Photography by Peter E. Mueller
Transport: From Point A to Point B...Painlessly
August 1, 2005
The restoration was completed quickly: Within 12 months, the Shelby was
transformed from barn find to trailer queen, having undergone a bare shell
restoration by Curt Vogt at Cobra Automotive in Wallingford, Conn. Only one
obstacle stood between the car and its eager owner in Los Angeles: a distance
just shy of 3,000 miles.
Like many owners of old cars, I have a handful of transporters on speed dial.
The best of the best is Alfredo Garcia of Autos Express, a person familiar to
many California collectors. But Alfredo is not equipped for cross-country runs.
It was time to call out the big guns.
A number of companies specialize in moving collector and other high-value
automobiles, and my choice of FedEx Custom Critical Passport Auto Transport was
based as much on my experience with Federal Express and that company’s
reputation, as on expediency. (Passport Transport and AutoTrans have been FedEx
Custom Critical subsidiaries since 2000.) Other reliable carriers offer similar
services. Check out www.movecars.com for a
fairly comprehensive directory of national and international shippers, some
well-known and others less so. But be advised that if you want your vehicle to
arrive at Point B in the same condition as it left Point A, then a little
homework is in order. Ask collector friends and local dealers which transport
companies have provided excellent service. Log on to collector car forums and
ask for recommendations. Members likely will provide endorsements and, more
important, horror stories about companies and situations to avoid. Then ask some
basic questions of the companies on your short list, assume nothing, and
remember that if the price is too good to be true, something is probably wrong.
Here are some important issues to consider:
• How long is it going to take? Many companies, like FedEx, will quote transit
time in “windows,” emphasizing safety over speed. Multiple destinations make it
difficult to promise exact delivery times, but guaranteed delivery (to within a
day) often can be arranged at additional cost, usually a few hundred dollars.
Otherwise, a cross-country delivery typically takes between seven and 17 days.
With impeccable timing, the Shelby arrived in 10 days, and Jim Amen, the driver,
called me the night before delivery offering to meet me anytime the following
day.
• Is the car fully enclosed for the duration of its ride, and will the car be
loaded and unloaded (shuffled) along the way to accommodate other automobiles?
If so, you should understand that each time the car is moved, it is
vulnerable. Are seats, carpets, and the steering wheel covered to prevent
damage? Use low-tack masking tape to cover door edges and sills–just imagine a pair of size-12 engineer boots being carelessly dragged across a pristine
aluminum NOS sill plate.
• Can the liftgate accommodate your ground-scraping McLaren F1?
• Does the same driver load and unload the car under its own power, or is it
moved with the aid of a winch? If the former, can he manage the starting
procedure and clutch operation?
• Is the car tied down securely in a manner that will not abrade or stress components of a concours undercarriage?
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