How to Ship a Convertible Car
A convertible ships like any other car with one genuine exception: the roof is fabric, and fabric is the one part of a vehicle that road debris and weather can actually destroy in transit. Everything else about the process is ordinary. Getting the top right is the job.
Soft Top or Hard Top Changes Everything
A retractable hard top convertible is, for shipping purposes, a normal car. The roof is metal or composite, it stows away, and it takes road debris the same way any panel does. Ship it on an open trailer without a second thought.
A fabric soft top is different, and the difference is real rather than fussiness.
A soft top on an open upper deck takes several days of stone chips, grit, rain, sun and highway wind. Vinyl and canvas both degrade under ultraviolet exposure. The rear window, if it is plastic rather than glass, scratches and clouds. Stitching and seals age faster under sustained wind loading than they do sitting in a driveway.
None of that is certain to happen on one trip. It is a risk that scales with distance, season and the age of the top, and it is the reason the enclosed conversation is different for these cars.
The Top Stays Up
This should not need saying and it does.
The roof is closed and latched for transport, without exception. A top that is down is exposed to everything, the interior fills with grit and water, and the folded fabric is being pressed against itself for days.
Check that every latch engages properly. On an older car, a latch that is stiff or a seal that has shrunk lets water in at highway speed in a way it does not in normal driving.
If the top is power operated, make sure it is in the fully closed and locked position rather than merely lowered onto the frame, and tell the driver how it operates in case it needs adjusting.
If the mechanism is unreliable or the top will not close properly, say so when you book. That is a reason for enclosed rather than something to discover at pickup.
When Enclosed Is Genuinely Worth It
Enclosed costs 20 to 30 percent more, and on a convertible the case is stronger than on most cars.
It is the right choice for a classic or collector convertible, for any car with a new or recently replaced top, for a long-distance move, and for a winter route where road salt is spraying up behind other traffic for the whole trip.
It is also worth it simply on value: convertibles tend to be worth more than their equivalent coupes, and enclosed carriers generally carry higher cargo insurance limits, which matters when the vehicle is worth more than a standard limit assumes.
Open transport remains perfectly reasonable for an ordinary modern convertible with a hard top, or a soft top car in good condition on a short run in mild weather. Most convertibles ship open and arrive fine.
Preparing It
Wash it so existing marks are visible, then photograph every panel in daylight. On a convertible, add specific close photographs of the top itself, the rear window, the seams and stitching, and where the top meets the windshield frame and the body. Those are what any later dispute will be about.
Photograph the odometer. Leave about a quarter tank of fuel.
Empty the cabin and the trunk completely. This matters more on a convertible than most cars, because trunk space is usually shared with the roof mechanism and loose items can foul it.
Fold the mirrors, disable a motion sensitive alarm, remove a toll transponder and hand over a key. Note the tire pressures and any fluid leaks.
If the car has a wind deflector, a tonneau cover or a removable hardtop panel, take it out and ship it separately or leave it at home. Loose panels in a car are not covered and they move.
At Pickup and Delivery
Walk around the car with the driver at pickup and make sure the condition report describes the top’s condition specifically rather than only the bodywork. “No visible damage” on a bill of lading does not help you if the argument later is about the roof.
At delivery, inspect before signing, in daylight if you possibly can. Check the top first: the fabric surface, the rear window, the seams, and whether it still latches cleanly. Then the wheels and lower bodywork.
Note anything unexpected on the paperwork while the driver is present. If it arrives after dark or in rain, write that a full inspection was not possible before you sign. Our guide to what car shipping insurance actually covers explains what the cargo policy includes and, importantly, what it excludes.
Transit Times
Once collected, plan on one to two days regionally, three to five across half the country, and five to seven coast to coast, plus a few days for a carrier to be assigned beforehand.
Treat a delivery date as a range rather than an appointment. If the season is a factor, particularly winter salt or a summer run through the Southwest, that is another point in favor of enclosed.
Common Questions
Does the top stay up? Always. Closed and latched, without exception. A lowered top is exposed and the folded fabric is compressed for days.
Do I need enclosed transport? For a classic, a new top, a long move or a winter salt route, yes. An ordinary modern convertible ships open fine.
What is the real risk? The fabric roof and the rear window. Road debris, grit and ultraviolet exposure over several days are what damage them.
What should I photograph? Every panel, plus close shots of the top surface, the seams, the rear window and where the top meets the windshield frame.
What if the top does not close properly? Say so when you book. It is a reason to choose enclosed rather than something to raise at pickup.
Get a Quote
Call Ship A Car, Inc. at (866) 821-4555 with both zip codes and whether the car has a soft or hard top, or price the move with the instant calculator.
