Suburban tow vehicle / everyday driver

That's just flat-out dangerous.

This:

Means that this:

... is utter nonsense.

I don't care what happens to the POS toyota but that Chrysler is too nice to be ruined by your foolishness.

 

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for get exotic stuff you want meat an potatoes

get a 360 carbed crate engine and a A-518 trans http://www.transmissioncenter.net/SwapInformation.htm
check the width you can probabally grab a rear end out from under a dakota to get disc brakes for the rear ,toss on a fat man front end kit with a good disc brake kit dont worry about ABS

Im looking forward to seeing how this comes out

 

Well, unless you've decided that Hummers and F350s should be the only cars allowed on the road... I based my decision on the following:

- UHaul has been renting these things since 1945,
- their website confirmed my combo and is kosher,
- I'm able to safely drive 5-10 MPH above the 45 MPH minimum,
- and that my 2008 "POS" has a professionally-installed hitch welded on for a 5K load rating...

So a flippant assessment that I'm irresponsible, dangerous or foolish isn't going to weigh too heavily into the equation, no offense. But all opinions welcome anyhow!

 

Nothing flippant about it. I'm just pointing out the contradiction in your own post.

Then there's this: The curb weight of that Chrysler is about 4500 pounds. The maximum allowed tow weight for your vehicle is 5000, and then only if equipped by Toyota for trailer towing, otherwise it's 3500. According to UHaul, that trailer weighs 2200 lbs EMPTY. You are waaaay over your safe towing weight. Like I said, dangerous to yourself and others, and foolish. And that Chrysler deserves better.

 

Wow I was just going to say "Why are you stuck on a Burb ... consider a wagon" ... and there you go.

One more consideration .... diesel! ... but thats a different forum.

 

AGAIN with the safety police? Give it up. He arrived home unscathed? Yes?

 

After the local lowrider show last year I saw a state patrol car have an suv that size with a uhaul loaded with a 64 Chevy pulled over because the load was more than the tow rig could handle. Just because you can make it work doesn't mean you should do it.

Brendo, I go with a 360 or 440 in that wagon along with matching transmission and a rear end that was up to the load and geared to use the power band of the engine.
Convert the front to disk brakes and either use a disk brake rear end or put disk brakes on the rear.

The engine and trans could either come as crate units or from a doner rig.

I'd think that antilock brakes would be out as far as a swap goes. power steering can be adapted and there are plenty of choices for aftermarket heat and air units.

 

You live your life the way you want, I'll do the same. Based on the content of his email, it sounded like he was still on the road. Just trying to keep a FNG from injuring himself or someone else or ruining a cool car.

 

I miss the old hamb........

 

Great looking wagon,good luck with it.

 

whatever you decide make sure your braking system is HUGE! Folk that own travel trailers start filling them fuller and fuller while they are towing them. you know when your buddies say "got any more room in the trailer"? sure! seen it happen many times so biggest brakes and towing empty is key to many happy trips.

 

Since you plan to tow with the wagon, I would put a big block, or at least a large small block, such as the 360. lower rpm torque is what you need. A vintage 413 or 440 would be great. Early Hemi would be real nice, but most costly.

Second to put as big of brakes as you can on the wagon.

 

Still on the road, home by tomorrow evening.

Don't get me wrong, I do appreciate you bothering to be concerned. Your research sounds correct.. and I likely am beyond safe limits. While I've done a lot of towing of our Airstream, I haven't done much vehicle towing. I plan to continue slowly, and take the straightest route home in daylight. I've even waited an extra couple days here in Cleveland to let yesterday's strong winds die down - for the sake of the canoe as much as anything else.

Anyhow... love the rest of the suggestions.

55dude, we'll do really good brakes and upgrade the trailer brakes to discs as well. I have a good Tekonsha controller and "hardly used" heavy-duty hitch called a Hensley, which will keep it the whole rig straight.

Mr48Chev, good call on the donor vehicle. Someone else suggested that today too - maybe a 5.7 from a Dodge Magnum. Might let me keep the factory motor, tranny, fuel ign. etc. all together with less guesswork.

 

Very true. This '54 Airstream left the factory at 2800 lbs. A modern equivalent is 4700 lbs. Ours will be all custom, and while I'll try hard to keep weight and balance as a top priority, our reno will surely push it above 3K and probably higher with the addition of gray water tanks, more batteries, etc.

 

This was my driver for 15 years: '73 Chev 3/4ton front clip, 396 w/TH400 & 3:08 12 bolt posi. Traveled up and down California, to Reno 12 years.

 

I hear you there! The noob-correct-ness is very much a drag. But the car is still upright, no harm no foul! What-if's never end. Now another power train option that be cool: early 383 with painted aftermarket aluminum heads. Dressed out old style.

 

Home safe n' sound, thanks for the concerns, all.

Looks to me like the first thing I'll need to address is the suspension.. my gosh it's low. I don't imagine it left the factory this way, so my first task will be to determine what to use to get some decent ground clearance back without looking silly.

Any opinions on airbags vs. traditional shocks? I'm not too familiar with any of this stuff, so pardon me if I'm mixing metaphors.

I'll obviously want to plan for the future of towing the trailer. So if you guys could suggest a solution that will let me drop 400 lbs. of tongue weight on a 100 lb. hitch, which will sit in a yet-to-be-purchased custom receiver.... all while being dead level - that'd be awesome.

By the way, that's the Airstream she'll be pulling, waiting for its own royal treatment (polish and a new interior).

 

The front might just be needing new replacement springs. Does appear to be lower than stock, cut coils or maybe a different spring. I think it looks good that way, but do understand you need a bit more clearance for towing.

For the back, I would look into a supplemental load air bag set up. It will need to be custom for your vehicle, but look at air lift kits for trucks. Basically you air them up to give extra load capacity when you have the trailer connected, but run with almost no air when no trailer.

 

Thanks. Yeah, just wanted to make sure airbags are up to snuff for the heavy loads, vs just a really stiff traditional shocks / springs setup. Sounds like it'll be okay, though.

 

what kind of budget are you working with on this project?

air bags would be the way to go on the car
you cant pay me enough to use a hensley arrow (
bend or break 1 part and your screwed)
with the size trailer you have a
dual cam lift reese hitch will work fine
and I not sold yet on electric disc brake systems yet
the drum brakes I had on my prowler would stop it and my clubwagon I towed it with

 

Thanks for that, Derbydad. The Hensley is a Cub, and was bought used for $800. Essentially new, I figure if something does go bad I haven't yet lost my shirt on it. Remains to be seen.

I've heard a couple times now that drums aren't all bad, (at least on the rears?) Maybe we'll consider leaving that alone, no reason to fix what ain't broke.

No answer to the budget question yet: jumped in first, and will prioritize based on cost, safety, etc. as we go. We're into it for $5500 so far. I don't plan to chop, lower or otherwise ruin anything from its current factory condition, so if we have more cash down the road I can always revisit earlier choices.

But the Airstream project has top priority, so what we can afford to lavish on the T&C partly depends how economically we can complete that. I realize the ballpark for this kind of project ranges from 5 bucks to $100K - so I won't ask what you think it'll take to achieve my goals.

I suppose my dream would be to land on an appropriate model / year of modern car that could provide 90% of what I need.. and then hunt one down in the junkyard / used car lot.

While tinkering and coming up with a perfect combination of obscure aftermarket parts may be fun to many of you... the notion of transplanting the majority of items in one felled swoop and having some confidence they'll play well together is far more appealing to me.

Obviously there's no such thing as "plug and play", but it'd be wonderful to get the project done sooner than later, and hopefully for less than a used 1/2-3/4 ton SUV: which is the more predictable option we could've gone with for a tow vehicle.

 

A few "as is" interior shots, as I know most of us like a few photos to break up the conversation now and then.

 

Great choice of tow vehicle... looks right at home.

 

Damn that's a good looking wagon. Glad to see you made it home ok.

I wouldn't change a thing except more power under the hood along with some serious brakes and hitch that is up to the task and more.

 

In 1953, your car's braking system was one of the best produced at that time. But, you definitely need more braking power in today's world, especially towing a trailer. I used a 54 NY T&C wagon for my daily driver for nearly a year in 1994. I had the entire braking system gone through, replaced everything I could, and still blew out the single pot master cylinder in an emergency stop. Thank God for Chrysler's great emergency brake on those cars.

That is one cool wagon, love the interior. Hope you retain the car's mostly stock look.

 

Hurry over to the p-15/d-24 forum for some ideas. They know ALL about this type of car and are happy to help. Talk to Tim Adams over there who has done this.

Based on ideas gathered over there during the past few years, here's what I would suggest:

0. (make a list like this one, estimate costs, keep it up to date.)
1. Find an old late 80s Dakota pickup, one with a standard Mopar 5 x 4.5 wheel pattern. This is your front frame clip donor, and perhaps your rear end donor. Preferably get one with a v-6 so you can use more of the brackets and mounts later. (Find some pages/articles describing how to put v8s into these Dakotas; you will be doing much of the same work.)

2. Strip the front down to the frame, measure a bunch of times, and graft in the Dakota front end frame to your frame. This gives you new steering, suspension, brakes, and a good place to mount your motor. Get it pro welded, fishplated, etc. (May as well have the welder weld up your trailer mount while he's there.)

3. Use a big small block - a Magnum 360, a Ford 5.8, or a Vortech. This would keep the weight at the same as the flathead and give you the power you want. Here's where a rusty local donor would be useful - a Dodge work van perhaps - but while it would be modern it would not be low-miles and you'd want to rebuild the motor and trans first. If you rebuild a trans, get it beefed up. If you rebuild a motor, consider a stroker crank to get you more displacement and torque. (A good source of low-miles motors is old motorhomes, especially the smaller van-based ones. A big block will work too but be harder to fit and weigh more.)

4. Rear end donor might be a 8.8 out of an Explorer, it has the same 5 x 4.5 lug pattern. Decide if you want to keep you existing springs or get the donor springs.

5. Be sure to think of all you systems as a whole. EFI needs a return fuel line. AC needs a different radiator, finding a good fitting donor may take some searching.

6. Decide on wheels / tires. 15" or 16"? If you want the old look, or use the old rims, it will have skinny tires. I imagine you can get wider new rims that would let you keep your hubcaps if you shop around

7. Adapt your emergency brake from the rear of the transmission to the new rear end

8. Replace any delaminating safety glass with new; it's flat except the windshield, right? Get new glass rubber from Steele rubber, (not ebay, quality and fit matter). Make sure your bottom-of-door-glass rubber is good so water won't leak into your doors as you drive.

9. Figure out how to get the gauges working - here's another place a donor vehicle can help, you can often put the donor gauges behind your faceplates (depending on fit). It's a long, fiddly job but one that can be done on the kitchen table in the dead of winter.

10. Figure out AC/ heat inside the passenger compartment; evaporators, ducts, vents, etc. You might get lucky and have a working unit from your donor which could be adapted, but Vintage Air is an easier choice.

11. Take lots of pictures, start a new thread here, and update it regularly. When you get stumped, stuck, or just burned out for a bit the people here will advise & cajole and you will make better progress.

12. From another thread - it's like eating an elephant. One bite at a time. Working just nights and weekends, this is a 2-3 year project. You'll really have something nice when you're done

 

Glad you made it home safe.

 

Thanks so much, wow. Very helpful, and I'll seriously consider every one of those suggestions. Thank you!

Pwschuh, thanks - it certainly felt top heavy up on that trailer, so I'm extremely glad it's back on the ground... on all fours, as God intended.

 

Great CL Find


Nice rear end ....


Beautiful car .......



Jim





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Jim