Guest 29Plymouth Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 Hi, through the wonders of eBay, I own a 1929 DeSoto that is in San Diego and needs to relocate to Nebraska. I plan to hire an auto-transport service but the old girl is a car-hauler's nightmare. First, it's located on a narrow, winding mountain road that is inaccessible to a semi truck. The car doesn't run and it has at least one flat tire that I knew of ... and now the seller is letting on that several tires might be flat! The seller doesn't sound particularly mechanically inclined or motivated to help. I've therefore formed a rough plan that could undoubtedly be improved upon. In other words, if you have a better idea, I'd love to hear it! The plan: Hire a San Diego company that has one of those one-car, tilt-bed wreckers that can winch up the DeSoto, flat tire(s) and all, and haul it down the mountain to the flatlands. The destination, I think, should be a San Diego auto restoration shop that can fix the flat tires and also store the car inside for a few days, as the long-haul car-transporters can never say precisely when their truck will arrive. (I can't see hauling the car to the corner tire store because nobody there will know what to do with the DeSoto's strange rims!) As to the flat tires, I have new tubes I could mail to the restoration shop. The tire casings appear to be relatively sound. I don't like it that the car will be handled three times - tow truck, restoration shop, car hauler - instead of just once. Any better ideas? Cheers to all, Curt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avgwarhawk Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 The use of the rollback to the current location for pick up and taken to a shop that restores is your best bet. The restoration shop will handle your car with car IMO. It is what they do. They will see to it that it is loaded onto a carrier with care. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R W Burgess Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 (edited) I would also ask the long haul trucker if he can winch the car on and off his trailer. The point I'm getting to is that I'd not fix the tires. You never know what the tire replacement guy may run into. Transport it back home as is, flat tires, or no tires, or on the rims. Saves you some possible expensive headaches.I'm a trucker and somewhat crazy driver, so I know these things can be done.WaynePS, need to explain myself. The suggestion of getting a rollback to bring the car down the hillside is a great idea. I would not try towing with another vehicle, as major damage could be done. Edited March 30, 2012 by R W Burgess added comment (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jscheib Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 I suggest you check on the Forum dedicated to Hauling, Trailers, etc. There are a number of guys that post there will small trailers that could likely bring the car, with flat tires (as long as they are not frozen and need draging onto the trailer). You could ask their thoughts. I too think it could be done in one shot, not fix the tires, as long as the road was not too narrow and too steep,and a turn around spot was available for the trailer. Either way, it sounds like it will cost extra. Also, you would not be depending on a third party to hold the car and help with pick-up by a semi.John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim5618 Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 I would verify that they can even get to the car with a flatbed. Hate to have them get up there and not be able to get into where the car is. With the economy the way it is, You might find some one in Nebraska with a truck who would go get it cheaper than what a three party deal would be. drive down with a 4X4 with a winch and get a uhaul trailer there. I would get 4 rims with old tires and take them there to put on the car. Much better than dragging it on to a truck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shop Rat Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 Question, will the tires hold air at all? Could they be sealed enough to hold air if you can find where the leak/leaks is/are? Even if just long enough to get it on a trailer or rollback would help. And reinflate them when it needs to come back off if they go flat again. Just askin'? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidAU Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 I would think that the roll back tow truck first is the best idea. They can easily winch the car on with flat tires if necessary and try to get a tow truck company that has its own holding yard or get them to deliver straight to the long haul operator.That way, they can help load it on to the long haul and you minimize the number of people involved and minimize your cost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 I suggest you contact the car hauler company with your concerns. They may have solutions you have not thought of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckowner Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 Hi CurtIs that the Delux rumble seat coupe that you are now the owner of? That car was for sale with the same pictures about a year ago. I'm working on a 1930 CK like that. Good luck with your move.Rick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 29Plymouth Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 Hi, Rick, I bought it about 3d ago on eBay. The car is blue, the apparent result of someone's quickie "restoration" many years ago. I thought $7,000 was a pretty reasonable price for the six wire rims and sidemounts, rumble seat, luggage rack, the whole deal. Of course, I haven't actually seen the car yet. Do you remember what the seller was asking a year ago? I have two other Model Ks, a 4-dr. and a roadster, both unrestored but in pretty nice cond. The 4d is coming into my shop in about a week so I can rebuild the brakes and get it running. I am by no means an expert on the early DeSotos, however, because I don't even know if your CK is a 6- or 8-cylinder car. If you have a photo you could send and it's not too much of a hassle, I'd love to see your car. Are you a National DeSoto Club member? I've owned a 1937 S3 touring sedan since the early 1980s. That's the vintage of DeSoto I'm much better acquainted with! Nice to hear from you & cheers, Curt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 29Plymouth Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 Hi, Avgwarhawk, Thanks for endorsing the rollback idea. I'm leaning pretty strongly that way now. The first trucking co. I contacted insisted that NOBODY would handle a car with flats. Naturally, the second company I contacted said "no problem"! So it pays to shop around. I think, then, I'll knock out the middleman - the San Diego restoration shop I mentioned - in that I can have the longhaul trucker call the towing company when he's close and then the rollback driver can grab the car and deliver it directly to the Walmart parking lot where the transfer will occur. Thanks again & cheers, Curt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 29Plymouth Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 Good idea, Wayne. The second long-haul trucker I talked to said exactly that: the flats aren't a big problem for winching, which is great news because the whole plan of finding a restoration shop that could both fix the flats and store the car for a few days sounded like a time-consuming (and expensive!) proposition. Thanks for your comments! Cheers, Curt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 29Plymouth Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 On your suggestion, John, I checked out the towing and transport forum and did get some good ideas. I appreciate it! Cheers, Curt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 29Plymouth Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 Hi, Jim, I'm about to try Google Earth to see if I can zero in on the mountain driveway in question. Ah, the wonders of technology! But I still might not be able to tell much from a satellite photo. I'm relying on the seller, who says "no" to a semi but "possibly" to a rollback-style truck. There are plenty of people with enclosed trailers willing to quote a price, I've discovered. I'm still sorting through them all. Thank you for taking an interest. Cheers, Curt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 29Plymouth Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 Hi, Susan. I'm hearing from some of the trucking companies quoting prices for me that the flat or flats aren't as big a deal as the first hauler made it out to be. I guess the more opinions I get, the closer I get to the truth. But the seller has pumped up the tires for me and is waiting to see how many of them hold air. I agree with your that, even it it's not absolutely necessary, it would be nice to pump up the tires just before trying to load the car. Thanks & cheers, Curt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 29Plymouth Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 Hi, David, I'm learning that what you've suggested is absolutely true: the rollback can load the car even with a flat tire or two, no problem. So that cuts out the potentially expensive use of a local restoration shop to fix the tires and store the car temporarily. Thus the rollback can deliver the car to a nearby big parking lot where the semi can load it directly onto an enclosed trailer for delivery. The plan is becoming simpler than the one I originally envisioned, and for that I'm grateful. Cheers, Curt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 29Plymouth Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 Hi, Rusty. The second hauler I contacted virtually scoffed at the idea that a flat tire would complicate moving the car. He has a winch and a liftgate and therefore wasn't concerned, so long as the brakes aren't frozen and the wheels will turn. Now, I won't worry about the tires, just about hiring a reliable company with a rollback trailer to drive the car down the mountain to a large parking lot where the long-haul trucker will meet him to load the car. Thanks! Cheers, Curt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shop Rat Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 Please come back when this is all said and done and let us know how it went. Best of luck and we like photos...a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim5618 Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 If the owner is "Waiting to see if they hold air" they are holding air long enough to get on a truck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shop Rat Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 If the owner is "Waiting to see if they hold air" they are holding air long enough to get on a truck.I agree. And I would think that a tires that are round and not flat would be safer for the vehicle being dragged. Less chance of it wobbling sideways and doing damage to the actual vehicle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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