how should a transport company tie down the BRZ for transport?
 

my BRZ should be delivered within the next two days from out of state and i'm curious to know if there are any 'no no' spots on the car where the tie downs should not be wrapped around. when i bought a BMW years ago, i was told to make sure they don't use the control arms. is this the case for the BRZ too?

i'm sure the transport company knows what to do, but you never know and i'm a bit paranoid!

Not too sure. But are you shipping via closed container or sharing with multiple cars? If with multiple cars, there might be some reason to be paranoid. My dad once shipped a MkIII Supra from CA to FL and it acquired a dent in the roof during transport in one of those. :/

There's a sticky here with the manual under "Mech Maintenance".
Tie downs are specified under "NOTES NT".

yeah, it's being shipped with multiple cars. i'm just hoping i'm not on the bottom row because of possible leakage from top story vehicles and roof damage like you said. someone's car already got damaged last week with this same company :/


just looked at the manual, and on page 359 it just says tie downs must be at 45 degrees, but no mention of where to tie down specifically, but it just shows the area in front of the front and rear wheels.

The companies usually have insurance to cover any damages done to the vehicles. These companies also have expirience in transporting automobiles. I would worry more about scuffs and dings if its open air container.

ah, do they cover any damages made by it being open air?

when they picked up my car, the transporter noticed a minor paint blemish that eluded the dealership. this shows me that they're very meticulate which is a good sign, but anything can happen during transport :/

Best bet is to call them directly and ask what damages are covered.

During your purchase process, did they offer you to transport the car with a closed container? Or was it not an option at all?

This. My dad also had his MkIV Supra TT shipped to him in an open container lol shared with other vehicles. His was the last delivery among the driver's other deliveries across the country so it ended up on the bottom level closest to the front of the truck (I think they shift positions as they make deliveries). When it arrived, the only damage he found was a squiggly scratch on the gas lid.

Seeing as you're in the OC, you're bound to be among the last of deliveries as well so your car might experience a lot of shifting.

My dad also had his BRZ shipped in an open container from CO to CA for $600 I think. No damages on that one. He was given an option to ship it in a closed container for $1200. I would've opted for that... even if insurance covers damages, I prefer to keep the original paint.

i never asked if they offered closed shipping. if it's double the cost, i'd opt for the open anyways.

it's already in transit so i'm only hoping everything will be ok :)

yeah, that's something i'm looking to do right away. hopefully the dealership advised the trasnport company of these mounting points.

That's right. It's already on its way. Save your worries and focus on the fun you are going to have in it!

Attachment 32596

As long as they don't arrive like this, you'll be fine. Sorry if the image is too small.

Oh gawd thats scary though

I'll be doing this too for mine in a couple weeks. I'm a bit worried. When I did it to my Nismo 370 two years ago I didn't notice any problems though.

just do a really good inspection before pickup and after delivery. My Acura Transported from CA to VA in an open container acquired scratches alll along the drivers side of the car. Transport guy said it was "dirt" and wiped it clean with a damp cloth. And it looked like it wiped clean but after it dried (when he left) the scratches remained. Luckily it was only clear coat deep but once you sign the paper to accept the car, they accept no responsibility of anything not pointed out.

I always...always...always strap cars down either thru or around the tires/rims, Why?

Because, when you strap to the chassis, you have 2 options, take all travel out of the suspension so vehicle cannot move (BAD IDEA, BLOWN SHOCKS) or allow the vehicle to slacken and tighten against the restraints over every bump/undulation.

When attaching to the chassis you will find the car moves around on the trailer as the car moves thru the suspension travel it finds its new happy spot continually.

Manufacturers have the convenient position of being able to plan the transport logistics in advance so they can find the best location to secure from the chassis to prevent undesirable motion of the vehicle during transit.

now transporters are somewhere in the middle aren't they. They have to carry whatever vehicles they are contracted, but they do it professionally, so they have to be efficient and precise in their methods.

I am interested to see how it shows up, can you take pics if possible?


(before anyone gets all hot and bothered and tells me how stupid I am for attaching to tires/rims) I trailered my s13 probably 3000miles last year in total and that's 1 example from 1 year...not my first rodeo

my transportation was delayed a day (they didn't even call me yesterday to let me know their truck broke down in AZ, i had to call them 30min before they closed to find out!)

i'm definitely taking pics and video of them unloading the car. should be here in an hour. good thing sunlight will be out for another 2 at least. gonna check the tires too.

What's the first thing you are gonna do when it get here? A car wash? Haha.,

got my car delivered and guess what... they f*cked up. because i live in a circle, they didn't bother to call me to arrange a place for me to see the car unloaded, so while waiting in my garage, i saw my BRZ roll up...

immediately noticed two scratches that run parallel to the length of the car under the front bumper, obviously from some sort of railing system used on the truck. the driver just stood there and tried making excuses about how their truck isn't made ot handle lowered cars. bs, car is stock and you run a transport business, properly equip your vehicle or don't transport.

then noticed a curb rush on the front wheel that took off a piece of the tire. he rubbed it and told me it happened at the dealer. if it did, why isn't it notated on his pickup form? then he said it was rubbing off LOL. idiot.

then i looked at the mounting points underneath. apparently he mounted to the incorrect hole that isn't properly reinforced and as you can see in the picture, it tore whatever hole was there. made an excuse that they're not responsible if the manufacturer doesn't reinforce the holes properly lol. yeah, that's why they made this other hole with the grommet for transport.

seriously, this transport company, "five star auto" is a complete wreck. the guy just stood there blaming everyone except his company and with a grin on his face the whole time.

i was going to sign the papers and bring this up with their insurance, but in the end i just accepted $100 as is. i dont' have time to deal with this. i wasn't going to repaint the bumper, and the wheel curb rash is minor. the torn sheet metal i'll just bend back and get another grommet. but my god, what a bunch of crooks.

very carefully ;)

wrong play brother. why accept a brand new car that is damaged?

Yeah sorry but you messed up, I would have refused receipt and been on the phone with the transit company. I'm not willing to discuss ~$27k investments with truck drivers...

I would have insisted on chassis damage, paint damage and wheel and tire damage. and insisted that it was all taken care of, checked out by a local Dealership or body shop you trust and washed/waxed so you can verify there was no additional gross negligence.

Sorry about your loss, that suckx

Agreed on the wrong play there. Even with accepting cash up front, the monetary damage is worth far more than 100 so you got cheated out of that as well. Even if you plan not to repair anything, that frame damage can severely hurt the value of your vehicle. It should have been flat out refused and taken with their insurance company. Now it's just significant money out of your own pocket. I know people like to make shotgun decisions because they finally got their car after waiting so long, but this decision wasn't something to take likely. I'm sorry for what happened, but consider it a serious lesson learned

Aw man I guess I ducked up :/

Now I'm trying to make myself feel a bit better here lol, but is that small tear even significant damage? I'm thinking about is welding it up at a shop.

Lesson learned.

This does not make me feel good... My car is coming from them at the end of the month

Well shit-- I'm going to have to bring my car over from the east coast in about a month. What a scary thread-- I'll definitely be having it moved in an enclosed transport by a reputable company. I checked over at rennlist and they seemed to have some good recommendations. I bet they aren't cheap, but probably worth it. Those pics are some ugly things :\

OMG! I would have been livid! There is no way that I would have accepted my car in that condition. I truly feel bad about your experience. I hope that your BRZ has no future issues as a result of that damage.

Best Wishes!

-Nate

Like I said earlier, I would've shipped via closed container to prevent the possibility of stuff like this happening. Epecially after seeing my dad's experiences shipping Supras being all over the map, figuratively speaking.
If it were me, I wouldn't have accepted like the others. But meh... people have different thresholds for tolerance. Some are anally meticulous, whereas others, like yourself, consider these to be minor blemishes. The bumper and wheel damage mimic normal wear and tear which eventually might've happened anyway. The ripped hole... I wouldn't consider it structural frame damage and it shouldn't raise a red flag if someone were to appraise your car since the damage is isolated and seems to have negligible effect on structural integrity.

Learn your lesson, lick your wounds. But don't lose sleep over it. The damages are in inconspicuous spots and can be fixed. Consider paying for repairs to be your lesson. In the end, you'll be able to enjoy your car, unadulterated, like the rest of us. Congrats on finally getting it! :thumbsup:

Good point
Sucks that this happened, u live and learn

I agree. Whatever happened happened. Just move on and enjoy the car like you deserve to be after all the hassle you went through to get one.