See if you can deal with the shipper directly, not a brokerage that farms out your job. You'll save money and you'll have more confirmed pick up and delivery. I have had three cars shipped to over the last few years. One enclosed, two were not.

I think it is worth shipping. If the car breaks down, you have little resources to work on it and the costs will balloon from there. Gas, air, food, and lodging is not cheap either. In the end, the difference may not be that big.

One thing to schedule after you get the car is Paintless Dent Removal. Inevitably, every car that switches hands has some kind of defect and these guys are like wizards at removing small dents.

 

Just drive it. The chances of it breaking down in 1k miles are very remote; a user recently posted something about how his career is based around figuring out the probability of something breaking down. Heck you'll drive that amount of miles easy with in two months of owning it. I drove from Florida to Oregon and it was on of the best experiences of my life. Yes the S2000 is loud and rough, but when you're driving in the middle of no where at night with the roof down and look up at the stars it will make it all worth while.

 

East coast to west coast is more than 1k miles though (I think OP said the car is in NC or SC and he is in San Diego). And while the chances are slim, they exist, so you have to allow for the possibility and factor in what you might have to deal with if it does happen.

If weather is good throughout the drive (no torrential rain, tornadoes, raging fires) along his chosen route and the car is in solid shape for it (tires, etc), and if time away is no issue for the OP, then a cross-country drive might be great. If any of those factors is off though, or if he just doesn't want to drive that long a distance, then it's worth considering shipping.

 

Well, another couple of days interviewing more carriers and here are the final two: Alpine and Intercity. Hit tip to 2Kaputnik for bringing Intercity to my attention, as well as everyone else for sharing their thoughts and insight to what will be the last time I ever do this again. LOLZ

Alpine wants $17-$1800 for a large-capacity trailer and $2000 for small-capacity trailer, and Intercity wants, near as makes no difference, $2000. Obviously cost puts Alpine ahead, but Intercity has their own fleet of stat-of-the-art trailers that are built to coddle our prized and coveted rolling works of art. (Which appeases the voices in my head.) Both are family-owned and operated and both seem to be very professional. More importantly, both will allow me to track my car either contact with the driver or internet-based tracking similar to that of package tracking that UPS or FedEx might offer.

Alpine is BBB accredited and have had zero complaints in the last three years. Intercity is not BBB accredited but they've had only two complaints in the last three years. While I do realize there are some complaints that get reported elsewhere, this complaint info was very encouraging.

As the paperwork process with my credit union drags on into a lifetime and three months, I'll think up some other questions for the final round of "interviews", so to speak, before I pull the trigger. As 2Kaputnik correctly pointed out "...you get what you pay for in this business." So if it's piece of mind, or in my case a lack thereof, that I require, I should be prepared to pony-up for it.

 

aside from the shipping company's lack of ability to handle the car or having sufficient knowledge of the S2000's transmission layout. I would say its a plus to drive the car back and enjoy the drive.

 

Last year I had my S2K delivered from Bristol, TN to Michigan. It cost $500. I could have easily paid that much in gas, food, would have had to take a day off work maybe two if I needed to stay the night - - would have been 17 hour non stop round trip easy.

My car was loaded onto an open trailer. The driver was professional, checking in with me a couple times - when he arrived to pick it up, while he was on the road, and when he was about to deliver. I was so happy to see it delievered in great shape that I tried to give the driver a tip - he refused saying he was not allowed. I said at least let my buy you lunch and shoved a $20 in his shrit pocket.

When setting the deal up I was VERY CLEAR to the delivery company that the the car was in pristine shape ( had 4K miles on it ) and I wanted it to arrive without scratch.. I told the delivery company and the seller if there was ANY chance the front end was going to drag on the ground or the trailor while loading/unloading... I said leave it where it sits. I was assured that the paticluar trailor used would accomodate cars that sit low and that it had trailored cars many times before with low ground clearence.

Long story short.. it was a good deal so glad I made that decision, just be very clear about what you want. I wish I could remember the name of the company, I found it doing a search online.

 

Below is a bad experience with a shipper. I have had 2 cars sipped and both had some damage or what I would call improper handling. My TSX had the bumper scrapped up - they tried to cover it up with spray paint - and the second left a nasty oily hand print on the center armrest (fabric) in my Rogue. I will figure out a way to drive cars from now on.


https://www.s2ki.com/s2000/topic/882...commendations/

 

Time for an update! After all the calls, questions, and contemplatives, I've decided to go with Alpine. I got them paid, and the pick-up appointment sent for the 25th or the 26th, allowing for delays, and my early birthday gift to me will be arriving on or about November First!

 

nice! keep us posted. might be going this route soon...

 

LOL the complicated transmission "layout" is printed on the shift knob. These guys from Alpine or Intercity handle cars waaaaay more expensive and exotic than an S2K. With Intercity, there was a unreal '68 Shelby GT-500 in front of my car, and they had just dropped of a bunch of race cars for an event in Fontana.