Vert-A-Pac: When a Terrible Car Meets a Great Idea

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Chip
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Vert-A-Pac: When a Terrible Car Meets a Great Idea

Unread post by Chip »

https://www.motortrend.com/features/che ... ert-a-pac/

It's a shame modern cars are way too big for this to still be a thing. Wouldn't it have been neat to see these being loaded and unloaded?

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DaveO
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Re: Vert-A-Pac: When a Terrible Car Meets a Great Idea

Unread post by DaveO »

That fluid issue would still exist. Auto loading facilities would need probably twice the land compared to what is used for autoracks.
The Vega made the Pinto look good.

Chip
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Re: Vert-A-Pac: When a Terrible Car Meets a Great Idea

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DaveO wrote:
Thu Apr 14, 2022 7:18 am
That fluid issue would still exist.

Well, yeah. Less so with gas because of fuel injection replacing carburetors but that's why you can engineer adaptations into the design of the car.
Auto loading facilities would need probably twice the land compared to what is used for autoracks.
Twice? Eh, maybe not. There's 2 near me that are GIGANTIC. Reconfigure the loading tracks a little bit and it could work.
The Vega made the Pinto look good.
Ah, the 70s were a lovely time in the American auto industry.

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Re: Vert-A-Pac: When a Terrible Car Meets a Great Idea

Unread post by ~Z~ »

DaveO wrote:
Thu Apr 14, 2022 7:18 am
That fluid issue would still exist.
Wonder if an electric car would be able to use one, since they have much less fluid in them. Still some, but nothing like engine oil and gas.
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Re: Vert-A-Pac: When a Terrible Car Meets a Great Idea

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~Z~ wrote:
Thu Apr 14, 2022 7:50 am
DaveO wrote:
Thu Apr 14, 2022 7:18 am
That fluid issue would still exist.
Wonder if an electric car would be able to use one, since they have much less fluid in them. Still some, but nothing like engine oil and gas.
The Vert-a-Pack fluid problems were more than fuel and engine oil. Washer solvent, brake fluid, power steering fluid, and gear oil were all either leaking out or flowing into places that fluids were not meant to be. Electric cars would suffer similar problems unless engineered for standing on end.

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Re: Vert-A-Pac: When a Terrible Car Meets a Great Idea

Unread post by DaveO »

Looking at New Boston on the google aerial image, they can handle 150 standard autoracks(x15=2250 Vegas).
My estimate using the same footprint, is that New Boston could handle 57 vertapacks(x18=1026 Vegas).
Possibly 76(x18=1368 Vegas) with a little bit of track relocation in the current footprint.

Just thinking about that many Vegas has caused me to feel sick :lol:

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Re: Vert-A-Pac: When a Terrible Car Meets a Great Idea

Unread post by Chip »

Standard Railfan wrote:
Thu Apr 14, 2022 8:43 am
~Z~ wrote:
Thu Apr 14, 2022 7:50 am
DaveO wrote:
Thu Apr 14, 2022 7:18 am
That fluid issue would still exist.
Wonder if an electric car would be able to use one, since they have much less fluid in them. Still some, but nothing like engine oil and gas.
The Vert-a-Pack fluid problems were more than fuel and engine oil. Washer solvent, brake fluid, power steering fluid, and gear oil were all either leaking out or flowing into places that fluids were not meant to be. Electric cars would suffer similar problems unless engineered for standing on end.

The fluid problem would definitely be negated by electric vehicles. For 1, nobody uses hydraulic power steering anymore outside of maybe big rigs. Gear oil wouldn't be an issue either, the electric motor replaces a traditional gear based differential. That leaves brake fluid and washer fluid. The latter can very easily be filled by a dealer, it doesn't need to be shipped full which leaves brake fluid which is a problem that can very easily be engineered for. Technology is far more advanced than it was in 1974.

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