Cobra being shipped

[dameeks]

I'm buying an FFR Cobra which is being shipped on Wednesday. I'm buying it from an individual in Maryland, and having it shipped via DAS auto shippers. As soon as it gets here, and is in my hot little hands, I plan on becoming a full-fledged, card-carrying member of the TCC.

However, before it ships I was wondering if anyone has any advice for me. I'm not thinking of any particular questions, more just looking for anything I should have the seller do before it gets picked up, anything I should have the transport company do, and/or anything I should do anywhere along in the process. I'm having the car picked up from the seller's house, and dropped off at the DAS terminal in Pflugerville. I live in Round Rock and plan on being there when the truck pulls in. I paid extra to insure that the car is always on the top rack of the enclosed trailer.

I've read all of the threads regarding insurance, inspection and registration, so I think I understand how to deal with the car when it gets here (already called the tax assessors office and they told me it had to be titled as a 2001 assembled car). If anyone in the Austin/Round Rock area has had their Cobra inspected recently, and didn't have any hassles, I'd love to know of a good location to take mine.

Thanks for any input, and hope to be joining in on the discussions and meets very soon.

Darren

[snakeeyes]

Darren,

Congrats on your new toy--you're in for a lot of fun. You might want to get the seller to record the mileage on the car (assuming the odo works, which is not always the case) when it goes on the trailer. The shipper will most likely record it and give the seller a carbon copy of that and other info on the vehicle condition, at the time it's loaded up, but every company is different and it can't hurt to have that as a little assurance that the transport driver didn't decide to take it for a little spin while en route. That may sound far-fetched, but if it's not at the very front of the truck they may have to unload it during the trip, and you never know...

Depending on how willing to work with you the seller is, and how concerned you are about the transport company, you might ask the seller to shoot a little video of the car just before it's loaded.

Make sure you inspect the car thoroughly when it's unloaded, BEFORE you sign off on it. Look under the hood, underneath it, and at least start it--if not drive it--before you let the driver get away. Consider videotaping it at the same time. I once met a transporter at a Wal-Mart parking lot, rolled the car off of his transporter, and then loaded it into an enclosed trailer via an electric winch. It occurred to me as I was closing up the trailer that I hadn't even started it. Guess what--the transport driver had unloaded the car during the trip while delivering another car, had left the key in the "on" position, and had burned up the ignition. When it wouldn't start he realized what had happened and sheepishly admitted it, saving me several hundred bucks of my own money in replacing the damaged parts.

Bottom line, it's a whole lot easier to deal with any shipping issues while the driver is still sitting there, than it is when you discover a problem the next day. I'm not trying to make you paranoid--I've shipped a number of cars and the above-related story was the only bad experience I've had--but it does pay to document things and do as thorough an inspection as you can--

Good luck!
Bob

[Johnnyquest]

Hopefully you have a first rate shipper and then you shouldn't have any problems. I used Intercity and they followed a strict rule of how to handle the car and a sheet they filled out to inspect the car on pickup and delivery. For me make sure you have extra keys! The inspection/titliing may be the only hickey. My car was already titled as a 2002 so I couldn't change that. You may find the same problem. Since it was already assembled/completed and if it has a real title you can only register it as a 2001. Make sure you get all the titling paperwork from your seller and a Bill of Sale would be a good idea. When he last changed the fluids, etc.

When you transfer the title you will see what I mean about the year 2001. Which means you will have to run cats unless you can figure a way to get around it. I got around it by telling my insurance company it was a 65 and my paperwork says that. Before you can register it in Texas you have to have it inspected FIRST! The inspector will verify the VIN number and then you take that special form to the county for regsitration. Don't forget to get insurance first before you can get that first inspection!That is how mine went. Basccally you will transfer the title from whatever state you bought it to Texas.

Good luck. Drop me a email if you have any questions.

Randy

[392cobra]

Looks to me you have been given good advice on the shipping of your Cobra.

Just a side note on the inspection.It is no big deal at all. It is inspected as the year it represents.
In my case it is titled as a 2002. but it is inspected as a 1966.

[Johnnyquest]

I disagree on the inspection part. Most titles are given for what the car is represented, per TXDOT regulations.

It depends on how generous your inspection company is/not. Some are hard pressed to give you an inspection when the sticker says 2002 not 65 or 66. Pre 68 is smog exempt.

Earlier, there was a post by Ed and he gave several of these relaxed stations in the Austin area. I live in the country and one wanted cats because the TITLE says 2002 while another the year represented.

It can be done but more hard pressed in areas like Houston that have more inforcement for smog regulations.

Just get your insurance paperwork as the year represented then you don't ever have to worry again.

JQ

[xlr8or]

With current prices, you should ask the seller to fill it with gas so you can drive it as soon as is slides off the truck.

[392cobra]

First posted 5/08/02

Good News On Texas Inspections !!
i called the dept. of public safety ( dps ),who is in charge of the safety/emission testing state wide, to see if i could get some answers for the concerns we all have in this area.
i have a 2002 lone star classics as the year and make. model says 1966 cobra replica on the title and insurance. i just bought it,turnkey, 3 1/2 weeks ago and it was inspected the same day by lone star before i picked it up.sticker says 1966 ford. then may 1 the new testing comes about. so i WAS confused and worried to say the least about the next go round on it.
i talked with the dps motor vehicle inspection division in garland,tx.spoke with the top two guys. told them both the above info and asked what the cobras in texas were in for come inspection time.
they said that all that is required is a safety inspection,NO EMISSION TESTING. they are to be '' inspected as year represented ''. in my case 1966 as my sticker already has.
he also read to me and then faxed me their lastest letter from the EPA .
'' question : how does the EPA treat ''kit cars'' ?
answer: EPA recommends that kit cars satisfy the
requirements of either the stock chassis or engine
which is to be used to build the vehicle.STATES
MAY CHOOSE TO EXEMPT THESE VEHICLES SINCE
THEY REPRESENT A SMALL PORTION OF THE VEHICLE
FLEET AND ARE SO DIFFICULT TO GET A HANDLE
ON.''

they went on to tell me that if the inspector doesn't know,
understand or believe this to have the inspector call them as you stand there.they will get the matter sorted out for you.

texas department of public safety
motor vehicle inspection division
region one - garland

fax 214 861-2440

t.d. stevens or gary franklin
214 861-2400

t.d. or gary are more than happy to talk with anyone that has questions/concerns about this.they are car guys and understand the confusion about inspections/emission testing.they also know cobras.

[dameeks]

Thanks for all of the info. I'm currently having second thoughts regarding Dependable Auto Shippers. They were supposed to call the seller today and arrange for the time that they could pick up the car tomorrow, but they never called. I've been trying to get through to their customer service all day, but there are always 16 callers ahead of me in the queue. That makes me worry, especially since I can't get customer service involved BEFORE I ship my car. What happens if something happens when it's shipped and I need to contact them quickly to resolve an issue? Also, their web site says that all shipments departing from the west coast are currently running 4 - 7 days behind schedule. They had already told me it would take 2 weeks to get the car to me. I don't really feel like waiting another week. I think I'll start looking around for another company that can get it here a little quicker.

I know the inspection/registration/insurance issues can quickly become a rat hole. Here's what I've done:

* set up insurance through Northeast Classic Auto. They are insuring as a 1965 Shelby Cobra. If it ends up being registered as a 2001, I'm supposed to contact them to update the insurance. This should help get me through the first year's inspection. Insurance is dirt cheap. If registered as a 1965, it's only $206/year, with no deductible. They allow 2500 miles per year. If registered as a 2001, the rate goes up to $506/year, with a $500 deductible.
* I called the tax assessor's office, and they assured me it has to be registered as a 2001 assembled car.
* I still need to hunt down the thread that lists some good inspection stations to go to.

xlr8or :
Good idea on the gas, but the shippers all require that it have between 1/8 and 1/4 tank of gas.

Thanks again for all the input,
Darren

[clayfoushee]

Darren,

I'd be worried about that shipper too.....not good! A few years ago, I had a nearly new BMW 325 ripped up underneath by an idiot shipper in a move from CA to MD. Don't know your shipper (although the name begs a question), but if you went for the best deal on price, it may not be worth it.

Who'd you buy the Cobra from in MD? There's a very active club, Capital Area Cobra Club (DC, VA, MD), and someone may have a handle on your car.

[Johnnyquest]

Ed C. knows of several in the Oak Hill area. Also, Cammer is familiar with one too. If you get your insurance setup as a 65 you have it whipped, that's what I did regardless of the year of assembly.

Oh, I have heard the remark about contacting the DPS before but the DPS have nothing to do with it. It is TXDOT ! They have the regulations pertaining to the registration/titling and inspection. DPS inforces it. Also, we live in Austin, they won't be contacting someone in Dallas because TXDOT/DPS is located here!

JQ

[dameeks]

Well, here's the latest in my saga. I dropped DAS after they told me today that, although I paid for door-to-door service in an enclosed trailer, they were sending a tow-truck to tow the car from the seller's house to their terminal 100 miles away. The only reason I found out that that is what they were doing is that the tow truck company saw a note from DAS that the car didn't have a roof, and it happened to be raining there today. A lucky break for me, I guess.

I ended up using Stewart Transport, which is the company that is sort of the unofficial transport company of FFR. It's a little odd, because their trailers are setup for delivering kits more so than complete cars, so they don't have any kind of lift to pick the car up. So, I have to have a flat bed tow truck available on each end to pick the car up and roll it in and out of the trailer. A little odd, but they assure me they do it all of the time, and their trailers are built to handle completed cars.

clayfoushee:
I'm buying this car: FOR SALE FFR Mark II. It's in Thurmont, MD. I'd have liked to have known about that club before I bought it, but I'm very comfortable that the car is in excellent shape.

One thing I forgot to mention that I did was to have a company (SGS Automotive Services) do an inspection of the car. It's pretty cool, because they give you an online inspection report after they check the car out. Since there was no way I could go there myself to check it out, it put me a little more at ease knowing someone (hopefully) qualified had checked it out.

Thanks,
Darren

[mike shay]

Darren you are next door to a awesome inspection station. Try the shell quik lube just off Gattis school road in RR. They love cobras.They did mine and Ed Hubbards. You have nothing to worry about with these guys.

[dameeks]

Mike,
Are you talking about the new Shell Quick Lube off of Double Creek, near the post office?

Thanks,
Darren

[Ed Hubbard]

Darren,

That's the one, right over by the post office. They are great to deal with and you should push for a '60's registration year as they are bring back SMOG inspection here in Travis & Williams. counties so better to be completely exempt from that whole mess!

[dameeks]

The car is here! I've got a temporary license plate on until the seller sends me the title (had to release a lien on it). Took it out for a cruise tonight, and I'm not sure when the smile is going to leave my face! I'll try to get some pictures up soon.

As I mentioned, I had Stewart Transport deliver the car. Generally speaking, I was pleased with their service. However, in transit they somehow scratched up the front passenger side fender, next to the headlight. They're being very up front about it, and are telling me to just have it fixed and they will cut me a check to pay for it. So, now I have to find a good body shop around town that can handle repainting a custom, pearl paint job. Anyone have any good contacts in Round Rock/Austin? If I haven't heard anything from this I'll create a new thread on it. I don't want to leave it in just anybody's hands, you know?

Ed,
I plan on heading over there this week to get it inspected. As far as registering it as a 1965, I'll give it my best shot, but they were pretty adamant about it having to be registered as the year that it was assembled. Plus, the Maryland title says the same thing (2001 assembled car), so I'm not holding out hope.

Thanks,
Darren

[Excaliber]

My ERA is still sitting in Calif because I CAN'T ship it! The car has to have 6 inches of clearance, it's got about 3 and half.

I'll looking into having someone raise the ride height. It's a nightmare!

Ernie

[Johnnyquest]

You picked the wrong carrier! I looked around and found many had the same problem. I went with Intercity, they have a special setup whereby the backend of the entire semi lowers flat to the ground then you drive on, it picks it up about two feet then drive into the back of the semi. I would change to the real deal. I used them! I WOULD NOT CHANGE YOUR SETUP ON YOUR CAR! CAll another carrier!

JQ

[Excaliber]

,,,, there are only two carriers for me to choose from.

Matson or Horizon Lines OCEAN shipping to Hawaii.

Ernie

[Johnnyquest]

Gotcha! Still there has to be a better way, don't you think? As far as loading the car, surely this isn't the first time they have shipped say a Ferrari or another exotic that has low clearance.

Just a note: the first time I brought my car in to be checked out they said they couldn't put it on the lift safely. I went to another place recommended by a buddy. They had the same lift! He put a 2x6 in front of the drive on part and Whalaa! it brought it up just the right height.

These people need to be more creative!

Randy

[Excaliber]

This is a RECENT change with the Ocean shipper guys. I guess they got tired of dealing with the "low" vehicles and will no longer accept them.

Solution? Rent an ENTIRE 20 ft (smallest they got) container, have YOUR land based shipper pick up the container at the dock (bring a 5th wheel tractor to haul it). Take it OFF SITE load your car your way, secure it YOURSELF and tractor the container back to the boat!

$1500 JUST for the container and make your arrangments for the land based "shipper" part.

MY solution? Take it to a garage and have them do WHATEVER is required to get that thing 6 inches off the ground!

When I had the Excalibur shipped over here it was a nightmare loading and unloading it. The dock guys were NOT happy about it.

Ernie