towing the Carapark brick of my dreams

[justanotheramy]

I just realised...
*if* I manage to get my hands on the Carapark brick of my dreams, and *if* I get it fixed up and roadworthy sometime this century...
I'm going to need something to tow it with, aren't I?
(yes, I am a genius)

From looking at the advertisments posted on the Carapark thread I think it's the "sixteen-two" model
vintagecaravans.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=chat&thread=2001&page=1#17904
(or something very similar)
Does anyone know how much weight those things have on them?
And what would it take to tow it?
The ad says it's "for 18-H.P. cars", but I'm not a car-person, and I don't know what that means. I do know that my little Hyundai hatchback is not going to cut it! But she's on her last legs anyway, so I'm starting to research replacements, and factoring in the towing issue for the future seems sensible.

Any advice greatly appreciated. Like I said, I'm not really a car-person, so it has me a bit baffled.

[Roehm3108]

If you're contemplating the 16-2 model, you will need a hefty 6 cylinder car to tow it. the 16 indicates that it is a 16ft van, and the weight fully loaded will be around 1.5 tonne. The Superb I had had a tare weight of 950kg, and that was only a 13ft6inches size. The Hyundai would certainly not tow the sized van you want - it would probably be flat out towing a Teardrop ;D
Ray

[justanotheramy]

oh, I'm not contemplating, I'm obsessed! it's the Carapark brick or nothing.
but, err... what's a 6 cylinder? (a for-instance might be easier than an explanation -- like I said, I'm really not a car-person)

[Roehm3108]

SOmething like a Holden Commodore or Ford Falcon.

[justanotheramy]

ah, I see -- a tank
is the extra weight of older cars an advantage, or do people just drive them because they're beautiful?

[kaybee]

Aug 27, 2010 15:31:31 GMT 10 justanotheramy said:

ah, I see -- a tank
is the extra weight of older cars an advantage, or do people just drive them because they're beautiful?

nope....this is a Tank......



....this is a 6 cyl. car , there are others , but these are good.... ;D

[Jennison]

It doesn't have to be an older car Amy but the OLD rule of thumb was that it wants to be at least equal to or heavier than the weight of thevan you are towing (so you can stop it!)and in your case with at least a six cylinder petrol (or perhaps a 4 cylinder diesel) motor for enough power to pull it reasonably comfortably and reliably. Rear wheel drive is a must as well, hence the previously suggested commodore or falcon.
A van that size would need trailer brakes as well.
Roehm's on the money I reckon,for purchase cost, reliability and maintenance the commodore or falcon would be what you want for a 1 to1.5 tonne VV.
regards
jennison

[curtis]

The ad says it's "for 18-H.P. cars"

This is talking about the rated horsepower of the car - an English used to work out how much registration you paid. Back in the late 50's an 18hp car would have had about a 3.0 litre 6cylinder motor and produced about 70-80 BHP at the crank. The car would have weighed well over a tonne. Something like an early Falcon or an FB/FC.

I agree with the others on this thread - go the Falcon or Commodore.

Dave

[justanotheramy]

Thanks guys! That's a lot of food for thought.
When people are saying "Commodore or Falcon", that means modern ones, right, as there's no such thing as old Commodores?

I'd loooove a vintage car, but have always been worried that it wouldn't be practical to have one as my *only* car.... but I was talking to a friend of mine about it last night, and he was trying to convince me to put a newer engine in an old body, says that'll solve all my problems. He also says that without all of the electrics that newer cars have, the right old car might be *more* reliable, not less. Is he crazy? Is that possible? And if it's possible, is it heresy?

[kustombruce]

The first Commodores are now 30 years old as well as XD Falcons, both would be great classic tow cars and have all the mod cons (power steering and air con). Also available in V8 if you want more power. Also any Holden, Ford or Valiant of the mid 70's will tow a van.
You could also look at the first of the 4 door Range Rovers for a bit of luxury and good tow capability.
A well kept 1970 - 1990's car will be reliable and still good for your daily grocery getter.

Ebay is a good place to start if you are looking for a classic, as well as Just cars and Unique cars from your news agents
Bruce

[humpyboy]

Hi justanotheramy,just thought that I'd throw in my two bobs worth, yes it is possible to put a newer engine in an older car but if you decide to go down this road I would suggest you do some ground work and ask a lot of questions first, I say this because depending on your choice of car and any mods that you wish to make can run into big dollars, when rebuilding a car from original any change that you make can lead to more modifications to keep the authorities happy, let me give you an example if I may, I rebuild FJ holdens if I was to remove the six cylinder and replace it with a more powerfull 6 or a V8 I would need to replace the entire front end with a disc brake front end, you could also have a bigger gearbox meaning the floorpan would need to be modified etc etc etc, bottom line is be carefull it may sound easy at the start but could end up costing you lots more than you were planning to spend.

[RollyDog]

For that size van Commodores or Falcons or earlier (up to 1979) Kingswood or Valiant. Older cars with modern engines are fine if you like tinkering but a good aussie 6 is simple and the extra cost of it using a bit more fuel is offset by the cheaper cost of parts in servicing etc. Some older cars without fuel injection etc are very reliable and definately simple to fix. It will come down to your budget but if you see something you like then mention it on here before you buy it and you will get an honest assessment.
Rollydog

[justanotheramy]

Okay, new engine not worth the trouble and expense. Good to know! So instead I would be looking for... "reconditioned"? Is that the term?

Being of mid-70s vintage myself, I forget that for cars mid-70s is starting to almost count as classic/vintage. Yikes! Already?

It's been really surprising for me, now knowing the aprox weight of the van, to discover what would and wouldn't be able to tow it -- for instance, a friend of mine has a mid-60s Land Rover diesel that looks like it'd be a match made in heaven (both big boxy behemoths!), but I'm assured it wouldn't be able to pull that much weight.

Dad used to tow this van that I'm trying to re-acquire with whichever second-hand mid-to-late-60s Ford tank he was driving at the time, so I know they can do the job but... I'm not quite sure I want to be driving my Dad's car. Is something a little older and rounder like this www.carsales.com.au/used-cars/private-results.aspx?Ntk=CarRego&Ntt=6939944®o=6939944&D=6939944 or this www.carsales.com.au/used-cars/private-results.aspx?Ntk=CarRego&Ntt=7164407®o=7164407&D=7164407 (not those specific cars, but that sort of species and vintage) within the realms of possibility and practicality? Or does that extra 20 or so years make things more pricey and/or troublesome?

[DC3Td]

Hello Justanotheramy. Welcome to the forum. Don`t know who told you a mid 60s Landy can`t tow. The very reason they are still used in the military is testament. And a very common/easy engine swap to these is a Holden six. No frills equipment in these Landies - no aircon,power steering,electric windows etc. (all of which can be retro fitted) Aluminium bodied - makes it dead easy to replace panels.Bumpy ride - modern day shockies overcome this though. (owned a 4 & a 6 cyclinder). As for the pics in your above post - now you`re talking. Classic tow vehicles. Check our Members Tow Cars section out. cheers gordon

[atouchofglass]

Hey JA
Looks like a lot of good advice being given here.
Especially about the 70's -early 80's six cylinder cars.

Though I'm not a fan of the Land Rovers unless you want to do a lot of bush work....... have owned a series 3. Great bush car but a bit too slow on the road.
Land Rovers have calenders not speedos

What ever car you choose it should be one that you like the look of - so it stays with you for a long time.

That way you have time to clean it up, fix any problems.
Let's face it, most vehicles of this age will have issues.

Take your time, save your pennies and it will come together.

The alternative is to rush out buy something close and go enjoy using the car and caravan that are close but not ideal.......
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

Either way you can't go past a vintage van and car.

All the best with your hunt

Keep us informed as we like to hear others success stories

Cheers
Atog

[justanotheramy]

The Land Rover is all-original (and early-60s not mid-60s) and on a historic registration, so any modern "improvements" would be sacrilege (or so I'm told). I asked again about why it wouldn't be suitable (not trying to steal my friend's LR, but my curiosity was piqued), and the issue seems to be more one of stopping than of going (brakes not power). Although the poor old boat has some "going" issues, too (something about oil pressure?); it's a project that got sidelined when its owner bought a house (in even rougher shape) that eats up all of his available time and money. Shame, because when it's running it's a lot of fun.

6 months ago I didn't even know how to check the oil in my car, so if I do end up going the vintage route... I think this is going to have to be a fairly steep learning curve! I might take my time making the decision and see if I can get my brother to teach me some mechanical basics in the meantime.

[DC3Td]

Hi Amy.You`ll find many a vintage car owner here only too happy to help out in the tech/mech side of things here. Some own more than one. Even five or six! We kinda like the idea of not letting them go to the wreckers. Happy hunting. cheers gordon