Dedicated to the Holmes 485 Tow Trucks and other prewar tow trucks.
Perhaps I should dedicate it to Manley cranes as it was the Manley hand cranked wrecker that I first
used. A good friend of mine had mounted on a 1962 Ford F 350 and we were towing cars. He still runs
a wrecking yard in Monticello NY. The year was around 1973 and I was 17 years old. I did use a 1936
Cheverolet with Holmes 485 twin booms a couple years later. We used the truck to replace a motor in
a 1963 International 1600 wrecker that we had built. I was always very impressed with the engineering that
Holmes had done on the 485. The Manley boom was scrapped many years ago. The 1936 Chevy with the
Holmes was not. After almost 50 years I bought it off of my friend. The 1936 cab and chasis is a bit
too rough so I plan on mounting the booms on a 1934 Cheverolet chasis that I have aquired.
As time alows I plan on posting images and articles about the older wreckers. I will post some in-
formation but probably more questions then ansers. If anyone has something they feel I should post please
send it to me. mail@patdolan.com I do not own most of the articles or images and do not plan sell them.
I will post any information that I have about them.