By the time you see this, my wife and I should be an hour or two into a seven hour trek to Salmanca, NY to pick up BangShift’s newest piece of project iron, a 1968 C50 Chevy tow truck we’re calling Brutus. The 480-mile trip should be interesting in the old wrecker which has the same drivetrain as our current big, dumb truck Goliath. That means the truck will do about 60mph flat out on the highway, so we’re going to be taking our time on the way home, whether we like it or not.
Read the whole story and see a big photos gallery of our 1968 C50 wrecker “Brutus” here!
Through the wonders of modern technology, you’ll be able to follow Kerri and I on our (hopefully) excellent adventure to western NY and back! We’re going to post updates from the road here, but for the most up to date info on our exact position, simply look at the map below. We’re using some tracking software on our iPhone to let you all peek in on the trip.
Scroll down to read our update from the road on Friday.
SUNDAY NIGHT UPDATE: – We made it home! Brutus, the 1968 C50 wrecker my wife and I scooped up in westerny NY state on Friday rumbled home at an average speed of about 60mph without any real issues. Sure, the truck averaged an awesome 6mpg, and a couple of the large grades had ol’Brutus panting for breath (35mph!) by the time we crested them, but the C50 never quit running, all the lights worked, the seat is pretty damned comfortable, and the only thing we added was a splash of brake fluid and two quarts of oil after the first 300 miles.
The truck rides way different, for the better, from Goliath. The heavy wrecker body certainly helps to soften things in the rear, and the front spring package is damned near Cadillac-esque when compared to the ’66! The truck rides like a one ton pickup, although with the old bias-plys on the front, it got hairy at times on the highway when grooved or uneven pavement was encountered.
So yeah, we got 6mpg over the course of the 500 mile ride and the truck is slower than the creeping death. Goliath, while lacking top end speed, accelerates decently, so what is the difference here? Well, Goliath has a 7.20 rear gear while Brutus, as we learned after we got home, has a 6.17. The truck falls on its face in 3rd gear and really lays down in 4th where Goliath pulls through all the gears right up to a top end of about 58 at full song. We were actually able to hit 65 a couple times on the flats. There is no tach in the truck and the big stock muffler kills most of the sound, but we are guessing that at 65, the truck was turning 32-3400rpm. Goliath turns that at 58-59.
Long story short, we cannot wait to stuff a yeoman big block in this thing!
In the coming days, you’ll get the whole story with all the details. There are a couple new photos below!
FRIDAY UPDATE – Well today was a great first day of ownership in the life of Brutus. Kerri and I hauled for about eight hours straight (minus a stop for a horrific Subway sandwich and to recycle soda) to get to the truck, which was located in Salamanca, NY. Lots of you followed along with us, which was very cool!
Upon arrival to the truck I discovered that Rick, the seller had been 100% upfront and honest in our dealings. There’s some rot on the driver’s side rocker, which will be bondo repaired shortly after getting home, the tires, especially the rears are horrifying, the reason I loaded a couple of Goliath’s meats into the back of the family truckster. The fuel pump is a hot wired Mr Gasket low pressure electric pump, and the wrecker body is in fine shape and totally complete.
I surveyed the fluids situation, finding oil at full level, coolant at full level, and the master cylinder dry. Rick told me that the front wheel cylinders are leaky and he was not lying. After sitting for about 6 months, the master was dry. I filled it, put the cap back on and went about crawling over the rest of the truck, bolting my license plates to it, and inspecting the rig. Everything looked great.
The battery was dead when we got to the truck due to a tire kicker who hooked up the hot wired fuel pump and never unhooked it, so we slapped the jumper cables to the truck and the Pacifica, let it stew for about 1 minute, pumped the pedal twice, hit the key and VROOM…it rumbled to life. I let it sit and idle for 25-30 minutes monitoring the oil pressure, temp, and using a short wood dowel against the oil pan to discern any bad noises. All was good. I disengaged the emergency brake, shifted into reverse, let the clutch out and the truck moved free. The shifter is very tight, leading me to believe that thing thing really has 40,000 miles on it. There’s no slop whatsoever.
After checking the brakes with Kerri pumping the pedal, I was comfortable enough to drive it off. The tires scared the hell out of me, but I figured we could get a 20 mile drive done at low speeds and be OK. The 292 runs like a clock (so far) but is very anemic. I have a feeling that the air cleaner is totally choking the thing out, and I will inspect in the morning.
The truck made the ride to the hotel without a hiccup and at speeds approaching 55mph (what did we say about low speeds?). It runs straight down the road, and I could drive it with one hand on the wheel and the other ape hanging from the west coast style mirror.
I will be uploading photos on Saturday morning after working on the truck. As of right now, the only photos I have would be duplicates of the gallery posted above.
OH, I forgot to mention that this baby has the proper “old car smell”, you know what I mean, that smell that every 1960s GM product has, this thing emits. A fine scent, indeed!
The map does not self update, simply click refresh to see us hauling along (hopefully!)
Stay tuned right here for photos and updates from the great BangShift wrecker recovery mission V1.0 !
GPS tracking powered by InstaMapper.com
Brian…you are a lucky man….enjoy Kerri…I will be thinking of you….
TOLLROAD? I hope you’re not taking tollroads on the way back with BRUTUS – that might cost you more than gas!
Make a course correction of 2* clockwise 😉
74mph….I thought NY had a state speed limit of 55. That darn iPhone gps must be off.
The lucky couple must have stopped for lunch?
no updates for 34 minutes…. last time I checked – they were at a toll booth – speed was zero. Amazing you can zoom in and see that level of detail. I wonder if we’ll be able to see the sparks from the crapifica while Brutus is towing it home… : )
That’s too funny!! Ath this moment you’re about 2 miles from my house!
If you need anything on your way back though, let me know!
You may want to pull the Drivers Alert sticker off the Murano!
Less than 100 miles to go, nothing really to report except some clanging of tools in the back of my fabulous Pacifica. Here’s hoping we don’t need them!
From where your picking the truck up its only a 3 hour drive to Akron home of Summit racing…. candy store for gear heads….
Also if you have time stop and look around – its a beautiful part of the counrty.
I saw you at 75 mp/h! Don’t think you got away with it unnoticed… Must have been going down hill I’ll bet because the next time I looked you were at 43 mp/h.
Stopped at a rest area just after I posted, apparently the 75 mp/h was more exciting that I first thought. How’s the brakes anyway? 😉
So the speeds you dudes saw where from the ride to the truck in the Pacifica. We averaged 72-73mph most of the time on the highway. I leaned on it a little the closer we got.
My phone was deader than hell by the time we got the truck rolling. Tomorrow you’ll be seeing “truck speed” which, with the big tires on, will be about 60mph. Probably 40 on the big hills.
Looking good Brian.
Very cool having Kerri along with the
chase car.
Travel safe.
I bought and drove an 1981 GMC five yard dump 180 miles from Michigan’s thumb to Kalamazoo a few years ago with a flat inner dual, which turned out to have a shredded inner tube when I stopped to air it up. My wife driving behind me thought the tire was gonna shake off. By the way, the 427 with 5+2 got a whopping 4 mpg, but it would run 75 mph
Running a little behind schedule this morning as Brian tries to loosen two stubborn lug nuts on one of the tires that needs to be swapped out–and it’s the very worst one. While refilling the ice for the cooler, I overheard “Did you see that tow truck outside?” Heading out to check on Brian, I find he’s made a friends–a very nice man with a truck full of tools–on his way to a wedding! who is offering advice and use of anything he has with him. Coming back in, three women and a two-year-old cutie in pigtails are walking around the hotel parking lot to check out how Brutus is doing on their way out. And, I’ve been picked out as “The Tow Truck Guy’s Wife.” Brian is now off to buy a length of pipe to try to gain some more leverage working off the nuts. Hopefully we’re on our way soon.
Brutus is looking good with 2 new tires (phew!) Packing up and heading out soon.
We’ll be rolling in 5 minutes!
Brian is the luckiest guy in the world. Not for snagging the coolest wrecker known to man, but for having a wife who undertakes epic journeys like this one to rescue it!
Kerri you are a keeper! (not like we didn’t know that already but…)
Have fun ! Truck looks neat !
That’s awesome!
Been at the gas station for awhile, hope all is well
Drove with the convoy for an hour. Running like a raped ape.
Looks like he’s at a Gas Station on Washington Street in Troy, I hope there isn’t any problem but I’m guessing he probably got caught up in BS session, at least they have a Subway there so we know he won’t starve top death!
Thanks to the universe that we made it to Albany without major incident. Hoping the huge amount of fumes I breathed in today following Brian won’t do any permanent damage. It was nice to meet the two Jeremys today, although I did think one of them was pulling me over! Never thought I’d be part of a tow truck convoy…maybe I should have? Brian, life is always interesting. Now take me out for dinner, please. 🙂
I know it’s none of my business but since you went to get a TOW truck, why didn’t you guys hook the Pacifica behind the tow truck and ride together in Brutus???
Doc, two reasona
1.) The truck has barely enough power at this point to lug it’s own ass up a hill, let alone the 5,000lb Pacifica.
2.) This has a tow plate on it, used to tow heavy trucks, it would literally tear the face off of the Pacifica, which would be an improvement, but Kerri is not into that idea.
Great progress!
Hot Springs tonite!
Ok……..I’m dying here………what’s the progress?
Or better yet………what was on the menu last
night?
Hopefully Kerri was treated to a Bangshift feast.
62 mpg on the Mass Pike. Be home in no time! Must be smooth sailing!
Hah! 62 mph! Probably like 5 mpg!
Can’t edit these posts.
Wow 14658mph what have you done to that thing!
Must be stuck at toll booth with the engine
revved up.
He did not tell us the tow truck was capable of ludicrous speed.
The only way that could be cooler is if the Altitude was over 30,000ft =D
Brian’s Wrecker
2011-09-04 08:28:53
(7 hours ago)
N 42.22724??
W 71.68424??
Altitude: 410 ft
Speed: 14658 mph <----- wow! (lol) Heading: 0??
He’s the God of this site, his life, his vehicles, his wife, his kids, his dreams, his house, his driveway, his trees, his tractor, his dad, his daily schedule, his world is for you to read about non-stop on his website. It’s all about Brian.
6mpg – our friends diesel pusher motorhome gets that – with all the comforts of home riding along.
Over $300 in fuel to get it home – let no one ever say Lohne’s is not committed to the preservation of vintage iron! I’m sure the tall deck 427 will do better then that on fuel – all while allowing speeds faster than the creeping death. Of course – here’s my vote for OVER DRIVE 😉
…and nobody ever said he was all that bright…
Ched is a closet homo
And my dad drove a ’65 Volkswagen. 40 horse. No wonder I turned out to be a pussy.