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Shipping a Bare VW Beetle Chassis
A quick-reference guide for getting shipping quotes on a bare Beetle pan — no body, engine, transmission, or suspension attached. Not a quote itself, just what you need to know before you start calling around.
A bare pan with nothing bolted on is small and light compared to what most auto-transport companies are set up to move, which is good news: it often ships more like freight than like a car, and that can mean a meaningfully lower price if you ask the right people. Have the details below ready, then get quotes from a few of the resources further down — both the vehicle-shipping and freight routes.
§1. Know These Numbers Before You Call
Every shipper will ask for this. Having it ready gets you an accurate quote on the first call instead of a rough guess that changes at pickup.
Rough guide only — a bare Beetle pan with nothing bolted on (no torsion housings, brakes, steering, or body) commonly runs somewhere in the neighborhood of 100–150 lbs, depending on gauge, rust, and any patch panels welded in. If you can get it on a scale, an actual weight beats a guess — several shippers will ask for it to the pound.
Measure your specific pan rather than relying on a spec — overall length, width at the widest point (usually the rear), and height including the raised center tunnel. This is the number that decides whether it ships on a small trailer, a pallet, or needs a full-size truck.
Rough starting point only, not a measured spec: a bare Beetle pan is very roughly 105–115 in long, 26–30 in wide at the widest point (the rear torsion housing), and 8–10 in tall at the raised center tunnel. These are ballpark figures reasoned from the platform's known wheelbase (94.5–95.3 in), not an actual measurement of a real pan — use them to sanity-check a shipper's own numbers, not to replace measuring yours.
It won't roll on its own — there's no suspension or wheels attached — so it has to be lifted, forklifted, or hand-carried onto whatever it ships on. Decide (or ask the shipper to advise) whether it should go out strapped directly to a pallet, crated, or just strapped flat to a trailer deck. This changes what kind of carrier can take it.
City/zip for both ends. Note if either location has a tight driveway, a locked gate, or anything that keeps a truck from getting close — less of an issue for something this size, but still worth mentioning.
A firm date costs more than a flexible pickup window. Know which one you actually need.
§2. Vehicle Shipping vs. Freight
This is the most important call to make before you start dialing, because it points you at completely different companies.
Car Hauler
Trailers built to winch or drive a vehicle up ramps. Some will take a bare pan strapped flat to the deck; many are built around insured, running vehicles and may quote it as an oversize/odd-freight item rather than a normal car, or decline it outright. Worth asking, but confirm before you rely on it.
LTL Freight
A bare pan at ~100–150 lbs is genuinely small freight. Palletized or crated and shipped LTL (less-than-truckload) through a local freight broker or carrier is often the cheaper, more natural fit — the same kind of shipping used for a crated engine or a pallet of parts, not a car.
Get a quote from at least one of each type before booking. For something this light, freight is frequently the better price — but route and carrier availability vary, so it's worth confirming both ways rather than assuming.
§3. Where to Get Quotes
Marketplaces — post the job once, shippers bid on it
Covers both vehicle shipping and general freight/oddball items in one marketplace, so it's a good first stop regardless of which route you end up taking. Post the details from Section 1, including that it's a bare pan with nothing bolted on, and let carriers bid. You review each bidder's rating before choosing.
(800) 698-7447 · uship.comNational Auto-Transport Brokers — call to confirm they'll take a bare pan
One of the largest networks; a solid default if you want the most carrier options for your route.
(888) 666-8929Known for a price-lock guarantee, useful if you want the quoted number to actually be the final number.
(877) 850-1231Often among the more affordable open-transport quotes.
(866) 774-6570Vets its carriers closely; worth including if reliability matters more than shaving off the last few dollars.
(866) 221-1664Another established broker, frequently offers discounts worth asking about.
(770) 486-1010Freight Brokers — likely the better fit for something this size
A local freight broker or LTL carrier serving your pickup and delivery area — search for freight brokers near you, or ask uShip to route your listing to freight carriers rather than car haulers. Mention it's palletized or crated (or ask what they require) and give the weight and dimensions from Section 1 up front; freight quotes are driven almost entirely by those two numbers plus the route.
VW / Air-Cooled Specific
No central phone line, it's a post-and-respond marketplace. Independent haulers who specifically look for VW/air-cooled loads post and answer there, and a bare pan is an easy, familiar load for them — often cheaper than either route above for a regional move, and they already know how to strap a bare pan without bending it.
thesamba.com/vw/classifiedsLocal air-cooled VW club or Facebook groups in your area (and the destination area) — someone doing a regional run with an open trailer is sometimes the cheapest and most careful option for something this small.
§4. Questions to Ask Every Quote
- Are you quoting this as a vehicle, or as freight? (The answer changes the price a lot.)
- Is this a broker price or a carrier price?
- Do you need it palletized or crated, or can it ship strapped flat as-is?
- Is a deposit required, and is it refundable if no carrier is found?
- What's the insurance coverage amount, and what's the deductible?
- Door-to-door, or do I need to drop off / pick up at a terminal or freight dock?
- Is the pickup date firm, or a window?
- Is the quoted price the total, or are there fuel surcharges or fees added later?
§5. A Few Practical Tips
- Get at least three quotes before booking, and try to include at least one freight quote alongside any auto-transport quotes — prices for the same route can vary a lot between the two.
- A couple of photos showing the pan's size and condition help every shipper quote more accurately on the first call.
- If you build a pallet or crate yourself, say so up front — it can open up freight carriers who won't handle a loose, unpalletized item.
- Ask directly whether the carrier or broker has shipped a bare chassis or something similar before — not everyone has, and it's a fair question to ask.
6.Shipping a Bare Pan — FAQ
Short answers to the questions that come up most when someone is arranging transport for a bare Beetle pan.
How much does a bare VW Beetle pan weigh?
As a rough guide only, a bare Beetle pan with nothing bolted on — no torsion housings, brakes, steering or body — commonly runs somewhere in the neighborhood of 100 to 150 lbs, depending on gauge, rust, and any patch panels welded in. If you can get it on a scale, an actual weight beats a guess, and several shippers will ask for it to the pound.
Should I ship it as a vehicle or as freight?
Get a quote from at least one of each before booking. A bare pan at roughly 100 to 150 lbs is genuinely small freight, and palletized or crated LTL is often the cheaper, more natural fit — the same shipping used for a crated engine or a pallet of parts. Some car haulers will take a bare pan strapped flat to the deck, but many are built around insured, running vehicles and may quote it as oversize or odd freight, or decline it outright.
Will the pan roll onto a trailer on its own?
No. With no suspension or wheels attached it has to be lifted, forklifted or hand-carried onto whatever it ships on. Decide, or ask the shipper to advise, whether it should go out strapped directly to a pallet, crated, or strapped flat to a trailer deck — that choice changes which carriers can take it.
What dimensions will a carrier ask for?
Overall length, width at the widest point (usually the rear torsion housing), and height including the raised center tunnel. Measure your specific pan rather than relying on a spec. As a rough starting point only, a bare Beetle pan is very roughly 105 to 115 inches long, 26 to 30 inches wide, and 8 to 10 inches tall at the tunnel — use those to sanity-check a shipper's numbers, not to replace measuring yours.
Does Washburn's Metal arrange the shipping?
No. This page is general reference information to help you start getting quotes — it isn't a quote itself, and we aren't affiliated with, and don't endorse or guarantee, any of the companies listed above. We do prep a finished chassis to be shipped back to you when the build is done.
What is it going to cost to rebuild the pan once it gets here?
Flat rates run from $2,350 to $4,050 depending on platform, and the chassis work page lists exactly what each one includes. For a number built around your specific options, work through the chassis build estimate calculator.
We keep chassis and German chassis parts on site — bulkheads, tunnel sections, torsion housings, frame heads, floor pans and heater channels — and there is a request form to check what is available.
See chassis for saleClick through base build, pan sections, IRS conversion, torsion work, fabrication add-ons and powder coat, and email the itemised estimate straight to the shop.
Open the estimate calculatorGetting Your Pan Ready?
Browse the rest of our chassis work, or reach out if you've got questions about your specific pan before it ships.