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Smallest Tow Vehicle?

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Old Aug 8, 2006 | 07:02 PM
  #51  
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I saw the Isuzu NPR mentioned a while back. Having owned a few of them I would tell you to stay away from the auto tranny equiped ones. They are computer controlled and tend to go about every 70-100k miles. I've seen them last as little as 30k on rebuilds that cost $1500-$1800 depending on the job. I gave one away that was in pretty good shape because I was tired of doing tranny jobs.

Jim Susko used to drag his Fiat x1/9 all over the country with an Audi 4000 quatro. He had an aluminum trailer made by a company in Ohio called Trailex. They build great trailers and a lot of my friends back in Ohio have them. In fact the picture on the home page has a friend's wife's Mondial on one of their trailers.

If you are trying to stay with a small tow vehicle look into one of those trailers, IIRC they weigh around 400lbs.
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Old Aug 9, 2006 | 01:38 AM
  #52  
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Originally Posted by jgrewe
I saw the Isuzu NPR mentioned a while back. Having owned a few of them I would tell you to stay away from the auto tranny equiped ones.
That's a non issue. I can't drive automatic anyhow.

Jim Susko used to drag his Fiat x1/9 all over the country with an Audi 4000 quatro. He had an aluminum trailer made by a company in Ohio called Trailex. They build great trailers and a lot of my friends back in Ohio have them. In fact the picture on the home page has a friend's wife's Mondial on one of their trailers.

If you are trying to stay with a small tow vehicle look into one of those trailers, IIRC they weigh around 400lbs.
Wow. 400 lbs for a full trailer?! My 2 wheeled dolly weighs 400 lbs.

That's the stuff.
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Old Aug 9, 2006 | 02:08 AM
  #53  
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I drove home to Kentucky from So-Cal, pulling my girlfriends 96 Saturn sl2 with my 01 Chevy Extreme. UHaul tow dolly, with both the bed of my truck and the entire car packed with stuff. To the roof all around.

4.3 liter V6 Vortec.

Any decent truck shouldn't have a problem towing a 7 to the track, even if it's weighed down with some stuff (tires, some tools, etc) All you would have to do is invest in a tow dolly.
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Old Aug 9, 2006 | 11:05 AM
  #54  
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Originally Posted by Pele
That's a non issue. I can't drive automatic anyhow.

I always try R for race...

I checked the Trailex website and the lightest is 680 lbs. not 400 like I thought. I knew it was really light because one guy can move them around just by leaning on them. If you go to the car trailers then open trailers link and scroll down you'll see a white M3 with a number 27. That is another of the Mondial guy's cars (he has like 13 cars, all cool, lot of vintage racing Alfas)on the same trailer. He had them make it custom to haul either front engine or mid engine cars(extra long bed) and they ended up putting it in their model line of trailers.
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Old Aug 9, 2006 | 11:10 AM
  #55  
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Originally Posted by LexTalionis502
I drove home to Kentucky from So-Cal, pulling my girlfriends 96 Saturn sl2 with my 01 Chevy Extreme. UHaul tow dolly, with both the bed of my truck and the entire car packed with stuff. To the roof all around.

4.3 liter V6 Vortec.

Any decent truck shouldn't have a problem towing a 7 to the track, even if it's weighed down with some stuff (tires, some tools, etc) All you would have to do is invest in a tow dolly.
I actually wanna ditch the tow dolly. Can't easily tow with it, especially if I'm gonna have a disabled steering lock on the track car, and if I'm gonna be losing all my tranny oil every time I tow.

I'll either engine swap my existing pickup truck and build an aluminum trailer with one or two axles and electric or surge brakes or I'll find an old Diesel NPR and turn it into a flatbed tow truck.

That last item sounds good because I can't back up with a trailer either.
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Old Aug 9, 2006 | 12:36 PM
  #56  
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Tow dollies are fine once you reach the speed that the rear wheels of the car you're towing lift off the ground. Until then it like riding the head of a snake down the road.
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