Today, via auction, I bought a '00 Ford Focus ZTS 69k miles, auto, leather. Pretty much a Focus with every option offered at the time.
All in with fees, about $2,300. I'd have to pay that or more to get a higher mile and much rustier example here locally.
Stock photo but the same:
When bidding, I figured I could either fly/drive or have it shipped. Realizing that these are Spring Break weeks around Easter, last minute flights are probably out of the question so I figured I would ship. I currently have a bid auction going on UShip.com.
Then I got to thinking, maybe someone else is headed to FL for Spring Break already and needs a way back? Or, maybe someone wants out of FL during the Spring Break invation?
Could there be an empty trailer going through the area?
If any part of this adventure interests you, please let me know.
Don't count on PM. It's best to just email me directly...
Jwelsh02...yahoo...
I'm flexible on dates but as you can imagine, eager to get it.
Even if you can get it closer north, that's good too.
Check with Allegiant airlines. I just flew from Pittsburgh to St Petersburg for $49 one way. They fly into a lot of smaller airports in Florida.
+1 on Allegiant. Let me know what your final bid is on USHIP, I might just fly in and bring it home for a $1 less!
I just happened to read this article 2 days ago re Allegiant. Not sure I would travel with them these days. YMMV
Are maintenance problems at Allegiant Air the result of an airline growing too fast?
In reply to pinchvalve:
I have a price in mind of 50 - 60 cents per mile (50 cents is what I paid to get the Q45 here from Denver.) This trip is 944 miles. So, that means $472 - $566 to catch a ride on a real car carrier. The best so far on Uship is $628 but that is in just one day of price bidding. I have eight companies that have bid so far. One of the first bids was for $801. This is now the same company that is at $628.
I would like to have the car by Tuesday March 29 (two days after Easter.)
If you are truly interested out of Pittsburgh, I propose the following:
$425 if you go get it and bring it to Pittsburgh (I'll come to you then and get it.)
$525 if you bring it all the way to me.
I'm likely gonna pay someone; it may as well be you.
Things I have learned in considering going to get it myself:
I can get a Hertz One-Way rental for about $65 per day. (picking up not at airport and dropping off not at airport to avoid additional taxes/fees.)
If you're already in FL with a tow hitch, a Uhaul tow dolly wil run about $245.
The car will be riding on 4 brand new tires and a new rear wheel bearing. It has been thoroughly reviewed and serviced just as if I would be the one driving it (which I might.)
One of the Uship carriers that I have been chatting with has agreed to $550, Picked up Friday afternoon and brought to my door Sunday. 58 cents per mile and it's here quickly.
I have accepted.
Looks like the Easter Bunny will be bringing me a Ford Focus!
This is what I've found. The bids on Uship come in slow and haphazard. Pick the company that you like and pick up the phone. I got a better rate on the phone without a lot of prodding. I didn't even tell them it was on UShip. I just cold-called and gave the info.
Update, I heard again from the driver. Should be here soon.
In the future, I'll move these purchases for you. Still trying to find the right trailer
It was all as easy as it should be.
Arrived on time.
We had unseasonably warm weather so I got right to work cleaning.
patgizz wrote:
In the future, I'll move these purchases for you. Still trying to find the right trailer
Great.
This driver was from Rural Wayne County (Wooster area.) Does this hauling on the side. Full time he is maint Mechanic at a paper mill. He arrived in a Chevy Extended cab, swd which has a Cummins in it pulling this 5th wheel, two car trailer. He said he also has a gas engine truck pulling a one car trailer. He mostly hauls for a couple of small car dealers in the Akron Canton area getting their cars to and from local Ohio auctions.
He and the wife just spent a week in St Augustin, Fl. She flew in. He hauled two cars down. Then returned with a VW TDI and my car. The VW was for his wife and he had bought it via CL 3 weeks earlier.
He said the car hauling pretty much paid for the vacation. I figure 3 cars X $500ish = $1500ish.
The car is clean. Wonderfully rust free.
The original Autocheck report stated no accident. Upon closer inspection, the whole car has ben repainted at some point in life. There is a fair amount of very slight overspray on a lot of various black plastic trim. Situations where the tape did not cover perfectly. The front bumper also has a paint chip where it appears that under the silver paint may be a navy blue molded bumper.
Straingly, there is no glaring errors like opening a door to find a different colored door jam, etc.
Looks like a the new car dealer suckered the original buyer into window etched VIN numbers and ironically this proves that the car has all the original windows. Any body damage could not have been too bad.
Certaily, the repaint was not recent considering that the car has all the sins and abuses of a 16 yrs old economy car such as parking lot scratches, roof/trunk scratches like from sliding a box across the paint, etc.
One of the rear doors looks to have gotten a little DIY touch-up repair (and DIY'd poorly). From 10 ft it looks fine.
On the plus sisde, the paint has no burnt clear coat which is so popular in the south.
The battery was DOA so I hit it with my jumper pack. Since the markings say the battery is from 2010, I think I'll just replace it rather than try to revive it with a charger.
It is showing an ABS light so I suspect a sensor.
ALso on the Needs list is a little bit of trim like needing a replacement handle to recline the driver's seat. Also time for some not dry rotted wiper blades.
On the wants list:
Better get a spare key made.
Came with no door clicker either.
Headlights could use a good buffing.
With all of this considered, it seems like a great $2,300ish purchase.
