O/T - Tow vehicle question #2

[tosoutherncars]

Hi all,

Like many of us, I harbour dreams of having a parts hauler / tow vehicle for occasional use. I recently asked about a Chev 1500 on propane, and the general consensus was that it was underpowered and the transmission was a weak spot.

Next up...

1970 Ford F250 Camper Special. Has the big 360 engine, only 60,000 kilometers, or about 37,000 err... fathoms, or furlongs or whatever they still use down in the good ol' USA! :cooler: )

Has the big HD bumper that accepts a tow ball. Owner says it's been kept at his cottage, and used to drive up to his hunting camp each year. Appraised at $3500, asking $2K.

Better? Worse? Should I seek help for this strange compulsion to buy old junk?

 

[highhilleer]

Should have plenty of grunt and enough brakes for haulling a Midget. That's very low miles on a vehicle I would expect to go over 100,000 fathoms or furlongs, without a problem. Of course with all vehicles of that era rust can be a major issue and you can expect to replace rubber parts if they haven't been renewed. There are forums for old ford trucks that may provide insight on that particular model.

 

[abarth69]

Duncan

Find one of those with the 300 six lots of power. I had a Ford van 1976 used it to pull my race Bugeye for a bunch of seasons. The 360 is going to be a gas killer.

Mark

 

[tosoutherncars]

Thanks for the advice, guys.

True, the gas mileage would be terrible! Scary that they had to put two tanks in these... :S

I'll go have a look, and see what sort of shape it's actually in.

 

[John Moore]

If you have a little British car, get a BIG British Car too!

I love my Rover!

 

[bugimike]

Thanks for the advice, guys.

True, the gas mileage would be terrible! Scary that they had to put two tanks in these... :S

I'll go have a look, and see what sort of shape it's actually in.

I thought you said it was on propane...for power? In this day and age, an alternative fuel...can it be converted to run on natural gas?...vehicle is nothing to overlook!

 

[tosoutherncars]

Hi Mike,

No, the Chev I had previously asked about was propane. The C/S is a 360 (gas) engine... the 360 is a de-stroked version of the venerable Ford 390. Yes, an alternative fuel, or a dual-fuel setup would be nice!

 

[PAUL161]

The Ford 360 is a good engine with plenty of power to pull any single car carrier. I've owned two Ford trucks with 360s in them and one 390. Don't know about propane, but on gas the 360 is a runner. The 390 is a work horse. The truck in mention probably has a C6 transmission, if it's an automatic. Only 3 speed, but strong as a horse!

 

[jhorton3]

It'd be a decent tow vehicle for the price. I'd probably get a hitch that attaches to the frame instead of using the bumper hitch. Those old trucks are stout.

 

[jlaird]

Shucks, I tow with a Ford Ranger, 5 speed, 4 cylinder. Works just fine, even use the A/C with it. Heck a trailer and a LBC is only about 2K lbs.