You got a shout out from Hoovie and April today. A belated thank you for your support of Steve Magnante during his health crisis, keeping his channel relevant and providing much needed income to pay hospital bills. Respect !
My Dad had a '75 Vega Kammback wagon. By 1982, he had welded steel plates to fill the gaps in the rear suspension and unibody. He sold it to a friend who drove it less than a year before he tore the rear end right out of it. I can tell you that the back seat was fine for my ten year old brother, but I was 6'-2” and about 275 pounds at 14. I barely fit in the front seat...
A guy at the plant I work at had one. He brought the block into the maintenance shop one night. He had torn it down to rebuild. He was going to dip the block in the caustic bath we have. Lots of guys told him he could put that aluminum block in the caustic, it will dissolve. This guy thought he knew better, put the block in the basket and went about his work on the shift. At the end of the shift he hosted the basket up only to find a few iron sleeves. He thought someone had played a joke on him. All that was left were the cylinder barrels. Gone.
I purchased a new 1976 cosworth in 1978. Sat on a new car lot for 2 yrs. Black with a black interior and no ac in houston tx. The dealer added ac and i paid $6250 for it. Removed the ac and replaced the FI with weber carbs. Still own the cosworrh today.
Excellent review Rick. I bought my first Cosworth Vega when I was 17. I liked the styling and of course the Cosworth engineered engine. With just 3508 built for the total production run of 1975 & 1976, they are extremely rare and a very collectable. Each one had a hand built engine built in a clean room in GM’s Tonawanda, NY, plant. I think you will see the values for these very special cars climb substantially over the next 5 years.
I've been waiting for the prices to rise on a lot of supposed special classic 20th century cars now for over 30 years. Some great cars, still available at bargain prices, often because of the prices of the parts when restoring them. The 928 is one of those. Interesting fact, the 928 and Vega both used the same alloy for their engine blocks, and Porsche had none of the problems with it's engines that the poor Vega did (likely due to GM's rush to get the car into production, so they screwed up on the engine design. As long as you took care of them, they were fine.
I had a Vega phase in the late 80s. The best was the '71 Motion V8 conversion. I beat the stink out of that thing, almost tearing the rear suspension out. I had to add ladder bars just to hold it together. The problem was the transmission: A completely custom TH350 with a shift kit and full manual reverse pattern valve body (P-R-N-1-2-3). If you were on the gas at all, it would chirp 1-2 and 2-3 shifts. That chirping led to the suspension mounts slowly tearing away from the body. Sadly it had highway gears in the rear, so it was a dog off the line, but it would do 50 MPH in first gear. I took it to about 130 once (ONCE) and the force of the air drove the wipers up the windshield and unparked them. The wiper motor could not re-park them until I slowed down. Fun times.
My very first car as a teenager. I was 17 years old at the time was a 1976 Chevy Vega station wagon. I love that car. I miss it very much. But unfortunately a eucalyptus tree liked it even more. The engine ended up in the passenger seat. But I came out unharmed.
This was fascinating and I learned so much. There was a guy who used to run around town in a black GT with the name "LasVega" painted on the quarter panels. I sure do miss you and Steve Magnante on the B-J auction blocks. You both brought your own element of automotive expertise to each vehicle.
@@rickdebruhlcars That's great news about you, Rick, and Steve. Looking forward to the day when you car guys extraordinaire are working together again. Thank you for the update.👍
I've always appreciated these, as you point out, the price was its biggest enemy. For years I kept my eyes open for one, to catch it at the bottom of the depreciation curve, but the timing never worked for me. Thank you as always for the history of a what really was an innovative car. ~ Chuck
Sure, high price and low power killed it...they were selling mostly hype... like the 1970's 'muscle cars' were just graphics and stickers... still have my rare '77 Pontiac Astre FORMULA Safari (kammback) Station Wagon upgraded with SBC 405" 555 HP...
I was in high school in the mid 80's. I knew two people that had Vega station wagons. I really liked them. But I do like inexpensive small cars. I owed 2 Mustang II's and 3 Pintos. Loved them. Had a blast in a Dodge Omni. Not aGLHS unfortunately. One my sons loved a Falcon that he had. Like me he enjoyed coaxing the performance out of a small car. He liked getting it right at that perfect spot that didn't require excessive speed in order to have fun.
Young couple took over the family farmhouse in the early 80s. They'd been married since the early 70s and the wife drove a silver Vega, which, being 10 years younger, I thought was a pretty cool car. She miled the old girl out in the early 80s. So, for the better part of 35 years, as Vegas went from being everywhere all the time to exceedingly rare I knew where I could find one -- parked along the treeline, up on the hill east of their house. I saw it every time I drove south from our home place. One day I went past and THE VEGA WAS GONE! Soon after, a For Sale sign went up on the driveway. In due course, 10 years has passed and I'm retired myself. I'm back living on our homeplace. Since then, I can count the number of Vegas I've seen on the road on two fingers and none up close. Still look for that Vega though.
The safety bumpers are thick cast aluminum mounted to very heavy steel leaf spring to take bumper hits. They add about 100 pound on the nose and 70 on the back, which is narrower. It gives noticeable more straight line stability but it slows turn in markedly. I have owned both a 73 and 74 and you can tell the first time you turn a corner that they are different.
I had a 77 monza coupe with the stock Vega engine in it and a borg warner T5 manual behind it. that car was a glutton for punishment and as a teenager i abused that poor thing. was one of the funnest cars i ever owned.
Having owned a 75 Cosworth Vega that I acquired in a multi car deal, I thought it was a decent car for what it was, but would of been a giant killer if the EPA hadn’t castrated the power potential in more than half. People would have lined up and gladly paid the $6k for it if it had the 260-290hp IMO. Granted the little 10 bolt rear would of been quickly obliterated like all of the V8 converted Vegas did, but we could pick up a used axle from junkyards for next to nothing quite easily. In the early 2000’s I was about to swap in a 2nd gen LT1 just for the performance upgrade, but keep it able to reinstall the Cosy. A friend of mine didn’t like the idea and made me a good offer for it to put in his collection and still has it.
Amazing car. Handled pretty good. Light quick gearbox. Cheep interior but different. It would quit evey time it rained. When mom spun it in the snow in Vermont it had to go. I would love to have one now.
@@buzzwaldron6195 It is off of the Astre GT coupe that I ordered true 3 piece rear spoilers from Pontiac for my Cosworths. These fit VERY WELL and looked good. The only other option was either a hokey, poor fitting 3 piece affair from a fiberglass company who used to advertise in Hot Rod Magazine or a similarly crummy-fitting one-piece fiberplank.
Rick, saying anything positive about the Vega is "polishing a turd". My Uncle Jerry had a Vega just like the 1 in this video & he was driving from Ohio, on the way back to Florida & the car was over heating. He stopped at a cousin's house in Bristol, KY & pulled the car into a barn & put the hood up & walked towards the house. Moments later the Vega blew up & burnt the barn down. Yet another example of why I became a Ford guy.
Fortunately they started galvanizing the bodies of Vega/Astre in '76... still have my rare '77 Pontiac Astre FORMULA Safari (kammback) Station Wagon upgraded with SBC 405" 555 HP...
First car was 72 vega,paid $600.00 for it ,not bad little car,but remember going by a chevy dealer on '75 and saw four of these cars sitting outside collecting dust.
When I bought my Cosworth Vega in 76 the dealer had had it on the lot for over a year and was happy to discount it almost $2k. And I had my choice or a number of Cosworths to choose from.
Back in 1976 I had just graduated from high school and had a job lined up with a major company and bought my first new car - a 75 Cosworth Vega just like the one you reviewed. My favorite memory is one late night I was passed by a guy in a Corvette as he unexpectedly zoomed away, I quickly pulled up on his back bumper and then passed him at about 110 mph. He pulled up next to me and signaled me to pull over. When we stopped he asked what I had for a motor, I replied - “just the factory 4 cylinder”. Back then, even the Corvettes were way down on power and a light weight, twin cam Vega could run with the big guys. Btw- I never told the Corvettes owner that this was a special Vega 😊.
My Dad had a Vega he said it was the worst car he ever owned..... most people dont know the Ford Pinto 4 cylinder was actually a very reliable car/engine
Lyn St. James ran one in SCCA Showroom Stock A class at the SCCA runoffs early in her career. Well she qualified for the runoffs, but unfortunately one and maybe two engines blew up and she did not actually make the final...
Cosworth made the head. Chevy made the rest of the engine. This car came with a four link rear suspension and live axel meaning not independent. It is your opinion if you think this type of engineering has Formula 1 DNA. The Vega was around when I was younger and everyone I knew thought this car was bad. The only good thing about a Vega was at the drag strip with a V8 conversion.
For much less put a V8 in a Vega/Astre... and vastly more power... still have my rare '77 Pontiac Astre FORMULA Safari (kammback) Station Wagon upgraded with SBC 405" 555 HP...
Trim parts are 'iffy' but reproductions are available on some items. Drivetrain items are easily obtained through the aftermarket as long as the 'core' components, i.e. head, cam carrier, block are okay.
A shotgun wedding? At the time Cosworth wanted out of the project after GM management refused their recommendations to reinforce the weak aluminum lower end block webbing that failed most when their head was at its peak performance curve. The motor was detuned to the point Cosworth was embarrassed to be associated with it, but GM threatened to litigate for breach if they didn't deliver their beautiful heads to their weak inferior blocks.... 😢
If they hadn't rushed the Vega to market, it wouldn't have been so bad. And if they had gotten with Cosworth in the beginning, they would have probably sold double
@@rickdebruhlcarsThey definitely were the best looking of the American subcompacts, and maybe the best handling? In later years when the factory put iron liners in the 2.3 aluminum block it became much more reliable, but it couldn't overcome its reputation.
I had a 73 vega and a 74 pinto and both were very reliable however my 71 gremlin was way more powerful and my first car . But I always had a fascination for the cosworth vega but instead I now have for the last 20 years an 1984 2.3 liter multi Port turbocharged Mustang GT convertible that with a couple of bolt ons and computer change has about 300hp and spanks the V8 mustang from that era so I can live without the cosworth
Trade in your Chevrolet Vega and step up to the new for 1978 Oldsmobile diesel. Luxury and economy in one package. Every you want and less reliability thrown in at no extra cost!
GM apparently overpriced it thinking they might recover the development costs for this disaster from sales to naive buyers. I expect major discounts must have been necessary to actually move these off the lots, as $6,000 back then could buy a so much better domestic or import. Doubting any other car with sporting vibes cost that much and provided so little HP.
It was a joke and a failure. Underpowered with only 110 horsepower, high 16 second quarter mile times, 113 mph top speed, and cost as much as a new Corvette, and like all Vegas rusted and rotted out.
Thanks, nice overview…. interestingly, well remember this (I read MOST of the CaR magazines THOROUGHLY )…. & I really looked at COSWORTH VEGA, etc. As far as BLACK/ Gold “ Stuff”, the 1976;Trans AM (? 50 years Pontiac *BLack/ Gold Editions hooked me)!! Long story, short ordering in late October 1976 *( via Hurst/ Michigan, got March 3,1977 ?) a “1977 TRANS AM SPECIAL ED.,Hurst Hatch Tops/ loaded/Velour/Cruise/6.6L/Tilt //ZIEBARTED,etc.”)…..If course, the Motor Trend Magazine,& etc., Sep ,Oct? 1976 Issues( featured “” PONTIACS RARE BIRD””, unbeknownst to Us *TRANS AM BUYERS, PONTIAC PRODUCTIONS turned way up in quantity, Smokey & Bandit HOOPLA LATER in 1977, hardly a real Special EDITION, ETC!!… ANYWAYS,our first Special Order Car: my Favorite, lot of years used, improvement &/ build up( my Kids loved TA , IN their HIGH SCHOOL years…..Interestingly, one of my Hurst Hatches was stolen, & GM HAD switched tO **GM TTOPS:: *tough tracking a Hurst HATCH (They leaked,etc. A lot Also.,) down a few years later…..Finally, IF we could/ Would have saved it from Warsaw &/INDIANA road Salts……
You got a shout out from Hoovie and April today. A belated thank you for your support of Steve Magnante during his health crisis, keeping his channel relevant and providing much needed income to pay hospital bills. Respect !
Thanks. All good people to know and support.
My Dad had a '75 Vega Kammback wagon. By 1982, he had welded steel plates to fill the gaps in the rear suspension and unibody. He sold it to a friend who drove it less than a year before he tore the rear end right out of it. I can tell you that the back seat was fine for my ten year old brother, but I was 6'-2” and about 275 pounds at 14. I barely fit in the front seat...
A guy at the plant I work at had one. He brought the block into the maintenance shop one night. He had torn it down to rebuild. He was going to dip the block in the caustic bath we have. Lots of guys told him he could put that aluminum block in the caustic, it will dissolve. This guy thought he knew better, put the block in the basket and went about his work on the shift. At the end of the shift he hosted the basket up only to find a few iron sleeves. He thought someone had played a joke on him. All that was left were the cylinder barrels. Gone.
Cosworth, from the brilliant minds of Mike Costin and Keith Duckworth! ⚙️🔧👍🏼
Cos and Worth!
Not brilliant enough to simply put a V8 in...
Landed here thanks to Steve Magnante. Wishing he'll get better and return soon...
He's doing much better. He won't be able to join us in Scottsdale, but we're hoping he can later in the year.
I purchased a new 1976 cosworth in 1978. Sat on a new car lot for 2 yrs. Black with a black interior and no ac in houston tx. The dealer added ac and i paid $6250 for it.
Removed the ac and replaced the FI with weber carbs. Still own the cosworrh today.
Love your show Rick. Hoovie even mentioned it the other day. You’re gaining fans with your passion and knowledge. Keep up the great work!!!
Thanks!
Excellent review Rick. I bought my first Cosworth Vega when I was 17. I liked the styling and of course the Cosworth engineered engine. With just 3508 built for the total production run of 1975 & 1976, they are extremely rare and a very collectable. Each one had a hand built engine built in a clean room in GM’s Tonawanda, NY, plant. I think you will see the values for these very special cars climb substantially over the next 5 years.
If only they'd been able to make the 250+ hp version!
I've been waiting for the prices to rise on a lot of supposed special classic 20th century cars now for over 30 years. Some great cars, still available at bargain prices, often because of the prices of the parts when restoring them. The 928 is one of those. Interesting fact, the 928 and Vega both used the same alloy for their engine blocks, and Porsche had none of the problems with it's engines that the poor Vega did (likely due to GM's rush to get the car into production, so they screwed up on the engine design. As long as you took care of them, they were fine.
I had a Vega phase in the late 80s. The best was the '71 Motion V8 conversion. I beat the stink out of that thing, almost tearing the rear suspension out. I had to add ladder bars just to hold it together. The problem was the transmission: A completely custom TH350 with a shift kit and full manual reverse pattern valve body (P-R-N-1-2-3). If you were on the gas at all, it would chirp 1-2 and 2-3 shifts. That chirping led to the suspension mounts slowly tearing away from the body. Sadly it had highway gears in the rear, so it was a dog off the line, but it would do 50 MPH in first gear. I took it to about 130 once (ONCE) and the force of the air drove the wipers up the windshield and unparked them. The wiper motor could not re-park them until I slowed down. Fun times.
Speaking as a former owner of a 75 Cosworth. Biggest flaw was no factory AC. In a black car with a black vinyl interior.
I once ran into a burning building to save a 64 mile Cosworth Vega.
My very first car as a teenager. I was 17 years old at the time was a 1976 Chevy Vega station wagon. I love that car. I miss it very much. But unfortunately a eucalyptus tree liked it even more. The engine ended up in the passenger seat. But I came out unharmed.
This was fascinating and I learned so much. There was a guy who used to run around town in a black GT with the name "LasVega" painted on the quarter panels. I sure do miss you and Steve Magnante on the B-J auction blocks. You both brought your own element of automotive expertise to each vehicle.
I'll be back on the block in a couple of weeks. Steve has some issues to deal with but may be back in Palm Beach.
@@rickdebruhlcars That's great news about you, Rick, and Steve. Looking forward to the day when you car guys extraordinaire are working together again. Thank you for the update.👍
I enjoy you and your channel. You, Tyler, and April together make great content, too.
I've always appreciated these, as you point out, the price was its biggest enemy. For years I kept my eyes open for one, to catch it at the bottom of the depreciation curve, but the timing never worked for me. Thank you as always for the history of a what really was an innovative car. ~ Chuck
Sure, high price and low power killed it...they were selling mostly hype... like the 1970's 'muscle cars' were just graphics and stickers... still have my rare '77 Pontiac Astre FORMULA Safari (kammback) Station Wagon upgraded with SBC 405" 555 HP...
I was in high school in the mid 80's. I knew two people that had Vega station wagons. I really liked them. But I do like inexpensive small cars. I owed 2 Mustang II's and 3 Pintos. Loved them. Had a blast in a Dodge Omni. Not aGLHS unfortunately. One my sons loved a Falcon that he had. Like me he enjoyed coaxing the performance out of a small car. He liked getting it right at that perfect spot that didn't require excessive speed in order to have fun.
Landed here thanks to April and Hoovie. Amazing content
Glad you like it!
Young couple took over the family farmhouse in the early 80s. They'd been married since the early 70s and the wife drove a silver Vega, which, being 10 years younger, I thought was a pretty cool car. She miled the old girl out in the early 80s. So, for the better part of 35 years, as Vegas went from being everywhere all the time to exceedingly rare I knew where I could find one -- parked along the treeline, up on the hill east of their house. I saw it every time I drove south from our home place. One day I went past and THE VEGA WAS GONE! Soon after, a For Sale sign went up on the driveway. In due course, 10 years has passed and I'm retired myself. I'm back living on our homeplace. Since then, I can count the number of Vegas I've seen on the road on two fingers and none up close. Still look for that Vega though.
Still have my rare '77 Pontiac Astre FORMULA Safari (kammback) Station Wagon upgraded with SBC 405" 555 HP...
The safety bumpers are thick cast aluminum mounted to very heavy steel leaf spring to take bumper hits. They add about 100 pound on the nose and 70 on the back, which is narrower. It gives noticeable more straight line stability but it slows turn in markedly. I have owned both a 73 and 74 and you can tell the first time you turn a corner that they are different.
Good episode Rick! Keep up the good work!
If you call this work...
At 1:56 “…Please send me a Car of the Year sticker for my window”.😅 I can just imagine that sticker on a rusting Vega only a few years old. LOL
CV #1582, not in the CVOA Registry, yet! Very cool to see such a nice CV still out there
I'll mention that to the folks at the museum.
Crazy that in the day, this Vega was only a few hundred dollars less than a new Corvette.
Yeah, high price and low power killed it...they were selling mostly hype... like the 1970's 'muscle cars' were just graphics and stickers...
$6499
Vega F 0.1
I'm going to Phoenix sometime in May or June, and going to this museum is on my list of places to visit.
It's worth the stop.
I had a 77 monza coupe with the stock Vega engine in it and a borg warner T5 manual behind it.
that car was a glutton for punishment and as a teenager i abused that poor thing.
was one of the funnest cars i ever owned.
I am very happy to see that you are feeling better
You're probably thinking of our good friend Steve Magnante who went through a big health scare. The good news is that he's doing much better. Thanks!
@ You are absolutely right, I am sorry I got that situation mixed up, I sure hope that Steve Continues on after his recovery
Having owned a 75 Cosworth Vega that I acquired in a multi car deal, I thought it was a decent car for what it was, but would of been a giant killer if the EPA hadn’t castrated the power potential in more than half. People would have lined up and gladly paid the $6k for it if it had the 260-290hp IMO. Granted the little 10 bolt rear would of been quickly obliterated like all of the V8 converted Vegas did, but we could pick up a used axle from junkyards for next to nothing quite easily.
In the early 2000’s I was about to swap in a 2nd gen LT1 just for the performance upgrade, but keep it able to reinstall the Cosy. A friend of mine didn’t like the idea and made me a good offer for it to put in his collection and still has it.
It was both emissions and MPG that throttled the car.
@ Agreed. I’d also add that GM didn’t want their economy car to be more powerful than the Corvette flagship.
My dad was a Chevy dealer and as I remember the Cosworth Vega was delayed at least a year after announcement
True.... EPA testing was incomplete.
There is a 1970s blast back for sure!
Amazing car. Handled pretty good. Light quick gearbox. Cheep interior but different. It would quit evey time it rained. When mom spun it in the snow in Vermont it had to go. I would love to have one now.
We still have my rare '77 Pontiac Astre FORMULA Safari (kammback) Station Wagon upgraded with SBC 405" 555 HP...
@@buzzwaldron6195 It is off of the Astre GT coupe that I ordered true 3 piece rear spoilers from Pontiac for my Cosworths. These fit VERY WELL and looked good. The only other option was either a hokey, poor fitting 3 piece affair from a fiberglass company who used to advertise in Hot Rod Magazine or a similarly crummy-fitting one-piece fiberplank.
I own a 71 2.0 liter auto Pinto. I never got out run by any Vegas of any kind. And remember it was Ford Coswosth.😮
By Vega drivers on foot?
Cosworth was contracted by anyone who paid for their service.
@@buzzwaldron6195 No! It was most Vegas sitting broke down on the road I drove by.
They had one at Petersen Museum many years ago. Cool car :)
I see them occassionally at Barrett Jackson. Fun to see them in real life.
Chevy Vega had a special Train made to ship to dealerships around United States.
No other GM cars had such a thing. Back then or now.
Interesting tidbit!
Rick, saying anything positive about the Vega is "polishing a turd". My Uncle Jerry had a Vega just like the 1 in this video & he was driving from Ohio, on the way back to Florida & the car was over heating. He stopped at a cousin's house in Bristol, KY & pulled the car into a barn & put the hood up & walked towards the house. Moments later the Vega blew up & burnt the barn down.
Yet another example of why I became a Ford guy.
Well I still have my rare '77 Pontiac Astre FORMULA Safari (kammback) Station Wagon upgraded with SBC 405" 555 HP...
But it looked good!
F1 in its blood, and coolant in its oil.
GeekGinger And rust everywhere else.
Fortunately they started galvanizing the bodies of Vega/Astre in '76... still have my rare '77 Pontiac Astre FORMULA Safari (kammback) Station Wagon upgraded with SBC 405" 555 HP...
First car was 72 vega,paid $600.00 for it ,not bad little car,but remember going by a chevy dealer on '75 and saw four of these cars sitting outside collecting dust.
I always liked the looks of the Vega. Too bad the various problems let it down.
When I bought my Cosworth Vega in 76 the dealer had had it on the lot for over a year and was happy to discount it almost $2k. And I had my choice or a number of Cosworths to choose from.
Back in 1976 I had just graduated from high school and had a job lined up with a major company and bought my first new car - a 75 Cosworth Vega just like the one you reviewed. My favorite memory is one late night I was passed by a guy in a Corvette as he unexpectedly zoomed away, I quickly pulled up on his back bumper and then passed him at about 110 mph. He pulled up next to me and signaled me to pull over. When we stopped he asked what I had for a motor, I replied - “just the factory 4 cylinder”. Back then, even the Corvettes were way down on power and a light weight, twin cam Vega could run with the big guys.
Btw- I never told the Corvettes owner that this was a special Vega 😊.
Well technically it was a "factory 4 cylinder"!! Great story!
If you bought it new, it was labeled 'Cosworth' on the outside of the car, though. So, no secret engine.
Yeah that didn't happen.
Thank you Rick
Dad had a vega wagon. Had to get a running start to make a hill.
My Dad had a Vega he said it was the worst car he ever owned..... most people dont know the Ford Pinto 4 cylinder was actually a very reliable car/engine
The Pinto 1600 was a great engine for formula fords. Solid motor.
The 1600 pushrod "Kent", the 2000 and 2300 "Lima" were good. The v6 was not so great.
F1 in the blood, aluminium shavings in the oil. I'll see myself out. 😂
Lyn St. James ran one in SCCA Showroom Stock A class at the SCCA runoffs early in her career. Well she qualified for the runoffs, but unfortunately one and maybe two engines blew up and she did not actually make the final...
I saw a cogsworth Vegas for sale in perryville mo
A Vega with a Honda K24 would be fun and handle so.much better than the v8 swaps
Cosworth made the head. Chevy made the rest of the engine. This car came with a four link rear suspension and live axel meaning not independent. It is your opinion if you think this type of engineering has Formula 1 DNA. The Vega was around when I was younger and everyone I knew thought this car was bad. The only good thing about a Vega was at the drag strip with a V8 conversion.
For the same price, you could buy a loaded SE Trans am. So vega/ Bandit trans am?
For much less put a V8 in a Vega/Astre... and vastly more power... still have my rare '77 Pontiac Astre FORMULA Safari (kammback) Station Wagon upgraded with SBC 405" 555 HP...
It’s a Vega. It probably had coolant in it’s oil!
In a junkyard about a hour from my house. They have one of these.
In my garage still have my rare '77 Pontiac Astre FORMULA Safari (kammback) Station Wagon upgraded with SBC 405" 555 HP...
Is there any parts available for these vehicles??? Cosworth parts alone got to be scarce.
Trim parts are 'iffy' but reproductions are available on some items. Drivetrain items are easily obtained through the aftermarket as long as the 'core' components, i.e. head, cam carrier, block are okay.
A shotgun wedding? At the time Cosworth wanted out of the project after GM management refused their recommendations to reinforce the weak aluminum lower end block webbing that failed most when their head was at its peak performance curve. The motor was detuned to the point Cosworth was embarrassed to be associated with it, but GM threatened to litigate for breach if they didn't deliver their beautiful heads to their weak inferior blocks.... 😢
Landed here thanks to April
Thanks to April and you!
It’s like a baby trans am , just needs a screaming chicken on the hood
i like vega.
The Cosworth Vega only came in Black on Black and there was no AC option. So, in a hot climate, I bought a regular Vega GT (it was a turd).
That Cosworth had multiple failure issues for the Vega.
If they hadn't rushed the Vega to market, it wouldn't have been so bad. And if they had gotten with Cosworth in the beginning, they would have probably sold double
The car was (mostly) fine. The aluminum engine was a disaster.
@@rickdebruhlcarsThey definitely were the best looking of the American subcompacts, and maybe the best handling? In later years when the factory put iron liners in the 2.3 aluminum block it became much more reliable, but it couldn't overcome its reputation.
Very interesting it's port injected
I had a standard production Vega GT.
Biggest piece of shit ever manufactured
I had a 73 vega and a 74 pinto and both were very reliable however my 71 gremlin was way more powerful and my first car .
But I always had a fascination for the cosworth vega but instead I now have for the last 20 years an 1984 2.3 liter multi Port turbocharged Mustang GT convertible that with a couple of bolt ons and computer change has about 300hp and spanks the V8 mustang from that era so I can live without the cosworth
Trade in your Chevrolet Vega and step up to the new for 1978 Oldsmobile diesel. Luxury and economy in one package. Every you want and less reliability thrown in at no extra cost!
GM apparently overpriced it thinking they might recover the development costs for this disaster from sales to naive buyers. I expect major discounts must have been necessary to actually move these off the lots, as $6,000 back then could buy a so much better domestic or import. Doubting any other car with sporting vibes cost that much and provided so little HP.
Yeppers, still have my rare '77 Pontiac Astre FORMULA Safari (kammback) Station Wagon upgraded with SBC 405" 555 HP...
Part of the plan was that the engine would be used in various racing classes. With all the issues and the lack of power, that never happened.
It was a joke and a failure. Underpowered with only 110 horsepower, high 16 second quarter mile times, 113 mph top speed, and cost as much as a new Corvette, and like all Vegas rusted and rotted out.
Its 0-60 time was actually respectible for the mid-70s. It was just too expensive and didn't have enough HP to warrant the price.
Baby Camaro with a crap engine!!!~ You could use that design to this day, and it would look fantastic!!!~
I always loved the styling on the Vega, whether it was a fastback or wagon. Just looked clean.
Yes, I still have my rare '77 Pontiac Astre FORMULA Safari (kammback) Station Wagon upgraded with SBC 405" 555 HP...
@@buzzwaldron6195 make a video, would love to see it!!~
Thanks, nice overview…. interestingly, well remember this (I read MOST of the CaR magazines THOROUGHLY )…. & I really looked at COSWORTH VEGA, etc. As far as BLACK/ Gold “ Stuff”, the 1976;Trans AM (? 50 years Pontiac *BLack/ Gold Editions hooked me)!! Long story, short ordering in late October 1976 *( via Hurst/ Michigan, got March 3,1977 ?) a “1977 TRANS AM SPECIAL ED.,Hurst Hatch Tops/ loaded/Velour/Cruise/6.6L/Tilt //ZIEBARTED,etc.”)…..If course, the Motor Trend Magazine,& etc., Sep ,Oct? 1976 Issues( featured “” PONTIACS RARE BIRD””, unbeknownst to Us *TRANS AM BUYERS, PONTIAC PRODUCTIONS turned way up in quantity, Smokey & Bandit HOOPLA LATER in 1977, hardly a real Special EDITION, ETC!!… ANYWAYS,our first Special Order Car: my Favorite, lot of years used, improvement &/ build up( my Kids loved TA , IN their HIGH SCHOOL years…..Interestingly, one of my Hurst Hatches was stolen, & GM HAD switched tO **GM TTOPS:: *tough tracking a Hurst HATCH (They leaked,etc. A lot
Also.,) down a few years later…..Finally, IF we could/ Would have saved it from Warsaw &/INDIANA road Salts……