Re: [VAL] towing caravel with mid-60's muscle car

["Gerald" <geraldj@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

In my opinion, the drive train (transmission and rear axle) are not up
to towing. You don't have a large enough overall ratio for starting up
hill, nor a place to attach a hitch. 

I pull a '68 Caravel with a '98 F-150 using the small V-8 and a manual
transmission. To do that I replaced the 3.08 rear axle gears with 4.10.
Otherwise the truck would not have pulled the Caravel with the manual
transmission.

Your two speed automatic depends on the ratios of the hydraulic torque
converter to move the Buick at all. I don't have details of the
transmission but I'd guess low gear in the transmission has a ratio of
about 2.5:1 and the torque converter has a ratio of about 2:1. Probably
the axle ratio is 2.8:1. Overall starting ratio about 14:1. With the
4.10 axle and 5 speed manual transmission (4.92 first gear) I have an
overall ratio of 16:1. A typical modern automatic will have a first gear
ratio of about 3.3:1, a torque converter ratio of about 2:1 and a rear
axle of 2.8 or 3.1:1 with a towing package or at least rated for towing.
Overall ratio 20:1.

In most unibody construction there are no trailer hitches made because
there are no strong parts of the structure out back. At least nothing
strong enough to hold 400 pounds of tongue and pulling 2500 or 3000
pounds. A custom hitch would practically need to come from the rear axle
mounts which on a coil springed Buick are a long way from the back
bumper.

Your big engine will help towing but I think the transmission will let 
you down soon in your travels if the back end of the car doesn't sag 
permanently from the tongue load.

Unless there's an owner's manual that gives a towing rating, I think
your Buick won't survive towing the Caravel.

Gerald J.