C20 for towing

[Z28 Guy]

I have several questions. Im new here as well. First post

I gets a profit share bonus in Feburary. Im go be in the market for a C20 pickup. However, i do have some expectations out the truck. I have a camaro and a 20ft car hauler that i will tow to big stick shift races.

I was go source a cat eye truck but a quick look into marketplace i notice something about the 5.3/4L60E trucks. The tranmission always have issues and im not a fan on sensors anyway so im going old school.

I will be towing sometimes 400 miles or so one way to race my car.

What engine and tranmission would/should i be after in a C20 to haul my car and trailer with ease?

Also if anyone have a C20 for sale i will interested in taking a look at it...

Here is a pic of my car and trailer

 

[ebodell08]

I am probably right the right guy to chime in on this one but I would go with a 454/TH400 for the drivetrain. If you are not daily driving it the mileage counts less. Admittedly I am old school though and as I get older the "older school" I seem to get. Heck I don't even like power windows, seats, and locks.....

 

[Midnightmoon]

If towing is your primary goal with the truck you are going to purchase, then as much as it pains me to say it, I'd dump the idea of a square and pick yourself a modern 1/2 ton of your favorite flavor. It will be a much better platform for you to start out with, especially if your plan is to tow 400 miles away on a regular basis. And the weight of your trailer and car needs nothing more than even the most basic modern platform.

With that said, if you are set on a square as your tow vehicle, anything from the 454 mentioned above to an LS Swap truck will do fine. Just be prepared for the maintenance required on these older vehicles to keep them running cool and towing reliably.

 

[Grit dog]

If you're insistent on intentionally using an antique truck as a tow vehicle, then for that load, a C20 is a good chassis. What engine and trans is wholly dependent on what you find and what you plan on doing to it....and how fast you pull. Guessing mountains and altitude aren't part of the equation given your location, so that helps.
A big block is not needed, not will it be the most economical to fix/operate. BUT, if you're planning on something stock, 70s-80s, then a big block would be advisable with the low HP engines of the era.

But, given the option, I would not want the discomfort and issues involved with high mile towing and a 30-50 year old truck. To even consider it, would require finding the "right" one and spending some time and money with it, or spending alot of time and money on an average Square.

 

[Grit dog]

That said, are you towing with your '76 454 now?
As now is not an economical time to buy most any newer vehicle, I can see using what you have, or investing a bit in a classic...for the time being.

 

[Z28 Guy]

I dont have a truck im currently towing with. Someway another that comes up...

 

[Shorty81]

Welcome from Ohio. Big block, SM465 tranny

 

[Frankenchevy]

Any major grades on that 400 mile tow?

Just about any 20/30 73-87 should be fine with that tow on flat ground, given the truck’s mechanicals are in factory condition. A crew cab long bed will have less capacity. A c30 single cab will have the most.

 

[Bennyt]

I'd look into adding a Gearvendors to a th400. 6 gears you can tow with including an od for increased mpg.

 

[scrap--metal]

A friend of mine used a K20 as his primary tow vehicle for decades until about 5 or 6 years ago. He'd take the K20 and tow his drag car in an enclosed trailer from Minnesota to Ohio, and other drag strips closer to home. His K20 has a 350 and a TH400 and it always did fine.

The catch was he'd only do 55 or 60mph. A modern 1 ton diesel has now become his primary tow vehicle.

What engine and tranmission would/should i be after in a C20 to haul my car and trailer with ease?

TH400 is the transmission you want. The engine depends on how fast you want to be able to drive.

 

[Z28 Guy]

Any major grades on that 400 mile tow?

Just about any 20/30 73-87 should be fine with that tow on flat ground, given the truck’s mechanicals are in factory condition. A crew cab long bed will have less capacity. A c30 single cab will have the most.

From Mississippi to Bowling Green Kentucky... some hills around nashville but nothing too crazy

 

[Frankenchevy]

I'd look into adding a Gearvendors to a th400. 8 gears with 7 you can tow with including an od for increased mpg.

I’m confused how you get 8 gears and an OD with a GV on a th400. You mean 6 forward gears, right?

 

[Frankenchevy]

From Mississippi to Bowling Green Kentucky... some hills around nashville but nothing too crazy

If power levels are left at stock smog era levels, a 454 will be your best bet and likely net the same fuel economy when towing as smaller displacements. However, without major grades, just about anything will work. If there are long grades, you’d have to decide if slowing down under the speed limit on long grades with a SBC is safe or not.

 

[AuroraGirl]

I have several questions. Im new here as well. First post

I gets a profit share bonus in Feburary. Im go be in the market for a C20 pickup. However, i do have some expectations out the truck. I have a camaro and a 20ft car hauler that i will tow to big stick shift races.

I was go source a cat eye truck but a quick look into marketplace i notice something about the 5.3/4L60E trucks. The tranmission always have issues and im not a fan on sensors anyway so im going old school.

I will be towing sometimes 400 miles or so one way to race my car.

What engine and tranmission would/should i be after in a C20 to haul my car and trailer with ease?

Also if anyone have a C20 for sale i will interested in taking a look at it...

Here is a pic of my car and trailer

if you get a 1980 or newer square, look for C6P chassis RPO, C6p has larger rear brakes, and likely heavier springs, shocks, better frame strength , and also may weed out low end drivetrains since they had a better standard engine option than c20 normally, also would have power steering standard(iirc c20 may have been ps if you equipped things but maybe could have manual steering if it was bare bones?) If you want a crew cab tho, then i believe they had basically c6p since the added length/weight but just something to keep in mind if they have intact SPID labels

 

[AuroraGirl]

If towing is your primary goal with the truck you are going to purchase, then as much as it pains me to say it, I'd dump the idea of a square and pick yourself a modern 1/2 ton of your favorite flavor. It will be a much better platform for you to start out with, especially if your plan is to tow 400 miles away on a regular basis. And the weight of your trailer and car needs nothing more than even the most basic modern platform.

With that said, if you are set on a square as your tow vehicle, anything from the 454 mentioned above to an LS Swap truck will do fine. Just be prepared for the maintenance required on these older vehicles to keep them running cool and towing reliably.

if a modern half ton, id say definitely check on its brake sizes, axle ratio/strength, springs in the back, and the tires it has on at the time or make sure you are putting good tires on incase they are P-metric or just not suited tires for the task. but otherwise his weight he wants to pull could be handled decently Probably, but if he wanted to do more weight a 3/4 ton may be wise