Safely transporting freshly painted Cobra...
 

Okay, my Cobra is in the paint booth at Ken's, so that means I'll be heading up to pick it up in the next 2-3 weeks.

Yeah, Baby! Yeah!!!

Transporting it back, I'll rent an open, flatbed U-haul trailer to tow behind my Tahoe. I'm concerned about rock chips and road debris marring my new paint job while I haul it down on the trailer.

Is this really a concern, or am I being retentive?

I'm considering putting a layer of plastic (sticky stuff, used by auto mechanics and hauling companies for new cars) and then putting a car cover over that, then tying that down with lots of rope.

So now, tell me, retentive or not?

What have some of you done to protect your new paint while hauling your Cobra back? Anyone not protect their paint, only to be sorry later?

Lastly, my God, I've been Cobraless for nearly two months. How was I able to live like this before I got my Cobra?!? :eek:

DD

You will scratch the living sh!t out of it that way as the covers blow all over the new paint and any grit that gets between.

Rent an enclosed trailer or pony up for someone to transit for you.

Beg borrow or steal an enclosed trailer...............

Do any of the rental companies (UHaul, etc) rent trailers one way that are big enough to fit a Cobra inside? I have a Chevy Trailblazer, and when I enter the vehicle in the website it says the biggest enclosed trailer they have that my Chevy will pull is 12' x 6'. I don't have my Cobra here where I am now to measure, will a Cobra fit inside this thing? I can't imagine that 6' is wide enough. Anyone have any ideas? I have to get my Chevy and my Cobra, as well as a whole bunch of stuff from NY to Houston. I figured a nice big trailer with the Cobra and a bunch of stuff in it, pulled by the Chevy, and I get it all done in one shot. Ideas, anyone?

When I had mine done I rented a U-haul and just tossed it in the back with some blankets to set it on.

If its supported by some sort of framework, you could put it on a slide back tow truck, secure the framework with tie down straps, and it would be 5" off the ground, up out of the way ?? That's how mine was transported. Best option if you do not have an enclosed trailer OR in a UHAUL as mentioned above. Do not attempt to contain or secure an unsupported body.

Enclosed Trailer. -- best bet.

The paint has to cure and shrink a bit.

Doug,

Great to hear it's in the paint booth ... it's going to look cool!

open trailer
 

How far are you transporting your Cobra? Gravel roads? We have haul a lots of Cobras on our open trailer. Four of us went in together and bought a trailer several years ago. Several trip to London Cobra Show, 1150 mile round trip, a lot of short 15 -20 mile trip to the paint shops, frame shop, uphostery shop, etc. No rock chips. One year Lawrence wrapped the front with plastic.

I don't think you have much to worry about.


Dwight

X2 ........


Bill S.

Contemporary "fresh" paint is already pretty stable, unlike back in the olden-days when it took a long time for paint to cure (and the solvents to evaporate). Paint is now cured by a chemical reaction that is pretty much done within a couple of days.

You can't sand or buff uncured urethane-based paint.

Our local painters bring the cars here on a flatbed or open (albeit shielded) trailer and I have yet to see any damage from the trip. I would be more cautious with a thousand-mile trip, but a short one should be OK.

Good to hear it's getting paint!!! Can't wait to see!

This is so right. I saw a $20K custom paint job ruined because the guy here tried doing just what you suggested. He had to have the whole car repainted and pay for it because he had did it himself. Next time he hired a car hauler with an enclosed trailer and made sure that they knew what they were doing. The car arrived home in perfect condition.

Ron

It's a 175 mile trip. None of this is gravel. Some country roads, but mostly freeway. I'm pretty conservative while pulling a trailer.

I don't have access to an enclosed trailer, so a flatbed u-haul trailer is my only apparent option.

So, no plastic, no cover, no ropes. Keep is slow. Stay out of the gravel. Shield the trailer, if possible, or at least put some sort of mud flap on the back of my Tahoe.

The reality of it, is that the first time I drive it the microchips in the paint begin. One look at the turnout on my painted sidepipes reveals just how much gets flinged up just driving the car. I'm sure a pro paint job will be more resilient than my spray-can paint job on my sidepipes, but there is a lot of road debris that gets kicked up when you drive.

Thanks for the congrats on the paint. This has been a long effort, but I'm closing in on completion. Once I get it home, I've got thermal shielding to install and a carpet kit from ERA (which I've had for what, three years???). I had my FIA seats recovered in black leather with French stitching, with more dense padding, ready to install. I need to freshen the paint on my side pipes, reinstall the dash, change the oil, and put all the lights and trim back on.

I am CHOMPING at the bit!

Soooooo looking forward to driving it again. And this time, it'll be bad-ass black.
DD

If you drive it, eventually it's going to get nicks and chips. Mine was repainted in 2008 and the 1st, 2nd and 3rd chips really bothered me.:CRY: After putting few more thousand miles on the car, not so much anymore.

I rented a U-Haul 15 foot box van and put my ERA in there.

How'd you get it up into the box? You must have had a loading dock or some really, really, really long, strong ramps...

DD

I was wondering that myself. Pat -- could you post a link to a picture of what it is you're talking about when you say "15' Box Van?"

Big Tip: Put 3M chip guard on the hips and nose BEFORE you drive it-just like you're doing heat shielding or carpet.

A friends FIA was blasted after one season.

I assume by "hips" you're referring to the rear fenderwell turnout just behind the door. That area gets sprayed by road debris by the front tires.

On the nose, are you referring to the area between the headlights up to the front edge of the hood?

On the box van, are there tie-downs inside the box on the floor? They can hold a couch, but a Cobra?

DD