[VAC] Re: Tow vehicle, 6 cyl and stick

["Frank M. 'Mitch' Hill" <fmhill@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Phil,

Yes, the amount of torque is amazing albeit at the cost of top end speed.  In
third gear (of 4 ),   the speedo hits 35 and you think a rev limiter kicked in,
the engine just quits accelerating.  But the other side of the coin, coming 
down
some of the hills in Maine, You take your foot of the gas and the engine has a
tremendous amount of hold back capability. In high gear, I rarely have to use
the brakes, maybe occasionally in small spurts.

A couple of facts about my F150,  it is the longer wheelbase model, full 8 
ft bed
and I have a Leer fiberglass cap which weighs several hundred pounds on it. 
This
added weight and streamlining gives the truck good balance, it is not light 
in the
tail end.  This F150 also as shipped from the factory has the highest 
weight (GVW)
capacity option for the F150, 3" wide rear springs as compared to the 2 
1/2" or 2 3/4"
springs.  As it is a 4X4, it has the twin I-beam front end and dual shocks 
on each
side in the front plus sway bar in the rear.

I use a Reese weight distribution hitch with 1200 Lb trunion type torsion 
bars plus
sway bars.  The '64  Ambassador specified tongue weight is 420 Lbs. so the 
1200 Lb
torsion bars allow for approximately a 800 lb load in the back of 
truck.  The truck GVW
is 7000 lbs, so this all works out to a good combination.

One thing about towing with a 6 cyl. truck, I do not tow long distances, I 
do not think
the truck has ever been more than 300 miles from home.  But hey, when you live
in New England, where else do you need to go ?  Most of my trips are in the
200 mile range. Maine, NH and Vermont, occasionally western MA.  The truck 
does
this just great.  As I approach retirement age, I am beginning to think 
trips to Florida
are in the future.  I think this truck would do it fine, however, after 16 
years on Cape Cod,
the '86 is beginning to look a bit ragged around the edges.  I don't want 
to press my luck.

For long haul towing, especially in the mountains, I would take a big V8 
any day.  I do not
disagree with any comments on this list about using horsepower.  As to 
stick shift vs
automatic, I grew up in farm trucks and tractors, If one has a good touch 
with stick and
clutch, (I do),  I personally think stick shifts are less trouble and 
maintenance. If you don't
abuse them or the clutch,  they will last the life of the truck without 
anything more than routine
maintenance.  There are a lot of folks that are more comfortable with an 
automatic, its a case
of personal preference. You should go with what you are most comfortable 
with.

Folks, this not meant to sell you on towing with a 6 cyl engine or a stick 
shift.  This
type Ford inline 300 ci. 6 Cyl engine is the exception to the rule these 
days. Its displacement
and  low rpm torque curve does the work. This writing is purely to show 
that you can tow quite
satisfactorily with the right 6 cyl. and/or stick shift. This more a 
history of my 16 years
experience of towing with a 6 cyl. and stick shift than a sales pitch for 
doing it. If it
didn't work for me, I would not have stuck with this truck for 16 
years.  However, If my
neighbor's nephew decides to sell his '89 F350 4X4, 351 Ci V8, 5 speed 
stick and 8 ft bed
for $4500, I bet I know where its new home is going to be!!!  Christmas is 
coming!!!

TNX, Mitch Hill - WA1YKN
'64 Ambassador International...