I'm in South Carolina and selling some pistols and rifles from my personal collection and live within a couple miles of the North Carolina line.

I know I can only sell face to face to residents of South Carolina, and that I need to transfer through an FFL to sell to an NC resident.

I also know that I can use an SC FFL to sell a rifle to an NC resident, but a pistol needs to transfer to them from an NC FFL.

My question is if I am selling to an NC resident am I able to simply drive directly to an NC FFL to do the transfer with the buyer, or do I need to use an SC FFL to send it to the NC FFL before completing the sale?

Federal law allows this. I have no idea if NC or SC state laws restrict this but l would think they follow the federal law closer than not.

Check with the dealer before you make the trip. I had one tell me he couldn’t accept a pistol from me personally, that I was giving my brother.  Drove about five miles to one with some sense.

No idea about NC laws.

I don't think its required you go through a FFL if you drive the gun into NC  see correction below, thanks.  Our restrictions are buyer side, the pistol purchaser has to have a pistol purchase permit or a conceal carry handgun license and the purchaser has to be a resident of North Carolina.  There are no record keeping requirements for seller, displaying of license is enough, or if buyer hands over paper permit you can just throw it away as soon as transaction is finished.

ATF thinks otherwise.
Any interstate transfer of a firearm must "go through" a licensed dealer in the buyers state of residence.
Mail it, ship it, drive it.......all the same.