Hitch for '64 Lincoln

[64Lincoln]

I just bought a '64 Airstream Safari which I want to tow with my '64 Lincoln Continental Convertible, but I need a hitch. Does anyone know where I can get either a hitch or the plans to build one for a '64 Lincoln?

[Road Ruler]

You may need to find a welding shop and have them custom build you one. Not a big deal as long as they know what they are doing.

You should have a nice looking combo when it's all connected....

[SteveH]

Yes, in the 60's welding shops built hitches all the time, but since then colleges have graduated many, many lawyers, and so you may have a hard time finding one that will do it.

I did a search looking for a "1964 Lincoln Receiver Hitch", and found nothing, so custom will probably be your only option.

[wkerfoot]

64Lincoln,

I had a hitch fabricated for my 1977 Town Car by a local installer. Yours will be more complicated since the 1964 is unibody. Make sure that whoever you use knows how to fabricate and install a equalizing hitch on a unibody car. Check with the local Chrysler club, many 1960s and 1970s Chrysler cars were unibody, for an installer familiar with unibody cars.

BIll

Originally Posted by 64Lincoln

I just bought a '64 Airstream Safari which I want to tow with my '64 Lincoln Continental Convertible, but I need a hitch. Does anyone know where I can get either a hitch or the plans to build one for a '64 Lincoln?

[wkerfoot]

Contact me if you would like the name of the installer I used on the 1977 Lincoln. In Southern California.

BIll

[64Lincoln]

I have an original 8 page Lincoln and Mercury towing brochure. It shows a vague depiction of the receiver hitch and it states that Lincoln has supplied installation instructions to trailer hitch manufacturers. Now if I could just find a copy of those detailed instructions. The brochure I have has a bunch of interesting stats and information about towing with their full line of cars. I'm sure the same information applies to Fords. If anyone would like to see it, I made a PDF I can send. The brochure shows two Mercurys towing Airstreams, but the Lincoln is towing some other brand.

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Hi, it's been a few decades, but Williams welding in Long Beach made and installed a hitch/receiver on my 1959 Ford Galaxie.

[overlander64]

Greetings 64Lincoln!

Welcome to the Forums and the world of Vintage Airstreams and Tow Vehicles!

Originally Posted by 64Lincoln

I just bought a '64 Airstream Safari which I want to tow with my '64 Lincoln Continental Convertible, but I need a hitch. Does anyone know where I can get either a hitch or the plans to build one for a '64 Lincoln?

I don't know whether Lincoln did the same thing as Chrysler/Plymouth/Dodge, but you might inquire of a long-time dealer (one who was around in 1964) about whether the receiver hitch plans were part of the the Factory Service Manual. I know that receiver hitch plans were detailed in both the owners' manual and factory service manuals for 1965 MOPAR products. If there is an Internet Forum for Lincoln products, you might be able to post a question about whether the factory service manual might have the receiver hitch building instructions.

I found locating a welder to be among the most difficult of my tasks in 2003 when I was getting my 1975 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible outfitted to tow, and it didn't have the added intricacies of fabricating for mounting to a unibody structure. What finally worked for me was to locate a shop that catered to farm vehicles, and it was there that I found a welder who was very experienced with fabricating and modifying receiver hitches. In less than two hours he had my hitch fabricated and installed . . . and it has performed flawlessly for nine seasons.

My 1965 Dodge Coronet was fitted with a Reese Weld-up Hitch kit in 1980, and performed well throughout the life of the car and is still performing well. The welder who fabricated that hitch may have varied from the MOPAR instruction a little as he welded reinforcement plates at each attachment pont that included brackets for the receiver assembly . . . in this way, the receiver could be unbolted from the car and stored when not in use (although I never removed the receiver from the car).

Good luck with your investigation!

Kevin