[VAC] Vintage Tow Vehicle

["chyde" <chyde@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Marc,
I was also interested in having a vintage tow vehicle or at least a vintage
looking tow vehicle. I ended up purchasing an Ex Air Force 87 3/4 ton
Suburban with 22,000 miles and no rust. This vehicle has the 6.2 liter
diesel engine which I have since found out doesn't really have enough umph
to pull our 59 Ambassador up the hills here in upstate NY let alone the
Rockies. It does however pull very well on the flats. As this body style
came out in the early 70's I was comfortable with the perceived "vintage
look".  I have recently installed a new Banks "Sidewinder" Turbo which has
completely transformed the vehicle. It now has similar hp and torque outputs
to current offerings, the great fuel economy got even better and the engine
now runs cooler.  This model was built up until 92 so parts are readily
available. Originally I was looking (like many on the list, I suspect) for a
60's Travellall or something along those lines. These vehicles have long
since rusted away in this neck of the woods. More than likely it would have
required a complete rebuild to be reliable or have the body dropped onto a
modern chassis/drive line. This would have looked great however also would
have taken up a ton of money  & time.  Although  I had to compromise a bit,
the trailer and tow vehicle do look great together and I can go anywhere
without any worries.
Just my two cents worth,
Colin Hyde
57 Sovereign of the Road
59 Ambassador International