Transporting a vehicle; recommendations?

Tobster86

I'm thinking about picking up a very cheap (and therefore probably also unroadworthy/undriveable) Peugeot 205 for a bit of a project. There are a number that are about 100 miles away. Even towing them would likely be pretty much out of the question.

Can anyone suggest the most sensible yet cost effective means of getting it home, or recommend how to find the best vehicle transport company?

Google seems to provide loads of companies that offer quotes in exchange for masses of spam, and I understand some members are car traders who may have been here before, hence the question.

forgotmyname

If your thinking cheap car at a few hundred £, Then your going to double the cost before you start.

Spend more on something road legal and closer.

Tobster86

It's actually a cabrio I'm after that will specifically need work (the project is an engine conversion + general restoration); there are a few non/poor runners that are very cheap, but ones that run or are in reasonable condition are considerably more (although now seems to be the right time of year to buy a cabrio).

Ectophile

Wouldn't any independent breakdown company be able to offer you a quote to send their breakdown truck to go and pick up the car?

There are lots of them around - so there should be a few near you.

scheming_gypsy

there's usually a few men with transporters on eBay. It won't be cheap if it's a 200 mile round trip though.
Or you can hire car transporters if you've got a tow bar. Costs seem to be around the £40 - £50 mark.

paddedjohn

Do you have breakdown cover? I bought a car a few years ago that I couldn't drive home so I called the RAC and told them I had broken down, a couple of hours later I was piggy backed home.

mgdavid

https://www.shiply.com
or find a phone contact for your local motor club, there's likely to be a racer with a trailer nearby who doesn't mind helping out for a few bob.

Herzlos

scheming_gypsy wrote: »

Or you can hire car transporters if you've got a tow bar. Costs seem to be around the £40 - £50 mark.

I'd go with this, even if you don't have a tow bar need to pay a friend to do the driving / borrow their car.

OddballJamie

paddedjohn wrote: »

Do you have breakdown cover? I bought a car a few years ago that I couldn't drive home so I called the RAC and told them I had broken down, a couple of hours later I was piggy backed home.

I so want to do this with a car in this kind of condition, just to see the look on his face.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AUSTIN-COUNTRYMAN-BARN-FIND-VERY-RARE-SPARES-OR-REPAIR-TAX-EXEMPT-/131008882466

"Honest mate, I drove it here fine last week."

redux

scheming_gypsy wrote: »

there's usually a few men with transporters on eBay. It won't be cheap if it's a 200 mile round trip though.
Or you can hire car transporters if you've got a tow bar. Costs seem to be around the £40 - £50 mark.

Maybe even slightly cheaper - two near me are £35 a day.

There might be a question of the maximum trailer weight for the towcar, but a 205 is fairly light and with the trailer would probably be within 1500 kg, ok behind quite a few medium/large cars

Or there are some places which hire out self drive transporters based on a van conversion rather like a long pick-up bed, but maybe not as many so might be further away

scheming_gypsy

aye, there's a couple near me around the same price but the majority were between £40 and £50