Recc'd for car shipping

[craigyirush]

Hi All,

Sorry for the OT post (moderators, feel free to move).

I need to get my '68 MGB from Vancouver in Canada to Long Beach in CA. Any suggestions for shipping companies which specialize in classic cars would be welcome. Most of the big ones I phoned today don't want to touch a non-runner.

[zippy_gg]

Since an MG is a light vehicle why not buy/rent a trailer and tow the car to its destination. You can always sell the trailer when done. Plus you get a road trip!

[crallt]

I used Grand Turismo Motorsport recently. Shipped a non-running 911 from upstate New York to middle-of-nowhere California. They also accommodated a random ski lift chair that I bought from Sugarloaf when the closed the Spillway chair there, and I wanted it in my yard in CA. All together it was $2500. Not the cheapest I'm sure, but it was enclosed and delivered within a week of when they said it would be. Some of these companies are notorious for holding your car hostage while it sits in a warehouse somewhere for ages. These guys were easy to get a hold of and relatively easy to deal with. The driver even helped me push the car into the garage at my end. Plus there was some sweet eye candy on board with my car.

Their website is GT Enclosed Transport | Enclosed Auto Transport

Hope that helps.

[Joe Bob]

Have you talked to US Customs yet?

[kp.sfo]

I used USCanadaAutoTransport Ship a Car Between USA and Canada. Get Free Auto Transport Rates two months ago to ship a '73 911 from Vancouver, BC to the SF Bay Area.
They are a shipping broker, and handle all the customs paperwork. Extremely straightforward and painless process.
Only downside (if any) is that their quoted price is only good for payment with check or wire transfer, if you want to pay with credit card they add like 5%...

[McLovin]

I've been involved with shipping quite a few cars over the years.

I highly recommend Intercity Lines.

Family owned, they run the business, are always available for your calls, no excuses.

Their prices are very reasonable.

Shipping a car can become a MAJOR headache. Once a shipper picks your car up, you are at their complete mercy.

Whatever you do, DO NOT use any company that is just a shipping broker. These are companies that do not own the trucks, they are just "middlemen" who take your order and then farm it out to the cheapest trucker they can find to do it.

[craigyirush]

Thanks, all, for the suggestions. Will contact the above companies as well as US Customs.

[Noah930]

I've used Intercity and had a very good experience. It's a little pricey, but you get what you pay for, IMO.

I've also used DAS. The first time was OK. The second time was an ordeal. Just because they have the word "dependable" in their name doesn't mean they're that.

Take heed of McLovin's advice that once they've got your car, you're at their mercy. The car shipping business if pretty much totally unregulated, from any practical/consumer perspective.