I am hoping to get a car this week. UHaul will charge me about $700 roundtrip to get the car with a 14 foot truck. E-bay recommends a company called Express Auto Transport. They want about $700 to ship in an enclosed vehicle. What do you think of this company, or do you have other suggestions? Thank you.

Drive it.

You do not know how much I would love to. How long would it take me to go 400 miles? It should be in good enough shape. I do not know if they will give me the vacation time.

About two days should do it. If you can make 30MPH it will take a little over 13 hours. Food and pit stops will slow you down some.

Plan on 3 days and have a backup plan in case of a breakdown. I carry AAA Plus which gives free towing up to 100 miles, additional miles are about $2/mile. You have to have a flatbed to tow a Model T or you will destroy the transmission.

tried UHaul and they were a royal pain, earliest in their computer system is a 1940 something so the local guys had no way of knowing whether a T could be pulled on a trailer since weight, balance, and size weren't listed. took a week for the decision to be passed around, so good luck with that!

By driving it home yourself, you will quicklearn a lot about your new car that would otherwise takes month or years.
You will also get a - ok maybe not once in a lifetime experience, but an experience to remember.
I agree about having a plan B.

David, drive it home. I once drove a T 405 miles in one day. My hiney was dragging the ground when I arrived but I made it. It is easy to log 300 miles in one day and you will learn about your car really fast. Be careful, drive as if you have not brakes, you don't. Take tools, water, and a snack you will need all three ( a AAA card and cell phone is mighty handy at times too!) Good Luck

David has never had a model T before if I remember correctly from other threads. I really don't think that recommending that he drive an 80+ year old car that he's never driven, home some 400 miles from where he purchases it, is good advice.

Seth

In the 20's things were different - you could get advice from most people along the road as you learned by driving.. http://www.modelt.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8:how-i-learn ed-to-drive-a-model-t-ford&catid=5:history-and-lore&Itemid=1

If David brings an experienced codriver & lots of tools he may have a good chance to succeed, though. I would say as he starts to learn about the car, he should check the engine oil level much more often than you would with cars from the 30's and up. Maybe it still has cast iron pistons without an oil ring?
An extra coil & timer + tire tools may also come in handy.

U-Haul is also very restrictive on the type of trailer you can rent to pull behind a vehicle and then rent you the tow vehicle for twice as much as the trailer.

Find a friend with a horse trailer or a flatbed motorcycle trailer and borrow that trailer for the trip. I rented a friend's motorcycle trailer for about 15 years before I bought my own trailer. This one had one motorcycle storage ramp area in the center that was under the Model T and no problem. The trailer cost was not my problem, the storage facility cost was prohibitive. The rental was much cheaper than the storage cost. One weeks rental equaled on months storage costs and I only used it about four to six times a year.

I bought an Econotrailer 12 foot bed utility trailer made near Pittsburg for $1,795 with dual axles and four wheel brakes. It has a third center ramp for loading and towing narrow front wheel tractors. The tow vehicle and trailer fits nicely in two parking spaces anywhere.

Seths advise reminds me of buying a combine and while only 36 miles deciding wheather to drive it or have it haulled?? Within one hour after having it haulled the idler on the main belt drive started protesting! So i could have fixed it on the road [bearing in stock??] NOPE,If your new to T's with little experance with this car HAVE IT HAULLED!!! Bud.

Seth is right. I have never driven a T before. My mother lives about 120 miles away, so I could stop by her for a rest. AAA is one of the best things we ever bought. One flat tire in the snow at 10 degrees will teach you that AAA is the greatest thing since sliced bread.

I'm now thinking I could rent a truck from the ford dealer and the car trailer from UHaul. Strap it down, wrap in that cellophane stuff, and drive slow. My best friend wants to come with me, so I would have a helper.

I have no room for a trailer at home, so it is not worth it for me to buy one. The wife is going to scream when I show up with a car as it is. She doesn't know about it. I gave up on the Harley, so I would have something she could ride with me in. I also have to find a way to clean out a 2 car garage that is too stuffed to put even one car in. We park outside and scrape off the snow every winter.

Thank you again for all your advice.

dave

David,

If this is your first T, dont drive it 400 miles right out of the gate. Trailer it home, check it over, change the oil etc. and start slow or you will find yourself on the side of the road.

Vince M

I just had a car shipped by Express Auto Transport from Ohio to Washington state everything went smooth,there price was the lowest.I would recommend them. Bill

OOOOHHH Dave,

Getting it home may pale in comparrison to the reaction of your wife. I sure hope it is a good day. Give her chocolate.

Regards, Erich

U-Haul does not need to see the car you will be hauling.  They just need a car type for safety reasons in order to obtain its' size and weight, to put into the system for their records to be sure the trailer will not be overloaded.  Trying to haul a car that is not listed in their system will just throw them into a tizzy and they will not know what to do so it will just be easier for them to refuse to rent the trailer at all, so do them and yourself a favor and fib. 

Back in 2002, when I rented a U-Haul open car trailer to haul a Model T down to Bartow, Florida from York, Maine... a 1,400 mile trip through 12 states, I told them I was hauling a 1970 Volkswagon.  They plugged that into their system and I was good to go.  I then went to the seller's location, winched the Model T onto the trailer with an electric winch I brought with me, tied it down securely and headed for Florida and a safe, flawless trip travelling at the same cruising speed as the traffic.  The trailer was so secure and balanced and pulled so well, it was only when I was starting out from a dead stop that I was reminded that I was pulling a trailer. When I got to my destination, I unloaded the car, drove the trailer to the nearest U-Haul station and turned it in. They never saw the car, everyone was happy and everyone got what they wanted.  Jim Patrick

David,

If your wife doesn't know anything about the car, sounds to me like you are game to drive it home.

Further, why spend the money renting all that stuff when you might need it for a divorce attorney?

Just playin', of course. I'll stick to my original recommendation especially since you've never even driven a T before.

I wish you the best of luck in both getting it home and keeping your spouse.

Seth

One means of getting a car transported is Uship. It works like eBay, only in reverse. Shippers bid against each other for the "lowest" bid. The shippers are professionals and many of them are trying to find something to ship on a truck that would otherwise be returning empty. The person needing the service can specify their needs and can reject the bidder if they don't trust them. All the shippers have a feedback rating and comments from their previous customers. You can usually get a much better deal than contacting a shipper directly.

http://www.uship.com

David,

When you get the car home tell your wife you bought it for her and as soon as you learn to drive it you'll teach her.

Denny

I didn't even drive mine 50 miles home. Knowing what I know now about the car, it would have made it just fine. BUT...it's not just about making it home safely. Without knowing the mechanical and maintenance history of your new car, you could do a lot of damage in 400 miles:

• Is there lint plugging the oiler line(s)?
• What condition (and clearance) are the Hyatt bearings, sleeves, and axles in?
• Is the crankshaft endplay in spec so you won't risk a magnet/ring collision?
• Do the bands have enough lining left, and are they adjusted so you won't crack a drum over that distance?
• Are there babbit thrust washers in the differential and how dirty is the oil in there?

Dear Seth and Denny:
Her brother is a retired Ford engineer. Retired at 53, and spent his entire career there, so we have always had Ford's. She buys a new one every 2-3 years. We have an agreement that we can show up with a new car anytime we want. I do not get her permission, and she never gets mine. At least I keep mine long enough to have years without a car payment. She is also handicapped and has to have a left gas pedal installed in all her cars, so she will be a passenger. She can't divorce me. She needs me to do all kinds of things around the house, cut the grass, etc.

My best friend wants to go with me to pick up the car. I think he is more excited than I am. I could greyhound to the car and truck it home. I could hire a carrier. I could rent a pickup and trailer and get it that way. I could be real risky, and drive it home-might be late for work if it breaks down. Decisions, decisions.

It doesn't seem like to many T's are selling right now, or the reserves are way too high. Hopefully, I will be able to get the car I am hoping to get, but I do have backups. If someone else gets it, then I know I was not meant to have it in the first place and another one will show up. I am keeping track of the ones I like that did not sell, so that option is there as well. Keep your fingers crossed.

David
Good luck have fun with your T

You can tow a T on the ground with a tow bar and all four tires on the ground but you must have it in neutral with the engine running. If it jumps into gear or the engine stops you are in trouble.

I sold my 14 Speedster to a guy who towed it home 200 miles with the engine ideling.

We blocked the brake lever so it could not go into gear and set the engine at a good fast idle. He got it home in about four hours.

Frank. I've never heard of that unique method of towing a Model T, but I suppose if you are a gambler who doesn't believe in Mr. Murphy's law (anything that can go wrong, probably will), you should have no worries, however, I would be remiss if I did not point out that this could be very dangerous to both Model T and hauler, not to mention other highway drivers that are usually in a hurry and impatient with slow moving Model T's and/or slow drivers cautiously pulling Model T's. These dangers are multiplied if the car has wooden spokes, which are not really designed to go today's high speeds and could shatter causing catastrophic results. And then of course, there are the calamities you mentioned that taken alone, would make this a risky venture. Jim Patrick

But he got it home then he turned around and sold it for twice what he paid me for it. He said he wanted to put it in a museum.

Frank, sounds like there are several lessons there...

Hi David,

I'm just a dumb newbie at Model Ts, but have been married a loooooooong time and based on that experience, I feel qualified to share my humble opinion: Whatever you do and however you get that car home, make sure, before it arrives, that the exterior is all nice and clean and shiny, that the windows are sparkling, that there isn't a speck of dust on the upholstery and for the love of Pete, make sure the engine starts and runs smooth.

Oh. And for reference on how not to do it, view this pilot episode of "My Mother the Car."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZK4e6HZ215Q

Humorously,
Bob

David,

Let us know about where your new car is and about where it will end up and maybe someone here can help you transport it or offer help along the way.

Bob

Your email didn't work so I will post a reply here.They have a 15 day window to pick up car after car is release by seller,I did the calulation of me visa them transporting and I couldn't beat the price after they picked up the car it was here in 2 days.Hope this helps. Bill

Thanks Bob for that link to the first episode of "My Mother the Car". When it first came on in the early 60's, I had just recently become interested in Model T's and remember watching that show just to look at the car. I must admit that I remembered the car looking alot nicer than what is depicted in the pilot episode and remember thinking even back then, as a kid, that Jerry Van Dyke was a loser. Ha! As for the car, I recall it looking more like a red brass era Model T touring with a regular sized hood. The boxy, oversized hood is especially off-putting, but I suppose it was necessary to accomodate the modern engine that made it possible for the actors to drive. Jim Patrick

I can tell you a little bit about the two "antique cars" used in the TV show, "My Mother the Car." First of all, there was never any such thing as a 1928 Pierce-Arrow Porter, or any kind of Porter, for that matter. As a kid, I drove myself crazy trying to find that car in public libraries and, much later in life, while searching for a Porter on the internet, I found out that each of the two television cars was a composite of a 1927 Model T, a Maxwell, a Hudson and was powered by a modern Chevrolet drive train. George Barris built both cars.

To create the illusion that "Mother" could move around without a driver, one of the two cars was fitted out with a hidden steering wheel low in the back seat. That one is at the Star's Cars Museum, in Tennessee. The other car was equipped with conventional controls. It was purchased by a private Canadian owner. You can watch a film clip he made about owning the car at:

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/davids-my-mother-the-car/751255675

If you'd like to see five episodes of "My Mother the Car," which was officially beaten out by The Jerry Springer Show for the honor of being TV-Guide's "Worst TV Show Ever Made," you can find them at:

http://www.youtube.com/show?p=u1ogtwbgbdg&pl=304EDD7C91179111

Bob