Older towing vehicle? (convertible?)

[F14CRAZY]

For a while I've had the thought in my head of having a late '60s-early '70s full size convertible...top down, tunes on, boat in back

I personally would like a '69 Buick Electra 225 or a circa '73 Lesabre but there's plenty to pick from. I mean they have front disc brakes (I wouldn't trust four drums) and large rear drums, are body-on-frame so I don't think flexing would be a problem towing my Capri, and a big block 455 won't much know the difference. I'd probably go ahead and replace the brake hoses, master cylinder, etc from the start...wouldn't want that stuff going bad. The rear suspension would accept Air Lift or similar springs. Heck I know like Eldorado's could have a factory class III package.

I wouldn't mind like a Vista Cruiser or Sport Wagon either (my dad loves Vista Cruisers but I prefer Buicks) since again you'd have a 455 and a gentleman pointed out that they have 12'' rear drums so stopping shouldn't be a problem. I figure back then until like the '80s people got around pulling their boats and Airstreams fine before Suburbans and pickups became common.

Any of you guys here have an older vehicle you tow with? I've seen rust free full size convertibles in the sub $3k range

 

[a70eliminator]

Re: Older towing vehicle? (convertible?)

You mean one of them cars with a chrome bumper! anything you find laying around here in the rust belt is junk. but yes I would'nt mind having a tow vehicle like you explained, something like a 70ish toronado or maybe a lincoln town car, would be a great tow vehicle up to a point.

 

[F14CRAZY]

Re: Older towing vehicle? (convertible?)

haha yeah, I'd definitely buy something rust free from the south...I'm not new to it. I went to Naples, FL for my '94 Century wagon (for business, not boat towing).

A Toronado or Mark IV would be nice, heck a '71-73 Riviera would be THE CAR for me but I have my heart set on a convertible

 

[DJ]

Re: Older towing vehicle? (convertible?)

We used to tow many miles with a '73" T-Bird. Several trips from MI to FL and back.

460 V-8, 9" rear (posi), C-6 trans. It also had massive front disc and drum rears. That cars underpinnings were basically those of a half ton truck-today.

During that same period, Dad's primary tow vehicle was a '72' Ranchero. Same driveline with the exception of a 429 V-8 as opposed to the 460.

In later years, we had: '77' Grand Prix, '82' Buick LeSabre, then a series of Grand Marquis'.

If you kept your foot out of them, they got decent mileage. The speed limit was 55 back then.

Ride in REAL luxury.

We did have air bags in the rear springs, of all. The later Grand Marquis had factory load leveling.

 

[HVSTRINE]

Re: Older towing vehicle? (convertible?)

Fuel was a bit cheaper back then I bet! I got an old 64 Wildcat with 401 big block that could pull just about anything. Stopping might be another story though.

 

[ziggy]

Re: Older towing vehicle? (convertible?)

yep, when i was a kid in the 60's and 70's. dad never had a truck. towed with large cars (olds 98 and capric classics)... never had any issues... i think they all were equiped with limited slip differentials...

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Older towing vehicle? (convertible?)

You young gaffers are showing your age and I'm about to show mine. If it's power you want, then you want something prior to 1975 which is when GM began adding catalytic converters and running 8:1 compression. In 1969 an Olds 98 was rated the best tow vehicle by Popular Mechanics. Those were stump puller motors and driven decently, they got relatively good mileage for the bulk they were pulling around. If you remember the GMC air suspended motor homes of the period, they were powered by an Olds front drive setup and were great vehicles. My greatest tow vehicle was a 1981 Olds 98 Regency (formerly a diesel) that had a 455 transplant. Pulled like a freight train. I was in the business of buying these cars out of repo from banks and converting them to gassers on the side. Bring me a diesel on a Friday night and you went home with a gasser on Sunday afternoon. Had a standing order for low mileage 350 Olds engines at three large salvage yards. Never paid more than $350 for a motor with less than 75,000 miles on it and never had a bad one.

 

[WaterWitch2]

Re: Older towing vehicle? (convertible?)

I wouldn't mind like a Vista Cruiser or Sport Wagon either (my dad loves Vista Cruisers but I prefer Buicks)

That's "That 70's show". Those are neat. You have to paint it gold. LOL. I have towed a few 17-19 ft boats and cars on tow dollies with my former unibody 1972 Dodge Coronet station wagon with a 318 and 3.23 gears. I had 11.75" front disc brakes and 11" drums in back. I never had any braking/stopping problems. The 3.23 gears weren't the best ratio, but it wasn't too bad. Definately better than my Suburban with 3.08 gears. Now I have a 1998 Dodge Ram with factory tow package. I had a friend that had a 1969 full size Chrysler Newport convert with a 440 that was going to tow his restored 1968 Charger R/T 4 speed car on a trailer from CA to the Mopar Nationals in Columbus, Ohio but wound up selling the Newport before it happened.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Older towing vehicle? (convertible?)

when i was a kid, Mom had a 64 Electra 225, then a 69 Ford Station Wagon, then a 72 Electra 225, (this was before i had any sense). i would pull and 1800 lb 19 ft Cobia, 75 mph. i then bought a 72 Buick Skylark Convertable (red with white top) 350, it pulled that boat the same way. we did not have trailer brakes back then. i was really stylin then.

 

[mthieme]

Re: Older towing vehicle? (convertible?)

Land yachts...
The first car I remember (ever) that mom had was a 1961 Pontiac. She had it into the 70's. Dad had VW's. I don't remember what model or knew anything about what was under the hood. We never towed anything as we had mostly blow boats that were in all year. Tenders got manhandled over the bulkhead. Well, I don't know how this Pontiac towed, but it mowed darn good!!!
One morning when mom was driving my brothers and I to school, the brakes gave out at an intersection. Mom opted for someones front yard as opposed to creaming into the back of whomever was stopped in front of us at the intersection. She took out some trash cans and I distinctly remember a small cherry tree that brought us to rest. The Pontiac literally mowed it over and the car came to rest on top of the tree with the front wheels off the ground just enough so they kept spinning. My oldest brother got out and took note. The car was completely undamaged - didn't even scratch the chrome on the bumper. Noone was hurt.
I'd like to see any of today's offerings come through some light gardening intact like that!

 

[pvanv]

Re: Older towing vehicle? (convertible?)

I used to tow with a 1966 Chrysler 300 Convertible. My car had drum brakes on all 4 (HUGE pads up front), and was capable of doing the job OK. I ran full metallic shoes, which stopped _almost_ as good as the optional Budd disc brakes. Didn't try to tow my 28' sailboat, of course.

I would recommend a trans cooler if it's an automatic. And of course a full safety inspection of the brakes, etc.

 

[F14CRAZY]

Re: Older towing vehicle? (convertible?)

I was afraid I'd get blasted for the idea but it sounds quite feasible and practical

 

[tmcalavy]

Re: Older towing vehicle? (convertible?)

When it comes to land yachts, I like the GM (Olds/Buick) wagons...especially the Roadmasters. Stout and powerful and plenty of room for stuff/folks plus you can put a ton of gear in the rear. Don't know when they went from RWD to FWD, but the last Roadmasters had the big six engines and got really good mileage on the highway. Towing with FWD might be dicey? Don't know, never done it.

 

[mthieme]

Re: Older towing vehicle? (convertible?)

My wife's Cavalier is FWD, it tows my 400# hydro just fine.
All those old boats were RWD.

 

[Floatsum]

Re: Older towing vehicle? (convertible?)

When younger, towed horse trailers and boat trailers with 1959 & 1960 Chevy Impala rag tops. The '60 had the 409 in her. Did the job just fine. The '59 I ended up with a Corvette 327 FI from the bone yard. It worked also.
Favorite was the white '59. So many submarine races were watched in that thing I practicly lived on Stonington Point in CT.

 

[F14CRAZY]

Re: Older towing vehicle? (convertible?)

I think full size FWD would be okay. Consider that as mentioned, the same drivetrain from the Toronado was used in the GMC motorhome and those get along fine.

It's true that with added emissions junk and switching to net HP ratings there was a lot of HP loss. Consider the 500 ci / 8.2L Cadillac V8 (bigger than any modern pickup truck motor) went from 375 hp to 190 hp (lol) in its lifetime but still retained like 450 ft/lbs. And no overdrive...pulling my Bayliner ought to be next to effortless with a big block.

The only thing as good as being on the boat is towing the boat with the top down in a classic American convertible Life, will be good!

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Older towing vehicle? (convertible?)

I used to tow with a 1966 Chrysler 300 Convertible. My car had drum brakes on all 4 (HUGE pads up front), and was capable of doing the job OK. I ran full metallic shoes, which stopped _almost_ as good as the optional Budd disc brakes. Didn't try to tow my 28' sailboat, of course.

I would recommend a trans cooler if it's an automatic. And of course a full safety inspection of the brakes, etc.

Had one of these with a 413 wedge in a hard top, it was one of the best cars I ever owned but it was a bit tough on gas. I traded it for a van in the mid 80's.

People towed with cars for years, some of those old cars are more truck like than today's trucks underneath. I had a 72 Country Squire Wagon with a 460/C6 combo and factory tow package. I got it with an old Grady White I bought, the car and the boat were a package and were originally bought at the same time. The old guy that had them bought the car to tow that boat. That car pulled like a team of horses. The only problem was that it had seen about 20 years of saltwater boat ramps by the time I sold it. Even the inside of the back of car had rust holes but it still ran and towed fine. I've been knocking around the idea of putting together an older truck just for towing, something that can run antique tags and be a dedicated tow vehicle for an older boat. I still have a few good motors sitting in my garage, a handful of old Lincoln Mercury 460s and a few small block Fords to choose from. I was thinking about finding a mid 60's or older Ford pickup and doing a 460 conversion.

 

[F14CRAZY]

Re: Older towing vehicle? (convertible?)

If not a station wagon or a convertible I wouldn't mind a late Travelall

 

[Shizzy]

Re: Older towing vehicle? (convertible?)

I would also agree with what has been said. those cars are heavy and are built pretty stout.

As long as the trailer had good brakes I dont see any issue.

have you thought of swapping in a later model engine and tranny?

6.0L out of a later model GM truck? Fuel injected, 300HP out of the box plus very easy to add power.

 

[cadunkle]

Re: Older towing vehicle? (convertible?)

I'd prefer a Ford myself. I'm a Ford man through and through, but from a technical standpoint. Fords car frames were typically stronger than GM frames. GM used mostly C channel frames where Ford used a boxed frame on their full sized. '65'68 full size were not boxed after the rear wheels except for convertibles and station wagons. Shouldn't be a concern normally but for towing a heavy load it may makea difference. It's easy to box these in though if you wanted to.

Beyond that if you get a Ford build a 460 based engine for it. It's cheap power and the 385 series is superior in several ways (block strength, cam selection, oiling and drainback, etc.) to a BBC or the wee little 455 SBC. Stroker kits are also cheap to make a 545 out of it. A mild 545 would be great for towing. Several guys over on 460ford.com have built 385 series motors for towing, so that is a good resource for build advice.

Also, check out...

http://www.fordmuscle.com/archives/2004/07/SeeingIsBelieving/