Some people here might have recalled my asking for advice to hook up a tow bar to a 57 Chevy. I think it is safe to say I'll never be flat towing anything again. I've towed a lot of car trailers with nary a problem. Sunday I went to look at a pair of 57 Chevies for sale. After looking them over I decided to buy them and try flat towing one home. I asked on the phone if the guy thought the tires were okay, he thought they were fine. So I drove 170 miles to take a look. I had some s**** metal along to make some brackets for the tow bar. After a few hours worth of fabbing I had a tow attachment. I looked over the tires. One was extremely questionable so I replaced it, the others looked okay. I made it 70 miles without trouble but then the steer tire blew out on the car on the p***enger side and I went careening off the interstate. I got struck by a p***ing semi going 65 mph which I think kept me upright. The ditch was quite steep. I think I would have rolled had I went in. Very lucky for me I walked away and no one was hurt. The car stayed attached to the truck and miraculously it only had a dent on the hood. My welding held up very well which is the only good thing I can say about the whole event. So far I've racked up over 600 bucks in towing fees and I still have to get the pickup from the impound yard. There will be quite a few things going up for sale after this
Damn! Glad to see you are okay! I'll admit I used to worry about blowing tires or seizing bearings to the point I bought my own car trailer.If in doubt call a tow truck!
Thank God you or anybody else wasn't hurt! I'd say you dodged one big ole' speeding bullet on this one -- as noted, you won't be trying this technique in the foreseeable future. Glad you're here to tell the story and it is a minor accident in comparison to what it could have been. You're a fortunate man my friend . . .
I'm sorry that happened and I'm glad you are okay. On a lighter side, if I may........taking the truck out of the picture, I couldn't help thinking of Paradise Road at the moment just before the 55 rolled over. Really, I'm glad your okay.
man that ****s glad your ok ive flat towed a couple cars luckly i havent had any problems ...yet but i now have a trailer so hopefully my flat towing days are over
Driver's side door. The seat belt didn't do much because it didn't latch I got some scratches on my left arm and it is a little sore but that is the worst of it. The semi driver and his wife were un****hed. His wife really liked my car
Damn, you're lucky. You got hit by a Semi...and lived! I used to flat tow a 67 Nova drag racer 40 miles to the track, then home, but the tires were new, and it was a "secondary", slower highway, not an interstate. I'm glad to hear you survived this one. Ralph
Flat towed a lot over the years but not since buying a trailer 20+ years ago. This was a tire issue. Flat towing a car that is not roadworthy (or a trailer for that matter) isn't a good idea. Glad no one was hurt.
For you older guys, remember the pictures of the R&C dream truck along with the custom Chevy tow vehicle upside down in I believe a Kansas ditch. A victum of flat towing that resulted the early demise of a great custom. Sure good that you stayed rubber side down, and no one was hurt!
Man, that was too close a call - good Lord, walking away after being hit by a t-trailer @ 65MPH? You are one lucky man, I'd say - glad you are OK!
Bad luck it happened but good luck that semi was there. Looking at that embankment if you'd gone over pointing any way but forwards...I don't want to think about that. Better to pay the tow fees out of your pocket than your estate.
Glad you and the reast of the traffic are ok. But I'll have to admit that I've done some sketchy towing in my hobbie carrer. One rule I always go by when flat towing is 25 mph is tops, and no major roads. The longest I've flat towed is 40+ miles. I rode in the towed vehicle casue the steering was sticky and wouldn't return to center. My wife drove the tow truck and was a great driver. Jeff
true..but i have had flats on my trailer and it never put me off the road or into the path of self distruction..there's a reason why flat towing isnt allowed in some states(at least thats what i have been told)..they woke up to the fact its not near as safe as doing it on a trailer designed to tow loads with. (case and point) zingin down the road at 60 flat towing ..ooo..recipe for disaster in my book if your into this old car thing, one of the best investments is a good trailer your lucky..glad you came out of this ok..time to go buy a trailer trailer rental is really cheap , and car dollies are death traps This works like a charm everytime---
Gee, I was feeling bummed about having a flat on my enclosed trailer on the way to the Ardmore race. I used to flat tow a V8 Vega with no ill results till some ***** stole my tow bar at the Tulsa track. glad you came out unhurt.
Good to hear everybody is okay,that 57 probably weighs more than the truck,next time just rent a u-haul car trailer,about $50 a day or the used tow dollies are going for around $400 for a good one,in FLORIDA if the law sees you pulling something with homemade stuff they will red tag you in a heartbeat and the ticket ain"t cheap.Glad your"re okay.
Go to any R.V. park and talk to old timers about tow bars and dollys, lots of horror storyes. Glad you are ok.
Glad you weren't hurt.... go buy a lottery ticket because you were really lucky that you didn't get hurt or killed when you got hit..... When you win the lottery with that ticket go buy a trailer.....
Glad to hear you are ok, hope you are able to get the seat cushion out of your *** I bet that was one scarey ordeal, worse than a Chuck-E-cheese birthday party.
just my opinion, biggest problem with flat towing, a car pulls so much nicer than a trailer that you forget it's there. I always stop and check every thing often. glad you made it OK. I plan on flat towing a Rod to Mokan one year soon
I used a tow dolly with a v6 2wd regular cab longbox to pull an 89 mustang 5.0 from Virginia Beach back to Mid Michigan. Most of which was in the rain. To me, it is not an easy feeling. It pulls fairly nice, but around curves and in the wind, it makes me nervous because you are doubling the weight of the vehicle (essentially) and are providing exactly ZERO lbs tongue weight to keep your *** end planted. Every time I took off, i'd spin the wheels on wet roads. I thought about that lack of traction every high speed curve I went into Glad your safe. Bet you have a trailer for the next one. U haul is cheaper than a wrecker and impound bill.
Dude! You got hit by a SEMI and lived, basically un****hed!!! At least you'll always have this story to tell. Sorry about the wreck.
I flat towed a 67 Mustang behind a 1963 Lincoln from Atlanta to DEtroit. Scariests trip I ever took. It seemed like the only time the rig was stable was when I was doing 65mph or more!!! Someone slamed on their brakes in front of me and I braked hard and bent the tow bar so bad it would s**** on the ground over bumps. By the time I got to Detroit the tow bar was worn more than half through from s****ing. NEVER again. Glad you are OK. You'll be selling that tow bar now right? Oh, and your truck looks pretty cool with the battle scars!
one of the biggest things you lack when towing things this way...Brakes! never fun to be pushed around by your load...seriously and i never felt "good" flat towing anything compaired to a properly equipped trailer and tow rig. as in many things in this hobby..theres a right way to do it..and theres a wrong way. and than you have those that will try anything once, or until it kills them..wich ever comes first Hell,, it can be bad enough out there on the road with the "right" stuff..let alone trying to get by on the cheap..life is short, no need to make it shorter
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