QuestionI recently bought a 1939 buick special and I need to tow the vehicle about 300 miles on a tow dolly, Can I just put it in neutral or do I need to disconnect the driveshaft? If so how do I do it. How does the joint seperate?
AnswerBuick used an enclosed driveline in those years (and many years beyond that), which makes it very difficult to disconnect the driveshaft. You have to raise the rear of the body high enough to unfasten the whole rear axle assembly, roll it back far enough to disconnect the front and rear connections to the driveshaft, remove the inner driveshaft, then put the whole assembly back together without the driveshaft.
The process involves so much work that you are much wiser to simply move the car on a flatbed trailer or tow truck.
Some folks have gotten away with towing these cars backwards, but doing that puts an enormous strain on the front suspension, and I don't advise it. It is common to do serious damage to the front end by towing the car with the back end elevated and the front end on the pavement - any bump will overstress the suspension.
You could tow it in neutral for a few miles, perhaps 50, without doing damage to the transmission, then stop and run the engine to circulate the lubricant in the transmission, then go another 50 miles etc, assuming you verified that the grease levels are correct in both the differential and transmission. If the engine doesn't run but will turn, and assuming the clutch is working, you can stop every 50 miles and put the transmission in high gear, tow the car a mile or so that way to circulate the transmission grease, then take it out of gear again. If you do it this way, remove the spark plugs from the engine so it will turn easily.
One further caution - most tow dollies are rated for a 3500 pound vehicle, which the Buick exceeds by at least 1000 pounds, depending on which body style.
Even if you have a very special tow dolly, which is rated for a 5000 pound vehicle, a tow dolly is a very tricky item to tow, and you should have at least a 3/4 ton truck to tow it with. (This is also true if you use a flatbed trailer).
If you have a half ton truck with a load equalizing hitch and a trailer brake controller could probably do it safely if you drive very cautiously, with either type of tow rig, but I'd keep it under 45 MPH, and be sure the trailer brakes are hooked up and working, and slow down to 35 before going down any hills!
I hope this is helpful, and please be careful!
Dick (who has towed a LOT of dead cars home long distances over the last 60 years!)
