Classic Tow Vehicles

Spinning off from the other thread...

Vintage car haulers are popular with the hot rod crowd. While many of them are based on big trucks (frequently cabovers or short noses) you can find these things from time to time. The problem with large trucks, even modern ones, is they are fuel pigs. They also create storage issues, parts issues, and even licensing problems. I don't think this is what most of us would go for. The typical budget weekend racer has a trailer and something to pull it with.

I use a 1965 Ford pickup. It's got a disc brake conversion (a must, IMO), bigger modern tires on aluminum wheels, original 208hp V8 and not much else. It's still a work in progress but it will eventually have carpet, a nice seat, sound insulation and a radio. No air (it's got vent windows!), no cruise (could be retrofitted). Yes, it has a few shortcomings, but having driven it halfway across the country and back (sans trailer) it really doesn't drive bad at all on the highway. I don't believe I'd find a newer truck costing 20 times more 20 times better. It's simplicity keeps servicing and problems at a minimum. The brake and cooling systems are all new. Parts are still readily available almost anywhere on the road. For the half dozen or so times it's actually used for towing a year I find it perfectly adequate.

Now, depending on how 'vintage' you want to go you may require much more in the way of modernizations. My '65 shares most everything with Ford pickups up through 1979, so it's arguably modern out of the box. A 1950s truck would be a different story. Other than a desire for diesel or a bit more power, modern trucks don't offer any great improvement in powertrains over what can be had or easily swapped in. Much like building a race car, building a vintage tow vehicle yourself will be costly, but buying someone else's modernized classic can be a good value.

JG's father-in-law is into cool, old trucks, and we'll have to post some photos. Last time I was at his shop he had another one under construction.

I suppose what I really mean is I want my tow vehicle to be more of a "daily driver" in function. Simple. Stock. Done... and not a vehicle I need to worry about... ever... beyond simple maintenence. I have enough trouble just keeping my current fleet running...

The other problem I have with older pick-ups is space... With my current Dodge, and even more so after my experience with the conversion van that preceded it, old p/u's are just too darned small... (and I had a '79 F150 std cab for a few years as a DD).

Trust me, I've had many a day-dream about building another '79 Ford Supercab truck, but with a modern 351W EFI drivetrain for better mileage... but between the cost of finding a rust free example (hard), and installing the engine trans (not as hard, but still a project), one can buy a much newer truck that will be just as capable and likely more reliable, only lacking the "cool" factor of driving a classic... which I don't care as much about anymore.

~Here's Mine~ currently for sale. Will take $1700 but cash talks (see below).

That's awesome.

A.

I've always liked the idea of classics hauling classics.

Step vans like aeronca's seem more practical, but I'm a sucker for a COE rig like this.

It looks kind of like a Herkimer battle jitney!

Dave

I've seen quite a few of the old truck car-haulers bodies mounted on newer chassis. Best of both worlds.

Not so cheap...

http://www.laprecord.com/Part-302/Chap-01/Ch-Index.htm

André Rousseau wrote: Not so cheap... http://www.laprecord.com/Part-302/Chap-01/Ch-Index.htm

But would be killer... It gives me flash-backs to an old Matchbox racecar transporter I had as a kid... and probably still have somewhere... I'll have to see if I can find it...

Ferrari transporter from the movie Grand Prix.

That would be cool.