General Chat
Q:
I'm going to be shipping my dashboard (76z) down to the states to have it restored. My dilemma is that I can't find a box that will fit...it is about 52" long and no stock cardboard boxes will fit it (I went to a box store).
Has anyone ever done this before? Should/can I make a crate to ship it in?
Thanks for any suggestions.
A:
Go to an appliance store to get a big box, cut it, fold it, and make it fit.
"YES I will finish what I sta"
.
1977 280Z blue 2+2,
1973 240z
1977 280Z coupe in restoration progress
A:
Yep, get a BIG box and cut it to make it fit. It will save you tons of $ in shipping than if you found one that was a bit bigger, and had to pad it a lot to keep it from moving around.
Here's the best bet...take the big box and cut it down one seam to make it lay flat on the floor. Then get the square measurements of the dash. If it's 20" wide at it's widest point, take that measurement at 21". If it's 60" at it's longest point, cut it 61". Then try to cut the box with the seams in it, so you won't have to make new points for the box to fold. I can sorta draw up an Ascii character map of what I'm talking about. I have had to make several boxes before to ship stuff in. :)
A:
Go to an appliance store, and pick up an old refrigerator box.
Lay out a skeleton frame of 2X2's and screw them together around the dashboard---you can make a cross brace to bolt two bolts from the top of the dashboard, and the two from down by the center console to this frame by using sheetmetal or drywall screws. You can cross brace for rigidity using 1X2's and nailing them to the framework.
This will keep the dash centered in the box, and you can wrap the cardboard around the outside framework and staple it to it. The dash will not bang around, and you can pack it tightly with bubble wrap or other light packing material.
If it is going surface freight, instead of using cardboard, I would probably go with the thinnest Luan or regular paneling you can find for the exterior of the crate.
That should make the dash secure, and satisfy most shipper's "Substantial and Correct Shipping Container" requirements---that way if there is a problem with shipping, and damage occurs, there should be no issues getting insuracne or the shipper to pay for the damage...
People Are Idiots, Just look around here and you will see!
Tony D: "Knowledgeable but Caustic"... rationull
My brother from another mother calls himself "Willie D"
A:
I concur w/ Tony!
Especially if your having it shipped out to have it restored, the shipment back home to you will also be via a purpose built container to protect the newly refurbished dash.
Build yourself a frame, secure the dash, and cover w/ a light plywd. The shipping Co. will not adhere to a hand writen note on the side of a cardboard box.
" DO NOT STACK " or "FRAGILE"
I myself will be constructing many such containers to ship all of my worldy Z possesions ( Including a NIB NOS 280 dash) north to Renton Wa. in mid January. Four cars in a two car garage.....god help me?
Z,
Kevin
Triple 77s, one for work, one for play and one on the way.
Post Edited (Dec 26, 8:22pm)
A:
YFB!
LOL
People Are Idiots, Just look around here and you will see!
Tony D: "Knowledgeable but Caustic"... rationull
My brother from another mother calls himself "Willie D"
A:
YFB ..... ?
Z,
Kevin
Triple 77s, one for work, one for play and one on the way.
A:
NIB NOS Dash?
You f-ing bastard!!!
LOL
People Are Idiots, Just look around here and you will see!
Tony D: "Knowledgeable but Caustic"... rationull
My brother from another mother calls himself "Willie D"
A:
Sorry, MattZ280!
Not hijack your thread, Matt. I do believe there is some relevancy, please bare with me here. I'll be fashioning out a few intermediate wooden eng. dollies w/ casters to facilitate the transport of three eng. blocks, pallets for differentials.....the list goes on.
The best advice is to, error on the safe side and over compensate on the durability of the shipping container.
Yeah Tony, I found out two days before Christmas, that I've been offered a promotion w/ Boeing on the new B787 in Manufacturing Engineering in Final Systems & Test as a Planner. So Lynn & the boyz and I are going to be moving up to the Pacific Northwest.
Now, just to figure out how to move my precious dashboard too!
Z,
Kevin
Triple 77s, one for work, one for play and one on the way.
A:
Thanks everyone for the advice! I think it does make sense to make a frame for it to make sure it's secure.
I can't wait to get the dash done as its my last piece left for the full interior restore. I'll let you guys know how it looks.
A:
Yeah go with the frame idea. I waited four months for mine to comeback from Australia only to have some fat guy at ups locally sit on it and I had to send back again bent and cracked. Another 8 week delay.
71 240zxt, spearco, sds, 5 speed, vintage air A/C