ramos87ss

Not sure if this is posted in the right section, so if it needs to be moved please do so.

How far would you guys travel (one way) to look at/buy a car if you were looking for a specific color and options? And what would you have to see picture wise to make the trip?

sc@hms

iTrader: (1)

I've gone 2,000 miles, based on an extensive set of photos (over 120) including inside, underneath, engine, etc.. That was on an LS6 Chevelle. I went 520 miles one way on the last third gen I bought. I drove 400 miles to look at one I didn't buy that the pictures made look a whole lot better than it really was. All I can say is "buyer beware."

haps

iTrader: (4)

I went 514 miles one way with one pic on craigslist to go by. Probably not the brightest thing to do, but it worked out. With media being the way it is(Facetime, Tango, etc) you could literally vid chat with somebody to get a idea.

Blue1990camaro

iTrader: (1)

i drove 420ish miles for my 88 z24, i drove 140 for my iroc, .7 for my sport coupe

for parts ive driving over 4 hours one way just for stock wheels

tuesday im driving alomst 4 hours one way for a motor,


what can i say i love road trips!

carlos64030

iTrader: (1)

I traveled 1,200 miles a few weeks ago to pick up a Flame Red (maroon)1988 Trans Am GTA. Flew out to get the car and then drove it home.

watajob

iTrader: (29)

Had the 'vert trailered 1500 miles, based on 8 pics and a Carfax. It worked out!

SR71BLKBRD

iTrader: (1)

when I finish school in a little less than a year and have had my job for while I will travel any distance to get my Quasar Blue 92 GTA at any price. I would Kill for that car!!!!

86WS6

iTrader: (1)

I flew from South Georgia to Colorado to purchase a hard to find vehicle. It was not a thirdgen, but the principle is the same. 1672 miles each way. Bought a round trip ticket because it was cheaper than a one way flight, and I had a way to get home if the vehicle was not acceptable. As it worked out the vehicle ran/looked much better in person than I expected it to. I purchased it, took it straight to a Grease Monkey in Denver and got all of the fluids changed. They suggested a air filter, and a belt, both of which I agreed were of need of replacement. I spent the night with some family that I had not seen in 35 years. Drove 752 miles the first day, ending up staying in St Louis MO, and finished the rest of the trip the next day. I had to put a quart of oil in at Atlanta GA. I kept the vehicle for several years, and sold it for a profit when I sold it. So, yeah if it is what you are looking for, go for it.

mantaguy

iTrader: (5)

I don't know how far Austin TX.is from south.Jersey,but I drove their to buy a 50 Pontiac and towed it home with a tow bar.what a fiasco,had to pull over every 2-3 hours and run the car so the battery would stay charged up to keep the lights on while traveling at night.I couldn't find a U Haul trailer for rent in Texas or NJ at the time.

KI4FKW

iTrader: (1)

350 miles from North Alabama to South Virginia for my IROC. Lucky me, I made it back to Knoxville when I was hit with the ever elusive boiling gas issue. Had to pay $500 to have it towed the 250 miles back home to 'bama.

ramos87ss

well I don't feel quite so crazy then. I might have found a car, waiting on a little more info.

SweetRevelation

I once drove 2-3 hours to look at a GN... I should've stayed home.

kymmee

Traveled twice to the Philly/Jersey Shore area with a truck and car hauler-about 450 miles each way. Once came home empty handed and once with a prize. All my other cars have been found with in a couple hours of my house.

82tarecaro

iTrader: (4)

I live in NY and I flew to Iowa to see my car. If it's what you want, get plenty of pics and if it's still something you want, go for it. I would ask for high quality pics of the body, specifically spots where rust can be an issue. Get underhood pics, under car pics, pics of the interior especially where you would see some wear like the seats etc. If the seller isn't willing to get you all the pics you need to make a decision if you want to see the car in person, look for another car.

I didn't drive my car back though - I had it shipped.

AmorgetRS

iTrader: (6)

It depends so much on the car... if I was looking for a very specific car, say a TTA, Firehawk, or GTA Convertible, I'd travel across the country. If I was looking at a V6 daily driver... maybe an hour or so depending on how good of a deal it is.

86WS6

iTrader: (1)

When I made the trip to Colorado, the seller took 200 pictures of the vehicle from all angles, and sent them to me. The seller was concerned that the vehicle not be a disapointment since I was investing in air fare and other expenses to make the purchase. They even put in writing that they would refund my deposit if I decided that the vehicle was not what I wanted after seeing it in person. They did a compression test and went over the vehicle from front to back, documenting every issue. That is very unusual, as in almost 40 years of buying and selling vehicles it seems that more often someone will try to cover up a problem, than share the information with the buyer. Still the first 250 miles east of Denver I had the feeling, what if this thing decides to blow up? I was on I-70 but held the speed down until I felt comfortable with things. Once the old girl had covered some ground and had proven itself roadworthy, I let her run. I had to have a congenency plan in case of an unforseen problem. My alternate plan if any serious mechanical problems developed was to ship the vehicle back on an auto transport, and fly home. I had picked a transport company and got prices. I had terminial locations and phone numbers written down just in case. Fortunately nothing happened... You have to be ready for any potential problem. Usually when I buy an F-Body, I take my truck and the trailer that I use to haul my TA to the shows. Go, checkout the vehicle, pay for it, load it up and haul it home. Even good cars can have problems on the highway.

Richboll

I flew from Alabama to North Carolina for mine. I met the seller at the airport, did a quick inspection of the car, handed over the check, got in and was home by 1 am. The next morning when taking my wife for a ride, the water pump puked. I bought it online and while I'm happy with the car, it wasn't exactly as described. Next time I will want to look before buying, but distance is actually no problem for something that you really want.

scottmoyer

I flew from Minneapolis to San Francisco and then drove to Sacramento to buy a 69 Z28. I then flew to York, PA to buy an '86 Olds 442 that I drove back home. I also drove from Minneapolis to St Louis when I bought my 93 Camaro Pace Car. When you find the right car, distance isn't an issue.

ringo234

I drove with a friend from LA to North Dakota to pick up 59 Impala convertible and trailer it back it was in need of major restoring.

ramos87ss

Thought I was going to make a road trip in the very near future, but after several text messages and pictures, now the guy won't even respond. Guess I should be glad, after running the carfax it showed six owners and said it was a 305 car. Advertised as 2 owner 350 car, all original except wheels and stereo.

HiPerf_Chevyman

Drove 80 miles to check out a 1991 Camaro 3.1 auto RS with a/c. had 4 pictures on craigslist. First trip Nobody was home. Drove Back again Paid for it got the title/bill of sale, and then drove out there for the 3rd time to Finally Drive Her home. and i gotta say it was worth it. so I accumulated 480ish miles for this thing hahaha

16Again

I'm about to fly 1200 miles next week to meet the car of my dreams (hopefully). I talked to the owner once on the phone and saw about 20 pics. I then plan to drive her home over the weekend. This will be my first 3rd gen, I cant wait.

trigger GTA

1500 miles last month
1200 5 years ago

drove both back home with no issues

InfernalVortex

iTrader: (4)

I drove to lumberton, NC from Macon, GA, around 700 miles round trip, to get my car. Nothing special about it, was just a good price. interfac9 was, fortunately, an honest seller with a decent car. He sold his Z28 to KonArtist I think. So both of his cars ended up in GA, and he is in Virginia. He was cool enough to meet me halfway between, and I figured that'd be a good way to see if the car was worth getting. I figured if he thought it would survive a 5 hour trip, it was probably a decent car.

91 Droptop

I have driven my F550 flatbed a 1000 miles to pick up 2 cars, it is usually cheaper to just have them shipped, after I get a 360 video tour of the car on a lift.

jbenge

iTrader: (2)

I drove 11 hours from IN to PA to look at a blue 18k mile IROC hard top. The car wasn't as nice as it looked in the pictures or as nice as the owner said it was on the phone. The paint didn't look right, either had some bad touch up work or something got on it and damaged it. Very disappointing trip, but that was better than buying sight unseen and having it shipped.

Richboll

Well, how did it go?

robguitargod1

iTrader: (4)

I drove 3 hours to Indy for a 9", but that's the furthest so far. If I ever wrap up my never-ending projects, I'd buy something rust-free and fly there.

ibmtech

iTrader: (1)

My friend drove 14 hours to get my new engine from a dyno shop.. It was way cheaper than having it shipped and I knew it wouldn't get dropped off some forklift in transit.. I of course paid all expenses ahead of time. The only bad thing was his vehicle broke down twice coming home.. The wheel bearings went in the right front side coming back home which took him and additional 2 hours to fix, Then about 3 hours later the left front wheel bearing went to cost him another 3 hours to limp it in to Autozone and 2 hours to fix after the store closed.. So 22 hours to make it home.. That must have been a long day for him..

occupant

I rode on a bus 1400 miles for 44 hours from Dallas to New York, waited another 8 hours for my bag to arrive from Cleveland since they forgot to transfer it in Memphis and it went on a different bus, took a subway to Queens, dealt with a missing passenger door window, a sticky carb, retarded timing, oil burning, and overheating driving the 1400 miles home, and all the while with my fiance in tow and she was PISSED.

Oh, did I mention the car was a $300 Toyota Tercel?

I've made the same trips alone for a $132 Chevy Celebrity, $205 Ford Tempo, and two Buick Centurys, one $250 and the other $275.

eBay was f'g cool for a beater-loving guy like me from 1999 to 2003. Now you don't see the scrap metal valued deals you used to.

Would I do it again, absotively posilutely!!! Just need permission from the wife.

...aaaaaaand it's gone...

cal30_sniper

iTrader: (16)

I love these kinds of trips. I drove 1500 miles round trip to Kansas City, MO when I got my GTA. It was a craigslist find, but the guy sent me a whole bunch of pictures and was very knowledgeable and easy to talk to over the phone. I couldn't have been more pleased when I made the last turn onto the street and saw the car was even nicer than he had described. Got in, took it for a quick test drive, and then headed home. Took the 750 mile trip back like a champ, all I had to do was put some air in one of the tires at the first gas stop.

I drove from Annapolis, MD to Pittsburgh, PA and back in one day to pick up my boat. That was 500 miles round trip, and I didn't leave until 3PM. I even had enough time before it got dark to take it out for a test spin out on the lake before I bought it, haha. That was another craigslist deal. Another nice, knowledgeable seller who was easy to talk to and under-represented his item. The worst part about that trip was wondering when the 25 year old biasplys on the trailer were going to blow up on the way back.

I've done a lot more trips like that. I went from Annapolis to Louisville, KY to pick up a ZF transmission for a buddies Ford truck (craigslist deal), and I drove from Annapolis to Florence, SC for my T56 (eBay deal).

On any of these deals, you can usually tell within five minutes of talking to somebody on the phone whether it's worth making the trip or not. Steer clear of the guys who don't want to talk, change up their story, or aren't willing to make the time to meet you/hold the car until you get there. You don't really get lucky on these kinds of deals. You just do your research, cover your bases, and it usually turns out good.

cal30_sniper

iTrader: (16)

Oh, almost forgot the ultimate road trip deal. I drove my dad from Ozona, TX to Richmond, VA one summer where he bought a 20k mile triple black Lincoln Mark VIII that he'd found on craigslist. That car has been his daily driver for the last three years now. I also escorted my best friend when he bought a similar Mark VIII in West Texas the year before. I ran chase for him in my old Suburban from Ozona to Annapolis via Jacksonville, FL (had to go way south to miss some pretty severe winter storms). Another example of a mechanically perfect vehicle from a very good seller that had no issues handling a 2500 mile trip back.

The Project

iTrader: (6)

Toronto to South of Dayton. OH and back again just to pick up NOS black interior parts

14 hour round trip, couple tanks of gas and a cheeseburger.