I am looking at wagons and want to make sure I get one that is more than able to tow my 1963 Avion. The camper is 20' so not really too heavy. I am curious about pros and cons of leaf spring v. coil spring rear suspension. I just looked at a 1967 Buick Sport Wagon. It has a 340 in it with an auto. On the small side, but still a really cool wagon. Has anybody ever towed with a mid size 67 Gm? What about the 59 Ford on ebay? Thanks for the input!
I don't think it makes any difference what rear suspension you have so long as you properly hitch and sway control the trailer. I think the Buick would handle the trailer just fine but remember the weak point would be if the Buick has a two speed tranny. If it's a three your probably ok so long as you add a cooler. The problem with older cars IMO is the tranny. The classics will suck some gas when towing. Even towing a OD would be nice on flat roads.
94-96 Buick or Caprice with the factory tow package will do a good job....unless you want an older wagon. Either of these will pull it and give reasonable gas mileage with the OD tranny.
I am going to investigate what transmission this thing has...I thought it was a th-400...I need to see if the motor has the traditional BOP bell housing pattern....I do want to keep with an older model wagon...
One suggestion I have is to weigh the trailer just to be sure. If your weight guess is low, it could effect your wagon selection. I wouldn't necessarily trust those weight quotes on the brochures - particularly from the 60's and earlier.
The Buick 340 does have the BOP bolt pattern. The trans could be either the two speed ST300 or a three speed TH400 (or possibly the TH375, which is a light-duty version of the TH400). Swapping the ST300 for a TH350 or TH400 is easy. A good aftermarket trans cooler is a must. I would also recommend an upgrade to front disk brakes, which is easy on the 64-72 GM A-body cars. All in all, the Buick is a fine choice. Your only problem will be that you'll need to have the trailer hitch custom built, since direct-fit hitches for 1960s cars are hard to find these days. I would also recommend Air Lift bags inside the rear springs.
Thanks for all the input so far! I figured on the brake update. The drums will find their way on a hot rod project! I have a Doug Nash under-over drive unit that goes on the back of a 400, I wonder if it would fit in the tunnel? The Buick also needs a headliner. Would that have to be custom because of the glass? Can I add a rear seat out of another gm wagon to make it 9 passenger? Sorry for all the questions, but trying to weigh all my options....The Avion is pretty light at 20 feet long. Thanks
The one I am looking at is a project, and I need another project like I need a hole in my head! In a perfect world, I want a very solid car, that is not perfect, so I don't have to worry about the kids, weather, dog, etc...9 passenger is a feature I would also like. AC for the wife, but that is something I can add....
Curator....I have pix of a car I would like to send to you but can't here or in a PM. If you PM me your email addy I will send them to you. It looks to be a great car that I almost bought and would still like to if I didn't have the one I have. I think you will like it....maybe not.
Pix sent, Curator. It is a car that KK posted a long while back but was still available 2 weeks ago. It's in a rural area and cars in rural AZ don't sell fast.
