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    1. #1
      Join Date
      Dec 2004
      Location
      HILLBILLY HOLLYWOOD, TENNESSEE!!!
      Posts
      2,043

      No Wonder Vega's were a POS!

      GM shipped them like the Sardines they were!

      Mike

      Remember, "Drive Fast, Turn Heads, Break Hearts!"

      www.musclecardeals.com


    2. #2
      Join Date
      May 2000
      Posts
      4,151
      Country Flag: United States
      That's cool. I wonder if any came unhooked.

    3. #3
      Join Date
      Apr 2005
      Location
      USA
      Posts
      4,462
      Country Flag: United States
      I didn't know they shipped them on their noses ..
      How'd that work ???
      Jeff Tate
      U.S.A.
      "The best thing about participating in these events is that you get to hang out with a group of intelligent like minded people who live to achieve things in their lives. You won't find a lazy, mean, or dumb bone in their bodies." Bret Voelkel, RideTech

    4. #4
      Join Date
      Sep 2007
      Location
      Ventura, ca
      Posts
      763
      Country Flag: United States
      I had never seen cars shipped that way before!
      I am not useless, I can still be used as a bad example!


      -Bob

    5. #5
      Join Date
      Sep 2010
      Location
      Mt. Washington, KY
      Posts
      96
      Country Flag: United States
      Quote Originally Posted by JEFFTATE View Post
      I didn't know they shipped them on their noses ..
      How'd that work ???
      From the lack of gap in the wheel wells it looks like they chained them down maybe? Whatever it is it's kinda cool.

    6. #6
      Join Date
      Mar 2010
      Location
      San Gabriel Valley CA
      Posts
      148
      Country Flag: United States
      Wow? I wonder if the cost benefit was worth it? Seems like alot of labor and risk.
      Mike Lara

    7. #7
      Join Date
      Dec 2004
      Location
      Midwest
      Posts
      2,263
      Country Flag: United States
      See the GT with the black stripe?
      Kevin Oeste
      V8 Speed and Resto Shop
      V8TV
      Muscle Car Of The Week
      V8 Radio Podcast

      All about us:
      https://www.v8speedshop.com


    8. #8
      Join Date
      Apr 2010
      Location
      Pittsburgh, PA
      Posts
      717
      haha, that hilarious...never would I have thought that's how they shipped some cars back in the day..
      72 buick skylark
      twin-turbo fuel injected buick 350..perhaps stroked to 370 in the works!

    9. #9
      Join Date
      Sep 2006
      Location
      Indiana
      Posts
      2,670
      Country Flag: United States
      That's pretty cool actually.
      Herb

      1966 El Camino LS408/T56Magnum
      1966 Chevelle 509/T56Magnum
      1963 C10 454/4L80

      PHR CHP CHP youtube


    10. #10
      Join Date
      Apr 2010
      Location
      Pittsburgh, PA
      Posts
      717
      it actually is.
      72 buick skylark
      twin-turbo fuel injected buick 350..perhaps stroked to 370 in the works!

    11. #11
      Join Date
      May 2005
      Location
      Fontana, CA
      Posts
      4,960
      Country Flag: United States
      Looks like they could transport 2x the cars for the same space. I bet you could do it with civics and Corollas nowadays.
      Nick R.
      69 Camaro - 383, 700R4, 12 bolt 3.55, Hotchkis, Bilstein, Global West, Morris Classic
      08 HHR SS - Still Stock for now
      Do you still believe in all the things that you stood by before? Are you out there on the front lines, or at home keeping score?
      Do you care to be the layer of the bricks that seal your fate? Would you rather be the architect of what we might create?

    12. #12
      Join Date
      Oct 2004
      Location
      Macon, Ga.
      Posts
      8,085
      Country Flag: United States
      They must have shipped them without oil, etc? Maybe the chemical reaction during the shipping sped up the rust process. I have never seen many that were not rust buckets, even back in the day.
      Bill

      Trailers are for BOATS!

    13. #13
      Join Date
      Dec 2005
      Location
      Maryland
      Posts
      1,863
      Country Flag: United States
      Maybe thats why the engines failed so quickly also, kinda hard on the thrust, on an aluminum block. I still love these little cars, the fact that the iron worms took most of them away, makes them harder to come by. The Monza's, Vega's and Pinto's were it for the American compacts of the 70's, total POS, but nothing a little Pro Touring tech. couldn't fix.
      Ron Schwarz

    14. #14
      Join Date
      Aug 2007
      Location
      Niles, Michigan
      Posts
      143
      Country Flag: United States
      Quote Originally Posted by vintageracer View Post
      No Wonder Vega's were a POS! GM shipped them like the Sardines they were!



      Below is some info on the shipping of the Vega copied from Wikipedia.

      Vert-A-Pac

      The Vega was designed to be shipped vertically, nose down. Special rail cars known as Vert-A-Pac cars designed jointly between General Motors and Southern Pacific and held 30 Vegas versus 18 in normal tri-level autoracks. Each Vega was fitted with four removable, cast-steel sockets inserted into the undercarriage.[103]

      30 Vegas in a single Vert-a-pac



      Vegas loaded on Vert-a-pac


      Chevrolet conducted vibration and low-speed crash tests to make sure nose-down Vegas wouldn't shift or be damaged in railcar collisions. Chevrolet's goal was to deliver Vegas topped with fluids and ready to drive to the dealership. To do this Vega engineers had to design a special engine oil baffle to prevent oil from entering the No. 1 cylinder, batteries had filler caps located high up on the rear edge of the case to prevent acid spilling, the carburetor float bowl had a special tube that drained gasoline into the vapor canister during shipment, and the windshield washer bottle stood at a 45 degree angle. Plastic spacers were wedged in beside the powertrain to prevent damage to engine and transmission mounts. The wedges were removed when cars were unloaded. The rail car doors were opened and closed via forklift.[104]



      Here's the link to the complete info the Wiki has on the Chevy Vega if you want to read it in it's entirety.
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Vega

    15. #15
      Join Date
      Aug 2006
      Location
      Easton, PA
      Posts
      989
      Country Flag: United States
      it's a shame that all the effort that the engineers went through to ensure safe transport couldn't have been applied to making a better product.
      vegas rusted on the dealer lots, the unlined aluminum cylinders scored easily, and lots of other stuff I've read about but don't remember (d'oh!)
      Keith C.

    16. #16
      Join Date
      Apr 2005
      Location
      USA
      Posts
      4,462
      Country Flag: United States
      That could have been a good car , if they'd just got the bugs out of it.
      It was ahead of its time .
      The technology just wasn't available to meet the requirements set forth for the car.
      Jeff Tate
      U.S.A.
      "The best thing about participating in these events is that you get to hang out with a group of intelligent like minded people who live to achieve things in their lives. You won't find a lazy, mean, or dumb bone in their bodies." Bret Voelkel, RideTech

    17. #17
      Join Date
      Mar 2006
      Location
      memphis
      Posts
      341
      That is a cool method of shipping
      Dave

    18. #18
      Join Date
      Apr 2001
      Location
      Central CA USA
      Posts
      6,114
      Country Flag: United States
      They had one of the first side terminal batteries, but the vent caps were to the rear of the battery top so it wouldn't leak when the car was shipped on it's nose.
      67 Camaro RS that will be faster than anything Mary owns.

    19. #19
      Join Date
      Aug 2004
      Location
      Ontario, Canada
      Posts
      2,314
      Country Flag: Canada
      Say what you like about the Vega and it's siblings. I see more of them every year than the Japanese imports of the same era.
      Rusting on the dealers lot!? Urban myth.
      The much maligned (although imperfect) aluminum block!? GM sold the technology to Porsche.
      POS!? Perhaps, but they do have potential. Take a look at what it takes to beat Jeff Schwartz's Flying Turd.
      The main reason you don't see many today is because they were throw away cars, just like the Corollas of the same period.

      Ken
      If there is a hard way to do something, I'll find it!
      My other car is a Vega.

    20. #20
      Join Date
      Oct 2004
      Location
      stanwood, wa
      Posts
      324
      don't forget 71 was motor trends car of the year.

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