Ok so the thread about shipping US parts out of the country has got me thinking. I have been saving every last cent I have come across to build my Nailhead but have had a two issues. First one is finding a good stock set of 401 heads in th NY region of the Us. Then there is the big issue. Getting them here to Australia. So up until now the largest and heaviest thing I have shipped from the US was a NOS Scheifer alloy Fly Wheel, that went pretty good all thanks to a great HAMBer (Little Wing, you ROCK!)! A set of heads is another story though, the work alone on these is going to be killer and are going to cost me more than a complete running freshly built 401, thats why I'm so worried!! I have no idea haw to get them to me with a minimum possibility of damage or loss. These will basically be finished bolt on items And as some of you know I have lost a large sum of money to Moon on parts and shipping that have never arrived so, yeah I'm a pussy and am scared of that happening again! Now our postal system is pretty easy compared to yous sooo........ Can anyone give me advice on how I should go about getting them too me? Should they be put in a wooden box? On a pellet? etc? Should I have them posted from NY to Oz or would I be better off sending them to the West Coast, then shipped from there? Norma US Post? UPS? DHL? Some other service? Maybe look for someone with a container headed this way? As you can see I'm in a bit of a dilema.......... So thanks in advance guys, I need all the help I can get! (Yes especially if your a psych!!) Happy to pay, swap, send beer/women/anything....... Doc.
I've shipped stuff at the post office to your neck of the woods. Very expensive shipping cost. Your wooden crate idea and two different packages is the best idea.The mail man will only carry up to 50 pounds here.Fed ex and ups are really high.Post office is the cheapest.I live near NY ,Actually pa For shipping costs,Usps .com
USPS has a limit of 70 lbs on packages I believe, you can check at www.usps.com - but I think most OHV V8 heads are at or over 70 lbs per. The best way I've seen to get heavy parts like that shipped is to find someone importing a car and send them over inside the car or in the container with it.
Honestly? Something that heavy, you might be better off having a small wooden crate built, and both heads shipped via surface with a freight forwarding company. FedEx, DHL, UPS would probably do it, but it could be a bit more expensive than by using someone with a ship. (it would take longer, but I think the big shipping companies all use air cargo now days...) Others may know more.
If I remeber right FedEx and UPS will do it but there's some kind of big fee they slap on the package, I had guys telling me not to use them. Here again you can check that out on their websites, though.
UPS uses their own in house broker and charges a huge fee for international brokerage, but fed ex does not and are a better choice.
Doc, check out air Freight companies as well as Sea... Don't know about Australia but import taxes and customs charges here can STING using either, I have found though, with the likes of DHL etc though the actual shipping is more expensive the customs clearance charges are minimal, often making it the cheaper option. Bit more difficult with something that heavy just do your homework.
UPS also like to find an error in the initial bill and send you an extra one a few weeks after you have paid what they asked and got your stuff.
ups is not your freind on this one!!!!!shipping a roof center for the topolino from your end to here..they want $1000 usd...i found a company for sea freight...$350.......1 meter by 1 1/2 meters by 1/2 meter....weight 20 kilos......thats created size........
Try to find a classic car importer or Rod Shop in Brisbane, they will bring parts in for you. They use a standard freight formula to calculate freight cost + import duty + GST. They will have freight forwarding contacts usually in L.A. and sometimes in N.Y. Depending on where the part is located in the US will determine which freight forwarder it gets sent to. If you buy something like heads have them well boxed and on skids or a pallet, they should be addressed to you C/o the importer and in larger letters the name and address of the freight forwarders depot. If parts arrive at the FF without a means for a forklift to pick up they will charge you for skids or pallet. If you have to have them sent separatley make sure the seller marks each package as 1/2 on one lot and 2/2 on the second, that way they will be kept together. Containers out of NY take approx 5-10 days longer than out of LA, and cost a little more but not as much as having stuff send halfway across the country. I use a guy in SYD who just brings in parts, sometimes we wait months for a shipment to get big enough to fill a container, it's the cheapest most reliable way I know to get parts sent over, if you don't mind waiting.
Another thing I should mention, I only deal with sellers who have paypal. Or if buying a car I use an agent who does an inspection before the sale, if I like his report I sent the money to his trust account, he pays the seller, organises the shipping to the freight forwarders, then takes his fee. If someone owed me a lot of money like 15k I'd be taking a tax deductible business trip to see him real quick. On the flight over I'd be dreaming of the cars he might have and which one/s I'd take.
55olds88 Senior Member This HAMBer is in NZ and is in the shipping biz. Maybe he can offer some advice.
Fe26, sounds like the best bet, thanks for the info. Time is something I have right now. The other issue is Gessler the head builders is in New Jersey. Getting the heads across the US will probably be harder than getting them from Cali to Oz! Doc.
When do you need the heads? I'll be in the US again in a few weeks (not too far from NY) and heading back to Oz mid-way through next year. Hell, the company I work for even sends stuff to Oz daily so I might be able to screw something together there... I'll make a few calls tomorrow
I would ship each head seperate.Wrap in plastic bag in a triple-wall cardboard box, filling the box with expanding foam product, then package it into an outer box with a couple of inches of space on all sides, filled with expanding foam. Weight increase of packing would be minimal, size would increase to about double the size of the head. http://www.lpsind.com/Instapak.htm http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMtrrA-hH-A http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhrKAjuhJZI&NR=1&feature=fvwp
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