Howdy everyone! I have a car transport question for y’all- if this is posted in the wrong place please move the post.

Has anyone been successful with shipping an F Body on an open car carrier? A couple of shippers are suggesting closed transport due to the long nose overhang and loading concerns. Can anyone weigh in on this with their experiences for me?

Thanks!!

 

No personal experience shipping, however when they were new they were delivered to dealers on open carriers. Camaros with ground effects packages (Z28's, IROC's, 88-up Sport Coupe/RS) had the lower front spoiler in a box in the car to be installed by the dealer prior to sale. Base model Camaros with no ground effects and all Firebirds incl. Trans-ams had the front nose intact during shipping.

 

I shipped mine from NC to CA and from CA to VA on an open carrier, no issues.

 

I purchased my Formula from out of state and it was shipped on an open carrier from Virginia to Washington state with no issues. Expect the car to be filthy dirty upon arrival if it is going any appreciable distance.

 

Good morning everyone. I had my '89 Formula shipped from Naperville, IL to Miami, FL in an open carrier last July. Paid $785. The vehicle was one of those rigs with two levels. If it means anything, my car was directly behind the cab. I guess it provided some sort of protection, but it was really dusty nonetheless. It depends on the driver, of course and how careful they are. I priced closed transports but it was outside my price range. Took 2 days and I made a $260 deposit online and had to pay the balance in cash.

If you want a quote their website is nxautotransport.com.

Carlos
1989 Formula
85% Stock exc. GTA Wheels/ 4.10 gears.

 

Vancouver, Washington to deep south Texas with Door to Door Transport Company, no issues other than it arrived filthy.


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Open is fine. Just need the proper equipment.

If you think about it, the difference between open and enclosed is...sides and a roof. The ramp structure inside is often comparatively similar.

 

I shipped my 87 T/a open transport from nj to fl no problem. just recently had my 91 shipped from FL to NJ open transport and not an issue either. I was in contact with the driver the whole time and he even called me when the truck broke down to let me know of the delay

 

Shipped one '88 IROC and one '92 RS on an open carrier, one '72 RS/SS 350 enclosed, from Fremont, CA to Tallahassee, FL.
All arrived without any issues other than the pristine '92 dash pad that had huge cracks in it from the open carrier trip through the desert.

Ended up being about $900 each for open, nearly $2000 closed carrier. This was in the Fall of 2014.

-Rich

 

WOW! Thank you all for the first hand and historical accounts- thats incredibly helpful.
The closed transport I've been quoted was approximately $500-700 more than open transport. We chatted about it and the length of the car, overhang, etc and he mentioned that the Corvettes he ships are usually done with closed since they have a hydraulic ramp that allows the car to be driven up onto a flat surface, raised, and driven into the trailer.
But, this gives me a lot of confidence that the car can be transported with an open carrier. I'll be moving that direction.

Thanks so much everyone!!