More Vintage Photos

Wow, Thanks for the old photos, if that does not get your trailer juices flowing, then your on the wrong forum!

I just towed my Mallard with the 1957 Ford Ranch Wagon this past weekend across the friendly freeways of Southern California. My car needs to have a major improvement in the rear view towing mirror department, so I can make safe lane changes. In looking at almost every old photo of a car pulling a seven foot wide trailer, they used "nothing but stock mirrors"! What's up with that, you cannot see around a seven foot wide trailer, maybe people just gave you more room and courtesy when you were pulling a trailer back in the 1940's and 50's.

The trailer being towed by the Plymouth station wagon that's parked in front of a Plymouth dealership is the NHRA Safety Safari that toured the nation following the drag racing circuit back in the 1950's promoting drag racing, and NOT street racing. It has been restored to it's original Red and White condition, and is on display at the NHRA museum in Pomona, CA.

John almost everybody back in the day had a set of clamp on mirrors that clamps over fender at hood edge and into the wheel well allowing them to safely tow their trailer I just sold my last set about four year ago. They worked very well if properly adjusted and tightened.

John the ones we had, had hooks about an inch and a half wide with thin rubber (around an 1/8  thick) glued to them. The rubber was wider than the hooks by 3/16 to a 1/4 inch. Never seen one scratch a car, except for a guy that didn't tighten the turn buckle tight enough and they came loose and damaged the fender. They also made some that hooked to the doors but they were in the road all the time. I liked the fender mounts better and I liked the ones with aluminum arms and a turn buckle much better that the ones that used a strap to retain them. It seem like the straps slipped or stretched in the rain and the mirror came loose.
I think I m going to make a pair of horns that will fasten to the front bumper frame horns and come up a couple of inches outside the fenders supporting a mirror head. I will bolt them on when towing trailer, then remove when cruising. Also may cover arms with rubber or something similar to pipe insulation just in case the would bump fender going on or off. They will be ugly but very acceptable when towing trailer I believe. Also considering mounting to frame behind front wheels but far enough forward to miss open door.  They will have to be strong enough to resist vibration.