Has anyone had a hardtop shipped?

[scoutll]

Has anyone had a hardtop shipped? If so, how did you do it, and how much did it cost. I am trying to find a reasonable way to get a Midget hardtop from the Toronto area out to North Dakota and am a bit lost.. The top could be taken to Niagra Falls or Buffalo for shipping to save cross border shipping.

 

[Billm]

GO AHEAD BILL L!! TELL HIM YOUR STORY!!
BillM

 

[JPSmit]

Bryan, I'm in Toronto if you need a hand

 

[nomad]

Had one shipped by greyhound. Packed by a guy that was a carpenter and, man, did he pack it. Built a box then stuffed garbage bags full of home foam all around it. Near as I could tell, no damage was done in shipping but the top needed to be restored anyway. If the top that you are having shipped is in good restored condition I would be nervous about it.

Kurt.

 

[mightymidget]

Shrink wrap top
Then place cardboard/ bubble wrap around top, shrink wrap again
Then place in a wood crate, with a pallet bottom

 

[Pythias]

I had mine shipped.....

It came up on E-bay, for local pic up only.. in Georgia. I contacted the seller and told him I would pay whatever it cost IF I won and IF he would. He agreed. I won the top for a little under $600. A steal compared to a new one IF they made them for the MK III Sprites that is....So he built a box. He must have used two sheets of plywood or more, foam bracing, etc. By the time he was done only a motor freight company would take it. That cost about $650 to have shipped to Portland. It would have been another $100 to get to Kelso, 60 miles. Ok so now I'm into it for over $1200. I borrowed the neighbors old Pick-up truck which got literally 10 mpg, so that was another $50 in gas. I got the top home. They guy had bought a car for the top, threw away the car and refinished the top. He had sanded, filled, sanded painted with multiple coats, put on multiple clear coats, replaced the glass and seals and made it perfect. When he went to put it on his car he realized that it was for a '64-66, and wouldn't work for his car, that's why it was for sale. It arrived in magnificent condition. If I had bought one new, It would have cost more and not have been painted or finished yet so I'm still good at about $1250. ... .. about an hour later there's a knock at the door...I hadn't set the parking brake on the truck and it had rolled into the ravine! When we got it pulled out (HURRAY AAA!) the frame was bent. My neighbor only had liability on the truck, so I had to replace it. That cost another $1200. .. I spent about $2500 to get my top, just what I paid for the car, 15 years ago.... ..BUT ...it is MAGNIFICENT!

MAGNIFICENT!

 

[markberry]

I thought stuff like that only happened to me.

 

[RickB]

That is one 'MAGNIFICENT' looking top, I've admired it close up.
You can see yourself in the finish.

 

[mightymidget]

I just recived a used bugeye bonnet from new england to me in South Carolina. They put it on truck freight. They had bonnet banded to oversized pallet, banded, then carboard laid on top of bonnet and shrunk wrapped. It came in no damage. They sold me the bonnet and shipped for $150.00

 

[19Sprite65]

That's a very pretty car, Bill. Like to see more photos!

 

[ichthos]

Did you have your car at the Bellevue show, Bill? I don't remember seeing it, but I was in a hurry that day.
Kevin

 

[Pythias]

Did you have your car at the Bellevue show, Bill? I don't remember seeing it, but I was in a hurry that day.
Kevin

If you look in the thread "VTO wheel Christmas special" I've posted some more pictures of the car with and without the top, and one wide angle AT the Bellevue show, again without the top. I had the wheels put on the day before the show. I have yet to show in Bellevue with the top, the weather in late July being in Seattle being much more conducive to top down driving.

That's a very pretty car, Bill. Like to see more photos!

Thank you.


Even more available at (https://picasaweb.google.com/pythias2/)

 

[paulsherman]

I had a foberglass bonnet shipped from Michigan to Seattle by FED EX freight. Just to a few days and if I remember it cost less than $200. It just had a cardboard box around it with no packing material. No damage

 

[jlaird]

I shipped a bonnet from Fort Walton Beach to Alanta about 1974. Was 12 dollars via bus.

It was in a home cut cardboard box with tape and rope. No padding. No problems.

Course was not a pristine bonnet. Found it behind a garage out side in town, maybe gave $25 for it.

 

[scoutll]

I shipped a bonnet from Fort Walton Beach to Alanta about 1974. Was 12 dollars via bus.

It was in a home cut cardboard box with tape and rope. No padding. No problems.

Course was not a pristine bonnet. Found it behind a garage out side in town, maybe gave $25 for it.

Dang Jack,,, I shoulda found this top 36 years ago....

 

[markberry]

I shipped a bonnet from Fort Walton Beach to Alanta about 1974. Was 12 dollars via bus.

It was in a home cut cardboard box with tape and rope. No padding. No problems.

Course was not a pristine bonnet. Found it behind a garage out side in town, maybe gave $25 for it.

Dang Jack,,, I shoulda found this top 36 years ago....

dang...I was only 8