My Acura Integra is in California and already have an offer for just under $5k.
Has 150k miles on it. Its over 20yrs of age. I need a car in Georgia. Shipping cost at least $1200.
If I took the option to sell it in CA, I might be buying a 2007 Civic in GA.
Question is how hard it might be to buy a used good car in Georgia? Is it worth paying the shipping cost? My immediate use is for 5months the least. Most 17months. I do not think renting is an option.
Btw, Can I drive to Amtrak somewhere in California and have it shipped - cost less?
For me, the obvious question is why not drive from CA to GA in your Integra rather than ship it or sell it???
If the answer is that you lack confidence in the reliability of the car to drive it cross country then look at the comparative costs of having work done to make it more long trip reliable versus the costs and gamble of buying a newer used car in GA at the current inflated prices of used cars.
This is a case where perhaps spending the cost of having your Integra thoroughly looked over by a mechanic for issues might be money well spent to help you make your decision.
Not for everyone. For example, four-hundred miles a day is my maximim safe driving distance which even then wipes me out. I envy those who can safely manage far longer distances in a day.
Plus, even taking the southern route involves some higher elevations subject to wintery mix driving conditions.
Given @sciconf stated parameter limitations, I can see why my suggestion of just driving from CA to GA may not be a viable option. Just as I agree with you @Mustangman that it would be a very reasonable option for most people.
Depends on how many cops are out
seriously, though, depending on where in Cali, it’s probably 36ish hours. I’ve done 14 hours of driving in a day before. It’s not ideal, but if I was limited on time as @sciconf seems to be, I could do it myself in probably 2 days. If you had 2 or 3 drivers going along and could drive straight through on the other hand…
If you were moving somewhere that gets a lot of rust, I’d tell you to ship it, because you’d get a premium for a California vehicle that presumably doesn’t have any. But Georgia cars aren’t exactly rust buckets either, so you’re likely to get just as much if not more selling it locally, and you save on the cost of shipping it.
BTW, on that 2007 Civic - make sure it’s not one of the ones with a bad block casting. If I recall that problem was killing engines on Civics made from '06 to '09 or so
Maybe this helps … If you sell your car for $5,000 and buy an identical, (same price, etc) in Georgia, besides the replacement car price you’re going to pay a 7% AdValom tax $350 and at least another $50 in transfer fees, total $400.
Net shipping cost $1,200 - $400 = $800.
Of course there’s a whole lot of other considerations but this only focuses on shipping.
In late 1958 I was in Monterey, CA and in the military. Four of us got together and advertised in the local paper if anyone needed to have a car shipped to the East Coast. We got a response from someone with a 1956 Dodge sedan they wanted delivered to an address in the Washington, D.C. area. All we asked for was gas money to which they agreed. Along the way three GIs were dropped off at their homes while the last one delivered the car and took a short airplane hop from Washington to Syracuse, NY. Everyone was almost quite pleased with the deal but on the day of picking up the car in Monterey the owners reneged on paying for the gasoline. We were stuck for the moment but a local friend in Monterey gave us enough money for gasoline.
So might I suggest you advertise at a close-by military base if anyone is going to a specific place or close by in Georgia that would like to drive your Integra (btw a fine vehicle IMHO). Say your car gets 20mpg and $3.25/gal would be about $400 your cost for gas.
Doesn’t really have to be military but they don’t get paid much!
