RE: parts car and transporting it

["Smeins, Larry" <lsmeins@ball.com>]

(1) I make getting the hulk home a DIY project.  If you don't have a
pickup truck with a ball hitch find a friend with one.  You usually can
rent a flat bed trailer with loading ramps from a local household and
yard equipment rental shop.  U-Haul may have them big enough for a 4K as
well.  I use a come-along to pull the hulk onto the trailer and tie it
down with short chains or you can rent "binders" when you rent the
trailer.  I recently used a tilt bed snowmobile trailer to bring home a
VW Beetle.  With a rental trailer you should be able to do this for $50
or less.

(2) In my area there are salvage yards that will come get the car at no
charge.  This is based on the fact they expect enough pieces to make
salvage for them profitable so it depends on how much is still left when
you get done.  One town here has offered free pickup of junk cars on
their streets to keep wrecks from littering their city.  Used that
service once.  I once took my cutting torch to a hulk that I totally
stripped, cut it into small pieces and took it to our local "dump".  The
guy with salvage/recycle rights had a hay day with all the easily
handled recyclable steel pieces I brought in.

I have to admit I have a good deal for such salvage since I have a few
acres in the country where only my wife complains about my "junkyard".
You may not be in such a situation so be aware of ordinances, etc.

Larry 

>Hi again all,

>OK, Its time for the all-too-frequent Roger asking questions hour
again,
>wherein this time we call upon people who've bought parts cars before,
>for advice and tips.

>Here's the deal,  I have the chance to buy, probably reasonably, an 87
>4ks in the same color as my 86 4ks.  The motor in the parts beast is
>not currently running, and is purportedly, a low compression 1.8L I4,
>rebuilt, and from all the stamps, brazilian in origin.  At any rate,
the
>motor's not a big concern, as its parts and accessories which are
driving
>the deal.  The car has some very minor front end bumps, but
fortunately,
>just on opposite sides from mine, so it has just what I need.

>So, a couple questions arise,

>1) since its not running, I'm guessing I'll have to have it moved to my
house.
 >  Its a good 45 minute drive, assuming highway use, so its a bit more
than
  > I want to try towing on my own.  What have any of you done in this
situation
   >in the past?  Flat bed it out?  Any ideas on costs?  I'm leery of a
normal
   >tow job, since they're known for bending control arms, and that's
really
   >one of the parts I need from the thing.  I'm open to all ideas.

>2) Similarly, since I'm basically going to strip it, ideally including
rims
  > (they'll still be small/14", but it would be a cheap way to have
sticky
   >low profile track tires available)  How do people get rid of the
hulk.

   >i)   Can a flat bed handle this?  I'm assuming they run into similar

      >  situations with really badly wrecked cars.

   >ii)  If so, is it likely to be much more expensive than regular
towing.
  
 >  iii) Where will I take it?  The local VW/Audi lot might or might not
want
   >     it since it will be largely stripped.  Would a regular salvage
yard
     >   likely accept it?  I wouldn't want any cash for it at that
point, but
      >  I'd like not to pay a hefty disposal fee either, lest I ruing
the whole
       > cheap parts equation.

>3) Lastly, if anyone needs anything from an 87 4ks, let me know what
and what
  > you'd offer, I'm not looking to get rich, but wouldn't mind
defraying some
   >expenses.  I think most of the electrics, gauges, and front brakes
would
   >already be spoken for by Eric and I.  Definitely available would be
a lot
   >of blue interior parts.

>4) What kind of prices does one pay for an 11 yr old parts car of this
sort?

>I'd love to hear any comments and BTDTs.  Thanks
>regards
>roger

===================================================
Roger Albert (go Illini!)  Motorola.  Austin, Texas 
roger@mostro.sps.mot.com   Wireless/DSP Div.  56xxx
Red 94 Ducati M900 Monster  and  White 65 BMW R60/2 
Blue 1976 BMW R90/6 and  1974 R90/6 Sidecar project
1973 Moto Guzzi Eldorado, restoration now underway!
1986 Audi 4000S -- Yup, sometimes you need 4 wheels
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Opinions expressed are always mine --, never Moto's
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