Festiva Flight and Return

[Levitan]

Think this is the right place. If not, feel free to move it.

Anyways, here's the project for the Festiva class, if you so choose to participate.

You are flying to California to pick up a Festiva that you are driving back to your home. For those of you Wisenheimers who live in and around California, who were going to make some Wisenheimer remarks about , "I wouldn't fly there, I would just...", your assignment involves you flying to New York to drive back a Festiva.

Back to the project at hand.
What would you take with you on the flight?
Would you take your junkyard set of tools?
Would you carry them on or check them in?
Would you be risking losing them if they got checked in and could you afford that?
Would you just buy a tool kit from WalMart when you got there and return it if you didn't use it?
What do you use for an insurance card on the return trip?
What would you use for license plates?

Ps.
I was thinking a small bag of tools and a GPS would look pretty suspicious going through the x-ray machine. Throw a bag of Slim Jims in there and we'd have serious troubles!

Pss.
The idea is to make this task as simple and stress-free as possible. The trip alone has inherit stress as it is, ie, mechanical failure, mountain snow storms, etc.

Thanks for playing along.

[hotfordcat]

This is easy for me. I would fly to New York with whatever clothes I would need, and cell phone. I would have worked out a deal for the title ahead of time, and have plates inhand when I got there. Then it's just a simple drive to Jersey, to my brother-in-laws shop, fix any problems, and drive back to the Dakotas with a tool kit I picked up in Jersey. Oh yeah, and have a credit card with a High Limit and LOW Balance with me.

[cubstiva1]

pry buy tools at walmart, not sure what the airlines will allow. i think as long as you call your insurance company and give then the VIN you should be good for insurance. now the plate, idk just take some along and pray for the best? let me know about future trips, if you could use another driver.

[LittleHoe]

Well I don't know about there but up here we can get transit insurance to cover the vehicle from like a point a to point b type of trip, so I would fly out with a bag of extra clothes, pick up a set of wrenches at walmart to avoid getting a full anal searching at the airport...And I know I could probably find a buddy to travel with just to make the trip a little more exciting...

Otherwise I would just wing it, Take the chance the car will make it... worse case scenario I get stuck in some hick town make friends with some folks at the bar and get them to give me a hand getting back on the road...

[ejp2fast]

i think i'd buy tools at walmart and return them when i got home.. that's what i'd do.
if i couldn't do that, i'd bring 10,12,14,17mm sockets and wrenches, pliers, cresent, snips, screw driver and philips and i'd carry them on. i think you can do that.
check this out, under the tools section:

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/prohibited/permitted-prohibited-items.shtm

i don't know if the 17mm wrench would make the 'under 7 inches' length, i'd just bring that socket.

[Biglay5150]

Dont bring tools do the walmart thing. Doesnt the car have plates on it? If he wants to keep them you could always send them back to him. You can add insurance before you go like said before. If he doesnt want to wait for you to send the plates back you could take a chance with a set of your plates. Most cops run a plate and if it comes back to a Festiva and your driving one they dont realy question it. Bring you gpsin a carry on bag.
Did I pass?

[stefan]

For those who are worrying about tools on the plane... get real. As long as its in your checked in luggage your in the clear.. you can fly with a firearm in your checked luggage (atleast you can in canada, im sure the US is the same or better) So tools, gps, exct shouldn't ever be a problem. Even slim-jims... here you can buy them at the auto parts store... so there legal to own...

[GenevaDirt]

any insurance company I have dealt with gives you 30 days to register a new car purchase with them and it is covered during that time.
I am not sure about all states but when I picked up one of my cars in Maryland I was told they would not issue temps and after talking with the dmvs of all the states involved I was told that I have a 24 hour grace period that I can drive without plates. I went and picked up the car and drove back to Ohio without incident till I got pulled over in Ohio for not having plates on the car. After the officer checked all my paperwork he said what I was doing was allowed and he tried to buy the car from me. After talking for a few minutes I was on my with the warning that I may get pulled over again but just show them the paperwork and all will be fine.
As far as tools...pick up a kit while there and return it when you get back.
Take a duffle bag with some clothes and if you have time while you are there , rent a car and pick up those tools and hit some yards...then go get your new car and head on back home.

[muscle_Car1]

buy walmart/home depot/ whatevers close tools. My insurance card is good on cars i own not on policy if purchased with in 30 days.

on my festy adventure i drove home sans plates through conn, ny, nj, pa, oh, in, & il.

Bring cloths for different temps & conditions i.e.warm/cold/snowy/wet weathers
food/hotel $$
decent amount of cash for unseen expenses

[freshtiva]

Id declare my route home and find out if there are any members on that route who may be able to help in case you need it. You got my number dont you ? Im sure rolla4me has the car in good shape.
Mmmm.....Slim Jims !!

[25Horseplay]

I would send my tools and stuff that might get red flagged on a plane to Rollas ahead of time so They are there when I arrive avoiding any possible problems at the airport. Even if you overnight them.

[SimonTuffGuy]

I flew to TX for my Festiva, but rented a U-Haul and dolly to get the car home since it wasn't running and I had no idea what I'd be in for to fix it at DJ's place.

With that said... I'd probably buy a set of Stanley tools at WalMart. I use a set for junkyarding and have only broke 1 piece and that was trying to remove a rusty set of Aspire brakes...

A GPS won't cause any problems going through the scanner at the airport... My laptop, wireless AT&T card, notebooks, GPS, etc didn't toss anyone off a few years back...

Besides that... Having the numbers of anyone along the route home would be a good idea, just incase something DID happen. But, if the car is in decent shape, you shouldn't have any problems. If you do... Keep the U-Haul number close and go that route.

[freshtiva]

"I would send my tools and stuff that might get red flagged on a plane to Rollas ahead of time so They are there when I arrive avoiding any possible problems at the airport. Even if you overnight them."


^ Thats why he's the boss ! Good Idea

[Levitan]

I was just bored and wanting to get some feedback. Stefan and others took it a little more seriously than I thought, but you'll have that sometimes.

Anyways, I really don't want to check any luggage. I'm going to find out what size bag I can carry on, and buy a Wally World tool set when I get out there. I'll get the insurance card situation rectified tomorrow, and Dionell said I can send him back his plates.

Will take my camera along to photograph the trip and me spawled out across the hood of the car next to the Golden Gate Bridge, with a thong and a shirt tied in front to accent my man teets. Pics will be in the Gallery!

[cubstiva1]

WOW, I will have to watch a calf being killed to get that image out of mt head. *shiver*