Question about using a tow bar

[sethracer]

If you tell U-haul you are going to carry a Chevy Monza, but you are not sure which year it was built, you are not lying. <grin>

[Frank DuVal]

I used to rent those HD clamp-on tow bars for trips around L.A. I don't recall damaging the chrome because the tow-bar had thick rubber pads. What I do remember damaging was the bumper itself where the clamps attach. With the right up/down movement such as a driveway apron, the clamps would "peel up" the edges of the bumper causing permanent damage. The other thing that would happen, again with the right up/down movement, the top clamp would detach and when things went back to level the tow bar would be resting on the roll pan under the bumper. Oops. The other caveat involves backing up. It's basically impossible to back up more than say five feet before the car starts steering itself in the wrong direction and causing the hitch to slide on the bumper.

And here I though I was the only one!

I almost sideswipped a line of parked cars on a narrow street when the '56 Pontiac I was towing with my tow bar dropped one of the clamps from the bumper. Lucky I was glancing in my mirror a lot. I still have my homemade tow bar, has had more miles on it from friends borrowing it than myself.

[Gasman63]

The trip was a success.
Towed the 63 Vert with a towbar from CA to CO. 1200 miles. I had planned on driving it some of the way but with snow coming down and running straight through we just kept going.

After arriving home and some sleep i tried to take it for a ride and found a rear axle bearing had went out somewhere on the trip. Guess in the very last leg as it wasnt extremely bad. When I picked up the car from Dad he had given me an extra axle with bearing already mounted that he had when going on trips with his Corvair club. So i swapped the axles and all was fine. I think I should try to get another bearing and mounted on the old axle just encase this happens again. Dad had replaced these bearings 20 years ago but maybe just sitting and not being used...

So all is well and the car is home. Now I can start tinkering with it and fixing some of the little details i know need help thanks for all the comments and i hope to post up questions soon if i dont find answers in the searches.

[erco]

Awesome news, welcome home!

As a poor student I towed my '67 Monza 140 4-speed home from college in 1981 when it broke a cast piston. 500 miles using a rented towbar, pulling it with Dad's '66 Plymouth Fury wagon through the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia. Prayed that both bumpers would stay on. Went slow, no problems, and no snow in June! Quite a relief getting home.

[Doug Ward]

Hi Gasman,
I have flat towed Corvairs all over the west coast, when I was slalom racing my '64 monza convert. I towed it with a Rampside w/4 speeds,& sometimes with a Ford Ranchero V8. The main difference between your method & mine was that I bolted the tow bar directly to the body of the car. ( race cars don't have bumpers) I never had any problems.
I live in Orange county, Ca.and am restoring a '62 convert and will be putting new bumpers on it, so I'll be happy to loan you my "old" front bumper if you can pick it up here in Orange.
Another option would be to contact Dave Watson. ( motorhead here on the forum). He has a lot of extra parts and would probably work with you as well. He is not too far north from Saugus, Ca.( off of hwy 14)
8 year old tires that have been stored inside would not bother me at all. Be sure of tire pressures on your Corvair.
I once drove from Ca. to Breckenridge Co. in 19 hrs nonstop. I would think you could make your 1200 mile trip in a day & half.
Best of luck with your trip. If I can be of further help, let me know. Doug Ward

[Doug Ward]

OOPS ! I didn't notice that your post had 3 pages. Oh well, I'm glad you did the deed & all went well.
Doug Ward

[jmiahman]

I remember reading somewhere that towing a Corvair is hard on the transmission as in neutral lubrication doesn't get spread around well enough and that you should not tow more than 150 miles is this true only for the Power Glide or is it not true at all?

[Gasman63]

Thanks for the reply Doug. Glad someone else had done this for many miles. But if you could have posted a month ago. Lol.
Still, thanks. And the tires made it just fine and still look fine. I may be running these until one goes flat on me. Then replace them.

The lube in the trans issue i read too
But I think it was for power glide. But im no expert.