[TR] Towing a Spitfire

[John Macartney]

Hi, Jack
 
Silly old me. I thought the idea was to tow the car a few blocks,
as in a breakdown and to get home - not halfway across the country?
 
If going
further, I'd obviously put the thing on a trailer. Then its handbrake on,
locked in first gear and ratchet straps on a crossover fashion around each
roadwheel. This is the only way you can legally tow a car in the UK and the
combined weight of the car and trailer cannot exceed 85% of the towing vehicle
- even with electric or over-run trailer brakes. A failure to do this will
inevitably having flashing blue lights in your rearview mirror and a dayglo
chequer coloured car with "POLITE" plastered down each door inviting you to
stop PDQ.

Cheers, John

From: "McGaheyRx at aol.com" <McGaheyRx at aol.com>
>To:
flywheelcoventry1 at yahoo.co.uk; keithstewart at execulink.com;
triumphs at autox.team.net 
>Sent: Wednesday, 27 November 2013, 16:18
>Subject:
Re: [TR] Triumphs Digest, Vol 6, Issue 407
>
>
>
>John
>
>I think you should
say "were" strong enough - I've seen to many of these bent and broken to ever
trust one - I would strongly suggest these never be used, even to tie down a
car on a trailer - if you have to make a panic stop while trailering a car,
the force exerted on the rear tie down points is much greater than the weight
of the car 
>Force = Mass x Acceleration
>
>Cheers, 
>Jack Mc 
>
>
>
>In a
message dated 11/27/2013 10:53:03 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,
flywheelcoventry1 at yahoo.co.uk writes:
>These were put
>>there at the factory
to chain the car down when being transported on a truck
>>from factory to
dealer or docks. Both are more than strong enough to attach a
>>tow rope.