Long Drive

**kenro23** · 02-14-2012, 10:40 AM

In the next few months I will be driving my Camaro from Cali to Houston (23 hours). I am getting new tires before it gets shipped and gonna have it fully checked out also.

Is there anything extra I should do to the car before this drive?

***SMWS6TA*** · 02-14-2012, 11:00 AM

Is it being shipped from HI to CA first?

If so, do not do an oil change prior to shipping.

I believe they tell you this - only have no more then a 1/4 tank of gas, for them it's a fire hazard and make sure anything of value is not in the car like speaker boxes, cds, gps, etc. I even took my radio face plate.

DO these when you pick it up.

1. Go over with a fine tooth comb. check for damage to the body and under carriage. They use chains to tie down. Sometimes the longshoremen men don't care how they handle the vehicles and break stuff. I've also seen them race cars once they are off the ship to the parking area. It's not theirs and the union will protect them so they don give a F!!k.

2. Do an oil change as soon as possible. This will give you piece of mind and also remove any moisture buildup from the shipping across the ocean.

3. Do the basic maintenance checks - plugs, wires, fluids, wipers, breaks, lights, I'd say tires but you already got that cover

4. Address any issues you find. Breaking down in the dessert sucks.

***SMWS6TA*** · 02-14-2012, 11:07 AM

Also avoid staying overnight in El Paso. 4th Gen F-bodies get stolen from there in high numbers and taken over the border.

**jiveass** · 02-14-2012, 11:38 AM

what part of houston you headin to?

**kenro23** · 02-14-2012, 02:01 PM

Houston.

I shipped my truck from dallas to here but the navy paid for thag. So I know the shipping/receivig part of it. You did answer my questions though. I never knew about not changing the oil until after I pick it up.

I plan on staying in phoenix and continuing on the next day. Thats if me and my boy dont just sleep in the car while the other one drives. Cross that bridge later.

***SMWS6TA*** · 02-14-2012, 04:29 PM

This happen to our DD at the time.

It took 27 days both ways for my car to be shipped to Germany.

1st time it was out side and I swear it water logged, I tried starting it and it ran like poo. Started checking all of the things and when I checked the dip stick it had weird fluid and slime on it. I was like

I thought my head gasket blew. Ran it to the local repair shop on base. They drained it and pulled the pan. Then the Germans explain to me that this happens sometimes during shipping. I'm like really how?!? Please explain.... So they cleaned out what they could, flushed it, threw on a new pan gasket and gave new oil. Told me to run it a week then do another oil change. I did and had no issues.

On the return side I checked the oil first and no issues so it seems like they had it stored inside. But they did broke the abs sensor with the chains, so they had to fix before I accept it.

My experience is not your standard one but hey at least you know what to look for.