I've found a pile of parts I'd like in Washington state however I live in the Detroit area. Specifically I've found the rear half of a 1930 Packard sedan from the rear doors back and it's large but doesn't weigh much. The seller also has a few boxes of wood framing, the cowl and some metal brackets Any of you guys know of a cheap method of getting these across the country? I tried some various freight companies and they were around $1200 and up. Thanks for any info you may have. Todd
Greyhound is often the cheapest way to go; check with them. There are many complaints on this board about all the shippers, though. Sounds like a road trip to me !!
Ground frieght is about as cheap as you are going to find I am afraid. They are not charging you just for weight but for the amount of space that it takes up. Deisel isn't cheap these days and the freight hauler wants to make the best of the space he has. Maybe one of the fellas going cross country will haul it for you for a little help with his fuel or one of the HAMB haulers may be able to cut you a deal. There is another option I suppose. You can fly or bus out then rent a truck and haul it back yourself, or maybe someone on here would like an all expense paid trip to Washington state of you don't have the time to do it yourself. I'm just noodleing here.
Greyhound won't work on something that big unless it can be broken down into flat pieces. A car hood can be shipped, but Greyhound will only haul things that weigh up to 100 pounds AND that fit in their luggage area (under the bus) or in a seat.
I shipped several pallets of parts from OR. - NJ and used Forward Air. They are a terminal to terminal trucking company only, no pickups or deliveries. Your seller will have to go to their terminal to drop off and you will have to go to yours to pick up. http://www.forwardair.com/
I looked in to driving out to WA to pick them up in my truck and the fuel costs alone were higher than the $1200 quote I got for shipping the parts freight. Same goes for flying and renting a truck except it was even more expensive. I'll look in to Forward Air and see if I can't get the present owner to make a small road trip... Thanks
I recently shipped a '32 Ford pickup cowl and back panel. The guy buying it arranged the shipping thru Fed-Ex. Greyhound wouldn't take it. Fed-Ex recommended crating it completely up to avoid damage - and there was a footprint on the crate when he got it. Check on the HAMB relay thread too. Just a couple of tidbits for thought.
I like Greyhound for big things. A pair of Auburn speedster rear fenders cost 75$ from LA to Kalamazoo, and my Diamond T grill shell (it's HUGE) was 50$ from WI. Perhaps the seller would take body apart (it's wood framed) for you, which would then be a pile of flat sheet metal and rotten wood. Might that work? Brian
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