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Towing a Super Beetle parts car on the cheap
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Longmont1302
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 10, 2018 11:40 am    Post subject: Towing a Super Beetle parts car on the cheap Reply with quote

I'm trying to move an engine-less super beetle parts car 30 miles without spending any money. I'm trying to use an old bumper tow bar my dad gave me. (It was not made specifically for a vw.)
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

We mounted the tow bar brackets on a 4X4 with the idea that I'd also bolt the 4x4 on one bumper bracket mount per side.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

When I brought the tow bar and 4x4 home (and held it up to our super beetle) I discovered that the bracket hardware is mounted right where I'd planned to drill the holes for the two bolts I'd planned to used to attach the 4X4 to the bumper brackets.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

The easiest solution would be to simply offset the bolts that connect the 4X4 to the bumper brackets. My question is if having the tow bar a few inches off center is likely to result in towing problems.
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Eskamobob1
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 10, 2018 12:29 pm    Post subject: Re: Towing a Super Beetle parts car on the cheap Reply with quote

I would not try and tow with a 4x4 as your linkage. Honestly man, just go rent a flat bed from uhaul for the day. They are like $20 flat rate, and then you dont have to worry about potentialy thousands in damages when the 4x4 breaks and your car rolls off somewhere
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 10, 2018 12:36 pm    Post subject: Re: Towing a Super Beetle parts car on the cheap Reply with quote

-that 2x4 is already cracked... scrap metal maybe but never wood please
-any tow bar design should include a safety chain
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Longmont1302
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 10, 2018 12:39 pm    Post subject: Re: Towing a Super Beetle parts car on the cheap Reply with quote

Hi Eskamobob1,

I'm sure that's good advice, but I haven't had any success with local Uhaul in the past. Their tow dolly rental starts at $44.95 and their transport trailers at $54.95, but they'll hassle me that the tow dolly's no good for the beetle (even though it has no motor) and that my Honda Odyssey isn't rated for the transport. There are so many companies (like Gerson) I'd rather send my limited funds to!

I plan to add safety chains and move slow.

Any thoughts on the off-center aspect?
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Lingwendil
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 10, 2018 12:56 pm    Post subject: Re: Towing a Super Beetle parts car on the cheap Reply with quote

Center it.

Use safety chains.

Personally some scrap iron piping or steel conduit would probably be a better choice than the (already cracked) wood.



If you run on back roads, and have someone in the towed car to hit the brakes as necessary you might be okay, but the whole thing would make me very nervous without at least steel for the main bar, and real bolts holding it all together, not to mention that the bumper brackets may deform, or even the quarter panels around the bumper bracket mounting points, I've fixed a beetle that was towed by the bumper, it tends to warp the panels pretty bad...[/i]
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TDCTDI
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 10, 2018 1:28 pm    Post subject: Re: Towing a Super Beetle parts car on the cheap Reply with quote

get a 10' section of schedule 40 pipe, cut it in half, get a 12' piece of chain that will pass through the pipe, bolt one end of the chain to the bracket on one side, thread the chain through both pieces of pipe then form a triangle & bolt the other end of the chain to the other bumper bracket so that there is 5-6 links in between (kinda like a pair of nunchaku or bisectional staff), loop it over your tow ball & pass a bolt through the links to tighten down on the tow ball. Then reposition the chains to take up any slack. It's ugly, it's redneck as all hell, but it works.
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 10, 2018 2:35 pm    Post subject: Re: Towing a Super Beetle parts car on the cheap Reply with quote

Or if you plan on keeping a Super having a proper towbar is handy, you might as well buy one.
Need both the tow bar and the mounting plate, ex:
http://vwparts.aircooled.net/Superbeetle-Universal-Tow-Bar-2-Ball-3131-7-p/3131-7.htm
http://vwparts.aircooled.net/Tow-Bar-Mounting-Plate-for-Superbeetle-EACH-3190-p/3190.htm
You may be able to find it cheaper elsewhere, I found one for my Standard on Ebay a number of years ago.

$160 buys a whole lot of peace of mind, you don't want that bug getting loose and hitting your tow vehicle or god forbid someone else.
Do it right, do it safe.
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FeelthySanchez
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 10, 2018 5:52 pm    Post subject: Re: Towing a Super Beetle parts car on the cheap Reply with quote

Longmont1302 wrote:
My question is if having the tow bar a few inches off center is likely to result in towing problems.
Yep: when cornering, it will develop a mind of its own. Chain-up & drive painfully slow or rent the tow dolly - which works great.
If it tickles ya, maybe shoot me a PM re a 1x used SuperBeetle-pattern towbar & mount - don't need it anymore & will beat the heck outta ACN's price.
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I'm not sure how compression works.
Turbos don't produce torque, they produce HP. Instead of torque.
The real problem with NA engines is you don't hear the nice whine of the turbo as it spools up.
Before I commit, I'm going to do more research because I don't really know what piston rings are.
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Longmont1302
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 10, 2018 8:49 pm    Post subject: Re: Towing a Super Beetle parts car on the cheap Reply with quote

Anyone near Longmont, CO have a Super Beetle tow bar they'd like to rent or sell?
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boundstaffpress
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 11, 2018 11:18 am    Post subject: Re: Towing a Super Beetle parts car on the cheap Reply with quote

Thank you for posting this.
I was researching this exact question with weekend plans to move a '73 Super from Ft. Collins to La Junta. I have a collapsible tow boar that I've use several times, but always on something with a frame. My plan was to use a piece of flat steel stock instead of the 2x4 you have. The comments about deforming the body around the bumper mounts make me believe that a U-haul is the way to go.

Short notice, but like you I would be interested in a Super Beetle tow bar in that part of the state. The u-haul one way costs a little less than a tow bar, but I'd rather have the bar to do more moving.

Justin
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TDCTDI
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 11, 2018 11:37 am    Post subject: Re: Towing a Super Beetle parts car on the cheap Reply with quote

FeelthySanchez wrote:
maybe shoot me a PM re a 1x used SuperBeetle-pattern towbar & mount - don't need it anymore & will beat the heck outta ACN's price.


Did you guys miss this a couple of posts back? Rolling Eyes
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Longmont1302
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 11, 2018 11:51 am    Post subject: Re: Towing a Super Beetle parts car on the cheap Reply with quote

Thanks, TDCTDI, I did PM FeelthySanchez.
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 11, 2018 12:17 pm    Post subject: Re: Towing a Super Beetle parts car on the cheap Reply with quote

You can always run some high quality carriage bolts through the brackets and into the bumper mounts. If you made up the metal brackets for the tow bar, I would add one or two more on the inside. You could also add long carriage bolts to the outer sides of each bumper mount and have 4 points of attachment instead of 2.

All the other advice you have been given is good and appropriate. But I towed a 61 beetle about the same distance from NYC (into NJ through the Holland Tunnel) about 45 years ago and I had a 2 by 4 as a bumper on the beetle. Had no problems. Suggest you rig flashers on the beetle or use something portable.

Good luck.
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FeelthySanchez
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 11, 2018 1:49 pm    Post subject: Re: Towing a Super Beetle parts car on the cheap Reply with quote

You guys ROCK. Check PM .......... Cool
Longmont1302 wrote:
Thanks, TDCTDI, I did PM FeelthySanchez.

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modok wrote:
I would like if you had enough clue to communicate what you are doing.
Ryan Tucker wrote:
Enough clue..Whats that mean?
OldIronSpine wrote:
I'm not sure how compression works.
Turbos don't produce torque, they produce HP. Instead of torque.
The real problem with NA engines is you don't hear the nice whine of the turbo as it spools up.
Before I commit, I'm going to do more research because I don't really know what piston rings are.
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Longmont1302
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 18, 2018 8:37 pm    Post subject: Re: Towing a Super Beetle parts car on the cheap Reply with quote

I thought I'd offer this follow-up for others who may find themselves in a similar situation. In the end, I followed the advice offered here and didn't put others at risk by trying to save a few bucks. I rented the Uhaul tow dolly for $45 and it was easy to use and worked well. I may get a purpose-made tow bar in the future, but this got the job done this time.

What didn't work well was the trailer wiring harness on my Honda Odyssey. It used to work fine, but doesn't do anything anymore, even after replacing the fuse and wiggling the connections. There's no wear or damage to it, and there's power where it plugs in, so I may have to replace the harness, too.

In the end a friend loaned me his diesel Ford pickup (with +390,000 plus miles on it - you gotta love that) and I got the Super Beetle parts car home safely. Check out the groovy flames:

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

The advice that I have to share is to test your trailer wiring harness BEFORE you arrive at Uhaul at 8:00 am with high expectations.
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boundstaffpress
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 18, 2018 9:51 pm    Post subject: Re: Towing a Super Beetle parts car on the cheap Reply with quote

Glad you got everything sorted. Like you I chose the uhaul route. The price is good if you only have to do it once. I think a tow bar is in my future. I also spent an hour trying to get lights to work. I had already rented the trailer, and was changing tow vehicles to a Ford.
Make it a great day.
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 19, 2018 7:10 am    Post subject: Re: Towing a Super Beetle parts car on the cheap Reply with quote

Safety is free just have to practice it.
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