Towing with a 1996 Oldsmobile 98

[63Sea-Ray]

Would it be possible to tow a 1963 Sea-Ray 700 (16ft) with an 1996 Oldsmobile 98?
It has the 3.8L with 230 hp. The boat is rated at 785lbs. It seems like everyone I ask and
everywhere I look on the internet gives conflicting answers. Any advice would help. Thanks!

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Towing with a 1996 Oldsmobile 98

You get conflicting answers because the real answer is IT DEPENDS!!!! While your boat may weigh 785# does that include the weight of the engine, fuel, batteries, gear, and other stuff. And that boat is sitting on a trailer which must be pulled as well so my guess is that the load is not 785# but more like 1500 - 1700. If you stay out of overdrive, you towing is on fairly flat terrain, and the hitch on the car is appropriate for the car and load, go for it.

 

[Mason78]

Re: Towing with a 1996 Oldsmobile 98

Check out this thread http://forums.iboats.com/trailers-towing/buick-le-sabre-tow-vehicle-582607.html

Guy had a similar question about towing with a Buick.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Towing with a 1996 Oldsmobile 98

That car has nothing but sheet metal in the back... I'm 99% sure the tow rating of the vehicle is 1000# just for that reason alone. The hitch will bolt into some scary thin material, and if you just step on the ball, you will see all kinds of flexing going on.

So as someone else mentioned, 'it depends'. If that is the all-up weight going down the road, yes. If that is the hull weight without engine/trailer/gas, not a chance.

 

[63Sea-Ray]

Re: Towing with a 1996 Oldsmobile 98

Thanks for the info! The trailer is a Gator brand that originally came with the boat, however I am not sure of the weight. The tires are the small trailer tires, and the ball hitch is 1-7/8". So, if that gives you any indication as to the weight. The motor is the original Johnson 75hp. I am going to estimate total package around 1,600-1,800lbs. But, I could be way off. However, I know it is not more than 2,000lbs. I bought the boat this past summer and had used my father's Suburban to pull it with. Half the time going down the road I forgot it was back there.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Towing with a 1996 Oldsmobile 98

You would be WAY past the towing max for that car... Trust me, I used to own that exact same car. Very comfortable, but absolutely not suited for towing. (see above post about attaching your frame to sheet metal.)

Unibody damage caused by a hitch bending it up is expensive to fix.

 

[jestor68]

Re: Towing with a 1996 Oldsmobile 98

The tow rating for a 1996 "88"is 1000 lbs, so I assume the "98" is about the same.

 

[briangcc]

Re: Towing with a 1996 Oldsmobile 98

Take the guesswork out of it and take your boat/trailer loaded to a public scale. Once you have the weight, you'll know if you are over your towing limit for your car.

I will say my uncle towed for a number of years with a late 90's Ford Taurus. He was pulling a 17' Sylvan (tinny) with 75HP Yamaha. He did OK but he always had me worried as I couldn't see his mirrors when following behind him as the boat was much wider than his car. That, and all that weight on the rear lifted up the front of his car. May not seem like much until you think...hey, that's a front wheel drive car and that's where the steering is :facepalm:

I certainly wouldn't do it. Look for a minivan/crossover with a 3500lb rating.

 

[jkust]

Re: Towing with a 1996 Oldsmobile 98

Also that engine has only 205 hp and 230lbs of tq. You needed the supercharged version to get 240hp and 280 tq which by the way was an amazingly fast car. I had the 97 Bonneville SSEi version with the supercharger and while it was fast to the point of scary I'd never have towed with it. The brakes weren't fantastic either. The Olds 98 was the same car as the Bonneville. Also the Bonneville/the platform had the worst turning radius of any car I've ever driven. It was inexcusably bad.