Having required a flat bed tow twice during the 4.5 years I've owned #747, I believe I've gained a lot of good experience in dealing with these situations. I occasionally read other threads that tell their own horror stories, so I thought I'd start a thread just on this topic alone.
Here are my quick suggestions and then I'll elaborate on each:
1. Have them grab it from the
back, never from the front. Refuse the service if they insist otherwise. Other precautions are in order (read further below).
2. Always keep a nylon tow strap in your trunk.
3. Request a "split bed" flat bed if your area has one available.
(1) These guys tow for a living, so I try to respect them as much as possible. The problem is that they rarely (if ever) tow a low car like a Cobra. And they literally have to work the clock hard, meaning that the FASTER they can get your tow done the more money they can make by moving onto the next job. They want to grab it and go.
Don't let them!
The angle on which they have to pull the car up the inclined tow ramp is too sharp to effectively move the car without rubbing the lower
oil cooler valance/shroud or the rear gas tank. So they have to use a combination of 2x4 and 4x4 to gradually even the angles to create a straight pull.
The ONLY problem with a reverse tow is that too high of a speed may do nasty things to your windscreen. The last tow driver insisted that I sign a waiver because he supposedly had experienced (or heard of) windscreens being ripped off at speed. I told him I'd sign anything, as we were close to my house and I knew from previous experience that at 45mph it wasn't going to be a problem. BTW, he never showed me the document. If your reverse tow will involve interstate speeds, you might want to think this one over some more. I also used the hinges on the wind wings and bent them backward so that they wouldn't flop around.
(2) The nylon strap will be your friend. It eliminates the heavy chains that the tow operator will clank onto your chassis. The chain will also rub on your gas tank, and if they don't get the angle correct, it will push up into your gas tank and possibly leave a dent. This almost happened to me and I had to scream at the operator to stop so we could reset the angle of the car. The nylon strap gives you insurance and eliminates the chains under the car. Just buy one that can handle 3,000lbs and you should be good to go. Luckily for me, the Superformance has a welded in loop/tab on the rear crossmember and makes for a perfect attachment point.
If your car does not have a good built-in provision for this, you may want to consider adding something BEFORE you get into a pickle. The track guys will tell you how to do this best.
(3) I just learned about these after my second tow recently. These rigs are built to handle exotics like Lambos, Ferraris, etc. Heck, even my daily driver C5 Z06 sits lower than my Cobra! The bed actually splits into two sections and lays virtually flat on the pavement. You just push the car by hand onto the bed, tie her down and the operator does the rest.
Getting the car off the rig can be touch and go just as much as getting it up there. TAKE YOUR TIME and make sure you have plenty of 4x4 and 2x4 to create a gradual transition. On my last tow I had no more than 1/2" of clearance to the
oil cooler shroud when I was inching the car down. Again, take it slow and don't be concerned about the driver that is worried about moving to the next call.
If the driver did a good job and treated you well, a nice cash tip never hurt. The first driver I had knew his $#@t and I was more than happy to give him and his buddy $40 for a great job. This second operator was an absolute azz and he got squat.
Also, AAA offers an optional 100 mile radius tow coverage (their "plus" coverage option). It's only something like $15-20 more per year over the base coverage and is worth every penny.
In closing, it's YOUR CAR and you have rights. Don't let some grease monkey tow operator call the shots. Be nice to them and tell them what is the best way to tow the vehicle. If they refuse to listen, then refuse their service.
Regards,
-Dean
Flatbed Tow Advice
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