Old Car towing pictures

Mike Gardner · 03-05-2009, 01:23 PM

Here are some pictures I found in our office from the late 60's. Thought you guys and gals would get a kick out of seeing these. My dad started our lot with my Grandfather and uncle in the early 60's selling truck campers and travel trailers.

We get so many people on our lot that ask if we think their truck will pull the trailer they are looking at and i always think of when i was a kid, this is how towing trailers started.

Enjoy!

Tod Lane · 03-05-2009, 01:34 PM

I had one friend that towed his Q Stock station wagon with his really nice 70 SS454 Chevelle. It always seemed backwards to me for some reason.

And Bob Swartz might have a picture of his 67 Mustang modified production car being flat towed on a tow bar, by his PINTO... yep, a pinto. Hey it got there!

treessavoy · 03-05-2009, 02:38 PM

I was at Atlanta when Jerry Stein's '64A/SA max wedge car came in be being towed by a matching '64 plymouth wagon.

Rory McNeil · 03-05-2009, 04:59 PM

Back in the early 70`s, a racer I knew, Kerry Rawlick , used to regularily tow his heavy SS/OA 396 65 Impala station wagon from BC Canada to California with a 67 Impala wagon with a 275hp 327. And he always made it home afterwards!!

Bob Lasko · 03-05-2009, 05:07 PM

Back in the early 70's I flat towed my 67 Chevy Nova SS with my COPO Chevell, That I wish i still had. The Chevell had a 427/435 engine with a 4 speed and 411 gears.

Rich Biebel · 03-05-2009, 05:29 PM

Flat towing was an adventure to say the least. I have many stories that had to do with incidents related to flat towing and most of them sound funny now but they were'nt back in the day.....One of my favorite combos belonged to John Thropp I think....he had matching 57 Pontiacs... a 2 dr racecar and a Safari wagon that was the Pontiac version of a Nomad.....My partner and I had a 57 sedan delivery and we also had a 57 wagon for a tow car for a while. We were kind of low buck so we used to have to take a couple parts off the tow car for the race car when we got to the track. The tow car had a hotter engine in it than the racecar.....Duntov solid lifter cam......was a real chatterbox under the hood on the way to the track.......

Ed Fernandez · 03-05-2009, 06:12 PM

Being the high buck racer that I am I flat towed my original Gremlin (1973,bought brand new) from 1977 to 1990 when I finally bought a new open trailer.Flat towing had some advantages,if my tow vehicle had side clearance so did the car.I towed with a 1975 AMC Matador S/W,1979 Jeep Cherokee Chief,1987 Pontiac
Safari.Disadvantage,stopping.Lucily only had one accident.In 1980 a woman stopped on the Long Island Exp. because there was a muffler in one of the two traffic lanes.There was no one else within 5 miles of us.I hit her and knifed and spun 540 degrees before hitting the inner guard rail.Almost went to jail for choking the dumb *itch.
Still have the NMW tow hubs in the basement in case times get really bad.
Ed F.

Travis Miller · 03-05-2009, 06:13 PM

In 1970 I had a T/S '57 Chevy 4dr wagon and flat-towed it with my '57 sedan delivery. On the way home from the track one Sunday afternoon while towing I blew out the left front tire on the sedan delivery. Got the whole set-up stopped without incident but realized I had no spare. So I jacked up the left front and removed the flat. Then I unhooked the racecar and drove it a few miles to a service station to get the flat fixed. Of course the wagon had open headers but who cared, it was fun back then.

Travis

(Disclaimer: Opinions and old stories expressed by me on this forum are exactly that, my opinions and my old stories.)

Rich Biebel · 03-05-2009, 06:50 PM

Blew the rear in the sedan delivery (racecar).....had no way to get it home so parked it at the track and went home. Borrowed tow hubs from a friend......got it all set to get home......heard some funny banging noises as we were getting on the interstate so I said let me ride in the racecar to listen for the noise...... Just got up to speed and went a little further and the left front wheel came off the sedan delivery while I'm in it! This was not an uncommon happening back in those days as I recall......front fender got wrecked as the tire exited......could not find the tire......had no other one to put on other than a slick.....7" Casler probably.....got it all home and discovered the slick was ruined as the sidewall hit the upper a-arm and was all cut up......So that weekend we blew a rear, lost a tire, wrecked a fender and ruined a slick......Not good on our budget........and this same car suffered a freeze cracked block later in it's life.......and that was the end of the line for me and that car.......

Red LeBlanc · 03-05-2009, 07:04 PM

I can beat that Travis . Can't remember exact yr. Probably 1971 but was going to Lakeland international raceway outside Memphis Tn. About 5 miles from the track my truck quite . I unloaded my SS/J Cobra Fairlane . Hooked a chain to the truck with trailer pulled them to the track with the racecar . Ran the race fixed the truck .And towed back home . End of Story ..I guess you guys can picture it .. Red Le Blanc LOL

03-05-2009, 01:23 PM	#1
Mike Gardner Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 136 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Old Car towing pictures Here are some pictures I found in our office from the late 60's. Thought you guys and gals would get a kick out of seeing these. My dad started our lot with my Grandfather and uncle in the early 60's selling truck campers and travel trailers. We get so many people on our lot that ask if we think their truck will pull the trailer they are looking at and i always think of when i was a kid, this is how towing trailers started. Enjoy! Attached Thumbnails

03-05-2009, 01:34 PM	#2
Tod Lane Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 152 Likes: 0 Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Re: Old Car towing pictures I had one friend that towed his Q Stock station wagon with his really nice 70 SS454 Chevelle. It always seemed backwards to me for some reason. And Bob Swartz might have a picture of his 67 Mustang modified production car being flat towed on a tow bar, by his PINTO... yep, a pinto. Hey it got there! __________________ Tod Lane Swartz & Lane 66 Nova Swartz & Lane 79 H/CM Trans Am

03-05-2009, 02:38 PM	#3
treessavoy VIP Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Dunnellon,FL Posts: 1,103 Likes: 0 Liked 4 Times in 4 Posts	Re: Old Car towing pictures I was at Atlanta when Jerry Stein's '64A/SA max wedge car came in be being towed by a matching '64 plymouth wagon.

03-05-2009, 04:59 PM	#4
Rory McNeil VIP Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: from Vancouver BC Canada, now in Nova Scotia Posts: 1,307 Likes: 313 Liked 1,090 Times in 299 Posts	Re: Old Car towing pictures Back in the early 70`s, a racer I knew, Kerry Rawlick , used to regularily tow his heavy SS/OA 396 65 Impala station wagon from BC Canada to California with a 67 Impala wagon with a 275hp 327. And he always made it home afterwards!! __________________ NHRA 6390 STK M/S 85 Mustang

03-05-2009, 05:07 PM	#5
Bob Lasko Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Wilton,CT Posts: 628 Likes: 0 Liked 185 Times in 54 Posts	Re: Old Car towing pictures Back in the early 70's I flat towed my 67 Chevy Nova SS with my COPO Chevell, That I wish i still had. The Chevell had a 427/435 engine with a 4 speed and 411 gears.

03-05-2009, 05:29 PM	#6
Rich Biebel VIP Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Northern New Jersey suburbs Posts: 2,314 Likes: 25 Liked 544 Times in 213 Posts	Re: Old Car towing pictures Flat towing was an adventure to say the least. I have many stories that had to do with incidents related to flat towing and most of them sound funny now but they were'nt back in the day.....One of my favorite combos belonged to John Thropp I think....he had matching 57 Pontiacs... a 2 dr racecar and a Safari wagon that was the Pontiac version of a Nomad.....My partner and I had a 57 sedan delivery and we also had a 57 wagon for a tow car for a while. We were kind of low buck so we used to have to take a couple parts off the tow car for the race car when we got to the track. The tow car had a hotter engine in it than the racecar.....Duntov solid lifter cam......was a real chatterbox under the hood on the way to the track....... __________________ Rich Biebel S/C 1479 Stock 147R

03-05-2009, 06:12 PM	#7
Ed Fernandez Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: NOO JOISEY nexta NOO YAWK Posts: 5,879 Likes: 38 Liked 100 Times in 45 Posts	Re: Old Car towing pictures Being the high buck racer that I am I flat towed my original Gremlin (1973,bought brand new) from 1977 to 1990 when I finally bought a new open trailer.Flat towing had some advantages,if my tow vehicle had side clearance so did the car.I towed with a 1975 AMC Matador S/W,1979 Jeep Cherokee Chief,1987 Pontiac Safari.Disadvantage,stopping.Lucily only had one accident.In 1980 a woman stopped on the Long Island Exp. because there was a muffler in one of the two traffic lanes.There was no one else within 5 miles of us.I hit her and knifed and spun 540 degrees before hitting the inner guard rail.Almost went to jail for choking the dumb itch. Still have the NMW tow hubs in the basement in case times get really bad. Ed F. __________________ Former NHRA #1945 Former IHRA #1945 T/SA Last edited by Ed Fernandez; 03-05-2009 at 07:16 PM.*

03-05-2009, 06:13 PM	#8
Travis Miller Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 478 Likes: 1 Liked 276 Times in 27 Posts	Re: Old Car towing pictures In 1970 I had a T/S '57 Chevy 4dr wagon and flat-towed it with my '57 sedan delivery. On the way home from the track one Sunday afternoon while towing I blew out the left front tire on the sedan delivery. Got the whole set-up stopped without incident but realized I had no spare. So I jacked up the left front and removed the flat. Then I unhooked the racecar and drove it a few miles to a service station to get the flat fixed. Of course the wagon had open headers but who cared, it was fun back then. Travis (Disclaimer: Opinions and old stories expressed by me on this forum are exactly that, my opinions and my old stories.)

03-05-2009, 06:50 PM	#9
Rich Biebel VIP Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Northern New Jersey suburbs Posts: 2,314 Likes: 25 Liked 544 Times in 213 Posts	Re: Old Car towing pictures Blew the rear in the sedan delivery (racecar).....had no way to get it home so parked it at the track and went home. Borrowed tow hubs from a friend......got it all set to get home......heard some funny banging noises as we were getting on the interstate so I said let me ride in the racecar to listen for the noise...... Just got up to speed and went a little further and the left front wheel came off the sedan delivery while I'm in it! This was not an uncommon happening back in those days as I recall......front fender got wrecked as the tire exited......could not find the tire......had no other one to put on other than a slick.....7" Casler probably.....got it all home and discovered the slick was ruined as the sidewall hit the upper a-arm and was all cut up......So that weekend we blew a rear, lost a tire, wrecked a fender and ruined a slick......Not good on our budget........and this same car suffered a freeze cracked block later in it's life.......and that was the end of the line for me and that car....... __________________ Rich Biebel S/C 1479 Stock 147R

03-05-2009, 07:04 PM	#10
Red LeBlanc Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Bartlett Tn.. Just out side Memphis Posts: 145 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Old Car towing pictures I can beat that Travis . Can't remember exact yr. Probably 1971 but was going to Lakeland international raceway outside Memphis Tn. About 5 miles from the track my truck quite . I unloaded my SS/J Cobra Fairlane . Hooked a chain to the truck with trailer pulled them to the track with the racecar . Ran the race fixed the truck .And towed back home . End of Story ..I guess you guys can picture it .. Red Le Blanc LOL __________________ Red LeBlanc 4998 SS