1963 Towing/Transport for disabled coupe

[Richard P.]

My '63 is currently in the garage front first, non-running and needs a trip to the repair shop. What kind of tow/transport vehicle or technique, works best for this car? Thanks in advance for advice and recommendations.

[Kenneth B.]

Re: 1963 Towing/Transport for disabled coupe

My '63 is currently in the garage front first, non-running and needs a trip to the repair shop. What kind of tow/transport vehicle or technique, works best for this car? Thanks in advance for advice and recommendations.

If you want to pay a tow truck get one with a flat bed. If you have a trailer & the car rolls turn it around & push or use a tow strap to pull it up. I would not just use a tow strap to drag it to a shop.

[Keith B.]

Re: 1963 Towing/Transport for disabled coupe

a roll back or a car trailer is the safest way.

[Paul J.]

Re: 1963 Towing/Transport for disabled coupe

Richard, you need to turn the car around becuase you don't want a tow strap connected to the rear suspension or anything else back there.

Paul

[Richard P.]

Re: 1963 Towing/Transport for disabled coupe

Thankyou gentlemen for your replies. It appears that the tilt bed truck is better than a tow truck that would pick up the front and maybe put the back on a dolly? Also, the car can be pulled onto the tilt bed from the front with no damage but there is nothing to hook up to in the rear that could withstand the strain of pulling the car onto the bed? If I missed anything let me know. Thanks again.

[Terry M.]

Re: 1963 Towing/Transport for disabled coupe

Thankyou gentlemen for your replies. It appears that the tilt bed truck is better than a tow truck that would pick up the front and maybe put the back on a dolly? Also, the car can be pulled onto the tilt bed from the front with no damage but there is nothing to hook up to in the rear that could withstand the strain of pulling the car onto the bed? If I missed anything let me know. Thanks again.

Actually the designers of your Corvette included points to hook tie down straps to the front and rear of your Corvette. The rear ones are at the rear cross member (right in front of the rear wheels) about 6-inches in from the rocker panels on each side. Look for an oval shaped hole (long dimension side to side) with the edges turned down. You can feel it with your hands.

The front tie down slots are in the front frame horns right behind where the bumper brackets attach to the frame. These are just oval holes without the turned edges that the rears have.

Every Corvette from 1963 to present has these kinds of tie down locations. Some are in slightly different locations (especially C4, C5 & C6) but there are factory engineered locations on every Corvette. Why not use them?

OH, and a well equipped tow/recovery operator will have hooks designed to fit in these slots. Some have even been around long enough to know where they are located. The tool to fit in them is called an R-hook. Do not let them use a J-hook in these slots. They are not designed for that. A T-hook will work, but the R-hook fits better.

[Dave S.]

Re: 1963 Towing/Transport for disabled coupe

Actually the designers of your Corvette included points to hook tie down straps to the front and rear of your Corvette. The rear ones are at the rear cross member (right in front of the rear wheels) about 6-inches in from the rocker panels on each side. Look for an oval shaped hole (long dimension side to side) with the edges turned down. You can feel it with your hands.

The front tie down slots are in the front frame horns right behind where the bumper brackets attach to the frame. These are just oval holes without the turned edges that the rears have.

Every Corvette from 1963 to present has these kinds of tie down locations. Some are in slightly different locations (especially C4, C5 & C6) but there are factory engineered locations on every Corvette. Why not use them?

OH, and a well equipped tow/recovery operator will have hooks designed to fit in these slots. Some have even been around long enough to know where they are located. The tool to fit in them is called an R-hook. Do not let them use a J-hook in these slots. They are not designed for that. A T-hook will work, but the R-hook fits better.

Richard,
If you are a AAA Plus member they will send a ramp truck and give you more than one 100 mile rides for the cost of your membership.

[Richard P.]

Re: 1963 Towing/Transport for disabled coupe

Terry, thanks for the info, one question. Are these holes suitable for pulling the car up onto a ramp truck? Or are they to be used only for tie down once a car is loaded?

[Richard P.]

Re: 1963 Towing/Transport for disabled coupe

Dave, thanks for the info. I have State Farm Emergency Road Service, if this trip doesn't work out I will look into the AAA.

[William M.]

Re: 1963 Towing/Transport for disabled coupe

Also ask if they have cloth straps instead of chains.

[Terry M.]

Re: 1963 Towing/Transport for disabled coupe

Terry, thanks for the info, one question. Are these holes suitable for pulling the car up onto a ramp truck? Or are they to be used only for tie down once a car is loaded?

The front ones will not work for pulling the car onto the ramp. They are too high up to allow the pulling strap to clear the front valance. The rears can be used to pull the car up, but of course the car would have to go on the ramp truck back side first. No good reason not to do that so long as the car can be pulled far enough forward on the ramp to balance the load on the truck.

[Paul J.]

Re: 1963 Towing/Transport for disabled coupe

Terry, thanks for the info, one question. Are these holes suitable for pulling the car up onto a ramp truck? Or are they to be used only for tie down once a car is loaded?

These are tie downs, meant to secure a car after it is loaded. They are all too high or too unaccessable for pulling a car onto a roll back. If you use these you will need a block to keep the strap off of the valances. In addition, roll backs have one cable in the center of the truck, and you want it hooked somewhere near the center of the car. As for R hooks, neither the wrecker I worked or any others that I've seen in the last 40 years had them. That does'nt mean that all wreckers don't have them, just that they are unusal.

Paul

[William F.]

Re: 1963 Towing/Transport for disabled coupe

I don't think any of these posts told the member who asked the question where to put the hook or straps on the car to pull it front end first onto the roll on. Where do you put them and what do you use?

[Richard P.]

Re: 1963 Towing/Transport for disabled coupe

I have to admit that I'm still trying to sort out the replies I have received. Since this isn't a true emergency I can visit the tow office and plan out what type of equipment is used and which end gets pulled onto the truck first. In 43 years this is the first tow job for this car so I'm a little gun shy. Trying to rely totally on the tow co. for a recommendation may or may not be productive.

I appreciate the feedback, thanks to all.

[Terry M.]

Re: 1963 Towing/Transport for disabled coupe

I don't think any of these posts told the member who asked the question where to put the hook or straps on the car to pull it front end first onto the roll on. Where do you put them and what do you use?

Watch some video:

http://www.uscargocontrol.com/Towing-Auto-Hauling/Recovery-Straps-Tow-Straps

The flat bed operators around here do carry R-hooks -- at least the ones I use, but maybe it is a local thing. They have a ring that has an R-hook, a T-Hook and a small J-hook attached. They all also have the large (about a foot or foot and a half) hook to attach to the lower control arms. Those will clear the lower valance on any Corvette except the most recent C6s. Now if you don't want those kinds of large hooks to mar your control arm finish or bend the control arms (especially the aluminum C4 and newer control arms) you are boxing yourself into a corner where there is little or no way out. The force to pull on the lower control arms if the car is in neutral with the parking brake off is minimal, but if you are not willing to take some risk, there is no other choice for a flat bed to load the car front first. Now a tow truck with a stinger lift is another matter, but there is a chance of damage to the rear exhaust and/or valance there as well.