Tow hook issue

[89TRBO]

Hello! New member here, with a tow hook question:

I'm parked in a garage underground, and my '89 930 needs a tow. The factory tow hook (right front side pictured) is flush/at the same level with the bottom part of the valence/front lip (ie. same distance from ground to both).

I'd love to tow/pull it out of the garage (uphill for a bit) without damaging the valence, but don't see that happening as we go uphill. Is there anything out there/a tow hook that addresses such a thing? I've seen 911 bumpers with attachment points for tow hooks on the outside, but mine doesn't seem to have this sort of an option/no pre-drilled hole. pictures attached. Thanks in advance!

[deemsriddle]

Remove the front bumper. Several bolts and nuts, but nothing difficult. The price of a 930 precludes not taking the time to do it right. Good luck.

[89TRBO]

Fair enough. Thank you for the reply. I had a cursory look around there, might be easier said than done or just out of my comfort zone, but I will look into it further!

[jpnovak]

Do you have the factory tow hook (J hook) that goes through the bumper? Goes through PS on the front and DS in rear. Small plug in rubber strip hides the access hole.

[89TRBO]

I know of those, but I do not have one. I do not have any plugs in the rubber strip either, it is smooth from left to right, with no access points or covered ones. PS? DS?

[Bill Douglas]

Can you shove a bit of 2x4 under there to push the the tow rope down enough to clear the front lip and valance. I'm thinking, put some slight tension of the tow rope, slip the bit of 2x4 in there, then get it up the ramp. From there on you should be fine without the bit of wood.

[89TRBO]

Interesting option! ��

[JRSIII]

PS would be Passenger Side. DS would be Driver Side. Note you can just remove the valence without removing the whole bumper, but still a bit of a pain due to one bolt hidden by the PS front oil cooler.

[OldSpool87]

Can you push it out of the garage? Maybe get a couple of buddies or local kids?

[smadsen]

Engage the factory tow hook in the REAR bumper. Carefully (& slowly) pull it out the garage backwards.

[89TRBO]

From what I can see, I do not have any sort of attachment point at the rear bumper at all. Only the tow hooks under the car behind the bumper at the front. If I did, I would have used it, or if I did at the front bumper as well.

Also, I'm not sure how many people it would take to push my car up a ramp with a pretty decent turn and some built in speed bumps on it. I'd rather not take that chance.

[EC900]

Here’s what I have on the ‘77 for reference. Not sure on ‘89 if they still used these or went to the screw in type.


Another thing is that a flat bed tow truck should have up to 75 -100 feet of winch cable, they may even have dollys to gain some height and pull the veh up the ramp. They also could set the rear wheels on this dolly and roll the veh from the rim opening from the rear. Always let the driver know your concerns…they are experts and I’ve seen some stuff they do I never thought possible. Two 6’ lengths of 2x6 under the ft. wheels helped me avoid valance damage driving up a uhaul trailer.

If pushing and that’s a steep incline…I’d have someone in the driver seat to hold the brake.

[EC900]

Also…if height is your underground garage is low, a tow truck with a Stinger might fit if a conventional flat bed won’t. At least one like this may fit if the space allows, once outside it can be flatbedded.

[smadsen]

That's the tow hook I was referring to on the orange car. It's specifically engineered to be used to pull a nose down in the ditch car back up on the road. Oughta work tied to any Buick to pull a P-car out of a subterranean garage. Just put a live body in the towee in case something goes wrong. And what could go wrong?

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by EC900

Here’s what I have on the ‘77 for reference. Not sure on ‘89 if they still used these or went to the screw in type.


Another thing is that a flat bed tow truck should have up to 75 -100 feet of winch cable, they may even have dollys to gain some height and pull the veh up the ramp. They also could set the rear wheels on this dolly and roll the veh from the rim opening from the rear. Always let the driver know your concerns…they are experts and I’ve seen some stuff they do I never thought possible. Two 6’ lengths of 2x6 under the ft. wheels helped me avoid valance damage driving up a uhaul trailer.

If pushing and that’s a steep incline…I’d have someone in the driver seat to hold the brake.

My 85 Carrera has no hole in the bumper for one of those. I wish it did. Back in 1995 when I bought my 911 I bought a pair of skid plate-tow hooks that bolt onto the front of the torsion bars. In my own driveway if I don't go into the street at a maximum angle when the gas tank is full and I have a passenger it will scrape one of the skid plates.

I have often wished I had the jack pads for lifting, and some tow points. I guess Porsche figured the car never should need towing or repairs.

[ed mayo]

look in the owners manual for towing provisions

[EC900]

My front tow lugs are also driveway flattened. I worked at an airport where they would tow abandoned rental cars, they had to get a very low profile tow truck to fit under the ramps. Essentially if you were to attach a rated nylon tow strap, utilizing some additional ramp to cut the incline angle to minimum. Attaching a tow strap thru the front suspension of the ‘85 to the back of a pickup truck/suv hitch ball it would be safe enough to pull a short distance, just to get it out of the underground. Air up the tires to max get every fraction of height, go slow, I think it’s possible to do with a helper or two.

These…?