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Interesting Auto Transport

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  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: 4610 Metre's North of the Fortyninth on the left coast of Canada
  • 9,352 posts
Posted by BATMAN on Thursday, July 18, 2013 8:54 PM

maxman

ndbprr
My reccolection of Vegas is that I am surprised it lasted long enough to rust.

 
I Googled  Chevy Vega Owners Club to see if anything came up.  Suprisingly there were several hits, so there must still be some out there.  Maybe they're the souped up Bondo models.

I have a buddy that has six of the things. His best one has a $25,000.00 engine in it for the Drag strip. He also has some brand new (still in the box) tent contraption that fits around the hatchback and makes the car a tent for camping.

And yes, over the forty years he has owned all his various Vegas, he has barely been able to keep up with the rust.

Brent

"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."

  • Member since
    February 2008
  • 8,877 posts
Posted by maxman on Thursday, July 18, 2013 6:27 PM

ndbprr
My reccolection of Vegas is that I am surprised it lasted long enough to rust.

 
I Googled  Chevy Vega Owners Club to see if anything came up.  Suprisingly there were several hits, so there must still be some out there.  Maybe they're the souped up Bondo models.
  • Member since
    September 2002
  • 7,486 posts
Posted by ndbprr on Thursday, July 18, 2013 6:06 PM
My reccolection of Vegas is that I am surprised it lasted long enough to rust.
  • Member since
    March 2002
  • From: Milwaukee WI (Fox Point)
  • 11,439 posts
Posted by dknelson on Thursday, July 18, 2013 4:51 PM

My college buddy's Vega developed a major rusted out hole basically near but above the battery; a very odd spot for rust ordinarily.  I suspect the battery acid leak had something to do with it, as I believe that was a problem area for rust with other Vegas.  Fortunately he was very skilled with Bondo.  Interesting that I have seen Pintos and Gremlins and Chrysler K cars at some car shows, but I don't know if I have ever seen a Vega.  Perhaps by now a Vega would be all Bondo. 

Dave Nelson

  • Member since
    February 2005
  • From: Southwest US
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Posted by tomikawaTT on Wednesday, July 17, 2013 1:24 AM

The verti-pac was one of those, "Good ideas that weren't."Sad

The theory was that each verti-pac would incur the same charge as a tri-level, but carry more cars.Cool

The reality was that the oil didn't leak - but the batteries did.  Oil makes a mess.  Sulfuric acid causes chaos.Oops

The really bad part was that the cars weren't fit to convert to other uses.  The end result was far more expensive than use of standard tri-levels.  (The Vega was no star, either.)Grumpy

Chuck

  • Member since
    September 2003
  • From: Omaha, NE
  • 10,621 posts
Posted by dehusman on Tuesday, July 16, 2013 9:31 PM

Vert-a-pac cars were only used for the Chevy Vega, the cars have to be specially designed so the oil wouldn't drain out of them when they were stood on their nose.  I have never seen one in use hauling cars, but the SP had lots of them used as storage or tool sheds. 

Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com

  • Member since
    September 2003
  • From: California - moved to North Carolina 2018
  • 4,422 posts
Posted by DSchmitt on Tuesday, July 16, 2013 8:44 PM

The Oct 1971 Model Railroader has an article with plans. 

Exact Rail made models in both HO scale and N scale,.  They still have some in stock

I tried to sell my two cents worth, but no one would give me a plug nickel for it.

I don't have a leg to stand on.

  • Member since
    July 2013
  • 1 posts
Interesting Auto Transport
Posted by TransAmer99 on Tuesday, July 16, 2013 5:09 PM

Saw a picture today from a Classic Car forum that showed Chevy Vegas being loaded onto a railcar for transport NOSE-DOWN in a VERTICAL position.  I've never seen that before.  The caption claimed that 30 Vegas could be shipped on a single railcar in this fashion as opposed to 18 in the normal configuration on a tri-level auto transport.  Can anyone verify this and was it used for any other American sub-compact models?

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=509195075817107&set=a.145789925490959.34480.125169120886373&type=1&theater

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