Moving across the country. Would you drive or ship your Z?

[Kelvin]

My move is going east to west and will be about 2,400 miles or so. I'd like my car to stay in good of shape as possible, and if it was your car, would you drive it or ship it across the country?

I would ship-period. Too much road hazards out there.

 

[ArminbanVuuren]

Actually I’d just drive it or tow it behind my moving truck.

haha no moving truck. using a uhaul box and shipping my stuff bc i'd shoot myself if i needed to drive 2400 miles worrying about being in a huge truck. i will say, i am leaning toward driving. i just don't think i can find any shippers it looks like are completely trustworthy. granted i got a barebones sport model so it's under 40k, feels weird to treat it like a brand new LC500, but something about me being there for a rock chip while driving is more palatable than it getting damaged in transit haha

 

[KCZ]

I'd drive unless I had to bring pet(s) along.

 

[mikecarpage]

get the front of the car, or the whole car, PPF'd and drive it. these cars are fuel efficient enough on the highway to make an argument to drive. better in my opnion to stay with the car, keep it in your sight and hands, and be fully responsible for it during the trip.

 

[alienpoker]

Just PFF the whole front bumper & hood.
Or buy a bra, they’re cheap and protect you from most any road hazard. Do a cost analysis, you can’t drive more than 8-9hrs a day on your own & stay alert. For 2400 miles I guess 5d max on your own, if you find someone to share the driving, probably 3d / 2 nights and some sleeping when a passenger. You will probably find places to stop at a motel and rest. I ended up stopping in Knoxville, Tennessee where I’d never been. Gas, food, hotels, fender & hood protection… I bet all together it’s still cheaper than shipping & you’re in more control. The car gets decent hi-way mileage, and gas is way cheaper when you get out of the big cities.

The Colorado rockies are awesome in a Z. So is the feeling of freedom & open space. You can’t find that any other way. This country really is massive & so beautiful.

 

[FSUZ33]

Can't keep my mouth shut...

I'd ship it. Shipping enclosed with a reputable company may cost a little more than the expense of driving it. Depends on how many stars you prefer your hotels to have.

There's a lot you'll miss driving that many miles through areas you may have never seen before, but that one semi retread that's in the road or flies off in front of you, rips your front bumper underneath your car, only to rip the rear bumper off on the way out, will quickly supersede the new countryside experience.

OK, that's extreme. But it COULD happen. I saw it happen years ago to a newish C6 Z06 on Georgia 400 north of ATL.

I'm all for driving. But personally, I think there's a point to where I'd truck it. For me that's probably about 1,000 miles.

Cheers, and good luck with the move!

 

[CPerdomo]

My first thought was ship it in an enclosed trailer but then I thought … you only live once… will you ever have an excuse to take this kind of a trip again in your Z. You can make it an amazing trip filled with memories. So I say… drive it baby!!!

Perfect answer!

 

[Z_x3]

I’ve made a few cross country trips. If it’s your first then I’d highly recommend the drive for the drive, especially if able to turn it into memories a few of us will forever cherish on our journeys.


Now my subsequent trips have all been via transport…sadly no armored convoy, but she did share a ride with a few Ferraris and Lambos.

 

[AlanZ]

I’ve made a few cross country trips. If it’s your first then I’d highly recommend the drive for the drive, especially if able to turn it into memories a few of us will forever cherish on our journeys.


Now my subsequent trips have all been via transport…sadly no armored convoy, but she did share a ride with a few Ferraris and Lambos.

She’s beautiful! I’m happy I got rid of my z32tt. I was always worried what would go wrong next…

 

[NocturnalEmber]

When I was 19, I drove a 240Z from Phoenix, AZ to Boston, MA. Nearly coast to coast. Took me 6 days, but an experience I’ll never forget. Had to buy 2 tires mid-way as there were many miles still to go, but gas was cheap, lots of stops for views or restaurants and a stayed at a couple of motels on the way.

When I bought a really nice 240Z years later in life, I shipped it 2,150 miles. The shippers completely messed it up. Bent wheels from metal hook tiedowns, dings, left it out in the sun for days…

My advice: Drive. I enjoyed and remember the road trip & I have nothing but an unpleasant memory of trusting my car to shippers… and complaining for compensation afterwards.

Just take it easy, enjoying the journey is the main goal - not just getting to a destination quickly.

Driving my RX-7 from long beach to NC was a pretty fun experience, though I will say I 40 was absolutely nothing but desert for a large portion of it which did get old after awhile. Next time I'm going up through Colorado. The random motel stays and whatnot though were a cool experience.

 

[Z_x3]

She’s beautiful! I’m happy I got rid of my z32tt. I was always worried what would go wrong next…

That was one of the cons definitely on the list as I was deciding to ship or drive lol. I’ve been fortunate to say she’s a reliable daily.

 

[Meg_Z]

My car, my precious, is so important that I would pay for a convoy of armored cars to escort it in a bubble in an 18 wheeler trailer encapsulated in foam then shipped by barge that is encapsulated and shipped by rail where the railroad is purchased and pulled up as I pass.. When it got to the destination I would then bury it in a custom built sapphire tomb so that aliens will find it in 10 million years and think, Jesus Christ this guy really loved this inanimate object, but why.

Actually I’d just drive it or tow it behind my moving truck.

When I was younger and purchased my first new car 1988 Plymouth Sundance RS (while stationed in of all places Germany) I felt the same way. Now that I am older and have owned way to many cars and motorcycles to count I understand that 99% of them are depreciating assets meant to be driven/rode. I just put about 1200 miles on mine driving to see my son. I don’t regret one mile or second of it. My next trip I will be riding my motorcycle on the 8 hour each way trip.

 

[NocturnalEmber]

When I was younger and purchased my first new car 1988 Plymouth Sundance RS (while stationed in of all places Germany) I felt the same way. Now that I am older and have owned way to many cars and motorcycles to count I understand that 99% of them are depreciating assets meant to be driven/rode. I just put about 1200 miles on mine driving to see my son. I don’t regret one mile or second of it. My next trip I will be riding my motorcycle on the 8 hour each way trip.

I'm all for driving it if able. Based on what OP mentioned they are shipping their stuff via a uhaul box, so if they can take their time and get there leisurely then I'd say go for it, with the huge caveat of be careful and ppf it if you can.

 

[staying_tuned]

LMK if you plan to ship it, I learned the hard way that it’s near impossible to go into auto transport blind without wading through a bunch of nonsense outfits but my brother and I found some folks that have never let us down spanning both my cheaper cars and his high-end stuff. Both treated with exceptional care and I’ve never paid more than $700 for enclosed/white-glove and that was PA to FL on a short notice. Given the option, I drive every chance I get but these were move/storage related and it would have cost quadruple that for me (or he) to drive them.

- edit -

I’ll just post Matt’s number at Ship a Car Direct for anyone that may need a solid transport option. His number 917-267-7999. We’ve leveraged them for the last 5 cars we’ve needed transport on and zero issues with the exception of a Rivian R1 that got delayed 3 days because the carrier couldn’t move it due to a dead DEAD battery an no override/winch option at the time (thanks Rivian).

 

[BigBlue]

I commonly do 1k+mile round trips in mine. The nose, mirrors and glass are riddled with chips/strikes. The pass sidesill is cracked from the front tire throwing road debris into it. It's called enjoying your car.