New Order Questions

[Dennis Newman]

I have a Deluxe plus kit on order with Fran and had a few questions for fellow owners.
1. I ordered the 15x14 wheels and I am not seeing ANY tires that state they fit on a 14" wide wheel? I want my tires near flush (but inside) of the Gulf +2 flares. Did I make a mistake here, and should I try and order either narrower wheels or 17's?
2. I have access to a flatbed car trailer, but could not find an enclosed yet. Has anyone picked up their car and brought it home on a Flatbed? I am driving from Colorado to Wisconsin for a family reunion and was planning on swinging over to Michigan to pick it up.
3. I am on the hunt for tires as I assumed it would be easiest to bring tires and make it a roller for transport. Has anyone done something different?

I will call Fran on Monday, I just thought I would check with others on what they had done or are doing.
Thanks
Dennis

 

[Fran Hall RCR]

The tires for the wide wheels are hand cut Avons from roger Krause or sascosports

Not truly street legal but the best choice

 

[Scott B]

Interesting. I thought I made a mistake NOT ordering the wider wheels with my RCR GT40! I have the 2" flares (installed by RCR - have them do it) and the 10" rims with 295/50 15 Avons and they appear to fit nicely in the arch. But I have it all taken apart now so I can't send a photo! You can check my build log for some delivery photos.

Stop by Elkhart, Indiana, and buy a 20 ft. enclosed trailer (I bought a Lightning all-aluminum trailer there for my gt40 transport) to haul it back. I would not haul it with an open trailer. And be careful on I-94, it is very rough at places - as is I-40 from Memphis to Little Rock. I know every bump and dip!

 

[P Roth]

Unless your plan is to build a track car and need a trailer, it would be much cheaper to have it delivered to your house by a car hauler rather than buy a enclosed trailer. I believe one of the national car haulers makes regular pick ups at RCR.

 

[Dennis Newman]

My Dad has an enclosed racecar trailer I have access to, just not the weekend I need it. I will be a few hours away in Wisconsin the week I plan on picking it up and would like to take advantage of doing it myself. The only thing I have found short of renting one is a good flatbed trailer.

I was thinking of using tarps on top of everything to keep it together. Obviously once the chassis is tied down solidly.
Dennis

 

[P Roth]

In that case I would just buy a big roll of the plastic wrap (thicker commercial Saran type wrap used for palletizing), wrap the car once its on the flatbed, tarp it, and drive you new toy home! A little weather won't kill it.

 

[Ron McCall]

Or buy an enclosed trailer, tow the car home and sell the trailer.
Search Craigslist for trailers for sale between WI and Detroit. There
are probably many.


Ron

 

[Dr. Bob Woods]

The tarp will flap in the wind and damage your paint. Voice of experience...

Use the Saran-type wrap, but no tarp.

Or would hauling it in an open trailer be any worse than driving the car down the road (except for rain)? I presume you intend to drive it.

-Bob Woods

 

[Dean Lampe]

I agree I don't really see a problem with an open trailer.

 

[Dennis Newman]

I don't either, I assume the clams, and spider are at least secured to the chassis? I should be able to tie it down, stretch wrap it, and tarp it without issue.

 

[Randy V]

If it's prepped for shipping like mine was when I went to pick it up at RCR, it will have a few screws holding the spider to the chassis, bolts at the rear of the clam shell and the bobbins holding the front clip in place. The windshield will be placed in position. The doors will be placed over the openings, then the whole nine yards is wrapped tightly with Pallet Wrap (like HD Saran Wrap)...
Fran's team are experts at this.. And making the most use of every cavity in the car for storing goodies that ship with the kit. I was finding things a week later after having unwrapped my car a few months later...

If you're worried about security of the car and components on your trip home with the open trailer, I would pull into a parking lot a couple miles from your motel, then tarp the heck out of it and use a lot of bungee cords, then tow at low speed..
I would recommend you go to Harbor Freight to get a bunch of their moving blankets to place over the body prior to tarping as well...
You could conceivably tow it this way all the way home as long as there is protection for the body (blankets) and the tarps are held tightly and checked periodically..

I did not do this on a custom Corvette I had many years ago. The tarp vibrated and buffed the paint off of many of the edges of the car. However, there was no damage done to the fiberglass underneath. This was about a 1100 mile trip...

Good luck, have fun on your trip!

Oh... And consider taking the Ferry across Lake Michigan. We took the SS Badger and cut a lot of crappy driving through Chicago off of our trip...

 

[TimB]

Oh... And consider taking the Ferry across Lake Michigan. We took the SS Badger and cut a lot of crappy driving through Chicago off of our trip...

Plus from a gearhead perspective the Badger's powerplant is one of the last functioning reciprocating steam engines in service

 

[Dennis Newman]

Thanks this is great advice. I will be towing it from MI back to Wisconsin where it will be safe at the estate we are having our family reunion at. From there it is about a 15 hour drive home, we typically get up at the crack of dawn and drive straight through so as long as I pack it well, it should be fine.

On another note, did you ship Fran your tires or bring them with to make the car a roller? I have not discussed this aspect with him yet?

Again thanks for the advice,
Dennis

If it's prepped for shipping like mine was when I went to pick it up at RCR, it will have a few screws holding the spider to the chassis, bolts at the rear of the clam shell and the bobbins holding the front clip in place. The windshield will be placed in position. The doors will be placed over the openings, then the whole nine yards is wrapped tightly with Pallet Wrap (like HD Saran Wrap)...
Fran's team are experts at this.. And making the most use of every cavity in the car for storing goodies that ship with the kit. I was finding things a week later after having unwrapped my car a few months later...

If you're worried about security of the car and components on your trip home with the open trailer, I would pull into a parking lot a couple miles from your motel, then tarp the heck out of it and use a lot of bungee cords, then tow at low speed..
I would recommend you go to Harbor Freight to get a bunch of their moving blankets to place over the body prior to tarping as well...
You could conceivably tow it this way all the way home as long as there is protection for the body (blankets) and the tarps are held tightly and checked periodically..

I did not do this on a custom Corvette I had many years ago. The tarp vibrated and buffed the paint off of many of the edges of the car. However, there was no damage done to the fiberglass underneath. This was about a 1100 mile trip...

Good luck, have fun on your trip!

Oh... And consider taking the Ferry across Lake Michigan. We took the SS Badger and cut a lot of crappy driving through Chicago off of our trip...

 

[Fran Hall RCR]

Yes you will need to ship us tyres to make it a roller...near impossible otherwise

 

[Dennis Newman]

I sent Vicki an email, tires are on their way to you know!
Dennis