are completely unavoidable and unpredictable.

Weather Conditions:

The most inevitable of these factors would be unforeseeable weather conditions.  Whether, the vehicle is making the journey across country, or even across the ocean, weather can be extremely unpredictable.  Anything from snow which can cause road blocks, to a hurricane which can halt or delay a ship’s progress, there is simply no way to avoid these acts of God.  In some cases, alternate routes may be available, while in other situations, the transport driver may be forced to simply wait out the storm.

Weigh Station Lines:

Another inescapable issue can be long weigh station lines which can delay the transport of a vehicle across country.  Because these wait times cannot be predicted or avoided, the transport driver could be subjected to dealing with longer than average delays.

Flat Tires or other transport maintenance issues:

Although auto transport companies strive to keep their transport vehicles in exceptional condition, flat tires and other mechanical issues are unforeseeable and can cause temporary delays, especially depending when on route they are discovered and remedied.  While a flat tire may only push back arrival time a couple hours, a more serious mechanical issue in a rural area could cause a longer set-back.

Customer Reliability:

Unfortunately, sometimes the delay can be attributed to the customer.  If a drop off is scheduled, and the customer arrives late, it can easily throw off the entire transport schedule by hours or more.  Also, incorrect paperwork presented at pick-up can slow down the process and delay the vehicle being released.

Although, no one can have a direct influence on weather related or other unforeseeable circumstances, make sure to hold up your end of the deal by being prepared and on time, and be aware that a range of dates for arrival allow for a more accurate prediction.  Be wary of an auto transport company that provides the exact time and date of arrival because these often lead to tenuous expectations.

There are many factors that go into determining how much an auto transport company will charge to ship your vehicle.  For someone who is not familiar with the process, the first step of obtaining a quote can be very confusing if you do not know what to expect.  It is always in your best interest to request a breakdown of the fees for each quote you obtain, so that you can more easily compare apples to apples when shopping for the best rate.  You should also be aware of the main components in determining the costs of shipping.

Contributing Cost Factors

• Size of Vehicle– Larger and heavier vehicles are usually more expensive to ship as they take up more room and weigh down the transport truck, so you can expect to pay more for a heavy-duty truck than a compact sedan.
• Type of Car Carrier– The most popular option for shipping a vehicle is to use an open container, but sometimes, you may determine an enclosed carrier is a better option for your car.  If that is the case, you can expect an increase in costs, simply because the carrier type provides much better protection against the elements.
• Condition of Vehicle– If your car is non-operational and cannot be driven on to the carrier, the costs will increase significantly because you will require a truck with the proper equipment to load and unload a non-working vehicle.
• Drop-off and Pick-up Location– Although the distance itself plays a large part in determining cost, the location of drop-off and pick-up also weighs heavily in the calculation.  More remote areas are more expensive than central locations, and you will find that you can save yourself some money if you are able to be flexible with beginning and end locations.
• Terminal Use– If you are unable to have your vehicle dropped off immediately prior to shipping or picked up immediately after arrival, you may need to use a terminal for temporary storage.  The fees for terminal use vary by location, but the longer your vehicle will be in one, the more you can expect to pay.

If you gather all the relevant information pertaining to the above factors prior to requesting information, you will receive the most accurate and detailed quote.  If you are unsure about any information, feel free to ask your shipping company to elaborate.  The testimony of a great shipping company should be the willingness and ability to fully service their customers and handle all questions or insecurities.