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Vintage Tow Bar----What's It Worth?


Harold

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I've had this tow bar for a number of years and want to sell it because I don't anticipate using it. It's a 'BraKing' bumper-to-bumper tow bar made by Gross-Given, probably in the late 1950's to early 1960's. According to the paperwork, you can hook up a cable to pull down the brake pedal of the towed car. I see tow bars priced all over the place and would appreciate thoughts on what a realistic advertising price would be. Thanks for your thoughts.

Harold

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To me it belongs with vintage Oil Company signs and gas pumps....

Now that's creative Bulldog! Use a piece of plywood nicely painted and attach that stuff to it and hang it on the wall. The reason I say this is that I have one too and wondered what the heck I'm gonna do with it. (Mine is not as nice so it will be labeled a "Barn Find")

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I sold an old fulton one from the late 20's or early 30's in very good shape with probably 50 percent of it's original paint that actually clamped with big clamps from blade bumper to blade bumper. No chains. Super cool looking but it only had one bidder at the opening bid on ebay for 100.00. The Shipping on these is the killer. Unfortunately as others stated, not alot of useful value with today's cars as cars no longer have a real bumper any more.

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When I was about 23 years old I bought a '53 Chevrolet sedan from a co-worker and needed a way to move it about40 miles or more. I knew nothing about towbars, had never seen one, and did not know you could go to a U-Haul store and rent one. Someone suggested I ask another co-worker if he had one. Said he did and I think charged me a couple of dollars to borrow it. It was a piece of junk. A large clamp fastened to the bumper of the tow vehicle and another identical clamp clamped on the bumper of the towed vehicle with a connection in the middle that let it swivel. I hooked the Chevrolet behind my '63 Ford convertible and started home. That Chevrolet fishtailed back and forth across the road and felt like it was going to beat me to death. I got halfway home and sold the Chevrolet to a guy that wanted it. Next time I towed a vehicle it was with a U-Haul towbar and it was a breeze. I have to wonder how many cars the other guy tore up towing them with his piece of junk.

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John I have seen, used and made tow bars like you describe, more correctly termed "tow pole". They are supposed to be used with a second driver in the towed vehicle to steer and brake.

I have one I made, it goes on the trailer hitch on my car, on the other end it has chains that allow me to fasten it to the chassis of a car. It will even work on new cars with rubber bumpers but you have to get underneath to install it. I have used this tow pole to tow a car 25 miles with the help of a friend.

The original I saw in use by an old time mechanic who began working on cars in 1920. He started with a piece of pipe and a long chain. He would drop the chain down the pipe and fasten the ends to the bumpers of the cars, wrapping the chain around the bumper and using bolts to tighten in place.

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I had two of them. One that I purchased in the 60's and another that I acquired in a building purchase. Looked at the prices on craigslist, ebay and determined that they are not of any value, especially with shipping, etc since I have a truck and car trailer.

I just donated them to The Parade Company http://www.theparade.org/ for them to use to tow floats during the Thanksgiving parade.

Best place that I could find for them to go to.

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Santa-Klauss strikes again,,,Ben

Hey, If I can not use it or have plans to use it, then time to part with it. Sell it, give it away, scrap it, or throw it in the trash.

The old question is "Do you own your stuff or does it own you?"

Trying to be sure I can find what I have to fix what I have.

Edited by Larry Schramm (see edit history)
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Trying to be sure I can find what I have to fix what I have.

Ahh, sounds like a little of my history. Years ago the wife felt sorry for me and cleaned my pickup out. She found an assortment of screw drivers, parts, and 3 sets of socket sets. I did not remember any of this stuff being in my pickup??????:)

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  • 3 years later...
5 hours ago, 60FlatTop said:

Harold, which advice was best?

 

Bernie

I listed it on eBay for local pickup only and some guy from Buffalo wanted it badly.  My son was attending RIT and brought the tow bar up after spring break; they met at Batavia Downs and that was that.

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Things always have a way of working out.. As a seller I have always offer anything I have for sale and let the buyer make the decision to purchase it. An old friend I grew up with used to just sizzle when he saw me sell things he would have thrown out.

Bernie

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2 hours ago, 60FlatTop said:

An old friend I grew up with used to just sizzle when he saw me sell things he would have thrown out.

Bernie

 

My wife is amazed at some of the things I've sold...sometimes I am, too.  The extra lunch money doesn't hurt!

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I  Worked for a van conversation company and we would drive one van and tow bar the second one from Indiana to the west coast. Then put the two bar in a army bag get on plane and fly back and do the same thing the next week . Bet you could not get on a plane today with the army bag.

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Probably check it as would probably be to big for the overhead.

I wonder if this would be less expensive than shipping the vans.

 

I have heard of a conversion place somewhere north of me that tosses out the seats.

I think I remember something about those narrow seats working well in hot rods.

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4 hours ago, JACK M said:

 

I have heard of a conversion place somewhere north of me that tosses out the seats.

I think I remember something about those narrow seats working well in hot rods.

Van conversion places are also a great source for the wall-to-wall rubber matting they pull  out before they add carpeting.   You can cut them down to fit smaller cars.

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Not sure when I bought it new but used to haul a 70GP 4spd from Ft. Worth to North Palm Beach in 1984.. Now have a dolly but rarely get rid of anything. Before 1973 cars had bumpers you could clamp on.

towbar.jpg

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In 1972 I rented a tow bar like that and towed my first 1934 Ford home with my brothers

Pontiac Formula 400 Firebird.  A bumper hitch and the 34 Ford steering was locked

Ah, to be young and stupid again, but I got it home, got it running, and drove it around the

block that day

 

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  • 1 year later...
On 4/9/2018 at 5:34 PM, Harold said:

Van conversion places are also a great source for the wall-to-wall rubber matting they pull  out before they add carpeting.   You can cut them down to fit smaller cars.

I used to work for a van conversion company. They were Chevy vans and came with a cardboard driver's seat on the standard metal base, they used to discard this and put in captain's chairs. I took the seat base and bolted plywood to the top to make step stools that were very handy for working around the vans, installing windows etc. Got permission to bring some home, used to have lots but gave away all but one, wish I had a few of them now. They were strong enough to hold up a car.

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  • 4 years later...

I realize it's years later STILL, but I'm in Mansfield ohio. This one is for sale.    This was modified by an engineer who built over 20 cars, then stripped, poorly painted with engine block paint by me.  and I also replaced the leather and nylon straps on the clamps,  and put new chains on it.  Darin Wiseman 

419-989-8842 

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