Ultimate Tow Vehicle

BS...it boils down to an individual's situation and what makes 'em happy...personally, I could live w/that scenario very easily...a specific vehicle for a specific job sounds great to me...I drove an '85 Caprice Classic from '92 to '97...towed my '67 Thunderbird w/'84 140 Evinrude all the while... ;)...kids cringed, and still chide me over it... ::)

As for the article...don't think I'd have painted it blue and he coulda gone w/the air shocks...single air line to fitting on rear bumper for adjusting shocks...no need to crawl under...
 
I like the way the author thinks!  We own 3 cars, two of them daily drivers.  The newest one is 10 years old and has 138K on the clock.  I refuse to buy into the BS that Americans have been sold, that if you want reliable transportation you have to stay in a "newer" car.  But here's where they "get" the average American:
The author clearly is a saver -- he had the $ in the bank to buy the car and do it up right.  Most of the blue collar guys I work with have no savings.  But the dealers are all too happy to finance a new car for them, or better yet a used car with an obscene interest rate.
Ours is a throwaway society.  Trade in and buy the latest and greatest.  The good news is that this means there are good deals out there for the rest of us! ;)
 
Well it was a nice story!! But thats it, It was a story!!

I agree there are ways to get a good tow car with out paying all these new car prices!!

But I have been there and done that!! I had a 86 Pontiac with a 350 V8, I added the wide tires and had air shocks put in. Tranny was replaced when I got it and I added the tranny cooler.

Now being a car it is not geared for towing!! it is a car and being such it is geared for Highway driving at high speeds and good fuel millage.

When I use to tow my 17 footer with it, I hated it!! This car could fly 100 MPH with out towing, but when towing it would be ok if you built the speed slow, ands if you came down hill 90 mph to get a go start up a hill you would be ok, But God For bid if you had to start up a hill or that other car coming onto the highway got in your way!!
You would Crawl up that hill!! And on the boat ramp with one wheel drive you would spin the shit out of the tires getting up the ramp!!

So unless you want to change the gear ratio and add posi traction stay with a truck or van, you will be better off! and lets not forget the leaking air shocks!!
 
I just love the idea of being able to slide a sheet of plywood in the back and being able to close the door. Also 24 mpg sounds pretty damn good for a big hoopty mobile. I wonder if the caprice would have trouble passing the cali smog test.

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/noframes/3591.shtml

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Reelapeelin - did you have any trouble towing with your 85 family truckster'?

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MJ - I here ya about the one wheel drive . . . I do love 4 wheel drive - Low - pulling out a boat and also having a standard shift to control speeds going downhill is really nice.
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Pipe - your a wise man . . .
 
Well, to paraphrase Reel, to each his/her own. Each of us has different wants, needs and financial standings. One man's ideal won't necessarily work for someone else.
Having said all that, my 10 year old ride is a 4WD 4Runner. I wouldn't pull my boat any great distance with that 3.0 V-6, but it does just fine locally and the 4Low is GREAT on the boat ramp. Nobody said it had to be a Caprice wagon -- it could be any old thang as long as it has the towing capacity. If one is looking and has any doubts, check the gearing before buying.
 
I am not saying that you can't use them things (cars) But if you have to go a long way or a steap ramp a car just is niot geared to do it!!
Now if you got to the 60's and 70's before gas was a issue now you can get some nice cars easy to work on and with low gear ratio!!

I have 98 F150 now and love it, But I have not got money at all!!
Before this year I used a 1990 Full size Blazer 350 TBI and I had to rebuild the rear end, the tranny, transfer case, new gas tank, ect ect ect to keepm that thing going!!
And the only reason I moved on was that it was rusting off the frame!! Other then that it was and still is a great truck with 189,000 miles when it left me last Aug.

What ever you have to do to save is what you got to do!!
Cars are great, but not for the long run.
 
BS, I gotta tell ya that 24 mpg sounds pretty generous...mine was the smaller motor(302 I think)...after I replaced the motor it towed GREAT til comin' back from Charleston ran HOT... :o...seemed to lose a little kick after that...rebuilt tranny and added cooler, air shocks already there and added stiffest front shocks could find, Michelin light truck tires...that thing rode like a MAJIC CARPET and towed well in D, not OD, so had to keep her around 65(should anyway, hate towin' on Interstate)...

He's right about the plywood......it'd be OK on short trips, but no way pullin' a V20 on interstate long trip... ::)

I kind split the dif on last purchase...found truck(Car Max) w/24,000 on ticker, so dodged DEPRECIATION HIT , but got reliability...this truck I got now is THE perfect vehicle for boat tower w/kids... ;) ;D
 
1995 Ford Club Wagon (full size van) 155000+ miles.  I'm startin to get the itch for a new or newer vehicle, but I like no payments and have no quams of putting money into the van to keep it running.  I covet my neighbor's truck 1994 Ford 150 quad cab 4 wheel drive.  Maybe when he sells it I'll be ready!  Bill Mc ;D
 
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