I need a tow rig. But most of the vehicles up to the task in my sub -$3k budget were just so aesthetically unpleasing. So brutish. So mediocre. So blah. I could not bear to pick up a late 90s Explorer or mid-eighties F150.
Many other options were small and ugly. Rodeo? Ranger? Blazer?
After looking around online I settled in on full size Bronco or a Grand Wagoneer. After looking at my first Grand Wagoneer I knew I had to have one. The plush interior. The solid Dana 44 axles. The big, hard-to-control-the-emissions 360. The wood paneling. OK, vinyl paneling. But it does look stylish. Growing up in Connecticut I would see these at the yacht clubs (where I worked) and on The Vineyard (where I day tripped).
Mine is an 87. 117,000 miles. All original. Lots of records. No rust. All it needs is an alignment and some floor mats. That's it. I spent 12 hours, it is a BIG car, cleaning the inside and outside.
Leather cleaner and Lexol on the leather. Carpet cleaner on all the carpet. Outside, it got a wash, a polish with my buffer and then a final application of Klasse. I'm going for protection, not ultimate shine.
Once it was all clean I hooked it up with my Harbor Freight tow bar and gave it a go. I couldn't even tell I was towing something. Fantastic.
First race is the 27th. A three hour enduro. Now I have something to tow a potentially damaged car home with. Knock on wood and all that though.
