Classic and vintage car towing in Adelaide
A car that has sat in a shed for ten years comes out on flat tyres with its brakes stuck to the drums. We plan for that, and we take our time around the paint.
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In short
A classic car that won’t run can still be moved: the winch draws it up a tilt tray and straps go over the tyres, clear of chrome and paint. SA Best Towing moves hot rods, show cars and long-stored project cars around Adelaide from its Angle Park yard. Mention flat tyres or seized brakes when you book.
What we move
- Hot rods and street rods
- Restored classics
- Vintage cars from the 1920s and 1930s
- Holdens, Falcons and Valiants
- Project cars and barn finds
- Show cars heading to an event
- Cars that haven’t run in years
A red roadster loaded at dusk
This 1930s-style roadster sits on the tray with its tan soft top up, black guards, whitewall tyres and chrome wheels. The truck’s amber beacons are on under a willow. A strap runs from the rear tyre back to the deck. On a car like this the long guards and running boards sit close to the tray as it tilts, so the winch brings it up slowly.
How classic and vintage cars go onto the tray
The tray tilts until its tail touches the road. Here’s the order it goes in for classic and vintage cars.
Check each wheel turns
Old tyres can be flat, cracked or flat-spotted, and drum brakes and handbrakes seize on. The driver checks each wheel turns before the winch takes any weight, because a locked wheel pulled up the tray ruins the tyre.
Free a stuck wheel first
A stuck wheel will sometimes free up if we back off the handbrake or rock the car. Tell us about any wheel that won’t turn when you book, so the driver can plan the load.
Hook the winch to something solid
The winch hooks to a solid point on the chassis or axle. Chrome bumpers, grilles and nudge bars aren’t built to take the pull.
Strap the tread, clear of the spokes
Once the car levels out, straps go over the tyre tread. On wire wheels and painted rims the strap stays on rubber, away from the spokes and the paint.
What the driver watches for
Leaks from cars that have sat
A car that hasn’t run for years can weep oil, brake fluid or fuel. Tell us about any leak you already know of.
Fibreglass bodies and fresh paint
Hot rods and kit cars often wear fibreglass bodies and paint that marks at a touch. The straps go over the tyres, clear of the panels.
Soft tops and loose trim
An old soft top can tear at road speed, and loose chrome trim can lift off. If the hood is tired, put it down for the trip, and tape or remove loose trim before the truck arrives.
What changes the price
Every job is priced on the phone before it’s booked. These are the things that move the number.
- Distance from Angle Park to the car and on to the restorer, show or new owner
- Wheels that won’t turn, and time spent freeing them
- Getting the car out of a shed, backyard or tight garage
- Low ride height that slows loading
- A show or event with a set gate time
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Questions about classic and vintage cars
Answers to common questions. If yours isn’t here, ring and ask.
Can you tow a car that hasn’t run in years?
Yes, as long as we can get it to the tray. Pump the tyres up if you can, and tell us which wheels won’t turn before we come. The winch then draws the car up the tray slowly, so it doesn’t need to run.
Can you get a project car out of a backyard or shed?
Often. The tilt tray needs a straight run and firm ground behind the car to tilt and winch. If the car sits down a side path or behind a carport, the winch may not reach it, and you may need a few people to push. Send us a photo of the spot and we’ll tell you before booking.
Do you transport classic cars to shows?
We do. Tell us the event, the gate time and where the car needs to come off, and we’ll tell you on the phone whether the truck can make it. A show car travels on the tray strapped by its tyres, with nothing pressing on the paint.
Can you tow a car with wire wheels or whitewall tyres?
Straps go over the tyre tread, clear of the spokes, the knock-offs and the white sidewall. A dirty strap can mark a whitewall, so tell us when you book that it’s a show car, and look at the straps with the driver before it’s loaded.
Is a tilt tray better than a trailer for a classic car?
For a car that doesn’t run, yes. The tray tilts down to the road and the winch pulls the car on, with no steep ramps and no need to drive it. A trailer works for a driveable classic and an owner who knows their car. We’ll tell you which suits yours.
Also on the tray
Car towing
Sedans, hatches, sports cars, EVs and hybrids, carried on the tray with all four wheels off the road.
Ute towing
Dual cabs, single cabs, work utes with canopies and performance utes, strapped by the tyres on the tray.
Tractor transport
Tractors carried on the tilt tray, from working farm machines to vintage restorations, driven or winched up by us.
Related services
- Specialty vehicle towingPrestige, performance, lowered and electric cars, loaded low and strapped by the wheels.
- Unregistered car towingUnregistered, non-running or no-key cars carried on the tray, from the seller’s shed to your garage.
- Tilt tray towingThe whole vehicle rides flat on the tray, wheels off the road. A second one can follow on the rear lift.