need help shipping/packaging my hardtop....

[kajita]

hello fellow boxster owners,
i have a question regarding shipping and packaging my hardtop.
i have the hardtop for sale on ebay, many many inquiries but i dont know where to start when it comes to shipping this thing, or packing this thing.

i called local car-transporter but they charge $699 cross country and they dont crate or box it.

can anyone help? or had experience sending these things?

btw, i am in los angeles, CA.

[jderiansf]

You might check in with Greyhound. They have (had?) a shipping department that was fairly reasonable for large/heavy items.

I got a tranny sent to me on greyhound once. I had to go to the bus depot to pick it up, but he cost was reasonable.

[KevinH1990]

Here's a picture of a properly crated hard top that I collected when I was attempting to have a hard top shipped to me:

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n161/KevinH1990/986-hardtop2.jpg

Here's another view showing it being unloaded:

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n161/KevinH1990/986-hardtop1.jpg

I apologize for not providing credit to the photographer.

Someone with decent carpentry skills and a basic set of tools should be able to build a crate for you. In my area, I would look for a carpenter on Craigslist and just show him or her the pictures and have them take it from there.

Do not pack it in a cardboard box. Here's a top that I looked at that had been shipped in cardboard:

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n161/KevinH1990/IMG_42202.jpg


I was able to buy a top within driving distance, so I did not actually have to arrange for shipping. I was planning to talk to some auto recyclers to see who they used. You might also try a household mover. They may be able to add it to a load they are already moving. I heard Greyhound was good too.

Good luck.

[rick3000]

I did some research on getting a hardtop shipped, when I got mine. It turned out to be cheaper to pay more to get one locally, repaint a local one, or take a road trip to get one. I frequently drive to Southern California so I found one there.
Shipping is a big hassle. The cheapest quote I got was $250 but I had to pack it which was another $100+ for a crate, etc.

[70Sixter]

Rick3000 is right. I'd sell it as a no shipping, pick up only item.

The tops are easily bent or deformed if not packed properly. I believe Porsche ships them unassembled.

[Jsonorous]

I bought one and the seller had it shipped Greyhound. It was damaged during shipping, it cost $700 to have it repainted. The top and sides were badly scratched. It was a pain, but in the end, greyhound payed for part of the damage and Paypal refunded the rest because the seller packed it poorly.

[Stunin_Stud]

Hard top is an Item you sell localy on craigslist and have someone pick up.

Selling it on ebay or to someone far away is a foolish idea. First of all shipping will rip you a new hole, and packaging is a b*tch. I shipped a bumper and due to its irregular shape it came out to over 150 bucks. hardtop is irregular, fragile, and heavy.

save yourself the headache and sell it localy and have it picked up. craigslist have hardtops selling all day long.

goodluck!

[Jaxonalden]

Dude, take it to the UPS Store. That's what they specialize in, packaging and shipping. Tell the winning bidder that it will be packed and shipped UPS and they incur the cost...problem solved.

[greesedc]

Many thanks, Jaxonalden! Having recently sold both of my UPS Store after 10 years of operation, I would have loved to have had the oportunity to pack and ship a box hardtop. Good advertising is hard to come by, and not all UPS Stores would be up to this task...trust me!
KevinH1990's pictures below are one of the finest crating jobs that I have seen or even done myself. I think I would charge around $300-400 to build a crate like that one.
Of course, the shipment would have to go either common carrier (truckline) or by UPS or FEDEX freight because of the size and weight. Several hundred bucks to ship depending on destination, and don't forget the insurance.

I bought a hardtop off Ebay last year and the seller had posted a shipping rate of $100 I won the auction at $1550 + the $100 for shipping. I had visions of the top being wrapped in a blanket and shipped by some fly-by-night company. As it turned out the honest seller actually took the top to a moving company and had them package it for shipping by common carrier. The shipment arrived about a week and a half later and I was notified by the carrier that they would deliver the package the next day. Being very impatient, I went to the dock and picked up the top, since I already had something to carry it home on (My topless Boxster that I had already configured with the correct hardware was very excited to get a new hardtop).

Much to my surprise, the top came wrapped in about 6 layers of 1/2" bubble wrap, completely surrounded by tons of packaging paper...in a gigantic double-wall CARDBOARD BOX
The top somehow survived with no dents and the glass not broken, even tho the box had a few puncture wounds...WHEW! If it had been shipped by UPS I am almost positive it would never have survived in that container.

I have always wondered how much over the $100 shipping that I was charged that the poor seller had to pay...all I did was email them and let them know all arrived safely and thanks

[KevinH1990]

Originally Posted by greesedc

I think I would charge around $300-400 to build a crate like that one.

Of course, the shipment would have to go either common carrier (truckline) or by UPS or FEDEX freight because of the size and weight. Several hundred bucks to ship depending on destination, and don't forget the insurance.

I guess I made the correct decision to drive 500 miles round trip to pick up the top I bought on eBay. I used less than 30 gallons of gas (when it was around $2.00 a gallon) and had to pay for a hotel room and a couple of meals.

I did have one bad moment. I couldn't get the top to fit on the car. The seller (who was about 75) and I worked for about half an hour at 10:00 pm before we got it to fit. The seller was moving the next day, so I was having trouble coming up with a "plan B" if I couldn't get it to work.

[kajita]

thanks for all the info. good thing i got a local buyer, he is coming over tomorrow but he doesnt have the locking inserts to lock down the top.....
so i have to wait a week for him to get that installed first.
thanks again fellas,