1998 S70 T5 Towing another car

[abscate]

It's little strain on the engine but a big load on the transmission of the Volvo. Maybe do three drain and fills on your trans fluid before the tow?

No auto transmission flushing on Volvos!!!!

[QuirkySwede]

It's manual, so I would just leave it in neutral and let it roll.

You might regret that. Neutral doesn't mean "nothing is spinning" rather that the motor isn't coupled to the rear (via couplings, dogs, etc.), but the shafts still spin as does the output in the transmission, and they need proper lube. It is better to drain the transmission, remove the driveshaft, and plug the output unless you are certain that the passive lubrication will be effective for 1,000 miles on a dolly incline versus bearings and gears being starved on the higher end. If you're not, hello AAMCO.

[combatkarl]

I poked around the miata.net forum (I have a Miata, but have never towed it). Wide variety of advice and experiences there. Google "miata towing healeyman" - this Miata member seems to have the best advice. From my readings on the miata forum- trailer is best, but won't work for you due to weight issues.
1. If Miata is automatic, the Miata has to be on a trailer
2. If 5 speed manual, can use dolly with rear wheels on the ground and disconnect driveshaft as QuirkySwede states.
3. If your Miata is a six-speed manual, could tow on dolly w/o disconnecting driveshaft as this transmission has "pump" that would still circulate lubricant. No implied warranties
4. Some folks have towed Miata using dolly with rear wheels on dolly and front wheels on the ground.
A dolly makes it harder to back-up so don't get "boxed-in" at your stopping places. What version (NA, NB, etc) and transmission is your Miata? I could do some more looking. Best wishes.

[abscate]

Alternatives..you could store Miata in NY, or get a cheapie air fare back to NY for less than the cost of the tow gas delta.

Don't worry about putting miles on the Miata....it's not like its a Volvo.

[MattP]

I replied to your post over on Swedespeed but just in case you didn't see it there, here is what I have to say.

I have done research on this very subject. I want to tow my miata to autocross/track events with my V70 T5m. After a great deal of research, I have determined that it is technically possible. However I was not considering towing the kind of distance you are talking about.

Here is some of the info on a tow setup that should work:

If your Miata is an NA, look here for a tow bar brace that will bolt right up to the car and allow for flat towing (all 4 wheels on the ground) the car with tow bar from here. By using the a tow bar and flat towing you remove almost all of the weight that a dolly would add so you would be looking at easily under 2500 lbs of weight to tow.

Flat towing a miata has been proven to be very easy and effective (some suggest disconnecting the drive shaft from the diff). Also, lots of Volvo people have reported towing pretty heavy loads with their p80 cars (mostly UK folks that love towing "caravans")

[TwoVolvoGuy]

Matt, by NA do you mean naturally aspirated? My S70 is a T5 in that case. I'm also not familiar with the tow bar method. What attaches to the miata and what attaches to the Volvo? Do I still need a tow package for the S70?

[TwoVolvoGuy]

I poked around the miata.net forum (I have a Miata, but have never towed it). Wide variety of advice and experiences there. Google "miata towing healeyman" - this Miata member seems to have the best advice. From my readings on the miata forum- trailer is best, but won't work for you due to weight issues.
1. If Miata is automatic, the Miata has to be on a trailer
2. If 5 speed manual, can use dolly with rear wheels on the ground and disconnect driveshaft as QuirkySwede states.
3. If your Miata is a six-speed manual, could tow on dolly w/o disconnecting driveshaft as this transmission has "pump" that would still circulate lubricant. No implied warranties
4. Some folks have towed Miata using dolly with rear wheels on dolly and front wheels on the ground.
A dolly makes it harder to back-up so don't get "boxed-in" at your stopping places. What version (NA, NB, etc) and transmission is your Miata? I could do some more looking. Best wishes.

1,2. Thankfully my Miata is a NA, 1994 5 speed manual.
3. So the rear wheels can't freely roll safely with the transmission in neutral? That seems no different than when the car is on.
4. The reverse option would not exist I suppose, that is way too hard.

[abscate]

Most manuals are splash lubricated by sump in the gearbox.

You should check with Miata experts on this to see if this is the case. If it is, tow away.

[MattP]

Matt, by NA do you mean naturally aspirated? My S70 is a T5 in that case. I'm also not familiar with the tow bar method. What attaches to the miata and what attaches to the Volvo? Do I still need a tow package for the S70?

By NA, I mean the series of the miata, all 90-97 miatas are referred to as the "NA" series. It has nothing to do with them all also being naturally aspirated.

In my post above, the first link is for the bracket that attaches to the frame of the miata. Once this is on there it never needs to be removed. The second link is for the tow bar. That connects to the bracket on the miata and to a normal tow hitch on the volvo. So yes, you would need a tow package on your volvo.

As far as lubrication for the miata trans while flat towing, there have been many discussions on this. From what I read, many people have towed their 5 speed miatas with the drive shaft connected and had no problems at all.

[DrJammer]

I personally would never put a hitch on a S70 T5, let alone tow anything with it. This mission sounds like high risk for both cars. I would really really research options to get the car down there flatbed, ride share, or any other measure. A 1K mile tow could easily leave you with a light wallet and 2 roughed up cars. Gas $, rentals, and temp. insurance will most likely add up to a flatbed ride with no headache.