Pagoda SL Group
W113 Pagoda SL Group => Drive train, fuel, suspension, steering & brakes => Topic started by: Shrooman on May 29, 2012, 21:12:53
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Finally taking ownership of family car - 68 280 SL. Having it shipped 800 miles to me via a transportation company ( 6 car Rig). Any serial numbers or steps I should take or have documented prior to having them load it other than the ID number, engine number and pictures of the car? I will not be there so I'll have to instruct family to get me the info prior to the load date. I want to make sure its the same car when it gets here! Any tips from experience would be appreciated.
Thanks for advice-
Shroom
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I assume its an open truck - it will be dirty coming back.
One of the guys in the club shipped his prized Jaguar XK120 across Canada and his mechanic placed strips of green masking tape (comes off easily as opposed to duct tape) over the corners of the bumpers, and body corners and door edges and wheel arches and mirrors so that he could see if there was any contact by the shippers - apparently his car had to change trucks mid way in the journey. I would decline the shrink wrap or tarp so you don't get the wind buffetting marks - especially if there is dirt under the wraps.
Take lots of pictures under and above - tell them not to dent the fuel tank or the front grill and cross your fingers. I would worry about pilfering when the driver stops for a snooze but then again these cars don't look that different than a small mustang to the untrained eye so it will probably be ok.
Considering where my car was and had been over the past 20 years the only real damage was the crimped fuel and brake lines under the frame, the bent horns when the car was pulled through the semil hard mud, the crimps in the floor after being pulled over a make shift ramp and the edges of all body parts - paint chips - scrapes - dents and bird poop - but that is after 20 years being moved from one place in the way to the next to finally outside where the wood pile was (wood pile went ontop of car) and then into a cave over a dirt floor. These cars are tough as nails so yours should end up arriving in excellent condition.
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Having shipped my Jag XKE from Georga Atlanta to Blacklick Ohio and then from LA to Melbourne Australia before and after PUB last year without a mark to it or anything missing, I suggest that you get a decent car company (search here, some are listed) to do the freight and it must be a covered trailer make sure that you have plenty of photos to back up any claim you make against the good reputable insurance company you choose to cover it. It is really in the lap of the gods to some extent so photos, decent car transporter and decent insurance are the fall back positions when it does go wrong.
Garry
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Thanks for the wisdom. Got the insurance and covered transport so away we go...
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Make sure your shifter is placed in neutral, standard or auto. I've seen damage caused by the rocking moition over long hauls, especialy on auto trans locking pawls. I would pull the hand brake up tightly and that's all that needs to be done.
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I have shipped my 69 280SL several times and my sons have shipped their collector cars with Kiwi Karriers. 18007627973. Lynn and Bill have a great rig to handle cars like ours. Never a problem!!! Door to door inside a modified 18 wheeler. They take care of the car just like it was their own. I would trust them with the keys and just tell them where the car is and where you put the keys if you have any concern about family handling the pick up or delivery. Just call Lynn on the 800 number and tell her that BD (the old guy with the baby blue 280 SL) told you about them...expect to pay about the same as an outside hauler without the "tlc" of an inside haul with folks who know what they are doing and travel in their 18 wheeler/sleeper with two great dogies.