Big car towing

Discussion in 'A boatload of fun' started by 1969RIVI, Jan 31, 2019.

  1. 1969RIVI

    1969RIVI Well-Known Member

    Does anybody know what the towing capacity of a 69 Riviera is? I've had no luck finding anything online anywhere.
     
  2. Luxus

    Luxus Gold Level Contributor

    Really, I would have thought it would have been higher. The big cars are on par with a modern pickup more or less. If you put in a trans cooler would it help? Or is it more involved than that?
     
    1969RIVI likes this.
  3. 1969RIVI

    1969RIVI Well-Known Member

    I read that too in another thread on here but nobody specifies exact weights and nothing mentioned for the Riv's.
     
  4. GSX 554

    GSX 554 Gold Level Contributor

    There is a guy that comes from Central PA to Cecil County MAGNA event every September . Tom Miller ??? Not sure . Drivers a 70 Big Buick , Electra i Believe . towing a 69 Wildcat on a trailer . Said its no big problem when I asked him. I know I have pictures of it but I can't find them at the minute.
     
  5. Mart

    Mart Gold level member

    With bumper hitch on my GS, in '78 to '81, I towed a 17' Hydrostream 150hp Merc, 3 times a week to Cass Lk. to slalom ski. Then in '82 bought a 19' Bayliner I/O Volvo (3,000 lbs) and trailered it 102 miles one way every summer weekend to Lk Huron and back to Salmon fish. No trailer brakes either.
    That GS had no problem towing at all with that hitch. It was a hitch off my '70 Caprice Classic that my welder buddy modified to fit the GS. If your Riv has a big blk it should really honk just fine.....
     
  6. TrunkMonkey

    TrunkMonkey Well-Known Member

    Not to be a wet blanket to your Tow Fest, but be mindful of whatever you have behind you, wants to get in front of you, even if it tries to go though you if your big ol' car comes to a sudden halt. These old cars do not have the "room to stay alive" included as do newer vehicles. (I know, I live in a trunk...)

    And brakes really sucked at hard long stops with a few extra tons pushing from behind.
     
  7. BrunoD

    BrunoD Looking for Fast Eddie

    His name is Rick Martinez,he has a 71 Riviera that he has been using for many years to tow his 70 GS race car .He's a member of our Northeast GS GN chapter,I would say that he's been doing it for more then 20 years,with no problems as far as the car not been able to tow.Bruno.
     
  8. 1969RIVI

    1969RIVI Well-Known Member

    I want to pick up a small vintage trailer to go on weekend getaways with the family in the summer. Something like a trillium, boler, scamp or a scotty etc. No more than 18' and all of those types of trailers are fairly light and will probably not exceed 2,500lbs loaded. I got a BBB 455, TH400 and all brand new big drums all way around.
     
  9. 1969RIVI

    1969RIVI Well-Known Member

    I think I will have to fabricate my own hitch that bolts to the frame does anybody have any pics or specs I could use to go by??
     
  10. Mart

    Mart Gold level member

    Yep, 30 years old and no fear. My welder buddy built frames from scratch for 34 Ford hotrods, etc. He assured me the hitch was over beefy. The brakes, well they were pwr drum and worked very well as the car was only 6 yrs old.
    I did buy a K5 Blazer a year later and a 23' boat.
     
  11. GSX 554

    GSX 554 Gold Level Contributor

    That's not the guy I was thinking of Bruno . he has a green Wildcat that he runs at the September MAGNA weekend at Cecil County . I thought he was from Central PA . Maybe someone else will see this and get their memory jogged
     
  12. 69hellcat

    69hellcat Well-Known Member

    My name is Tom Wagner I have used my 1970 Electra for many years now to haul my 18 ft. Econo open trailer and my collection of Wildcats. With the proper hitch [weight distribution],tires , gearing, and aux trans cooler no problems. I keep the trailer brakes [electric] adjusted and maintained and the car brakes in good working order. Loading the car on the trailer to get the correct tongue weight. I did change the rear gear from 2.56 to 3.23. I have used many other buicks to pull my utility trailer and snowmobile trailers for the last 35. years no issues if the hitch is made and installed the right way.I Just picked up a 1996 Roadmaster sedan with the factory tow package rating of 5000lbs. The 1994-1996 Cadillac Fleetwood Was rated at 7000lbs but it had a 3,42 rear instead of the roadies 2.93. So be different You get a lot of comments towing with you old Buick. Tommy Ivo pulled his Twin engine rail all over the country with a 1964 Riv with the dual quads.
     
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  13. GSX 554

    GSX 554 Gold Level Contributor

    Tom . I believe you are the person I was talking about. I admired your set-up at the MAGNA event at Cecil County. Sorry I got your name wrong. And was I right ?? You are from Central PA . My CRS affliction stumbles me sometimes " Can't Remember Shi! " Thanks for responding
     
  14. GSX 554

    GSX 554 Gold Level Contributor

    I've flat towed a 49 Dodge from Philly to Bangor Maine about 600 miles with a tow bar behind my 69 Electra . Also a 67 Caddy from Cape May NJ to Philly about 100 miles. You just have to be aware of what your doing . If your one of the Driving and Texting generation you won't be able to do it .
     
    300sbb_overkill likes this.
  15. 1969RIVI

    1969RIVI Well-Known Member

    Tom and gsx455-4ever do you guys have any pics of your hitch by chance? I've come to the realization that I'll have better luck finding a unicorn for my daughter than finding a hitch for my 69 Riv. I will just have to fabricate it myself but have nothing to go from? Any help would be appreciated!
     
    Last edited: Jan 31, 2019
  16. 69hellcat

    69hellcat Well-Known Member

    Yes Iam the person. Just not buying into the truck thing. I had a few new pick-ups issued to me for work the last was a Ford f250 super duty 4 wheel drive 6,4 power stroke very capable truck towed 8,000 with ease. Not a truck guy to expensive to much money to maintain tires fuel system ect. I would rather spend my money on Buick cars and parts.
     
    GSX 554 likes this.
  17. 66electrafied

    66electrafied Just tossing in my nickel's worth

    in the 50s and 60s, big cars and station wagons were the vehicles of choice to drag trailers around. Now they've changed (tightened) up the laws about hauling (for all the right reasons) but that still doesn't change the fact that these large cars did drag horse trailers, car trailers and the like around while most pickups still had anemic 6 bangers in them. Is it safe? Depends; if you know what you're doing, it's about as safe as driving those kinds of cars around nowadays with no seat belts and drum brakes can be. Is it legal? Probably not anymore.
    A few years ago I looked into the idea of hauling a 5000 lb (loaded) trailer around with a Buick. The frame was solid enough; but I couldn't get a hitch. No one would accept the legal liability to make one up. and then there were the other mods, stiffening the rear end so it doesn't sink far enough to cause a steering or front braking loss, and the stabilizing bars, not to mention the the tranny cooler and trailer brakes. And that's the key, adding working trailer brakes. I soon decided it wasn't worth turning my poor convertible into a truck. But engine-wise, a Buick has absolutely no issues pulling anything, we've used them to yank barns off foundations. But, we were younger and dumber back then too.
     
  18. Smartin

    Smartin antiqueautomotiveservice.com Staff Member

    Rick uses a 73 Centurion convertible to tow his race car. I think he used to use a Riv. That was before my introduction to the NE chapter, though :D
     
  19. Mark Demko

    Mark Demko Well-Known Member

    330px-Buick_Electra_Limited_1975.jpg A '75 Electra 4dr. I had was rated to tow up to 7000 lbs
     
  20. 1969RIVI

    1969RIVI Well-Known Member

    Hey mark was that your car or just a pic from the net? There's a guy on YouTube that has a few 455 tear down videos and he got that car in the pic and took the motor out and scrapped the car.
     

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