In a message dated 06/07/01 2:04:43 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
David.Laver@morganstanley.com writes:
> > Well, I towed my MGA behind a 2 litre Cortina, but then I am mad, and the
> > trailer was a home built with central stanchions from which, suspension
> > bridge style, the ends were susepnded by wire cable. The whhole trailer
> > probably weighed about 400 lbs.
>
> Got a picture? It sounds fantastic.
>
>
No picture, but how about 1000 words. It was a couple of 1959 Buick front
spindles (they bolt to a plate with 4 bolts). A plate behind them, as high as
the top of the fender. Bolt the plates to a large tube with mounting plates
welded on - you then have an 'axle' with a wheel on each end.
Add a T piece - a tubular tongue that bolts to the axle with 4 long bolts and
a back-up plate behind the axle tube - add a trailer ball receptacle to the
other end..
Cut reasonably heavy angle iron as wide as the trailer will be. Lay it out at
the rear (you can actually attach it to the tongue at the front with more U
bolts). Space them as far apart as you need trailer length.
Get some wire rope, attach it at the centre stanchion, and let it lay there
for the minute.
Get 2 x 12 s, or whatever lumber suits you. Each piece should be as long a
the trailer bed needs to be, ie a bit longer than the wheelbase of your race
car. Drill them and bolt them down to the centre axle (some welded attachment
plates need to be arranged for this).
Attach the angle iron trailer ends to the ends of the boards. Run the wire
rope at each end through holes drilled in the angle iron, and raise the
boards with blocks or whatever, just a little higher than level to allow for
inevitable slump. Use 2 wire rope clamps to double back a foot or so of the
wire rope and clamp it so it can't slip.
Shazam - you have a trailer.
Use a boat trailer winch mounted near the tongue tip to pull the car on (a
big hook on the end of the wire rope nicely grabs suspension, like sway bars
(near the mount, of course). Pull the car on until it balances, put it in
gear, and you can then walk it around with one person.
Hook it to the tow car, take race car out of gear, winch forward until you
have enough tongue weight. Drill and mount some wood blocks at the front so
you have stops whenever you load it.
Loading routine - winch car up until it balances, put in gear, hook onto tow
car, winch forward until about 6 inches from blocks, wrap a couple of nylon
trailer straps around the rear axle of the car (or whatever), tighten
against the straps with the winch, and put race car back in gear just in case
of winch failure.
You have a trailer that weighs 400 lbs or less, because it has no metal
running fore and aft, and no suspension. One caveat - this design utilises
the suspension of the car to smooth out bumps, so if you load something that
has no suspension, it ain't going to bounce - no go-karts allowed.
That rig served me for a decade, and the all up weight with MGA on top was
around 2250. That's why a 2 litre Cortina could pull it. Ahhh - the memories
of the 70s running down I-5 during the gas crisis, parked in a gas station
waiting for it to open in the morning (couldn't afford a motel anyway). Even
towed to Deer Park in Spokane - once you were going, there was no wear on the
clutch, though careful engagement, and avoiding stopping on hills was
advisable. Had one pit crew, and wife. Get there early, wife got to sleep in
Cortina, pit crew relegated to sleep in race car (he probably had the most
comfortable seat).
That design would still be a nice one for a Lotus 7 or Formula V, to tow
behind a minivan.
Bill
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