Shipping a Car

N

N87Turbo

New Member
Feb 10, 2008
48
0
0
Aberdeen, SD
I am looking at buying another MKIII Supra within the next couple of weeks and I will probably be buying it "blind", as in only seeing photos/videos of it and not going to actually see it or test drive it. So I was wondering if anyone knew of a few good reputable companys that I could look into shipping the car to me in South Dakota? Is there any other percautions I should take when buying a car "blind" or just any information or advice you could give would be great.

Thanks, Nate
 
cartel1_950

cartel1_950

supra is gone
Jan 30, 2006
498
0
0
calgary
buying a car blind is tough. you take the risk of not gettting EXACTLY what you want. look at rail shipping. i've had cars shipped from ontario to alberta at half the cost of trucking it and i'm sure it would be the same in the states as long as you don't cross any borders.
 
Facime

Facime

Leather work expert
Jun 1, 2006
2,716
0
0
60
Corvallis OR
For the shipping itself, I used the one that Ebay uses or recommends, but forget the name off the top of my head. They were cheap, thorough, quick and safe.

As for buying a car sight unseen, I recommend you get the seller to send a ton of pictures. Ask for specific things. closeups of any and all blemishes, shots under the car of the suspension/exhaust/oil pan, maybe a video of it running (if it does). The more information you get the less you will be surprised when it arrives.

I also agree that you may be able to get a 3rd party opinion from someone here willing to go take a look at it.
 
M

MKIIINA

Destroyer of Turbos
Mar 30, 2005
1,825
0
36
40
Plano, TX
where are you getting the car shipped from? Alot of good info in this thead thus far and heres some from my own experience.

1. Make sure the car will be on 1 truck the whole time, this decreases the chances of the car arriving damaged.
2. Pay the little extra for door-to-door shipping. Trying to get a seller to take a car to a port is always a pain and the little extra will make things easier.
3. Get a confirmed delivery date! This way you aren't waiting around for the car to show up.
4. A broker will be cheaper, however be prepared to wait a little extra as they usually wait for a full load before heading out, this can also be a problem if they are going to be swapping cars from a central hub.
5. SHOP AROUND!!!!! I cannot stress this enough. I saved over $600 getting my Lexus shipped from CA to TX (door-to-door, verified delivery date) because I made some phone calls and haggled a bit. (End cost was $450 that the seller and I split)
6. Make sure the driver is bonded and insured. This is very common and isn't as big a problem as it used to be.

Lastly post up in a local forum of where the car is and have a local supra junkie check it out. More often than not this can help spot things that the owner isnt aware of (rust in the hatch, "it just overheats from time to time", etc)

GOOD LUCK!
 
rakkasan

rakkasan

Currahee!!
Mar 31, 2005
2,997
0
36
54
Fort Campbell, KY
I paid $700 from Tampa to Cali & then $600 for the return trip. Don't remember the name of the company though...

Check into their bonding & insurance before you ship. My car got banged up on the way to Cali, but their insurance company paid with little hassle
 
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