The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

OrthoSean wrote:Volvo wagons are great! I've borrowed my Dad's V-70 to haul machines in the past, then I ended up getting rid of my Lincoln for something more practical, a Subaru Outback wagon. This past October, I hauled home an Edison W-19 and a VV-XVIII home from New Jersey along with a few boxes of records, they were a tight fit, but we all made it home safely!

Sean

My wife, my son, and I each drive a Subaru Forester. In the winter here in New York State, you can't beat the all-wheel drive, and there's a surprising amount of room in them. My previous vehicle (until this past spring) was a Chevy Astro van, but they stopped making them... Now there was a vehicle you could really load up! And it had 256,000 on the clock when I traded it in - - but still ran like a watch.

George P.

phonogfp wrote:In the winter here in New York State, you can't beat the all-wheel drive, and there's a surprising amount of room in them.
George P.

Absolutely, plowing through snowy roads is a no-brainer in one of these, a dusting and my Lincoln was all over the place.

Now, did I mention my '91 Civic hatchback that I once hauled home a 10-35 in? It was actually hanging out of the back out the car. I got pulled over driving through downtown Saratoga with it and the cop was more interested in what I had then the fact I may have been breaking an auto safety law ! I didn't get a ticket and we made it home safely that day, too.

Sean

phonogfp wrote: And it had 256,000 on the clock when I traded it in - - but still ran like a watch.

George P.

ah, so it had a dead battery every year, the timing was a little off, and the glass was all scratched up.

I'm a mini-van driver and I'm proud of it.

When sufficiently motivated, you can probably find a way to bring most any phonograph home.

That's the way!!

George P.

Since this has turned into a hauling thread, I'll tell you my story...

I was all set to drive to Union. I had my full size ¾ ton four door pickup with 8' box and a canopy and I was pulling a 14' covered tandem axle cargo trailer. I already had all my sale items as well as things from at lease six other northwest collectors. With less than a week until departure, a friend from work asked if I could bring back a 1928 Chevrolet sedan that he had recently inherited. I told him that his car would not fit in my trailer but if he secured a 24' covered car hauler, I'd pick up his car. He promptly bought a brand new trailer. The car was located in Iowa and I called the party holding it about a day before we were to arrive. He sounded rather excited and I soon understood why. Iowa was in the midst of a major flood and the flood water was about a block from his home. I was traveling with three other collectors and we didn't waste any time. Luckily, when we arrived it was not raining. I backed the trailer close to the car, we unloaded all the phono items, and pulled the car into the trailer using a come-a-long. I was the muscle behind the come-a-long, Stan Stanford steered, and Dan Melvin yelled a little to the left... a little to the right. My next job was to secure the car inside the trailer. While I did that, the rest of the crew loaded phono items into and next to the car. It worked out great. By the time we got back to Portland we had five bicycles, over fifty talking machines, record cabinets, some furniture for my next door neighbor, and a 1928 Chevrolet. My gas mileage was about 7mpg for the return trip. Jerry Blais

My wife was less than impressed when I hauled a C-19 home in the back of her brand new Mini. Just a couple of hundred kilometers in the middle of winter with the rear door open and the wheels of the machine hanging out. Lifting it up the stairs when I got home without any help was somewhat difficult. But I did it. (no help due to anger on her part)!

Did she also help you get it up the stairs?

Henry wrote:As I recall (it's been over 30 years ago), I managed to transport my prize XI in my '64 VW Beetle only by removing the passenger seat. Where there's a will....

Slightly OT, but growing up as a child in a family of six, I remember going on summer vacation to the local mountains with the six of us, my grandmother, our luggage and the family daschund all packed into our 1966 Beetle. My brother, the dog and I had the dubious honor of having to ride in the boot of the car (the tiny space behind the back seat).

As an adult, I've often wondered "What was my father thinking buying a Beetle for a family of six??"

In the 1980's, I had a 1972 Porsche 914 that was all black, had every bit of chrome on it either painted or anodized black, was lowered an inch, front air dam, polished aluminum alloy wheels with gold spinner-nuts, and had the horrible mechanical fuel injection replaced with two 2-bbl Webers. It was great fun and a real head-turner.

I had driven it to San Diego from my home in Los Angeles for a conference and stopped at the Cracker Factory Antique Mall. Lo and behold I find an Edison Army & Navy Disc Phonograph with it's record storage locker. I put the passenger seat all the way back and I tell you, if that machine would have been 1/1000 of an inch bigger in any dimension I could not have got it in there. As it was, I had absolutely no visibility in my passenger-side mirror which made for an interesting drive home in SoCal traffic. I came back a few days later in my truck for the record locker.

I don't know if Bobby or any of the other CAMPS guys frequent this board, but I am still kidded about my arrival at the Mooresville show a few years ago with a 24' trailer packed to the rafters with stuff. I'll let one of them tell that story, though!