Urgent 360 towbar

Post by **filthyjohn** » 03 Oct 2006 01:47 pm

I was planning to get a towbar, but it was one of those "at some point" type things, but now my mate has scored a free fiat X1/9 that needs trailering a couple of hundred miles. So it's time to get one sorted sharpish. Ebay only seems to have saloon ones, is there a chance they' fit my hatch without snapping? not bothered if it sticks out too far or whatever.
cheers.

Post by **5lab** » 03 Oct 2006 01:49 pm

mate, 2 days ago and you'd have got an official volvo one from snowey. she's now been towed

Post by **filthyjohn** » 03 Oct 2006 02:00 pm

damn it. i knew i should have asked last week. Brighton scrapyards are too much of a trek. If i can't get one it'll have to be a tow rope, and i find that idea a little scary.

Post by **SteveP** » 03 Oct 2006 03:19 pm

Can't see why a saloon one would be any weaker, it mounts to the same place underneath the car, but will stick out further....

Post by **5lab** » 03 Oct 2006 03:25 pm

i'm keeping the one on my saloon.

Post by **filthyjohn** » 04 Oct 2006 02:54 am

Cool, i'll get a saloon one then. I'll just have to be careful parking. Then again, my last car was an audi 100, so called because it was 100 feet long and a total bitch to park.

Does anyone know exactly how much longer the saloon is? Or where i can get a cheap car trailer between here (sunderland) and Kent?

Post by **5lab** » 04 Oct 2006 08:04 am

why not just join the aa, get 'tow me home' cover, then buy your new car and brake down in a way that they can't fix (brakes are a good one, they won't touch a car with dud brakes). they then tow you home for free. winner.

Post by **filthyjohn** » 04 Oct 2006 11:42 am

I may indeed give that a try. I've got the relay cover that means they take me home so it could be possible. A friend of mine pulled this stunt when he got his second nissan S13. He got the train down to reading or somewhere far south, and took the knackered ECU from his first S13, fitted it and called them up. They gave him a courtesy mondeo and took his car home free of charge.

The thing is, I'll have to find out if this fiat thing drives.

Post by **filthyjohn** » 04 Oct 2006 12:12 pm

Well it turns out the X1/9 has no seats. That might look a bit funny when the AA man turns up. So unless anyone has a spare pair of 70s fiat seats, I'm stuck with the towbar search.

This is the only hatchback bar I could find, and the bloke hasn't even bothered to prove it exists: click me
I just missed out on a cheap trailer last night too, I'm beginning to think this whole mission is cursed.

Post by **filthyjohn** » 04 Oct 2006 12:22 pm

Is this any good to me? click
It doesn't have a ball, I assume I can buy those seperately...? But what will I do about electrics? I wouldn't know where to start.

Post by **Chris_C** » 04 Oct 2006 02:20 pm

I'm not sure if a saloon one fits tbh, each car has specific mounting points, but chances are they are the same. Yeah, you buy the ball and electrics separate, the electrics are dead easy, give a shout and we can help you there. I should have a wiring diagram somewhere.

Post by **petefarrell360** » 04 Oct 2006 03:41 pm

I've got a genuine Volvo hatchback towbar on one of my cars that you could be yours, the only problem being the distance. I'd imagine like Steve said, a saloon one would just stick out further, as the mounting points are the same, there's just more overhang on the boot. A saloon bumper is the same, but has extra 'L' bracket supports.

So, let me know if you're interested.

Pete

Post by **5lab** » 04 Oct 2006 04:34 pm

an a-frame will probably be cheaper than a complete trailor - you can buy them for under £100 on ebay..

Post by **filthyjohn** » 05 Oct 2006 01:58 am

petefarrell360 wrote:I've got a genuine Volvo hatchback towbar on one of my cars that you could be yours, the only problem being the distance. I'd imagine like Steve said, a saloon one would just stick out further, as the mounting points are the same, there's just more overhang on the boot. A saloon bumper is the same, but has extra 'L' bracket supports.

So, let me know if you're interested.

Pete

I really wish I'd asked on here earlier. I was down in cambridge visiting friends and I'd have happily gone the extra miles to collect it. All the same, if I end up buying a trailer that's close to your neck of the woods, or if i get one of these dolly contraptions, one of my famous stupid motorway missions could be cooked up...

5lab- You mean a dolly like this one? They look a bit sketchy to me, are they definitely safe? do you have to lock the towed car's steering in place somehow?

Post by **redline** » 05 Oct 2006 07:48 am

personally I prefer this type as it takes the front wheels of the towed car off of the ground and the towed car becomes more like a normal trailer

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TOWING-DOLLY-HEAV ... dZViewItem

dont forget you also need a trailer board with cable long enough to go from the towing car to the back of the car to be towed