History Car Carriers of Yesteryear

Wow, thanks for the info. Would you know what the turbine engine was in this thing?

 

Judging by the scallops in the fenders I believe they are '34 Pontiacs.

 

It was a GT-601 built by Garrett AirResearch. I believe at that time both Mack and Garrett were owned by the same corporation or at least had close corporate ties. The GT-601 was rated at 550 HP. The problem was that the truck couldn't efficiently use all 550 Hp at 80,000 lbs, and thus the economies of scale didn't work out in the turbines favor. Remember, that this was at a time when alot of trucks on the road were running around with 6-71 Detroit's rated at 238 Hp or 285 Hp 6-71 turbos and Mack's own Maxidyne Diesel topped out at 300 Hp.

And before I am accused of stealing a thread. How about a Mack with a load of Packards...

 

....FrozenMerc.... Mack's own Maxidyne Diesel topped out at 300 Hp.....

That takes me back to the late '60s when I drove for Guignard Freight Lines in Charlotte. They had a couple Maxidynes with 5 speed transmissions. All the other trucks in their fleet had 10 or 13 speed trans. It's still hard to believe the Mack engine had enough torque to get away with that.
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Thanks for the info. So true. Truck engines have come a long way since then. I worked on a few Thermodynes and Maxidynes as a kid. Interesting engines.

 

Especially when the older Thermodyne's were notorious for having a very narrow power band and for burning holes through the pistons if they were ran outside of that power band for too long. The Maxidyne was a huge leap forward in performance for Mack.

Here his another pic of a heavily modified Car hauler. Looks like a '51-'52 Ford cab moved up and forward, with a load of T-birds.

 

Interesting to see that not all early T-Birds came with wide whites and wire wheels!

 

Kiwi Kev, Can you tell me how recent was that photo and what event ?

 

Yes, Convoy built a number of custom rigs -- wild stuff, too. This one is similar in concept to the International Sightliner. Car Carriers Part II coming soon, invite your input.

 

Kiwi Kev,
That thing is beautiful.

 

Ford may have been deeper into turbines than we know. I have been in there turbine dyno building. Its currently used by an FRC robotics team. I believe there were at least 6 dyno cells maybe more. The fire escape posters are still labeled turbine dyno test cell ect.

I used to work at Williams International. Talking to one of the old timers he worked on a chrysler and GM turbine for medium duty trucks and a smaller GM turbine for cars. he said it would fit in a suitcase. I have never been able to find any info on either. Chrysler did have a brief flirt with turbines again with the patriot.

http://green.autoblog.com/2007/08/0...-hybrid-drive-le-mans-racer-from-the-mid-90s/

http://www.allpar.com/model/patriot.html

 

Any idea where it is now?

 

last I heard it was parked on a back lot at Ford

 

According to Lee Holman it was sold locally in the Charlotte area. I remember seeing it sitting outside for a long period of time and Mother Nature had her way with it. There is no knowledge what happened to it afterwards. Lee does not believe it was the only one built.

 

My wife bought me this picture for Christmas.


Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

I worked for Convoy Company in the 70's and 80's. The old time drivers referred to the sleeper in these flat nose mid engine trucks as "The Coffin."

 

Wow, great first-hand info. Priceless! Could you make a guess how many of the mid-engine rigs were built?

 

I can remember my dad taking me down to the shipyard to watch them unload the Chevrolet Vegas. Then he took me down to Scuncio Chevrolet when he picked up his new Vega , I had told him to get the hopped up version it came with a 350 V-8 but it was to much $$$ I think it was $3995 he ended up getting a red Vega GT. The car was the biggest POS the dealer ended up putting in 2 motors under warrenty and my dad ended up trading it in on a Pinto from Tasca Ford. He never ever bought another Cherolet after that Vega

 

The Vega was sort of a bust and its transportation system never caught on either, but it did produce a few things, like the Delco no-fill battery.

 

Be sure to checkout the other "Car Carrier" picture threads here on the H.A.M.B.:

* Vintage Car Carriers (started by @retro54 in March 2009)

* Old Auto Transport photos (started by @bobwop in November 2009)

* Vintage Cabovers & Transporters (started by @Jive-Bomber in November 2009)​

 

Not exactly a "Car Carrier of Yesteryear" ... but HAMBer @rich roberts built his own interpretation of one ... starting with a 1941 GMC COE and an old 3-axle farm trailer:

click thumbnails to enlarge​

 

the place is pomona, but what show? i did see one at the lars this year. sorry about answering for kiwi.

 

Kiwi Kev has answered it for me. Fathers Day Pomona.

 

Scuncio was one of the companies that modified NEW Vegas for the 350

http://chevyvega.wikia.com/wiki/V8_Vegas

Wife's cousin had a Vega GT with a 4-sp and it was a helluva lot better car than my wife's 72 Vega with a sickly 4cyl and 2-sp auto.

That POS thing was overheating badly.....and when it was just 2 years old we couldn't even go faster than 55 on the Interstate driving to Omaha to trade the thing off. It puked coolant all over when we pulled into the dealership. Told the wife to go on in and I'd move the car to a less conspicuous place, although I'm sure they saw me moving it.

Traded it off on a 74 Nova Hatchback which was a whole different story. Nice car for the time. Silver and black. That thing would move!
Wouldn't mind having it again.

 

Wow, photo of the day.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wn8TI_ivQfM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Xb2HZCM56c

Found on You Tube.