Bad transporting of Porsches

These days most Porsche’s we sell go far away, either all over the US or the world, rarely does the new owner come pick the car up. So that leaves Car Transporters, which can really be a crap-shoot. I have had some that are great and very professional, and then I have seen the worst. Today for example, I sold three cars to one buyer in California, a 64 C Coupe and two 65 912’s. First the guy’s show up with no winch, how they thought they would get the car’s on without one, I don’t know, since none of the three had a motor in it. Luckily, I have a mobile winch and have done this dozens of times. I got to watch these guys do crazy stuff, like take someone’s nice Honda Pilot and use it to drag Porsche’s across my yard, I am sure whoever bought that car didn’t agree to that. Don’t believe me? I took pics.

They than couldn’t get one of the car’s in the right position so they took a 4X4 that was in my yard and started using it as a big lever to shift the car over. I tried to talk to them about how to load but they ignored me and kept speaking another language.

In the end they got all three cars on and strapped down. They thought I was crazy when I was putting straps on hoods and doors, so nothing flew open while the cars were going cross country. But someone has to care, right?

Another time I had a guy picking up a 59 356 Cabriolet, they sent some country dude with a trailer I wouldn’t haul manure with. He loads this car up and has two very small Chinese straps, they kind you would hold your lawnmower down with. So I donated two really thick straps and strapped the car myself, again they thought this was funny.

By far the worst I have ever seen was a 54 Pre-A Coupe I sold. The transporter hooked up with winch, sat on the fender talking on his phone, and proceeded to roll the car up into a ball, literally. The wheels were about 2 feet closer. He didn’t seem to care, just kept talking on the phone.
BEFORE

AFTER

The same guy once rolled a really nice 911 into the back of a Subaru, why my customer kept using this guy I will never know, but he did.

People sometimes ask me why I drive all over to pick up cars that I buy, I tell them because I have seen what transporters can and will do. When they do damage the car you really have no recourse because most have a few thousand dollar deductible with their insurance so anything that isn’t huge damage they have to pay for and they say, “Sue me.” Trust me, I know. You get nothing.

The best ever was the time a guy showed up to pick up a bare body. He had an SUV on the trailer with one of the front wheels missing, he hooked a chain to the body and then to the back of the SUV and three wheeled it up the trailer, it was scary and amazing. Bottom line, the ones that don’t care really don’t care, so be careful out there.

—Adam

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