Question about using a tow bar

[Gasman63]

Hi all.
Its getting closer to the day that I will be bringing my 63 home to CO. Looks like April 1st I will be leaving CA with it with the help of a friend in CA that has a pickup and running it 1200 miles to my home with a tow bar.

I was loaned this towbar and was told it has drug many Corvairs in its lifetime. Its the old school type that clamps onto the bumper. Made of thick iron. Not a cheep thin tow bar

My question is should i use a piece of inner tube or leather or both between the metal clamps and my bumper to protect my bumper as its in great shape and i dont want to mess up the chrome. I could use a piece of rubber mudflap too if it wont be too think for the clamps. Being Im a truck driver I have a few laying around.

Or does anyone else have an idea? Or maybe you used one like this and had no issues with the chrome?

1200 miles is a long drive and i just want to protect the car as much as possible. I was going to rent a trailer but the cost is crazy. And the tow bar was free. Hard to beat that.

So whats your opinion?

[whenim64]

I have used a similar towbar to tow Corvairs many, many miles. While at times I have used thin pads to protect the bumper from the clamps, more often I have substituted a lesser-quality front bumper for the duration of the tow. Not only does this, obviously, protect the better bumper from possible damage, it also provide an opportunity to ensure that the front bumper being used is fully and securely attached to the car.

[Gasman63]

Boy, a spare bumper sure would be the way to go. But no extra parts are with this car. It was my dads that restored 20 years ago. Maybe back 20 years there might have been one laying around.

But i agree. That would be the way to go if possible.

[Dennis66]

Flat towing 1200 miles. What plans have you made about the tires? My first thought was towards bearings, then I thought about 20 year old tires. I imagine you already have plans for that. Dennis

[vairmech]

Why not have a trucking service pick it up and deliver it? No tire worries or wheel bearing worries.

[scooperman]

sorry if I missed this detail; is it a manual transmission car? But manual or PG, I agree with Mr. Hand, better to have it trucked. If you were going 12 miles, I would say go for it. If going 120 miles here in Flatland, mostly on the interstate, ok maybe. 1200 CA to CO? Get some hauler quotes.

[American Mel]

Hi all.
Its getting closer to the day that I will be bringing my 63 home to CO. Looks like April 1st I will be leaving CA with it with the help of a friend in CA that has a pickup and running it 1200 miles to my home with a tow bar.

I was loaned this towbar and was told it has drug many Corvairs in its lifetime. Its the old school type that clamps onto the bumper. Made of thick iron. Not a cheep thin tow bar

My question is should i use a piece of inner tube or leather or both between the metal clamps and my bumper to protect my bumper as its in great shape and i dont want to mess up the chrome. I could use a piece of rubber mudflap too if it wont be too think for the clamps. Being Im a truck driver I have a few laying around.

Or does anyone else have an idea? Or maybe you used one like this and had no issues with the chrome?

1200 miles is a long drive and i just want to protect the car as much as possible. I was going to rent a trailer but the cost is crazy. And the tow bar was free. Hard to beat that.

So whats your opinion?

You CAN flat-tow a PG, so even though that part isn't stated we can get it out of the way.
April gives you plenty of time to acquire an old crusty bumper from someone.
What I really want to know, is just what IS CrAzY cost?
Granted it has been about five years ago, but a Uhaul used to be only $175.oo for three days.
If you can't afford trailer rental, don't even bother looking into Shipping costs!

[caraholic4life]

Just a reminder, IF you consider a U Haul Trailer rental...IF they ask what kind of car you are planning on hauling...

Tell them it is a "Corvette" do not mention Corvair as individuals have reported they won't rent a trailer to move a Corvair for some reason. IF you need to write down what kind of car it is, put down Chevrolet coupe or convertible. This way if there is an issue later on...you have plausible deniability.

It has also been suggested that when putting a Corvair on a trailer, Back it on so the engine is closest to the tongue.

CORRECTION/Apology
Having never used a trailer to transport a Corvair, I will defer to the following post made by whenim64 » Tue Feb 27, 2024 10:05 pm regarding pulling the car onto a trailer rather than backing it on as I suggested. I know and respect him as well as his experience. Unfortunately, I was repeating what I have seen posted previously by others.

[Gasman63]

Sorry.
Looks like i missed stating it is a manual, 4 speed, so that shouldnt be an issue.

I was quoted 850 bucks to rent a uhaul trailer. The website said 700 but after tax and all the add-ons they put on the rental the price jumps.

I got quotes from 1200 to 1800 to have a open car hauler pick it up. But they can't guarantee delivery or pick up dates. That sounded like unprofessional business to me.

I havent noticed any members that live in dads area but ...

If anyone has an old bumper that is located from Fresno to Bakersfield CA please let me know. Dad lives in Visalia. That's where the car is now.

Bearings and tires... Dad replaced all wheel bearings 20 years ago and i try to put 200 miles on the car every time i visit. The tires are 8 years old. I have a spare tire and a spare rear axle with new bearing if it is needed. But im hoping for the best here.

We plan on keeping the speed down to around 60mph and stopping every couple hundred miles.

So im hoping all will go well. I want to upgrade tires and rims after its in CO.This is why im crossing my fingers on the tires

If you think im crazy please say so. But this is pretty much a go at this point. Id could drive the car enstead if towing but the engine hasnt been driven many miles at a time. The engine was also rebuilt but again, 20 years ago. Dad and i figure the car has lest than 2000 miles on it since the rebuild in the last 20 years.

[joelsplace]

Are you sure he replaced the rear bearings? They are crazy expensive to replace just because.
The main thing that I see as crazy is 8 year old tires. I've seen some last 10 plus but that is rare. Toyo and Maxxis. Most other tires I've used are doing good to go 5 years before they come apart.

[Gasman63]

I will ask again about the rear bearings to be sure. The tires are Milestar. I know they are old. This does bother me. I may try to find another spare.

[bbodie52]

Colorado Springs is 6,035 feet in elevation. What type of vehicle are you using as a towing vehicle? Are the interstate highway roads hilly with long steep grades? It is not just the total distance, but the type of terrain you will be covering! This puts a lot of stress on the towing vehicle brakes and — if the towing vehicle has an automatic transmission — heat buildup in the transmission can also be a consideration. Safety and stress on the brakes, and likely poor fuel mileage, dining and lodging costs, etc. all add significantly to the total cost of the move. If you have to drive 1200 miles from Colorado to California to get the Corvair, and another 1200 miles back, the total cost of retrieving your Corvair will continue to mount. Your towing speeds must remain slow, to prevent the possibility of a loss of control — especially on long downhill grades that will stress your towing vehicle braking system.

Have you priced an open trailer car transport cost? My cost in September 2020 for an enclosed transport from Southern California to North Carolina was about $1700. Your costs may be significantly lower if you choose an open transport and with greatly reduced total distance only to Colorado,

I would suggest making some phone calls to gather realistic pricing information. Compare that to your expected costs for meals, lodging, and fuel to retrieve your Corvair. What is the bottom line, and how much money will you really save? What is the condition and value of the Corvair you are bringing to Colorado? What will the cost be to bring your 1963 Corvair up to a running, drivable, and safe car? What would the cost for rental of a towing dolly or a full-sized car trailer be? Is your 1963 Corvair worth the costs? Can your towing vehicle handle the load safely?

I would recommend running the numbers for each possibility.


I've only shipped one late model Corvair , and that was a few years ago from Southern California to Georgia. For what it is worth, here were my experiences with that effort...

This shipper was recommended to me by...

Mike Walters
Client Advisor
3000 W. Coast Hwy, Newport Beach, CA 92663
Office: 949-645-5900 ● Fax: 949-645-0044
● Web site: www.sterlingbmw.com


I'm currently having a Corvair shipped to me from California to North Carolina. The BMW dealer indicated that they have had very good experiences with this shipper, and so far I have had every indication that they are careful and only recommend reputable car haulers. For example, Jennifer recommended a car hauler to me, and with my OK she began to orchestrate the shipment. A short time later she called back and apologized and stated that she was not really comfortable with that hauler's insurance credentials or his high deductible. She said she would have to cancel his service and would prefer to look elsewhere for a better shipper that she felt was more trustworthy. I got the impression from the BMW Dealer and from working with her directly that she makes every effort to carefully screen the car haulers she is considering, and really watches out for her shipping clients' well-being. My Corvair shipment is still in transit, so at this time I cannot give you a final outcome to this story until next week's delivery. But I wanted to provide this info since you are looking now and might want to consider the possibility of using Southern Cal Auto Relocation to ship your car. You might look over their website and possibly call Jennifer next week to see what she has to say.


http://www.socalautorelocation.com/index.html
Jennifer Fabella
Contact Us
We are available from Monday thru Friday from 6:00am until 6:00pm PST.

Phone: (626) 573-2300

eMail: jenniferf@socalautorelocation.com

or write us at:

Southern Cal Auto Relocation
P.O. Box 1385
Rosemead, CA 91770

Services
We offer transportation services for the following automobiles: Sedans, Coups, Trucks, Pick-up Trucks, Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs), Sports Cars, Luxury Cars, Mini-Vans and Full-Sized Vans. There are a number of different ways to get your vehicle from point A to point B.

Auto Transport Service Regions
We service all areas of the continental United States. Whether your moving your automobile from New York to Los Angeles, Florida to San Francisco, or just about anywhere in between we have you covered. Heading to New England? Check. Sashaying to the South West? We do that. Rolling up to the Rockies? Yea we go there too. Wandering up to Washington's Pacific Northwest? Yep, we're there. East, west, north, and south you'll find our carriers transporting our clients' cars safe and efficiently.

Also, gives SOUTHERN CAL AUTO RELOCATION INCORPORATED 4.9 Stars out of a possible 5 Stars, based on 33 customer reviews, further stating that 100% of their clients would use SOUTHERN CAL AUTO RELOCATION INCORPORATED again, saying things like: "Great shipper and easy to work with" and "Great carrier!". The Better Business Bureau gave them a rating of "B".

FINAL...

Southern Cal Auto Relocation ended up connecting me with Masney Auto Logistics https://www.masney.com/


An open transport truck like the one below was going to cost $1500 from the BMW dealer's lot on the Pacific Coast Highway in Newport Beach, California to a drop-of point in Blairsville, GA. However, Southern Cal Auto Relocation located an opening on a Masney enclosed truck that was offered to me for only $200 more, which I decided to take because it provided enclosed carrier protection for my Corvair at a great price. 2,233 miles of well-protected transport began on Friday, September 18 and the car was delivered in great condition, on-time and with well-coordinated multiple phone calls from the driver on Friday, September 25th. The driver was friendly and very helpful. An overall very good experience!



PROBLEMS:
The BMW dealer announced a procedure they use (after the car had already left California) where they hold the title and registration documents until they receive a signed copy of the Bill of Lading from me. The Bill of Lading is signed by the recipient of the car upon delivery. It was signed in the parking lot where the car was delivered, and my copy was electronically sent to my email address. The car was shipped by the BMW dealer with no title or registration, and no temporary license plate (paper license), which would have allowed me to drive the car home and down to the North Carolina DMV to register and title it in North Carolina. The car only had an expired California license plate attached. North Carolina has no provision to issue a temporary permit to drive the car on public roads, and can only issue a NC title and registration when they are given the existing documents from the previous state (California), which were being held in California by the BMW dealer until they received a copy of the commercial transport Bill of Lading, which I received from Masney upon delivery of the Corvair and payment by cashier's check of $1700 to them. With that I had a drivable Corvair in a grocery store parking lot 20 miles from my home with no way to drive it on public roads. Putting the car on a commercial tow truck was the only legal way to get it to my driveway. (The transport trucks are far too big to reach my home on available rural roads).

For example, in Georgia, the only method to legally drive a newly purchased vehicle now is to have either a dealer-issued 30 day drive-out tag or a temporary operating permit from the county tag office. The requirements for this registration are a bill of sale, current registration from the previous owner, driver’s license, and proof of insurance. The customer will then be issued a temporary operating permit good for 30 days from the date of purchase. North Carolina could not issue a temporary permit since the current registration documents were held back by the BMW dealer. I still do not know why they could not issue a 30-day temporary permit. They had a copy of my NC driver's license, a copy of my proof of insurance, and th original California title and registration document in their possession. Had they attached a 30 day permit to the car, I would have been covered until I received the title via Fed-Ex.

I will get the California title and registration documents from the BMW dealer via FedEx next Wednesday — six days after I received the Corvair. Then I can contact the NCDMV for an appointment to register the car in North Carolina (COVID-19 VIRUS PROCEDURE). After that, I can actually begin driving the car! California gets no sales tax from me. North Carolina gets 3% plus $5.42 per year for Vehicle Property Tax — cheaper than California's almost 8% tax!

catch-22

noun

a dilemma or difficult circumstance from which there is no escape because of mutually conflicting or dependent conditions.
"a catch-22 situation. A frustrating situation in which one is trapped by contradictory regulations or conditions. any illogical or paradoxical problem or situation; dilemma. a condition, regulation, etc., preventing the resolution of a problem or situation.

This "Catch-22" could have been avoided if the car dealer had: (A) sent the title and registration to me in advance to allow me to obtain a North Carolina license or temporary permit (if the car needed a local safety inspection to be registered, which the old Corvair is exempt from), or (B) attached a temporary paper license to the car so that it could be driven on public roads for the purpose of bringing it home and getting it registered (Don't they do that anymore?). It turned out that the Masney driver could have directly emailed a copy of the Bill of Lading directly to the BMW dealer when he emailed a copy to me, but nobody ever asked him to. It never should have been necessary for the BMW dealer to hold the title and registration documents back in California. (They said they do that to ensure that they get a signed copy of the Bill of Lading from the vehicle buyer. Without it they are liable for the California State Sales Tax. (If I had flown to California to pick up the car and then had personally driven it back to North Carolina, I would have had to pay the Sales Tax of $781.20 and $25 for a "One Trip Permit". By shipping the car commercially, no California tax or fee is applicable. The Bill of Lading I sent to the BMW dealer gets them off the hook for having to pass the sales tax money on to the California tax people).

If all of this sounds confusing, it was for me too! Imagine what those unfortunate people in places like Europe have to go through to ship a Corvair to their country!

Bottom line: Ask lots of questions and do your homework regarding licensing, title transfer, taxes and fees, etc. The actual commercial shipping was straightforward, trouble-free and there were no surprises. The problems came from trying to cover taxes, local and state regulations, unknown dealer procedures, etc. As for a purchase from a private party

[joelsplace]

Milestars are some of the ones I've had separate in less than 5 years. Never had one blow out but I would replace them as soon as I noticed a problem.

[Dennis66]

U-Haul won't rent a trailer to tow a Corvair because their stupid computer doesn't have "Corvair" in it's system. Tell them you're towing a Cavalier. Corvettes run kind of heavy. U-haul is very picky about the towing vehicle, has to have a frame mounted Class III hitch. Cost me a little over 400 for a one day to tow mine just under 200 miles. I had to rent a small moving van because of the hitch issues. Dennis

[Gasman63]

Hi Brad.
You are correct that the elevation is high. 6500ft where I'm at. I had thought about the route to take and I figured to come across a lower route than I would normally take when driving. 58 out of Bakersfield. Climbing across the high desert and grabbing I-40 to I-25 and go north. So yes there will be some hills but not as if I was taking a northern route. Plus lowering the chance of snow. Not that that bothers my driving. I do it often in the winter months. Had a snow storm hit me today.

The vehicle doing the towing is a newer ford F250. The owner has made multiple trips from Modesto to Texas hauling a camp trailer to visit family and trips to the coast and southern CA. So he has an idea of what its going to be like dragging the Vair.

I will be flying into CA. Meet up with the driver and hook up car and head East within a couple days. I will be paying for the fuel in both directions plus food. But you have to remember I am a truck driver from the old school days. Driving coast to coast stopping for fuel and coffee was the way it was done years ago. I don't drive like that any more because of all the rules and electronic logging devices plus I'm just getting too old to play those stupid games any more. But to drive my max allowed 11 hours is nothing to me. And I will have a second driver to spell me. A 20 to 24 hour trip non stop isn't going to be a big deal "IF" everything goes smoothly.


As I said before I did check on an open car hauler and the prices were 1200 to 1800 and they will show up "the week of"... That wont work. I have a job to get back to. I cant just wait days for a truck to show up and deliver. I may not be at home when the truck want to drop the car. Plus now I find Dad wants to give me stuff I cant pack in a car as I checked and they don't want you packing a car full of tools and parts and etc...

A Car Trailer from U-haul was priced at 850 bucks. It still not out of the question but it sure make a big difference in price of the trip. And I had read about how they don't like the word Corvair. plus I understand to load it backwards to get the engine on the tongue weight. Truck driver, remember. ;)

Right now I need to get with Dad to be sure he REPLACED the rear axle bearings. I think that is a biggie. He is pretty much bed-ridden and his memory isn't the greatest. The one thing I have to keep in mind when dealing with Dad is he retired at the age of 47. Then he restored Chevy impala convertibles for fun. He would only sell them over-seas as he didn't want to have to compete against his own cars at car shows. He made the cover of many magazines and had articles written about him and his hobby. Some of you guys from CA may have met him one time or another. They were that perfect. So he can sometime mix up memory's of car restore projects. But that enough of that. I'm not here to snivel or ask for sympathy. This Corvair he did as a last project and did it as a driver. Not a show piece. He made it for him and to drive and enjoy but he just cant any more.

So now you know why I'm taking the Vair to CO. I need to remove it. He has given it to me. The tires being 8 years old but looks new scares me too. They might have 1000 miles on them and the car has been kept in a garage so not bad weather or hash sun. But still, 8 years old.

Thank you all for posting and giving me your opinions. Its what I wanted. Just to help me to understand the issues that might pop up. I'm praying for a smooth trip and will post up when its over to let you know the outcome. I'm still listening if anything else comes to mind.

[Gasman63]

BTW, I checked with every other company I could find about trailer rentals. They all want you to use there truck to pull there trailer. U-haul was the only one who would rent you just the trailer but they want to inspect the vehicle doing the towing too. CYA I guess.