Man, that's a 1969 GTO Convertible - nice project!


So do it right, rent a car trailer and borrow a truck. Your GMC is meant to tow a motorboat or pop-up RV. That GTO comes close to out-classing the GMC weight wise by itself.



Why take the chance of ending up in the weeds just to save a little bit of money?

 

Man, that's a 1969 GTO Convertible - nice project!

Yes. Pretty excited about it.
This is a sight unseen purchase for me but the seller has probably sent me 100 photos with many I requested specifically. It has a little rust but minimal and appears never to have been in an accident. Rust in lower rear parts of fenders and the passenger side floor corner from a leaking heater core. The rest looks very good. Floors, rockers and quarters are solid.
It's all matching numbers has factory A/C, PDB, PS, buckets and console. The engine is completely disassembled but all the machine work done and all new parts purchased and included. Turbo 400 just rebuilt and never installed. Needs all new soft parts and more here and there. Car is Liberty Blue with Parchment interior. Has the standard headlights which I like better than the hide-away option. Wish it had Ram Air but I could convert it to that as all the parts are available.

I will do a build thread on the car. Thinking that the gtoforum.com might be the best place to do it.

 

I've towed an engine and transless '66 Chevelle on a tow dolly, behind a '83 1/2 ton 4x4 and didn't notice any odd behavior....but I only went about 25 miles, light rural highway 50 mph.

Seems like front and rear weight is going to be pretty similar with both the engine and trans out. You figure the engine and trans adds abour 800 lbs, but 300 lbs of that is carreid on the back wheels too, it not just 800 lbs only on the front when you add the engine and trans....every pound aft of the front spindle centerline adds some percentage of its weight to the rear tires also, that percentage just depends on where between the front axle and rear axle that pound is located.

850 miles is a long way though, i would not want to do this on an Interstate or Toll Road.

 

Yeah and it's almost all on interstate. Sounds like it's not a good idea. Thanks for the feedback guys.

I looked at this and the price sounds pretty decent and can load all the car parts in the back of truck and not worry about rain. I don't want to have a shipping company do this either. I need to go through all the parts with the seller.

 

I would say you will be ok . I tried to tow my 68 Camaro with a home made tow bar with out an engine and it was totally impossible . if you are concerned add some secured sand bags in the engine bay

 

Looks like my link above isn't working. I'll try again.

I talked to a friend on the phone last night who said he tried a towing a car without an engine with a dolly before. He said it bounced around a lot and slowed him way down. He said for sure not do it for a long trip.

So this is what I decided to do:

 

That’s a better plan until you find your goat won’t fit on the trailer.
Those trailers aren’t very wide between the wheel fenders.
Can be quite tight on the rockers.

 

Thanks for bringing that up.
I did a search and came up with this:
https://forums.aaca.org/topic/32844...w-if-a-57-cadillac-will-fit-on-a-u-haul-trailer/?do=findComment&comment=1892653

It appears this guy is accurate. All photos I bring up show the 2 different ones just as he says. The bigger one looks plenty big. Might be tight on the smaller one.
I may call the Uhaul dealer that I will rent from and make sure they have the silver ramped ones available.
Good thing is that since the older ones are the smaller ones, you'd think they are much more likely to be phased out by now. Plus the website states they will haul a 5,200 lb vehicle.

 

WOod ramps ? ?

Check out the trailer at your local U Haul to see if it will fit between the trailer fenders. if it is tight build some wood temporary ramps you can place on the trailer to raise the car for clearance. sometimes it is cheaper to rent the trailer local,, then . go get your load, return it local.

 

no friends ?

I bought a 5.0 capri and my truck was down so a buddy spent the day with me . His 1 ton Ford van and trailer, I bought lunch and gas. but we trade around and help each other, I moved 6 cars 900 miles when I last moved, now have a 6 wheel trailer and Dually diesel, but can use it on My wife.s farm to haul hay.

 

After figuring all your expenses, stress and time involved to do this, it may be more feasible to have it shipped.

 

A couple reasons I don't want to ship it.
Biggest reason is that the car is all apart. The interior is all out. Even the engine is all disassembled. Parts are in boxes. I need to go though everything with the seller. Gives me an opportunity to ask questions about things as we go through to load. I wouldn't want anything to get lost by a shipper either.

The other thing is needing to deliver a vehicle to Tucson which is on the way to Phoenix for me. This is my '57 Chevy 3200 pickup that I've sold. The buyer gave me a deposit in May but hasn't been able to get here and get it because of Covid. Not only is he not wanting to fly here because of Covid but it also has him working at night and taking care of his 2 young children during the day.

 

I once towed a $100 72 Chevelle with a blown motor, using a bumper hitch... I think it just hooked to the bumper of each vehicle as I recall, for over 300 miles.
The "tow vehicle" was a 73 Cutlass Supreme.
I can't believe we didn't tear the bumper off that thing!

That was a sketchy ride...

Yeah, take care of that GTO!
Especially if it's a real one, but either way, any A-body convertible is "special".

 

...
Yeah, take care of that GTO!
Especially if it's a real one, but either way, any A-body convertible is "special".

Yep, it's a real one. All original matching number car.
Factory A/C, buckets and console, AT, PDB and PS. I'm actually glad it doesn't have the hideaway headlight option. I like the look of seeing the headlights better.

My plan is to make it look like new. A few upgrades but not a whole lot. It doesn't have the Ram Air option but reproduction parts to give it that are available. I'm also thinking about putting the original Turbo 400 in storage and installing a 700R4 beefed up enough to handle the torque these 400 engines have.
The rear is a 3.23 ratio which is great but it's not a posi so I want to add a posi unit to it.

 

$700 to rent the truck? Seems excessive! Can't you find a buddy to loan you his truck? Even if you paid him a couple hundred you'd still come out way ahead. I've towed many projects with a U-Haul trailer and have always borrowed a friends truck.

 

Across town might be different but I'd never ask a friend to borrow a vehicle for a distance like that.

 

Mighta been the bigger trailer.
I’ve only used the smaller one.
One thing about u-haul rentals. Time of the year dictates rates. Can be half as much come October.

 

Since the U-haul website states their trailers will haul 5,200 lbs and the smaller trailer only will do 4,000 lbs, I think that might mean the older and smaller trailers have all been phased out at this point in time.

 

No gaurentee!
Your car might fit either but I’d hate to find out it doesn’t when you try to load it.
Murphy’s law always comes into play at the worst time.
I think you need to explore some other options.

 

When was the last time you rented a car hauler from U-haul? Last for me was in 2016 and I hauled a 2015 Corvette. Since there was room to open the doors on that car while it was on the trailer, no doubt a GTO would have fit.

 

I don’t know anything about your area but our local enterprise rents cars and trucks capable of towing. It’s basically $75 per day unlimited miles. Trailer rents from the local rental business is $65/day.

 

I admit it’s been a long time.
Likely 15 years ago.
Of course I live where you drive 100 miles to pick up the trailer. And find out it isn’t there.
There’s a good chance we don’t even have a trailer that big up here.
Just saying be prepared for problems.
Murphy’s law, you know.

 

Just for interest sake, I looked a few U-haul centers in Tucson on Google Earth. I counted 13 silver colored car trailers and just 1 orange colored one. So evidently, the smaller orange trailers still exist but they are not prevalent.

I talked to the buyer of my '57 Chevy truck last night and he agreed to have me deliver it to him. So the plan now is for me to drive to Tucson in the pickup rent the truck and trailer in Tucson, deliver the pickup and then drive the rig to Phoenix and pick up the GTO. Then head back and turn in the truck and trailer after arriving home.
It's actually a few bucks cheaper for the rental doing it this way too.

And btw, I have don't have an Enterprise or Penske truck rental in my home town. U-haul is the only one here.

 

Some states require if the wheels touch the ground the thing being towed needs to have insurance. I know California is at least one of the states. Indiana would not surprise me as well as Minnesota to have the same requirements.

I have towed a fiero on a dolly over 200 miles with a S10. Closest I can relate. The thing towed great.
I do drive slower and leave plenty of stopping room when towing. I act like I don't have trailer brakes. If I have a stop sign 1/2 a mile ahead I will start coasting at that point if on a country back road letting the thing mostly stpp on its own.

Get in the slow lane on the highway and shadow a semi that is governed. Sit 100 feet back from the trailers bumper. That is plenty of distance while being close enough where anyone that cuts in front of you is going to run up onto the back of the semi and get back into the fast lane restoring your 100 feet.


But 800 miles is a diffrent story then a 200 mile trip. That changes things.

800 miles is a 2 day trip one way(towing) in my book. I would get on u ship or other transporter and then fly out/back.
$1000 estimated towing $60 taxi, and a $200 ticket.
Sitting back for 3 days at your house will be worth the expense. This is my cheap butt saying to spend money here.

You will not need to think about a flat on your prime mover, or a flat on the dolly, or a flat on the 69, or the damage to your transmission, engine overheating, or everyone that passes you being distracted, or wondering about the thing while your at the hotel/rest area, or driving into that rain storm, or that one trooper who pulls you over because the thing had a small fire and the speedometer melted. There are lots of things that could go wrong here.

I have broken down a couple hundred miles away from home over a dozen times. I use to (before covid) take alot of 4 to 900 mile round trips on a whim.
Being broken down out of state sucks. You either get creative with some fixes or you pay out the rear.

I would use a transporter after getting reviews and talking with the transporter. After buying the car in person. This is something you discuss with the seller also so everyone is on the same page.

 

You will not need to think about a flat on your prime mover, or a flat on the dolly, or a flat on the 69, or the damage to your transmission, engine overheating, or everyone that passes you being distracted, or wondering about the thing while your at the hotel/rest area, or driving into that rain storm, or that one trooper who pulls you over because the thing had a small fire and the speedometer melted. There are lots of things that could go wrong here.

Excellent thoughts! I am dying over here!!! Never forget about the random busload of penguins, or having your arm stuck in a microwave for hours at the hotel...
You guys are awesome!!!!!!