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Andrew T · 01-29-2008, 07:13 PM

It has been a few years but I remember driving several 1960's tow cars back when they were common tow vehicles.

The most memoriable for me was a Hemi Cuda towing a 27' Airstream. 318 darts and 283 cheves were common. The 2 speed powerglides were not very good for towing and it was important to have a heavy duty radiator. I don't remember ever changing fuel pumps etc. but that may have been a problem in hot climates.

Suspension linkages were not very sophisticated so the lateral stability from Chrysler's leaf spring suspensions made them the most stable tow vehicles. On full frame cars we would weld solid spacers in between the back end of the frame and the body so the body could absorb the pressure from the torsion bars, the ends of the frame were pretty light untill 5 MPH bumpers came out in 1972.

My Fathers combination was a 1966 Chrysler Windsor with a 383 2 barrel and a 1965 30' Airstream that we had until 1973.

For many years it was a requirement that Airstream delivery drivers and caravan leaders had to tow with a car and the Toronado was a favorite for many of them.

We had several customers with Cadillac's and Lincolns I also remember seeing a Rolls Royce towing at one of the internationals in the early 70's.

safari57 · 01-29-2008, 07:18 PM

Airdrmr

Your T-Bird is gorgeous. My buddy just popped the 312 out of his 57 Ford retractable and put in a 428 and C6 tranny. He pulls a fiberglass trailer with it and got tired of not having enough steam in the mountains we tour/live in. He stuffed the original 312 under the bench. Otherwise his car is perfectly restored. My goodness, if I had the 'bird in my shop it would be on the hoist and restored pronto so it could take turns hauling our Flying Cloud.

Barry

safari57 · 01-29-2008, 07:24 PM

AndrewT

Neat photo. You are right with the powerglides, they are not the transmission for towing. Anyone buying an early sixties GM needs to know that they will want to replace the transmission with a new one and kits are readily available. If you can't do it yourself transmission shops do the work in under a day usually.

Mopar seemed to be the typical TV in the later sixties, and Caddies have always been popular. The bigger GM's, Fords and even some of the other brands for sure. The Ford wagons are great TV's, look great, and are still very plentiful and reasonably priced.

It is definitely not the same, though, as hooking up your next to new truck and hauling down the road. With the vintage car you are never anonymous.

Barry

Globie64 · 01-29-2008, 07:32 PM

I've seen two vintage Airstreams on highway one in the last week or so, towed buy recent SUVs or trucks, and you just want to see a Country Squire or T-bird or something in front. Andres, I love the picture of your father's Chrysler- Canadian Windsor is like the US Newport?

Peter

Kajtek1 · 01-29-2008, 08:39 PM

Not an Airstream (is it?) but nice set I've seen at gas station

safari57 · 01-29-2008, 10:09 PM

It looks like either a Boler of the 70's or the later version that Bigfoot made in the 90's. Most of my friends tow those with their hotrods. I'm working on converting them to Bambi II's and Caravel's.

Barry

Andrew T · 01-30-2008, 05:22 AM

Hi Peter

Now that you mention it you are right. The Canadian ones were Windsor's and the U.S. Models were New Port's.

I have a 1961 Pacer that we have almost finished restoring, I think you are always almost finished arn't you. We were thinking a 280 SL would be a great match for it but you have to find one that is a good driver without rust but not show car quality.

We had a 1976 Camaro with a 305 engine that we towed with. It was very stable and a lot of fun we used it for Airstreams up to 23 long, a few customers used them as well after test driving ours. It had no trouble handling the 23' in fact it was the most stable car we had in those days but it was only a 2 barrel 305, 135 HP I think so the 23' was about the max for it power wise.

I wonder if a first generation Mustang would be neat with your 64 19' I think it would tow it easily enough.

Andy

AlbertF · 01-30-2008, 09:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew T

We had a 1976 Camaro with a 305 engine that we towed with. It was very stable and a lot of fun we used it for Airstreams up to 23 long, a few customers used them as well after test driving ours. It had no trouble handling the 23' in fact it was the most stable car we had in those days but it was only a 2 barrel 305, 135 HP I think so the 23' was about the max for it power wise.Andy

Stable due to the low centre of gravity and those long rear leaf springs, like the 1960s and '70s Chryslers?

Andrew T · 01-30-2008, 09:15 AM

Hi Albert

Certainly in those days the leafs had a lot less side to side movement than coil spring axles, they were also set at pretty wide stance.
It had 15 x 7" rims with 205/70R x 15" tires this is an almost ideal tire and wheel combination so there was very little tire sway. The Centre of gravity was low and the rear overhang was relatively short and the steering box was quite tite for the times. Most axles with coils today have 5 link suspensions that locate the axle much better Independent rear suspension is the best set up to have when you can get it.

Andy

Globie64 · 01-30-2008, 11:24 AM

That's interesting. I was thinking that something that had about the same weight as the AS, 3000# would be okay, like a Coronet, but smaller would be better. A '70s Camero would be so cool, like the one Jim Rockford drove! I'd love a Toronado...

Peter

AlbertF · 01-30-2008, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Globie64

A '70s Camero would be so cool, like the one Jim Rockford drove!Peter

That was a Firebird, '77 or '78 model I believe. Still, a GM F-body with the same underpinnings.

Globie64 · 01-30-2008, 01:10 PM

Hey Albert, you're right! I was thinking that they were sort of interchangeable, except for trim.

Peter

AlbertF · 01-31-2008, 12:02 PM

Yes, they were kind of interchangeable. Engines were different though. The Firebirds had 301 or 400 Pontiac V8s, and 403 Olds V8s in 1979. Camaros were available with 250 inline 6s, or 305 or 350 Chevy V8s.

I don't think any of the Buick 231 V6s found there way into these cars, but I could be wrong. Maybe some Camaros had the 229 Chevy V6.

59tradewind · 05-06-2008, 03:47 PM

cant go wrong with a cadi!!!!!!! LOL

the car is sitting low because i have airbag suspension.
so it is raised to stock height when we tow.
i also use weight distribution bars.
tows just fine. all we did was add the hitch, a trans cooler and some gages and off we went. i get about 10-12 mpg!!!!!!!

safari57 · 05-08-2008, 10:29 PM

Love the cadi TV. They just seem to work so well in front of an Airstream. I can see why they were often used. Even the old ones have lots of creature comforts and are quite pleasant to tool down the highway in.

Barry

Poprivet · 05-09-2008, 04:34 AM

I remember those days of fading brakes, vapor locked fuel systems, overheating engines, and blown out tires. All this without towing anything. Most of these relics could barely stop and going around a corner was a real chore. The only real tests of concern was the time it took to go from 0 to 60 m.p.h and the elapsed time in a quarter mile. No one gave much thought to stopping the beast. But, they had pa-jazz - beauty - style - chrome. Every kid could identify every model of every car including C.I.D. horse power, and torque. You could do most anything with a set of snap-on tools. Those were the days of adjusting timing - carburetors - chopping the coil springs in the front to create a rake (and destroy what little suspension the car had)

You want to use these things to tow with? Ha!!

richie rich · 05-09-2008, 06:28 PM

found this '72 suburban in cocoa fl last year.goes with '63 safari

59tradewind · 05-12-2008, 07:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pop Rivet

I remember those days of fading brakes, vapor locked fuel systems, overheating engines, and blown out tires. All this without towing anything. Most of these relics could barely stop and going around a corner was a real chore. The only real tests of concern was the time it took to go from 0 to 60 m.p.h and the elapsed time in a quarter mile. No one gave much thought to stopping the beast. But, they had pa-jazz - beauty - style - chrome. Every kid could identify every model of every car including C.I.D. horse power, and torque. You could do most anything with a set of snap-on tools. Those were the days of adjusting timing - carburetors - chopping the coil springs in the front to create a rake (and destroy what little suspension the car had)

You want to use these things to tow with? Ha!!

I cant help but laugh when people comment on our TV. Its a 59 towing a 59.
My number one response when people think im crazy or whatever for using the cadi to tow is this, what did they do in 1959???
They didnt have big suv's and all that. There werent expeditions and sequoia's and big diesel dullys.
Back when these airstreams were new, they used the cars of the time. The trailers are now classics and so are the cars. It worked then, it can work now.
Just gotta make sure you know your car and that it is set up right.

Its a shame so many people think its wrong, or not possible, or any number of other responses i have heard over the years.
There is no reason a classic car cant tow a classic trailer.

bredlo · 05-12-2008, 08:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 59tradewind

Its a shame so many people think its wrong, or not possible, or any number of other responses i have heard over the years.
There is no reason a classic car cant tow a classic trailer.

I agree with you... to a point. They certainly can tow a classic trailer but not usually with the transparent confidence of a "plug and play" vehicle.

But there's by and large a significant tradeoff where you're giving up reliability and mechanical superiority found in new tow vehicles, vs. a lot of the questionable elements of older cars from drum brakes and AM radios, to inferior heating cooling and gas mileage.

I love our 1970 vintage tow vehicle - but I'll never get in and mistake it for a new Tahoe, that's for sure.

autotronic · 06-19-2008, 07:36 AM

Hi, I'm new to this forum and thread; fascinating reading.

My name is Rich Truesdell and I am a Contributing Editor to more than 20 publications and the Editorial Director of Automotive Traveler, an online-only magazine and companion web site. I hope that you'll click on the links above to take a look at the magazine and web sites. As we're dedicated to the proposition that every drive is an adventure, I think that you'll find content that will be of interest to many of you.

This past weekend at a car show I shot a 1956 Chevy Nomad that displayed with a small 1956 Shasta trailer, both painted in a matching ivory/light blue color scheme. The combination was quite impressive, which was confirmed by my editor at Cars and Parts, who immediately commissioned a full feature based on the preliminary photos I submitted to him.

You can take a look at a few of the photos of the Nomad/Shasta combination in an album I've posted of the images.

I have two requests. First, I would like to build a database of publication-quality, high resolution digital images of vintage vehicle/trailer
combinations. I anticipate that shortly I am going to start working on a feature on those enthusiasts who tow vintage trailers with vintage vehicles, more often than not, where both vehicles are the same year or from the same era, and where everything, with the exception to safety systems -- upgrades to disc brakes as an example -- are done in a period-correct way.

If you think that you would like to contribute to my project, here's what I need. At a minimum I would need your name, E-mail contact information, year. make, and model of your tow vehicle, year, make, and model of your trailer, and a photo of the combination (similar to the ones in my album of the Nomad/Shasta combination).

If you would like to contribute more, I'd love to see individual photos of the exterior and interiors of both vehicles (I have just posted a detailed "how to" feature on car photography), images of your combination on location, vacation and trip photos, and some written details on your various adventures over the years. I'm also looking for scans of old vacation photos of cars and trailers when they were new, such as was seen last year in Airstream Life when they showcased Ardean Miller's classic Airstream photography.

My second request is for suggestions on purchasing a vintage Airstream trailer for myself. I have three possible tow vehicles, a compact 1969 AMC Rambler American 440 station wagon equipped with a small V8, a 1969 Mercury Colony Park 10-passenger station wagon with a 2V 429 V8 already set up with a factory towing package, and a 1969 Jeep Super Wagoneer with a Buick 350 V8, which is the way Kaiser built them back then.

I would like to purchase a trailer from that era, prefer a 1969 obviously (I've never owned a trailer so I am a complete novice on the subject but especially after seeing the Nomad/Shasta combination it really appeals to me), one that would be small and light enough to be towed with the Rambler after suitable upgrades, like disc brakes, better tires, UD shocks, trans cooler, but big enough to have a bathroom/shower, even if not originally equipped that way.

To answer either of my requests, in addition to posting here, could you E-mail me directly at autotronic (a) aol dot com?

Thanks for any help and suggestions.

Richard Truesdell
Editorial Director, Automotive Traveler