I'm kinda sorta thinkin' that when I go to the awards banquet in Gatlinburg, TN next month that it would be a good time to swing on down to Georgia and pick up the Turismo.

Perhaps it will wind up being another in a long list of "Mopars By Meril"

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Rob

I’m Mater
The Kentucky Poser

I've got a dolly and a trailer to use to go get the Turismo now. I need to come up with some ramps for the trailer.

Question: If the 8 3/4 rear end has the axles installed, but no center section, it would probably be a bad idea to try and flat tow or dolly tow it, right? I imagine that would be pretty bad for the axles/bearings...

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Rob

I’m Mater
The Kentucky Poser

I dunno about there but......

Flat towing is illegal in many places. Dolly towing requires a plated dolly and plated towed vehicle in many places.(Like here)

Dolly towing is fine till you need to back up......then its a horror show.

You can make or find ramps faster and better than you can back a dolly or flat tow even once.

I went to dolly the Valaint to MATS a couple of years ago. I got 2 miles into a test drive before I bent the dolly reach and had to limp home.

If you have the trailer......use it.

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Yeah....Im the one who destroyed this rare, vintage automobile.....

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No-Go, Rob.....the center section supports the inboard ends of the axles. I imagine that you'd spit an axle in rather short order.

Roger

What is the big issue with flat towing? Is braking the big drawback? The tow dolly I have used doesn't have brakes either. Is there a place to find which states allow flat towing and which don't?

Thanks,

Rick

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2 Mopars come with Spark plug tubes. One is a world class, racing machine. The other is a 426 CI. boat anchor!

12.70 @ 104.6

Pretty much what I figgered on the center section deal. Thanks Roger.

Sandy, I'll check the DMV websites on what's required for KY, TN and GA. Frank told me that in AR even the full-size car trailer didn't need to be licensed. I was a little skeptical of that, but I towed back through the corner of AR, most of TN and into KY... I got a tad worried at one spot in TN where it looked like they had a racket going of pulling over any car towing a trailer. Luckily, when I came through they were at their capacity and I snuck through...

I need to get some ramps before I can use the trailer for towing a car anywho, so I've got some time to figger it out. (I do gots that permanent AZ plate on that truck bed trailer I brought back from Tucson I could use in a pinch... Just kidding!)

I've used the tow dolly quite a bit, understand the drawbacks and can work around that.

I flat towed once, but had no idea what I was doing. It was a '64 Valiant convertible with no engine or trans. All was good until I turned the first real corner and the steering decided it wanted to go full left and stay that way. So, I dragged it about a block to a safe pull off, screeching and smoking tires the whole way. Then I put a couple bungie cords on the steering wheel to allow the wheel to turn back and forth about a quarter turn each way. That worked to get it about five miles home. I still have the tow bar, but it makes me nervous.

Trailers are the best, but the weight savings of a dolly is a big plus.

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Rob

I’m Mater
The Kentucky Poser

So, I go's down to the local trailer place to check 'bout gettin' me some ramps fer the trailer...

The feller says he can makes me a set fer 'bout a hunnerd bucks.

We gets ta talkin' 'bout the trailer and such...

He raises himself an eyebrow when I tells him it ain't got no plates or data plate on it... Says he wouldn't be pullin' that trailer outta his back yard, much less across state lines!

Apparently trailers for "personal use" in Kentucky don't require license plates, but you can get a permanent plate for about $100. However, if I take it down to the DMV without a data plate I may likely have the trailer confiscated rather than licensed!

I s'pose I'll just let it sit where it is until I get things figgered out...

I would hate to be toolin' down the road as happy as a pig in slop with my super cool Slant 6 drag car on that there trailer and get pulled over by the local constabulary who sez, "You in a heap o' trouble,... Boy!" and impounds the trailer with my super cool Slant 6 drag car on it...

Aw heck, what am I worryin' fer? I ain't even got a way to get the engine and tranny off that there trailer yet... It ain't goin' nowhere anytime soon.

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Rob

I’m Mater
The Kentucky Poser

I stopped by the DMV this morning to confirm things.

Sure enough. No need to license a trailer in Kentucky as long as it's for personal use only and not used for business, etc.

You can get a permanent trailer license plate as long as you have the proper documentation for the trailer (title, Bill of Sale and trailer has a data/VIN plate properly attached)

If you plan to tow the trailer out of state you need to abide by whatever state laws pertain to THAT state. So the whole, "Gosh officer, I didn't know..." will only get you as far as your winning personality and good looks hold out.

(Engine and trans are still on the trailer. No local places rent engine hoists. There is a Harbor Freight in Louiseville, so I guess I'll have to make a trip up there to get a new ram sometime soon)

More to follow...

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Rob

I’m Mater
The Kentucky Poser

I believe TN does not need trailer reg, but VA wants anything with wheels to have a title and reg.

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines

Same with pa!

Atv's - Boats, Trailers, You name it - It has to be Titled and tagged.

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http://www.youtube.com/hyperpack

I'd rather be safe than sorry. I like permanent trailer tags. I'm waiting on word back from Frank if he got any papers with the trailer when he bought it.

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Rob

I’m Mater
The Kentucky Poser

Is it a "store" built trailer or "homemade" type. I have two trailers that are homemade, and have been registered in Florida and NJ. The registration says "homemade". Just tell them you built it yourself. The DMV may asign it a VIN number, which in NJ, was just put on the tongue with welding rod "writeing". Florida didn't even care about a VIN for a homemade trailer.

PS: Make sure you have brakes on the trailer, if you are going out of state. You will also need a "breakaway" brake setup. Some DOT's are getting real sticky about this, to say nothing of the safety factor.

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Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 225 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170

It looks to be a typical factory built type trailer rather than homemade.

It did have a data plate of some sort on it at one time. The (wood ) screws are still there with remnants of the tag.

No brakes on it either...

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Rob

I’m Mater
The Kentucky Poser

Maybe I should just use the dolly and put the Turismo on backwards since it doesn't have the center section in the 8 3/4. I could point the front wheels straight and anchor the steering wheel.

Not the best way to do it, but it's better than letting it sit there another 6+ years.

There is no engine or tranny in it, so there won't be all that weight way far back that can cause problems...

_________________
Rob

I’m Mater
The Kentucky Poser

The answer is what?



A dolly without brakes seems more unsafe to me than one with all four wheels on the ground. I may be absolutely wrong also.

Rick

_________________
2 Mopars come with Spark plug tubes. One is a world class, racing machine. The other is a 426 CI. boat anchor!

12.70 @ 104.6