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.......

chris3racing · 06-11-2009, 07:12 AM

I will not try to tell the story like the man himself, but if you ever have a chance to talk to Hubert Platt ask him to tell you the complete story about how he flat towed a Ford Thunderbolt to Person County, Roxboro for you younger folks. Hubert is out of Georgia. One Sunday morning, yes we match raced on "Sunday, Sunday" back in those days, he came through the back country roads and his tow truck broke down. He unhooked the tow bar from the Thunderbolt and drove that race car though the small communities up there to get to the race track.

At racer reunions these stories usually draw a crowd and if Hubert is telling them this story in particular. As some one else has already said those were the days and the stories are priceless. These types of sites can bring back a lot of memories and the young folks can get a good laugh.

OLD INJUN · 06-11-2009, 12:28 PM

In 1967 i was flat towing a 65 chevelle with a 57 chevy wagon that had a 275 hp chevy crate engine in it .we were going from sioux falls s.dak. To sioux city to a race running along at 100 mph and these guys in this outfit passed us. THE GOOD OL DAYS, RIGHT ?

bobby · 06-11-2009, 02:35 PM

Grew up with my drag racing boats. We had a 70 Caprice wagon with a 454 in it. In 75 he got a f150 station wagon with a 460. This thing had a 9" posi, even had p/s cooler. Had the big bolt pattern wheels, like the f150, that's why I call it that. In 78 my mom bought a t-bird with a 400, we used that until dad bought an actual truck,haha. Having the station wagons with 3 kids in tow was a god send for my parents.

Robert Swartz · 03-05-2009, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tod Lane

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!

No Tod, I don't have any pictures of THAT! Stopping that whole contraption was a treat. I remember towing up to Indianapolis Raceway Park a few times. Dragging that Mustang down I-465 sure made that old Pinto whine.

I think an even funnier sidenote to this. After I bought the trailer, you and Perry Smith borrowed it to haul your car. Of course I won't mention the fact that I didn't own a truck myself, at that time.

All you guys that had towing hubs. Man, you were hi-buck! I just pulled the driveshaft and stuck another spare input into the transmission to keep it from leaking.

Hey, if it weren't for old stories, what would some of us FOG's talk about,

Robert Swartz

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: 1,311 Likes: 314 Liked 1,102 Times in 301 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

06-11-2009, 07:12 AM	#7
chris3racing Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 528 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Old Car towing pictures I will not try to tell the story like the man himself, but if you ever have a chance to talk to Hubert Platt ask him to tell you the complete story about how he flat towed a Ford Thunderbolt to Person County, Roxboro for you younger folks. Hubert is out of Georgia. One Sunday morning, yes we match raced on "Sunday, Sunday" back in those days, he came through the back country roads and his tow truck broke down. He unhooked the tow bar from the Thunderbolt and drove that race car though the small communities up there to get to the race track. At racer reunions these stories usually draw a crowd and if Hubert is telling them this story in particular. As some one else has already said those were the days and the stories are priceless. These types of sites can bring back a lot of memories and the young folks can get a good laugh.

06-11-2009, 12:28 PM	#8
OLD INJUN Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 160 Likes: 0 Liked 1 Time in 1 Post	Re: Old Car towing pictures In 1967 i was flat towing a 65 chevelle with a 57 chevy wagon that had a 275 hp chevy crate engine in it .we were going from sioux falls s.dak. To sioux city to a race running along at 100 mph and these guys in this outfit passed us. THE GOOD OL DAYS, RIGHT ? Last edited by OLD INJUN; 07-14-2013 at 06:00 PM.

06-11-2009, 02:35 PM	#9
bobby Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: League City, Texas Posts: 243 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Old Car towing pictures Grew up with my drag racing boats. We had a 70 Caprice wagon with a 454 in it. In 75 he got a f150 station wagon with a 460. This thing had a 9" posi, even had p/s cooler. Had the big bolt pattern wheels, like the f150, that's why I call it that. In 78 my mom bought a t-bird with a 400, we used that until dad bought an actual truck,haha. Having the station wagons with 3 kids in tow was a god send for my parents. __________________ Next time wave all of your fingers at me.