Non Runner and Non Starter Transport
A car that will not start, will not steer or will not stop can still be moved. It just needs winching rather than driving.
For project cars, seized engines, failed MOTs, barn finds, insurance write offs and vehicles with no keys.
A non runner is not one condition, it is several, and each one changes the job. A car with a dead engine but working brakes and steering is simple. A car with seized brakes, a locked steering column, flat tyres or no keys at all is a different proposition, because it has to be persuaded onto the bed rather than rolled on.
This is why the first question is never how far, it is what state is it in. Does it roll freely? Does the steering turn? Do you have a key, even one that only unlocks the column? Are the tyres up? Four honest answers on the phone give you an accurate quote instead of an optimistic one that changes on the day.
The other half is where it has been sitting. Project cars are usually in the worst possible place: the back of a garage, a barn with a low doorway, a garden behind a gate, or a grass verge where the vehicle has sunk in over a winter. Send a photograph of the vehicle and its surroundings when you enquire and the quote will be far more reliable.
Fluids matter too. If the car has been leaking oil, fuel or coolant, or the battery has been sitting disconnected for years, tell us. It affects how we load and how we protect the deck.
What decides your quote
Does it roll
Free rolling wheels are the single biggest factor. Seized brakes or flat tyres mean skates or a longer winch.
Does it steer
A locked column means the car cannot be guided onto the bed and has to be pulled straight.
Keys or no keys
No key means no steering lock release and no electric handbrake release on newer cars.
Where it is sitting
Garage, barn, garden, verge or field. Overhead height and ground condition both matter.
How long it has stood
Years of standing usually means sunken tyres, corroded discs and a car that has settled into the ground.
How the booking runs
- 1
Send photos and answers
The four questions: rolls, steers, keys, tyres. Plus a picture of where it sits.
- 2
We quote for the real job
The price reflects winching and access, so it does not change when the driver sees it.
- 3
Winched and secured
Onto the flatbed under a winch, with skates or dollies if the wheels will not turn.
- 4
Delivered where you want it
Restorer, garage, storage unit, salvage yard or your own driveway.
What the booking includes
- Cars that will not start, steer, roll or stop
- Winch loading with skates and dollies where needed
- Barn finds, project cars and long standing vehicles
- Vehicles with no keys
- Delivery to restorers, garages, storage and salvage
- Fully insured, condition photographed before loading
Questions people ask before booking
The car has no keys at all. Can you still move it?
Yes. It complicates the steering lock and, on newer cars, the electric parking brake, so we need to know in advance and plan for skates rather than turn up expecting to roll it on.
The tyres are flat and it has sat in a field for years. Is that a problem?
It is a normal job for us, but it is a winch and skate job rather than a straight load. Send a photo when you enquire so the quote matches reality.
Do you move insurance write offs and salvage vehicles?
Yes, provided the vehicle is being released legitimately and we have the correct paperwork from whoever is authorising the move.
Can you get a car out of a garage with a low doorway?
Often, but the winch needs a clear pull and the door height decides everything. Measure the opening and tell us before booking.
Is a non runner more expensive than a running car?
Yes, because it takes longer and needs more equipment. The difference is built into the quote up front rather than added afterwards.
Broken down right now instead?
This page is for planned movements. If your vehicle has stopped and you need someone today, use the emergency side of the site.
Need Recovery Now?
Call Broadside Recovery Ltd for fast, reliable 24/7 breakdown recovery and vehicle transport across Cornwall.