Features Does anyone actually use their hot rod truck?

Where are the guys whos vehicles came stock with shovels and jacks out in the fields working!

 

My truck when up and running will be used daily as a work horse for my decorating and carpentry business...then at night to move equipment for my mates band for gigs.

 

Does this count?

 

Sure beats a cargo van!

 

Hell Yeah! A guy drove into my community a couple years ago with a truck like that, all original and he drove it every day doing landscape work...

 

Still given'er

 

Oh Hell yes I do! She has a 283, T-10 & a 64 Galaxie 9 inch rear.

 

Yep...Steel diamond plate in the bed....and a good trailer hitch.

 

my daily driver.

 

my 5o with a flathead.

 

How's this?

 

I sure as hell am planning on using mine. Daily driver, and a 2 inch receiver hitchon the back and a push board on the front. Just gotta get the damn thing finished!!

 

Driven daily, rain, snow, sunshine, thats why I haven't lowered it, Idaho roads are rough. Won't hold alot of weight.

 

Gotta use em!!

 

moving from tehachapi, ca to new meadows, idaho

 

Use the '48 to haul groceries, firewood and campers! And sometimes canoes!

 

I don't have a truck yet... getting one is on my imminent list of things to do. Could a 51-52 Ford F1 haul a trailer with a 4500 lb tractor on it? I realize these old trucks are "full size" trucks, but going just on appearance a '52 F1 doesn't seem quite as "full size" as a 1996 F150. I have no idea what the towing capacity of these old trucks is.

When I do get an F1 I would want to lower it, and upgrade the axles and brakes. Take that into consideration as well.

Dave

 

This is a truly great thread. I feel special. hahaha.

 

There are many variables to account for, but, in my personal experience with trailering, no, I wouldn't make a habit of it. I would probably tow it a short distance at under 40mph, but, nothing highway speed or on busy roads. To haul a 4500 lb tractor you would need a trailer that is roughly another 2000lbs. I know I see people towing 6500 lbs in fairly short wheelbased vehicles, but, I've experienced what goes wrong with a trailering mishap. I was lucky to escape alive, and I had the best equipment available. It's physics, trying to control nearly twice the weight of a tow vehicle with most readily available trailering equipment is a lot to ask of a truck. With a standard conventional tow ball or pintle style hitch there's a lot of force moving your rear tires around in a sway event. Trailer sway can be avoided by proper loading, but, it still happens due to road conditions, or strange events, and weight/long wheelbase are your best friends in one of these events. Even with an excellent trailer, and good trailer brakes, you still need to account for the "worst case scenario": a blow out would have that 6500 pounds whipping your 3500 pound truck around like crazy, and would most likely end up with it on it's roof, trailer in chase.

I may be a big chicken, but, if I'm towing anything of much weight I want the heaviest, longest wheelbased vehicle I can find. Even then I'm still SUPER careful about how I load everything.

 

That is what I figured, thank you for your input. I am likely to sell the tractor anyway, it can help finance the truck.

 

^If you just need to move it to the neighbors or something, I wouldn't hesitate, but, if you are talking about a 40 mile trip at 50 MPH..... even with upgraded drivetrain, I wouldn't really like to pilot it. Not without more weight, and wheelbase.

 

For like a BILLIONTH of a second, I thought that you had that pole on the trailer like that! I was going to offer myself as a "consultant" in the fine art of "trailer loading". Not that I'm an expert, but...

 

Well, If he had loaded it the other way it would have stuck out way too far in back...

 

Diggin' them nerf bars.

 

Well I had all these old speed parts, and a 35 year old Isky cam lifters, etc. new in the box. and if the damn thing doesn't start, I'm gonna burn it to the ground.

 

Oh man! That is sad to see! Sorry you lost your truck... maybe it wasn't yours?

There aren't that many Cadillac trucks!

 

it was mine. now its in junk yard heaven.

 

Cool truck!

 

Been driving this since initial build in 1996. In 1999 we drove it on a 9,482 trip from Yuma Az. to Alaska and back , and on America-cruise in 2000. Just finished 14 month rebuild in Dec of 2012 and now again it is my daily driver.

 

that is 2000# of pellets and a new pellet stove in the back of my F100....I should point out I have a diesel F250, so I don't "need" to use this truck as a truck.