58 olds wagon

[Guest]

Hi,I was wondering if any 58 Oldsmobile station wagon with a v8 (not sure what sizes of V8's there were) could tow a 3000lb+ travel trailer without much problems? There may be times when I will go up high grades since I'd be going cross country next year in mid October for two months. Please let me know what model would be good to look for. AND if anyone knows of a good wagon out there in CA,Arizona or Oregon for sale that wouldn't need much resto that would be great! Carrie

[rocketraider]

In their day these wagons could easily haul a trailer all over. Now, nearly 45 years later, it's hard to say. Besides the obvious load equalising hitch, you'd need to upgrade rear springs and shocks and install a transmission cooler at the very least. Making sure the transmission and cooling system are in top shape is also advisable.

All 58s had 371 cubic inch V8s in two-barrel, four-barrel and three two-barrel carb versions. I think you'd need a four-barrel car. For heavy hauling, like going over mountains, you'll have to use some type of fuel additive or have the engine modified to use unleaded gasoline. Which probably wouldn't be a bad idea anyway for trailering.

Brakes? Marginal for descending hills with a trailer pushing it. The cars are 12v so electric trailer brakes will work.

Sounds like an adventure to me! Hey- Lucy and Desi dragged a 40-footer behind a 54 Mercury! Why not document your trip and send the Olds Club magazine a feature article?

[Guest]

Hi Rocketraider,thanks for the tips on towing. I originally was planning on using my 56' Mercury Custom wagon to do this trip in. it has 215 horses in it so I don't know if it could cruise 55mph with this 1947 Spartan travel trailer. The Spartan is aluminum and I would also have to put some kind of transmission cooler lines on the Merc.I'm assuming most of the 50's cars didn't have these lines?? I thought by then cooling lines would have been installed. I would definetly use trailer brakes and I'm installing a dual master cylinder in it anyway. I'll keep my eye out now for a Olds wagon. Thanks again! Carrie

[Guest]

I believe there was a rare factory option intake manifold that allowed you to put 3 two-barrell carbs on your Olds V8. If you could find it, this might allow you to keep your engine in-period, while providing the extra power of the 4-barrell.

[rocketraider]

Ford automatics in those years were air-cooled, so they would have to have an auxiliary transmission cooler for trailer duty. Even though the HydraMatic is a tough old bird and had a radiator mounted cooler, plumbing in an auxiliary cooler would be cheap insurance, compared to finding and paying someone to fix it.

P- re the J2 option. I think a 4 barrel would be more practical for what Carrie wants. TriPowers, unless used and exercised regularly, have a bad habit of not working when they're needed. Of course, the same could be said for a 4 barrel!