Moving a Car That Has Not Run in Years

Moving a car that has been sitting is a different job from recovering one that broke down this morning. The vehicle has had time to develop problems that only matter when somebody tries to move it. Providence Towing handles non-runners regularly at (401) 249-4432.

The only question that really matters

Does it roll, and does it steer. Everything about the equipment follows from that, and the honest answer is often that nobody has tried in a long time.

If you can, check before you call. Release the parking brake, put it in neutral if you can, and see whether the car moves at all with a firm push on level ground. Turn the steering wheel and see whether the front wheels respond.

A car that rolls and steers can be winched onto a deck straightforwardly. One that does neither has to go on skates, which takes longer, needs more space around the vehicle, and changes what a realistic arrival time looks like.

Brakes seize, and Rhode Island winters help them

The most common reason a stored car will not roll is that the brakes have rusted to the rotors or drums. Road salt residue on a car parked outside accelerates it, and a vehicle that has sat through a couple of winters here is a strong candidate.

Sometimes a firm push or a rock backward and forward frees them. Often it does not, and forcing it can pull a brake shoe apart or damage a caliper. That is worth mentioning rather than fixing, because the driver has skates and you probably do not.

Parking brakes seize in the applied position for the same reason, particularly cable-operated rear drums. If a car has sat with the brake on, assume it is stuck.

Tires that will not hold air

Rubber that has sat in one position for years develops flat spots and the sidewalls dry out. Tires may hold pressure long enough to load and then go down again, or they may not take air at all if the bead has corroded away from the rim.

Worth attempting to inflate them the day before if you have access, because a car on four inflated tires is much easier to position. If a tire will not hold, say which corner. Drivers carry equipment for it and knowing means bringing it out.

Where the winch attaches

Recovery points on an older or corroded vehicle are not to be trusted. A tow hook rusted into the frame, a bumper bracket that has scaled through, or a unibody rail that has thinned will let go under load, and that is dangerous rather than merely inconvenient.

An experienced driver will look for something structural rather than using the obvious point, and may prefer to attach to a suspension component or use straps around an axle. It slows things down and it is the correct call.

If you know the car has rust in the rails, the rockers or the crossmember, say so plainly. Nobody is judging the car and the driver would rather know.

Where it is sitting is half the job

Cars that have not moved in years are rarely in convenient places. A garage with a low header, a back yard reached across grass, a driveway with a retaining wall, a barn with a dirt floor, or a spot with another vehicle parked in front of it.

Measure the clearance if the car is in a structure, and clear a path before the truck arrives. Soft ground is the one that catches people out, because a tow truck is heavy and a lawn in April will not hold it.

Photograph the car where it sits and send it. Two pictures tell a dispatcher more than five minutes of description, particularly about access.

Paperwork for an inherited or long-stored vehicle

A reputable company will want some evidence the vehicle is yours to move, particularly when it is being collected from somewhere that is not your address. A title, a bill of sale, or registration paperwork is usually enough.

If the vehicle is being sold or transferred, sort the title before the move rather than after. A car sitting at a new location with unresolved ownership is a problem that grows.

Classics and anything with value

Say so, and say it early. A car worth protecting gets loaded differently: soft straps rather than chains, attachment at the suspension rather than at bodywork, more care about the approach angle for a low front valance.

Ask whether the company has handled classics and whether they carry appropriate coverage for a vehicle in their care. Photograph the car thoroughly from every angle before it is loaded. For a vehicle where the paint is part of the value, that record is worth more than the two minutes it costs.