As promised, when the weather was good and it was on the ground, some pics of my car hooked up to the David Lee tow bar bracket for flat towing.
Yes, I need a 4 inch drop on my hitch, but that will come this week.
Just a mock up and a quick tow around the block....everything works as it should.
Even my lights work as previously advertised.

Link to tow bar bracket install

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?act=...=ST&f=2&t=48399

another perspective

another

looks SICK dan!!!

last one.

Yes I have safety cables. plastic covered steel cables with quick disconnects on each end.

Hard wired lights are very clean and simple.

In the last picture the car looks small engough to fit inside the back of the truck.

Check at RV stores for some sort of Rock guard. Might look for Bra & window cover for the 914.

Ken

not quited wide enough

Took not more than 5 minutes to hook up for the first time including bar, draw bar, lights and all. Once I get a system down it should be in the 2-3 minute range. And that was doing it myself. No helper to guide me back. Get directly in line with hitch and pull car in neutral to the 'burb for the hook up.

I usually pull an 8,000# RV with my suburban so this 2,000# 914 is not even going to make the 'burb break a sweat.

Just wanted to get an actual feel for what it would look like. As you can see from the first pic...the LE air dam is completely clear fo the bar with room to spare and once I use the 3-4 inch drop draw bar, there will be even more clearance. I have the car pretty low in the front...it may come up a bit once I have it at the shop for alignment. With 195-60 tires it currently sits at about 22.75" at the center line of each front fender. I may have to raise it about 1/2 inch once I get the 205x50s on. The 205s are just a little over in inch smaller in diameter. So that would drop the front of the car at least another 1/2 inch. We will see.

QUOTE (KenH @ Mar 26 2006, 02:20 PM)

Check at RV stores for some sort of Rock guard. Might look for Bra & window cover for the 914. Ken

'burb has splash guards already, and I have a bra for the front of the 914. Since the car sits as close as it does to the back of the truck, I don't think the windshield is going to be a factor. We will see the middle of April on it's maiden voyage to BW. About 220 miles each way from my house.

Looks great. Adding the 3"-4" drop hitch should really help. I use a 3" drop for most of my towing (I have a Durango).

I thought about doing this but my wife talked me into getting a trailer so I am looking for one.

That is really sweet.

I gotta go back and re-read yer tow bar thread.

IMHO, I won't trust those cables. You need chains.

Cables are rated at 5,000# each. No problem there.
Not that I plan on needing them to come into use

They are specifically made for just this type of application.

Great Job Dan.

Now you need to match your Bourbon to your car

Funny you should mention that Randal.

I have been looking at Chevy Colorado extended cab PU, for a dedicated tow vehicle. 2WD short box. They have an Orange metal flake paint.

We will see...won't happen at least for a few months, but I am looking.

QUOTE (Dan (Almaden Valley) @ Mar 26 2006, 02:45 PM)

Cables are rated at 5,000# each. No problem there. Not that I plan on needing them to come into use They are specifically made for just this type of application.

Static or live? Big difference.

I still won't trust them. Sorry, don't mean to sound like a PITA just don't
want to see something bad happen.

Paul

Just a little update.
This past Friday I was going to take my 914 to the shop for alignment and a few other items. Well, wife was busy and I wanted to get it there in the AM.
Why not flat tow it to the shop?
Perfect way to get a little testing done....

Hook up took about 5 minutes total....including installing my tow safety chains for the first time...

Tows like a dream and stop and turns like it is supposed to. All the lights work as they are supposed to...

Bottom line, the tow bar and the tow bar bracket work perfectly.
Car tracked directly behind the tow vehicle with no wander or other problems.

If you are looking for and inexpensive and easy way to get your teener to events, be the WCC or TT/DE or AX this is a vialble alternative to a trailer.

The tow bar bracket offered in the resources section by David Lee is a great piece and works as advertised.

Have you nailed the brakes yet? I flat towed my old Rabbit with a similar setup and had the same upward angle on the tow bar. When I got on the brakes hard the Rabbit lifted the rear end of my 1/2 ton truck and damn near jackknifed the whole thing. This little event happened in the rain after a very long day and it scared the crap out of me.
I would very strongly recomend a drop hitch to eliminate the angle in the tow bar.

QUOTE (Dan (Almaden Valley) @ Apr 1 2006, 10:15 PM)

....including installing my tow safety chains for the first time... I

Dan,

I hope the chains never get used but I've glad you changed the cables out.

Peace of mind is a good thing.

Paul

Looks good and I wonder if you can see the car in your mirrors? I would have to say that your winshield would need replacing at every outing though. All in all , I like it!

One question...


Why?????


Just get in the 914 and DRIVE it there!!!!

Porcharu....if you read the first part of this thread you will see that the pics were an intitial mockup. I now have a 4 inch drop hitch which makes everything nice and level now.
Yes, URY914 I decided to go with chains...were easier to install anyway.

Clay...if you don't have a ride back from the shop what do you do?
Stay overnite?

JPB..yes I can see the car in my inside review mirrow. About 3 inches of the windshield and top. Enough to know everything is in order. No, I can't see any of the car in the outside rear view mirror unless I am turning slightly.
That is the price I pay for having a very large tow vehicle.

QUOTE (Dan (Almaden Valley) @ Apr 2 2006, 10:34 AM)

Clay...if you don't have a ride back from the shop what do you do? Stay overnite?

Sorry.. I sometimes forget that cars have to be taken to the shop.

Mine is attached to the back of the house.....

QUOTE (Dan (Almaden Valley) @ Apr 2 2006, 08:34 AM)

Porcharu....if you read the first part of this thread you will see that the pics were an intitial mockup. I now have a 4 inch drop hitch which makes everything nice and level now. Yes, URY914 I decided to go with chains...were easier to install anyway. Clay...if you don't have a ride back from the shop what do you do? Stay overnite? JPB..yes I can see the car in my inside review mirrow. About 3 inches of the windshield and top. Enough to know everything is in order. No, I can't see any of the car in the outside rear view mirror unless I am turning slightly. That is the price I pay for having a very large tow vehicle.

You forgot to mention biggest benefit. That Big SUV helps to keep the bugs off the car on those long trips to Button Willow and Thunder Hill.

You're right Grant! hadn't thought of that one

my Dad uses a simple yet effective device.

He attaches a small foam ball to the antenna so he can see the car in the rear view mirror very quickly, and he also attaches two small flag like things pointing out the side...just far enough to be seen my the side view mirrors...

Really a simple setup, and fast to connect.

He flat tows a car behind an RV. I like to be able to check on the car without turning/swerving...

Rich

Dan:
I know that it seems that I'm giving you a hard time whenever I respond to one of your threads.....but that is not my only intent.

If you had the typical whacked out 914, I'd let this one go, but yours isn't one of those.

Frankly, there is no way I would flat tow that pretty new paint job....it's false economy. A a decent trailer would cost you
under 2k.....mine was 800+ sweat equity. That's prolly 5%
(WAG) of what you have in tow rig & car.

Again, sorry bout being a negative mo fo, but that's the way I see it.

ebay Link

My old truck is up on eBay....great tow vehicle and priced right. Only 45k miles....

No prolem JP....have at it...
I thought about that as well but decided to try this. The front of the car will be covered with a bra during towing long distances. Also the front of the car will get it's share of booboos during track time.

Hey Dan, how did it go in BW; want to hear your times.

And how did your tow rig work?

What do you do with the streering wheel when your towing, just leave it to wander? Do you keep the key in?

QUOTE (Dan (Almaden Valley) @ Apr 2 2006, 08:34 AM)

Porcharu....if you read the first part of this thread you will see that the pics were an intitial mockup. I now have a 4 inch drop hitch which makes everything nice and level now.

I re-read it and see you were planning on getting a drop hitch.
Just wanted to make sure you knew about the problem - I was very suprised that my 1800 pound car could lift my truck.
You might want to think about some serious mud flaps for the burb - your car will be filthy by the time you get to the track and probably stone chipped as well. My Rabbit was a beater so I didn't care but yours is very nice and it would be a shame to tear it up.

QUOTE (ClayPerrine @ Apr 2 2006, 06:27 AM)

One question... Why????? Just get in the 914 and DRIVE it there!!!!

Clay...I knew we had to agree about something....

QUOTE (Randal @ Apr 2 2006, 09:57 AM)

Hey Dan, how did it go in BW; want to hear your times. And how did your tow rig work? What do you do with the streering wheel when your towing, just leave it to wander? Do you keep the key in?

2 more weeks Randal. Not until 4/15.

tow rig will be fine....

Steering is left to turn with vehicle, otherwise you scrub off the front tires and put a lot of stress on the front end of the car.
Key is left in the ignition, not turned on. Just fully into the ignition, turn it to the first detent and make sure wheel turns freely, then turn ignition off completely leaving the key in place. Doing this allows the front wheels to turn freely, but does not have power running through the ignition to the dizzy ( pitting the points).

BW will be just to get everything dialed in, get comfortable with the brakes and suspension, scrub in the tires. Maybe by the afternoon.....

2 weeks later at TH will be the first official TT for my new car.

That is when times will be more important. I want to get a time on the books so it will depend on the weather and whether the A or B timed run group runs first and which of those I am in.

Since there were no timed runs at Sears, this will essentially be the first points event of the season....if it ever stops raining.