Driving Coast to Coast w/ Sight Unseen Car

[Interjection]

I've lurked these forums for a few years, and I decided to ask this question here since the demographic that posts here appears to have more life experience than most of the other car discussion boards.

Has anyone driven long distance (>1000 miles) in a used car they had just purchased? I live in Massachusetts, and there is a car in Oregon that the seller is adamant about selling locally. They refuse to have the car shipped out of state even if I hire and deal with the shipping company myself. What exactly would you need in order to drive the car legally-cross country while still being cost-effective? The main issue seems to be getting the car registered and insured in MA after it's purchased. The drive looks simple enough since it's all interstate and the car is fuel-injected with lowish mileage for a late 80s car.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

West coasters just don't understand what rust is, and how bad it is on the east coast

Call your insurance company as soon as you purchase the car and have the title. Take the car to an Oregon DMV or wherever Oregon issues temp tags. They will probably ask you for your license and insurance card. That will let you drive the car home to MA, and they usually good for 20-30 days. Once you get home, go to a MA DMV and register the car

I can understand private sellers not wanting to deal with remote customers. They don't know how legit you are, and there are lots of scams, and they don't all originate from Nigeria

 

[ondarvr]

Do as mentioned above.

Do a thorough check of the car, then hit the road.

Whatever fails along the way can be fixed. In situations like this I'll carry some extra tools.

Tires and hoses would be at the top of the checklist.

1000 miles isn't that far.

 

[Interjection]

Originally Posted by slacktide_bitog

West coasters just don't understand what rust is, and how bad it is on the east coast

Call your insurance company as soon as you purchase the car and have the title. Take the car to an Oregon DMV or wherever Oregon issues temp tags. They will probably ask you for your license and insurance card. That will let you drive the car home to MA, and they usually good for 20-30 days. Once you get home, go to a MA DMV and register the car

I can understand private sellers not wanting to deal with remote customers. They don't know how legit you are, and there are lots of scams, and they don't all originate from Nigeria

Thank you, I wasn't aware that Oregon was able to give temporary tags to non-residents. I understand the sellers point of view as I've also dealt with those types every time I sell a car.

Originally Posted by ondarvr
Do as mentioned above.

Do a thorough check of the car, then hit the road.

Whatever fails along the way can be fixed. In situations like this I'll carry some extra tools.

Tires and hoses would be at the top of the checklist.

1000 miles isn't that far.


Thank you, if the seller agrees I would make sure to get comprehensive footage of the car before I purchase any airline tickets. The drive is around 3,000 miles, I wrote over 1,000 to hear if anyone has had experience driving over that distance in a car they just purchased.

 

[qjohn]

I have transported cars that i have purchased back to the Chicago area from Texas, Florida, Georgia, DC and Tennessee. These purchases have been thru dealers and from individuals. I don't treat it any differently than transporting them across town. I keep the paperwork handy in case police stop me. (Have never been stopped with a no-license car on these trips.) Bill of sale and title if possible. Have proof of insurance. I have a plan in case of breakdown and try to drive in the daytime as much as practical.

Now, you want to do it legally? Look into buying a Trip Permit for the vehicle from Oregon. That will allow you to drive it temporarily until you register it in your home state.

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted by ondarvr
Do as mentioned above.

Do a thorough check of the car, then hit the road.

Whatever fails along the way can be fixed. In situations like this I'll carry some extra tools.

Tires and hoses would be at the top of the checklist.

1000 miles isn't that far.


Last time I checked, Oregon is about 3000 miles from MA.

Last time I bought a car in NY, I drove it home to MA. But my method involved two trips. One to go out there and buy it and two to get plates in MA and then commute out there to pick it up.

I was able to get insurance on the car by just providing the VIN and doing it all over the phone. I had the bill of sale with me so all I had to do was go down to the registry to pay the sales tax and to get plates. You might have an issue with that now with the current situation, may have to make an appointment.

The one trip method is probably to get temp plates from Oregon if you can get it. Same deal with registries closed all over the country.

What kind of 80's car? I'm not sure I'd trust an 80's car to make 3k without problems. Modern car sure. I'd want to take it to a shop to make sure everything is fine like tires (less than 6 years) do oil change, fluid change, plugs etc. Not sure any 80's car is worth it unless it's something like a Grand National. And then at that point, instead of driving it 3k, I would just hire a company to ship it and you just drive it to wherever you need to take it to get it shipped and then fly back home.

 

[Jarlaxle]

First: can you do ANYTHING at the DMV in the current situation? Note that ALL Oregon DMV buildings are closed. You CAN order a trip permit online, though the site says it will take about a week. https://dmv2u.oregon.gov/eServices/_/

An Oregon temp tag is good for 3 weeks...should be no problem driving it back.

 

[JohnnyJohnson]

Frankly you'd have better off having a car transporting company do this for you. But I hope you at least took a very close personal look at it.

 

[Nick1994]

Get a cheap plane ticket and fly there to buy it and meet a transport company that can haul it for you and fly back.

 

[raaizin]

In my opinion driving 3000 miles in an 80's car is asking for an issue. When were belts, hoses and tires last change. Driving those miles will put severe stress on those components. As a side note My dad lived in city and had tires on car which were 9 years old but no miles. On trip he took he had to by tires after 500 miles. I would be prepared for roadside repairs. I dont get why he wouldnt work with you. I bout my car in Texas paid the seller and he held it for me until transport came to pick it up. Unless it was a 1 of 1 I wouldnt bother with this seller he is making things too difficult

 

[vwmaniaman]

I have done that kind of purchase and the biggest problem is getting the signatures in the right place to legally tranfer the title. Sometimes the vehicles have issues. Plan for that after you purchase it. I prefer picking it up and then rent a uhaul dolly or trailer. I flew to a purchase in Oregon once from Kentucky and the vehicle had a bad radiator and no AC in August. Windows down and heater on full blast made it home safely. Still have that vehicle and that has been over 22 years now.

 

[Mr Nice]

It's a big gamble.

I'd fly out for test drive and ship it back home.

 

[AZjeff]

Under the current conditions I'd forget I ever saw that car. Realistically 4 long days on the road and a flight, are you OK putting yourself into unknown places right now?

What is the object of your obsession BTW?

 

[PimTac]

When I hear 80's cars I think Citation, Fairmont, etc. Driving 3000 miles in something like that is just asking for trouble and trouble always strikes in the middle of nowhere or up on a pass.


There must be something closer? Considering everything going on right now, it's not a good idea.


Since you didn't mention what year and model this car is, I wonder about this post.

 

[eljefino]

yes

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted by PimTac
When I hear 80's cars I think Citation, Fairmont, etc. Driving 3000 miles in something like that is just asking for trouble and trouble always strikes in the middle of nowhere or up on a pass.


If it's worth traveling 3k miles, I'd think it'd be worth something. Like a Grand National, DeLorean, Daytona Turbo II, RX-7 Turbo, Porsche, Supra etc.

 

[Jarlaxle]

SVO Mustang, Omni GLH-S, Corvette ZR1, Shadow CSX, Dakota ragtop, Turbo Trans Am, Monte Carlo SS, police Mustang, B4C Camaro...

 

[NYEngineer]

I have a friend, who in the late 80s went to California to buy a 68 Buick GS400. Bought the car and proceeded to drive it back to NY with NO PLATES. Made it all the way to Massapequa, Long Island without issue. After being home for thirty minutes, he went to the store to get milk and had jumped into the Buick without even thinking. He got pulled over two minutes from his house.
Im fairly sure he had the car insured and thats probably why he was allowed to go back home with the car. This type of stuff always happened to this guy. Hed get away with a trip like that and then get busted in his own neighborhood.

 

[JHZR2]

I picked up my 1982 Mercedes 300cd like that. It was in LA, somewhere near Long Beach. I flew out with a checked bag full of tools, and a pocket full of cash. Literally took a taxi from LAX to the owner's home, looked everything over, and since it was ok, bought the car and prepared for the trip home.

This was shortly after iPhones became popular, so I had internet access, and it worked out fine. My wife met me, And we drove back, taking in a lot of the country. It was a very memorable adventure. I plan to do it again sometime, niche car or daily driver (might be easier with a new car as there is zero risk). I think it's a great thing to do.

Do your research, recognize weak spots and the repairs. That's the beauty of the web - there's plenty of reference info, including how and where to get the parts or the fix if need be.

Get to the seller, be ready to do some marginal prep, and verify that everything looks good. If it is, then go, if not, either walk or get the fixes.

I bought the car in CA, where the plates stay with the car, and where a bill of sale is typical (I guess... in NJ we just sign the back of the title and it's done). So I had the title, a bill of sale, plates, and a temporary insurance card from my insurer...