I just bought my T-type across the river from ottowa and then had it shipped to florida where I live...having less that 17K on the clock and the freezing rain it made little sense to drive it 1425 miles...it was here in 3 days and I'm lovin this car...shipping a car with the pro's is by far the best way to move metal...enjoy the ride if you choose to drive, good luck and be safe...
Tools / gear for a fly in, drive home purchase
- Thread starter booyah11
- Start date
I take a scanmaster wired up to a cigarette lighter plug, an updated maf and translator kit if it doesn't have one, and a spare coil pack and module.
For tools, a 1/4" drive set with both sae and metric, a few screwdrivers and a fuel pressure gauge with a long hose to put under a wiper to verify fuel pressure is rising with boost. Without a boost gauge, it's a guess, but it will keep you from hurting things.
Finally, a column lock, a trans lock like Kirban sells, and a wheel boot to (try) keep it safe, along with a few other tricks to keep it from starting, like pulling the ecm. I know that if someone really wants it they'll get it, but with all the visual deterrents they may decide it's not worth the hassle, and they're not driving it away. My original GN was stolen, so yeah, I'm anal about it
Best of luck whichever way you go with it. I bought one sight unseen and flew to Montana to pick it up at the Canadian Border, and drove it to Tucson and had a blast! Of course this was in May. Welcome to the Dark Side!
For tools, a 1/4" drive set with both sae and metric, a few screwdrivers and a fuel pressure gauge with a long hose to put under a wiper to verify fuel pressure is rising with boost. Without a boost gauge, it's a guess, but it will keep you from hurting things.
Finally, a column lock, a trans lock like Kirban sells, and a wheel boot to (try) keep it safe, along with a few other tricks to keep it from starting, like pulling the ecm. I know that if someone really wants it they'll get it, but with all the visual deterrents they may decide it's not worth the hassle, and they're not driving it away. My original GN was stolen, so yeah, I'm anal about it
Best of luck whichever way you go with it. I bought one sight unseen and flew to Montana to pick it up at the Canadian Border, and drove it to Tucson and had a blast! Of course this was in May. Welcome to the Dark Side!
Thanks for the tips on items to bring fellas, much appreciated.
The car I'm picking up is an '85, found a thread with a good bluetooth ALDL scanner so ordered one of those to take with me. I'll pack in some of my gauges and multimeter, but will likely just purchase a wrench/socket kit from Lowes to avoid the hassle of lugging tools around. I'll see about sourcing a coilpack, plugs and wires.
Bummer on the thievery side of things, not something I considered at all. Though my previous racecar was garage kept and all the modern deterrents on it, so little concern there. Ordered up some goodies to help on that front as well.
Planning on picking up the car between 02/02 and 02/05 in the Detroit area, if anyone has the time to meet up let me know. Thanks gents.
The car I'm picking up is an '85, found a thread with a good bluetooth ALDL scanner so ordered one of those to take with me. I'll pack in some of my gauges and multimeter, but will likely just purchase a wrench/socket kit from Lowes to avoid the hassle of lugging tools around. I'll see about sourcing a coilpack, plugs and wires.
Bummer on the thievery side of things, not something I considered at all. Though my previous racecar was garage kept and all the modern deterrents on it, so little concern there. Ordered up some goodies to help on that front as well.
Planning on picking up the car between 02/02 and 02/05 in the Detroit area, if anyone has the time to meet up let me know. Thanks gents.
Check the fluids regularly and drive it. If it has posi, it will do just fine in the snow. I have driven a couple all over the country with no issues. A buddy has driven one coast to coast several times. I would recommend some sort of scan tool if it doesn't have a scanmaster or any aftermarket gauges. That way you can monitor coolant temperature and other data. I wouldn't bother carrying any tools, you can buy some from a parts store should the need arise. I rarely stop at a hotel, usually drive straight through no matter the distance. Occasionally I will catch an hour nap in the car if I get tired. Any time I have stayed in a hotel with a turbo Buick, I've unplugged the computer connector at the battery. Will fool a thief every time and I'll even fool myself half the time until I remember what I have done.
I drove my GN home from Canfield, OH to Houston, TX...on a trailer!!! Behind my most reliable 04 GMC. Made for a helluva road trip for my wife and me. 28 hrs straight through home because I didn't want to get her stolen from a hotel parking lot. I only slept four hours on the way home - 2hrs in the back seat and 2 hrs behind the wheel.!!!
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I dont get this hotel parking stuff..to me unless you have a family its not necessary. When i traveled, i pull in a rest area..napped a bit, set my watch got up and rolled. Im the anxious to get home person anyway. Typically a 20 minute power nap was good then im gone again...
achalmersman
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- May 28, 2012
^^^ Thats how I do it.
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I went through a similar dilemma when I purchased mine. I am not afraid to admit it, but I am a bit of a chickensh*t. I live in SW Ohio and purchased my GN from extreme NE Ohio, about 300 miles away from home. I found it online and I drove up to inspect it. The car had just a little over 30k miles on it and owned by a very sweet 70 year old widow. Driving it, all receipts for work done and for parts replaced (and its impeccable appearance) , it all looked like it was well maintained and well cared for. But shocks were toast, no big deal I know. But, since it was an almost 30 year old ( some say ) "quirky" unknown quantity, and after lengthy conversations with the RedHead, I had it (enclosed) trailered home. Good thing I did , because as it turned out more then one (knowledgeable) person told me that if I drove it on the highway for that long, chances are that one or more of my 23 year old tires would have probably ripped itself apart , and that was a new one on me. I didn't even think of that.
In the end, I just didn't want to take any chance on having some kind of breakdown on the road and possibly getting her stolen. (It's a chickensh*t thing ) I never regretted my decision.
But, I laud you for your spirit of adventure. I sure wish I could ride along. It does sound like a lot of fun and a trip to remember. As for a "tool" to have, consider taking along a St Christopher medal. Not that I am advocating any religion stuff, but what the hey. Just think of it as a good luck charm. It certainly couldn't hurt. We could all use a little luck.
Stay safe. Take some pictures and prepare yourself for a lot of envious stares.
In the end, I just didn't want to take any chance on having some kind of breakdown on the road and possibly getting her stolen. (It's a chickensh*t thing ) I never regretted my decision.
But, I laud you for your spirit of adventure. I sure wish I could ride along. It does sound like a lot of fun and a trip to remember. As for a "tool" to have, consider taking along a St Christopher medal. Not that I am advocating any religion stuff, but what the hey. Just think of it as a good luck charm. It certainly couldn't hurt. We could all use a little luck.
Stay safe. Take some pictures and prepare yourself for a lot of envious stares.
Well the proverbial trigger was pulled, couldn't pass up on the deal. She ain't a looker and needs some help but that is kinda what I was looking for.
Made the 200+ mile trek from MI to OH safely if not soundly.
Seller disclosed that the wipers moved a bit wonky and they unfortunately got a lot of use, rained pretty hard most of the way back...in the dark...yes I peed a little. Visibility was not stellar but again, back safely.
Seller also disclosed a CEL that pops up when the car is ran at a constant speed for 10+ minutes, which popped up right on schedule. He said if you accelerate and then decelerate or just decelerate the CEL goes away for another 10 or so minutes...yep that happened...a lot. I played around with constantly changing speeds and the CEL doesn't come on, my first thought is TPS but need to read the code to know more.
Brought an ALDL scanner to plug into the car but unfortunately the cigarette lighter doesn't work so I don't have juice to run the scanner, strike one.
I do need a set of tires for it before a big trip, the rears are pretty used up and all four corners need to be balanced, strike two.
Seller said the car was gone over by a mechanic and gave the car a clean bill of health. I poked around and noticed the ATF was a bit low, oil a bit low, coolant a bit low, washer fluid empty, brakes a bit squishy. Meh minor stuff, but then I saw that the oil service sticker was from 01/15/15...yep over a year since the last OC. Sticker did show that the car had < 2k miles since the OC, but not encouraging. I won't call it a strike but definitely a foul ball, hanging in there.
Being the exploratory type I wanted to glance at the brake fluid to see if it looked all icky or if it was okay. The fill line on the side was impossible to see through so I popped the top...and realized the system was still under pressure as fluid started seeping out around the lid immediately. I snapped the lid back in place but in the process must've cracked an old seal because now it is slowly weeping fluid, strike three. I'm out.
Fortunately in this game I get as many at bats as my wallet can handle, so having the car picked up / shipped this week. I'll be flying home and ready to piss off the wife with my new toy. Overall I'm very pleased with the car, has all the crappiness I was hoping for. I was really looking forward to a road trip but with no working ALDL I'm flying blind and would need at least two days to do the necessary maintenance to feel safe driving it across country.
Thanks for all the tips and well wishes folks, I'll likely start a build thread when I'm back in town.
-Tyler
Made the 200+ mile trek from MI to OH safely if not soundly.
Seller disclosed that the wipers moved a bit wonky and they unfortunately got a lot of use, rained pretty hard most of the way back...in the dark...yes I peed a little. Visibility was not stellar but again, back safely.
Seller also disclosed a CEL that pops up when the car is ran at a constant speed for 10+ minutes, which popped up right on schedule. He said if you accelerate and then decelerate or just decelerate the CEL goes away for another 10 or so minutes...yep that happened...a lot. I played around with constantly changing speeds and the CEL doesn't come on, my first thought is TPS but need to read the code to know more.
Brought an ALDL scanner to plug into the car but unfortunately the cigarette lighter doesn't work so I don't have juice to run the scanner, strike one.
I do need a set of tires for it before a big trip, the rears are pretty used up and all four corners need to be balanced, strike two.
Seller said the car was gone over by a mechanic and gave the car a clean bill of health. I poked around and noticed the ATF was a bit low, oil a bit low, coolant a bit low, washer fluid empty, brakes a bit squishy. Meh minor stuff, but then I saw that the oil service sticker was from 01/15/15...yep over a year since the last OC. Sticker did show that the car had < 2k miles since the OC, but not encouraging. I won't call it a strike but definitely a foul ball, hanging in there.
Being the exploratory type I wanted to glance at the brake fluid to see if it looked all icky or if it was okay. The fill line on the side was impossible to see through so I popped the top...and realized the system was still under pressure as fluid started seeping out around the lid immediately. I snapped the lid back in place but in the process must've cracked an old seal because now it is slowly weeping fluid, strike three. I'm out.
Fortunately in this game I get as many at bats as my wallet can handle, so having the car picked up / shipped this week. I'll be flying home and ready to piss off the wife with my new toy. Overall I'm very pleased with the car, has all the crappiness I was hoping for. I was really looking forward to a road trip but with no working ALDL I'm flying blind and would need at least two days to do the necessary maintenance to feel safe driving it across country.
Thanks for all the tips and well wishes folks, I'll likely start a build thread when I'm back in town.
-Tyler
Dialtone76
Living the Dream
- Joined
- Jun 17, 2013
Grats on the new ride!!!! Even though you don't think she's a looker you should post pics!! In this crowd I think you will find we see what she has on the inside, the potential. Nothing beats the sound of that turbo, or the feeling of boost and I bet you had a sh*t eating grin on your face the whole time you drove her. (Well except for those peeing moments hehe).
Clean bill of health is always relative., a CEL coming on I would think would negate that statement from him, but guys here probably wouldn't flinch if they were buying one that came on as predicable as yours does. Wiper fluid empty isn't a big deal if they didn't drive it much. I mean if you only drive on nice days, do you ever use it? I read a couple guys on this board have made that into their Alky reservoir for their injection!! Oil low, could be standard if she leaks, always checking oil on mine. Coolant wouldn't necessarily make me nervous unless it was recently filled or I smelled it. (Unless it is the trifecta of doom where somehow the ATF is broke into Coolant which dumping into the engine oil ). But if that was the case I doubt you would have made it 200 miles. I agree with you, all seem minor and you sound like you were prepared to make some repairs out of the gate.
Also good on you for taking the chance, rolling the dice hoping for an awesome trip, but also identifying when the risk exceeded your comfort zone. You miss 100% of the shot you don't take. The silver lining is now you will get the sensation of a hauler pulling up in front of your house an delivering your dream girl. That is gonna be a pretty kewl feeling. (Probably gonna wanna video that).
Wifee gonna be pissed for sure, and it won't be the first time she is upset about your new mistress. I am sure guys here will chime in with their tips and tricks for managing spouse aggro, but perhaps a preemptive gift will help delay that first fight and start the cycle on the right foot....IF you get her the gift BEFORE you buy something for the car. Research shows that diamonds are usually good for 45-65 days of peace, new ipad/iphone will get ya about a month, and a spa treatment about two weeks. If you go a whole year without buying her something else, about a Toyota Land Cruiser or Lexus ES (or similar) will be the only thing you can buy to square you with the bank. Don't start too high with the first gift or else the baseline will be set too high. The car will be arriving close to Valentines day... PLAN AHEAD!!! hehe.
Oh one little nit pick, kinda sorta favor to ask, if it isn't too late. Usually when transporting cars one of the cheaper spots is like upper level on the hauler. If there is a chance that your car might drip brake fluid, maybe try to wrap some sort of absorbing material there. A good carrier will put plastic wrap between the two layers, but I dunno about everyone. It would just suck if someone else's dream girl was in the spot underneath ya and you know, got an eye sore because of the brake fluid. Not fun for any of the parties involved in their transaction should that happen, and I am sure ya don't wanna be the guy that that spoils someone else's experience.
Congratulations!!
Pics Pics Pics!!!!
Clean bill of health is always relative., a CEL coming on I would think would negate that statement from him, but guys here probably wouldn't flinch if they were buying one that came on as predicable as yours does. Wiper fluid empty isn't a big deal if they didn't drive it much. I mean if you only drive on nice days, do you ever use it? I read a couple guys on this board have made that into their Alky reservoir for their injection!! Oil low, could be standard if she leaks, always checking oil on mine. Coolant wouldn't necessarily make me nervous unless it was recently filled or I smelled it. (Unless it is the trifecta of doom where somehow the ATF is broke into Coolant which dumping into the engine oil ). But if that was the case I doubt you would have made it 200 miles. I agree with you, all seem minor and you sound like you were prepared to make some repairs out of the gate.
Also good on you for taking the chance, rolling the dice hoping for an awesome trip, but also identifying when the risk exceeded your comfort zone. You miss 100% of the shot you don't take. The silver lining is now you will get the sensation of a hauler pulling up in front of your house an delivering your dream girl. That is gonna be a pretty kewl feeling. (Probably gonna wanna video that).
Wifee gonna be pissed for sure, and it won't be the first time she is upset about your new mistress. I am sure guys here will chime in with their tips and tricks for managing spouse aggro, but perhaps a preemptive gift will help delay that first fight and start the cycle on the right foot....IF you get her the gift BEFORE you buy something for the car. Research shows that diamonds are usually good for 45-65 days of peace, new ipad/iphone will get ya about a month, and a spa treatment about two weeks. If you go a whole year without buying her something else, about a Toyota Land Cruiser or Lexus ES (or similar) will be the only thing you can buy to square you with the bank. Don't start too high with the first gift or else the baseline will be set too high. The car will be arriving close to Valentines day... PLAN AHEAD!!! hehe.
Oh one little nit pick, kinda sorta favor to ask, if it isn't too late. Usually when transporting cars one of the cheaper spots is like upper level on the hauler. If there is a chance that your car might drip brake fluid, maybe try to wrap some sort of absorbing material there. A good carrier will put plastic wrap between the two layers, but I dunno about everyone. It would just suck if someone else's dream girl was in the spot underneath ya and you know, got an eye sore because of the brake fluid. Not fun for any of the parties involved in their transaction should that happen, and I am sure ya don't wanna be the guy that that spoils someone else's experience.
Congratulations!!
Pics Pics Pics!!!!
Dennis Kirban
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2009
kirban 2 cents worth
not knowing where you are going but since its winter time and if the car is in the snow belt weather is a huge factor and not worth the gamble.
Unless the car was a daily driver its too big a risk to fly in and drive home.....I would guess 90% of the ones I would get I trailered. The 10% I did not trailer where within a days drive so I took an employee and it was a low milege example. Overnite stay in a motel you also have the risk of theft.
Also the cars have crappy radios....
I talk from a vast amount of experience....
denniskirban@yahoo.com
not knowing where you are going but since its winter time and if the car is in the snow belt weather is a huge factor and not worth the gamble.
Unless the car was a daily driver its too big a risk to fly in and drive home.....I would guess 90% of the ones I would get I trailered. The 10% I did not trailer where within a days drive so I took an employee and it was a low milege example. Overnite stay in a motel you also have the risk of theft.
Also the cars have crappy radios....
I talk from a vast amount of experience....
denniskirban@yahoo.com
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