Getting it home, Stewart Transport and the 818R

[longislandwrx]

I got my call from Jay finalizing my 818R order, they told me I should be still good for the August 17th date.

That knowledge in hand I requested a quote from Stewart. I live on long Island so it's about a 4 hour drive.

Here is the response:

Our price to ship a 818R kit to Huntington, NY would be $1150.00. We ship the kits uncrated (saving you the crate fee) & can deliver the kit directly to your door. We use a hydraulic crane that is mounted in our enclosed trailer to hoist the 650 lb FFR kit from our trailer & lower it down onto a four wheeled dolly (like a movers dolly). My driver can push the dolly with your kit on it, up your driveway into your garage or shop area. There will be about 30 cardboard boxes that hold all your parts & accessories from FFR & we bring those also which we unload separately. We collect payment at the time of delivery & only accept cash or certified checks made payable to “Stewart Transport”. We also accept Mastercard & Visa, however, credit card payments are required a minimum of 7 days prior to shipping by calling our office and providing the card information to myself or Nick Patterson. If you choose to use our services we simply need your completion date FFR issues you upon ordering (this is typically referred to as the “Required Date”). I handle all the shipping arrangements directly with FFR & you simply wait for the actual day we load your kit & my driver contacts you via his cell phone once he is loaded at FFR. We typically get the kits picked up from FFR within 7 days or less from your given completion date? The driver will contact you the day we load your kit at FFR to inform you of which day he intends to be in your area to deliver & collects directions from you at that time. If you should have any further questions please feel free to contact me at (888) 737-4852.

PLEASE UNDERSTAND IF YOU WANT STEWART TRANSPORT TO HANDLE YOUR SHIPPING, YOU NEED TO CONFIRM BY EMAIL OR CALL OUR OFFICE. SIMPLY NOTIFYING FFR DOES NOT GET YOU ON OUR SCHEDULE.

To which I responded:

Jolene,

Thank you for the prompt quote.

The 818R only comes with 6 medium boxes all of which fit inside the cockpit. Does that affect the price at all?

Thanks

Jeff

The response was:

Jeff,
No our rate is based on the space taken up by the body and roll bar as it takes up 2 kit spots in our trailer.

Thanks.

So as of now the rollbar must not be removable and will still take up two spots. At that price I will be picking it up.

A Penske 1 way rental is $269 from Wareham home. Round trip it will be about $175 in gas and tolls.

About $450 total with insurance.

I also have a suburban and could borrow a flatbed trailer but towing an empty trailer 280 miles seems a little stressful.

any thoughts?

[Xusia]

280 miles isn't that far (I'm like 3000 miles away!). Personally, I'd tow the free trailer down there and save the $270. But that's me. Do what works for you and will give you piece of mind.

[Canadian818]

I got the exact same email however it was $2100 to Montana/Canada border.

[JAubin]

I'm pretty sure I won't be able to use Stewart because my driveway is long and winding...no way you could get a semi up or down it. How would you load/unload a Rental truck? That sounds like a good option to me, but if I didn't have to deal with my driveway I would probably go with the trailer.

[RM1SepEx]

use the open trailer... :-) or search for a friend with an enclosed one... Perhaps you could find one to use/rent through the forum... I have several trailers available depending on load, open and enclosed .... their's are avail to me, mine to them...

[timmy318]

Ours is $1,400 :(

[longislandwrx]

How would you load/unload a Rental truck?

Factory 5 can load it with a forklift... getting it off the truck requires some of my larger pals and a case of beer.

[Mechie3]

You're that close and contemplating delivery!??! You must be a bad person and don't want FFR to meet you. /tease ;)

I'd pick it up if I lived that close. It'd be fun, and you could save money. A well positioned dolly, a low deck height truck, and an engine hoist would get it off the truck just fine I think.

[JAubin]

larger pals and a case of beer. This sounds like a good plan. 650 lbs isn't a crazy amount of weight either...

[Ethan818]

$1900 for Stewart to ship an 818S to CA. Seems like a lot... until compared to a 6000mile round trip drive.

[michael everson]

Your overthinking the whole process. :)
Just rent an open trailer and go get it. Pickup is part of the experience of getting your car. No big deal if it rains. Its just metal and fiberglass. I have brought a few kits home in the rain and even in a snow storm.
If Stewart picks it up at FFR, it coould be a couple weeks before it even makes it on the truck. They will not leave without a full load. You could drive down on saturday morning and be building Sunday morning.
Mike

[longislandwrx]

You're that close and contemplating delivery!??! You must be a bad person and don't want FFR to meet you.

Exactly. I was just there though at the open house, met Dave and the entire gang, did the full tour etc etc bragging etc... good times but I imagine on Saturday there's just a skeleton crew.

I was expecting the price to be around $600 to ship, for that price, not worth the time. I'd rather spend my Saturday working on the parts. Saving $800 though pays for a set of tires.

[wleehendrick]

$1900 for Stewart to ship an 818S to CA. Seems like a lot... until compared to a 6000mile round trip drive.

Thanks for sharing that, it helps me budget what my shipping will be in October.

If I were only a day or two away, I'd pick it up and haul it home (like I did my donor from Northern CA). Since I am literally about as far away from FFR as you can get in the lower 48, a round-trip drive with a trailer is out of the question. A one-way truck rental would be over a grand; add in a one-way flight, gas and motels and Stewart is not a bad deal.

[Turboguy]

The response was:

Jeff,
No our rate is based on the space taken up by the body and roll bar as it takes up 2 kit spots in our trailer.

Thanks.


2 spots? the 818 with roll bar can't be much higher than a Cobra is.......PLUS they have 30 boxes to include.......which has to equate to at least 3 car spots on their trailer.....anyone know of some recent roadster shipping quotes to compare this rate to?

[Silvertop]

.......I was expecting the price to be around $600 to ship, for that price, not worth the time. I'd rather spend my Saturday working on the parts. Saving $800 though pays for a set of tires.

Actually, I'm a little stunned at an $1150 price tag to ship to Long Island (that's practically in the FFR neighborhood). particularly when they are willing to ship all the way to California for only $750 more. Just doesn't make sense. Presumably, the $1900 delivery to California has a roll bar too. All 818 kits have roll bars. Takes up the space of two kits? Really? I wonder what they will want to charge me. I want mine in a crate. Will that take up the space of THREE kits?

[RM1SepEx]

long island is an issue due to the ferry etc...

[twizzler]

$1900 for Stewart to ship an 818S to CA. Seems like a lot... until compared to a 6000mile round trip drive.

Hmm I wonder if it would be cheaper to pay for the crate and have it delivered freight, I need mine to WA state so I assume it will be similar cost

[Gale K]

Listen to Michael Everson--duck soup for a 4 hour drive!!!

[bansheekev]

Sounds like they can only stack the 818 two high in their trucks vs. 3 high meaning their loads are 1/3 fewer cars than with all Roadsters and 33's. BTW, my quote to California for my Roadster a little over a year ago was $2100. Probably a function of gas prices as well. $1150 for 280 miles does seem excessive though. If I was within 1000 miles I would definatly have gone to get it myself.

Kevin


2 spots? the 818 with roll bar can't be much higher than a Cobra is.......PLUS they have 30 boxes to include.......which has to equate to at least 3 car spots on their trailer.....anyone know of some recent roadster shipping quotes to compare this rate to?

[tks]

Hmm I wonder if it would be cheaper to pay for the crate and have it delivered freight, I need mine to WA state so I assume it will be similar cost

They quoted me $2000 to Seattle. That's not terrible considering gas one way is $1200 ($4/gal @ 10 mpg for 3000 miles). Throw in a one way flight + car/trailer rental + hotels + time and it becomes a much better deal.

>$1000 is way too much to NYC though.

[fateo66]

I've heard about some people getting a portable moving unit/ crate to transport kit cars or molds. The ones that are dropped off by uhaul, mayflower or PODS. Has anyone looked into this for the 818? Would FFR pack up a POD for us?

[Silvertop]

long island is an issue due to the ferry etc...

Doesn't the Verrazano Narrows Bridge go to Long Island?

[Mechie3]

My quote to indianapolis is $1300 for an S.

[Canadian818]

They quoted me $2000 to Seattle. That's not terrible considering gas one way is $1200 ($4/gal @ 10 mpg for 3000 miles). Throw in a one way flight + car/trailer rental + hotels + time and it becomes a much better deal.

>$1000 is way too much to NYC though.

Funny how its $100 cheaper for you to get it to Seattle than it is for me to get it to Montana. Still cheaper than a weeks worth of driving.

[twizzler]

Well since Im in Renton maybe it will cost me 1996 :)

[wleehendrick]

Funny how its $100 cheaper for you to get it to Seattle than it is for me to get it to Montana. Still cheaper than a weeks worth of driving.

I would assume that's because the quote reflects logistical savings due to serving multiple customers. Having to drive to BFE (no insult intended!) for one customer adds cost.

[Ethan818]

Hmm I wonder if it would be cheaper to pay for the crate and have it delivered freight, I need mine to WA state so I assume it will be similar cost

I purchased a donor kit from AJW (currently being shipped) and the total shipping cost for a couple crates (shipped, MA to CA but significantly less volume than what the 818S crate would take up) was $600 on "Clear Lane Transportation". I haven't had time to get any quotes from LTL freight companies for the whole kit, but once you add the $700 crate to the shipping cost I think you'll be pretty close to the same price as Stewart. Not having access to a forklift to offload the crate might make the end delivery significantly less convienient as well.

[flynntuna]

I have to admit that I also did the math for the cross country adventure. The only way I'd consider it is if I took a month to "see the sights" on the way back. Then I thought, after two days on the road I'd say the heck with this and make a b-line back home to start building this thing. LOL

[Rasmus]

Drive the flat trailer to FFR and pick it up yourself.

[riptide motorsport]

10 -20% the price of the kit for shipping.........reF^&kingdiculous!!!

[blueoval_bowtie_guy]

Your overthinking the whole process. :)
Just rent an open trailer and go get it. Pickup is part of the experience of getting your car. No big deal if it rains. Its just metal and fiberglass. I have brought a few kits home in the rain and even in a snow storm.
If Stewart picks it up at FFR, it coould be a couple weeks before it even makes it on the truck. They will not leave without a full load. You could drive down on saturday morning and be building Sunday morning.
Mike

I only picked up one kit but wouldn't do it any other way. I really don't understand the concern about towing an empty flat-bed trailer. As long as you have a truck more than capable of towing the loaded trailer, don't worry about it. Empty flat beds are a breeze to tow.

[longislandwrx]

Drive the flat trailer to FFR and pick it up yourself.

I think this is what I will end up doing, the other option that was suggested is rent a flat trailer in MA and drive it back, not having to drive an empty trailer 280 miles should save me some hair

[Xusia]

Towing a flatbed is really easy. Seriously. I do it all the time. I would save the money on a rental and just use the one you can borrow for free.

[Racebrewer]

I have thousands of miles towing trailers up and down the east coast. After the first fifty miles its no big deal. Just swing wide for sharp corners.

Given your location, I would shoot to drive at "off" hours such as leaving the Island at 4:00 AM to beat the rush. Return the same way and just add $100 for a hotel room and you can read the assembly manual while you're there.

Harbor Freight has cheap freight blankets and tie down straps. Cover the car with a couple blankets and a plastic tarp and you'll be golden.

John

[DrAwender]

Quit being a wuss,
Bring your donor parts in the back of a rented uhaul, pick it up friday night, build it over the weekend and drive it home Monday morning.

J

[riptide motorsport]

true!!!


Quit being a wuss,
Bring your donor parts in the back of a rented uhaul, pick it up friday night, build it over the weekend and drive it home Monday morning.

J

[bnr32jason]

$2000 for shipping a kit car from the east coast to Seattle doesn't seem to terrible to me.

[metalmaker12]

I think this is what I will end up doing, the other option that was suggested is rent a flat trailer in MA and drive it back, not having to drive an empty trailer 280 miles should save me some hair

If you wrap it up an open trailer will work fine, good luck