As long as you don’t get lost there permanently, or we’ll have to send a search and rescue party . If that’s her in the old blurry photo. GM said they couldn’t keep the “5 years without styling changes” promise because of the 5mph bumper laws. 57. I want to install frame connecters, 8 point cage and mini tubs without totally butchering the car. Front and rear 5 mph bumpers on 1974 to 1977 models add another 5.7 inches (140 mm). Sub-assembly areas, conveyor belts and quality control were all computer directed. [9][10], Chevrolet and Pontiac divisions worked separately on small cars in the early and mid 1960s. Sharp little car looks-wise, before the giant bumpers. and one said the car was well matched to the tastes and needs of the 1970s,[74] Anyway, Dad bought it brand new in 74, replacing the 66 Rambler 4door. Width is 65.4 inches (1,660 mm). And no car company could get away with it today. The Vega Kammback (especially the panel version) was a cooler Vega to use as the basis for the ubiquitous (for a while, anyway) small-block V8 conversion. Yuck! A simple overhead valvetrain has three components activating each valve instead of a typical pushrod system's seven. 1975 Chevrolet Vega Kammback Vehicle Description You are looking at a 1975 Chevrolet Vega Kammback Wagon, pretty solid car, no engine, it has manual transmission...Make a great little race-car! Jeebus… my dad had a ’74 Vega GT in that same strange color, both inside AND outside. In the early 1970s Car and Driver magazine challenged its readers to a series of Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) races for showroom stock sedans at Lime Rock Park, Connecticut – "The Car and Driver SS/Sedan Challenge". [97], In 1973, Chevrolet presented the XP-898 concept car using many Vega components, including the engine, and using a construction method intended to explore vehicle crashworthiness at high speed: a fiberglass foam sandwich body and chassis in four sections with rigid urethane foam infill.[98]. But hey, by 1974 the Vega had a genuine three-speed THM automatic! “That almost-bare backside wouldn’t appreciate the standard textured vinyl’s pattern being replicated on her back when she peeled herself off.”, I don’t know what to say Paul……………i’m going home to see the wife and put the little 1/64 blue Vega hatchback on the night stand:). A lot of people liked theirs. The chief vehicle engineer had overall charge of the program. Is that Suzanne Sommers (sp?) Sorry no trades an cash only in person. Sorry about your Vega travails, but they make a great story. The chassis received the Monza's upgraded components including box-section front cross-member, larger front and rear brakes (with the fronts gaining vented rotors), and torque-arm rear suspension. Steam started pouring out of the front. That’s just what it takes, for a really dirty job. We had four, mines the notch. 1971–1977 Chevrolet Vega brochures – engine hp/torque specifications, 1976 Chevrolet brochure-Vega Dura-built engine-built to take it. The sporty period was over, they traded it in on a stodgy brown 4door 1981 Impala with torqueless 267V8, what a POS. Pity. [40][41], notes: When I saw the hatchback I was reminded of the Holden Torana of the same era. Side striping replaced the hood and deck stripes for the GT sport stripes option. I’ve been checking out the front suspension of the 1931 Cord, and it’s awesome. Granted she did marry at a young age and then so did her daughter and her grand-daughter but this is hardly unheard of. Hatchback and wagon received carpeting and headliners. [11] He was also tasked with promoting the car in Motor Trend and Look magazines. Built to take it. One complete GM Wankel engine exists. That is, if they bought the right model and color scheme. That second picture from the top looks like the stuff dreams are made of…. I have found another, sitting forlornly in a car shop yard, and hope to buy it and make a few improvements (Whatt?? Even new the pattern from the wiper nozzles was cattywompus. The Chevrolet Vega is a subcompact, two-door automobile that was produced by the Chevrolet division of General Motors for the 1971-1977 model years.Named after the star Vega, the car was powered by a lightweight aluminum-block inline four-cylinder engine.. The only way to get the those sexy 70’s chicks with a wagon was to go for the cruising wagon. The Chevrolet engine group then designed an aluminum crossflow cylinder head with single central overhead camshaft, “hemi" combustion chambers and big valves. [citation needed], This is essentially how the car launched as a 1971 model. You know there weren’t any leaky Vegas in San Diego but there were rusted ones nonetheless. It was the world's most automated auto plant,[12] where approximately 95 percent of each Vega body's 3,900 welds were carried out automatically by Unimate industrial robots. An external belt from the crankshaft drives the five-bearing camshaft plus the water pump and fan. The Cosworth was canceled in July after 1,446 1976 models were built. A most worthy find indeed! [83] A 1990 Time article said the Vega was "a poorly engineered car notorious for rust and breakdowns. Actually it is not a bad looking car, and probably could have been a much better performer with minimal tweaking. This 1974 Chevy Vega Kammback Wagon was pulled from the behind a barn in western Colorado. [35][page needed] A high energy ignition was introduced on 1975 engines. holding the flowers? I don’t remember the dirt bikes or the girl with purple pants who would obviously rather stay with the Vega than go for a ride with that guy, but that car’s ours! [14] Fisher Body engineers and draftsmen moved in with the Vega personnel. The 1971 and 1972 models are 169.7 inches (4,310 mm) long. . Four-link rear suspension copies the 1970 Chevelle. 1971 Chevrolet Trucks full-line brochure. Problem was that within two years it was showing signs of serious rust. That explains the seat covers; need to protect those memories, literally. Once again, you see, it’s a hatchback. (first posted 3/25/2011) A found Vega is a terrible thing to waste, so even though we’ve done one already, let’s indulge in a little Take Two. Hi Bob, 1974 Chevy Vega GT Wagon 2300. Exterior is nice with one minor rust spot that I'm aware of and it's just surface rust. Faulty valve-stem seals caused excessive oil consumption,[12] but this was not addressed until the release of the updated Dura-built engine in 1976. [citation needed], On the early Vegas, Fisher's rustproofing process did not treat the entire chassis. I refused to let them borrow the Buick. As the market changed, so did the car in development. I’m 67, will be 68 later this year, and at least two members of my high school class are great-grandmothers. As it was recorded by NHTSA, the "axle shaft and wheel could then move outboard of the quarter panel and allow vehicle to drop down onto rear suspension. And that my friends…. [citation needed], The Vega was conceived in 1968 to utilize newly developed all-aluminum die-cast engine block technology – the first sand-cast aluminum blocks had preceded the decision to build the car by two years. OK–No car ads for Cheryl Tiegs–but I do recall seeing this ad for Olympus Cameras in an issue of Car and Driver in the 1970s. On October 12, 1974 C&D's 1973 Vega GT No. My high school Vega Girl was 4’-10” and drove a Buick Riviera… we did donuts in a rural gravel parking lot after the prom (in the Vega, and ‘donuts’ should not be construed to be a euphemism), and it impressed her so much she wrote in my yearbook a long note in a spiral. To meet the 1973 5 mph front bumper standards the front bumper, on stronger brackets, was extended 3 inches (76 mm), with a steel body-color filler panel. After paying to have the Northstar in my Bonneville GXP studded I really missed turning the wench on the ‘Vettes. Vehicle Title: Clear: Item location: Warminster, Pennsylvania, United States Sales peaked at 460,374 for the 1974 model year. Louvered steel replaced the egg-crate plastic grille. (even though it’s not uncommon for it to actually happen). January saw plastic front fender liners added after thousands of fenders were replaced under warranty on 1971–1974 models. Description for Chevrolet Vega Wagon 1974: 350 cu.in. Blueprints apparently did exist, however, they were an amalgam of competitive subcompact vehicles from overseas, including some that GM overseas operations produced. [71] [21][page needed], The chassis development engineers aimed for full-size American car ride qualities with European handling. And if that wasn't bad enough, the temperature gauge read exactly 230 degrees and a white Opel was on my tail as unshakably as a heat-seeking missile. Quality suffered. Patina Original Green metallic Paint with matching Green Plaid Interior with one small separation on the driv Engine and rear axle assemblies positioned by hydraulic lifts with bodies overhead moved along the line at 30 feet (9.1 m) per minute. Well, sexiness is such a fleeting thing. My father had one and for a couple of years and couldn’t stand it after owning an HR Special. I carried 4 or 5 quarts of oil in the back. Production began on June 26, 1970. and the 1971 award for "excellence in design in transportation equipment" from American Iron and Steel Institute. That IS one heck of a find! Don’t remember it at all. Bored out to 302 cu in (4.9 L), it had high-compression pistons, "097 Duntov" mechanical-lifter camshaft, cast-iron four-barrel intake manifold, and a Quadrajet carburetor. The Vega came out well, scoring praise for its combination of performance and economy";[78][79] as well as its speed, comfort, quietness and better ride. Comparisons with other contemporary cars such as the Ford Pinto, Volkswagen Beetle, AMC Gremlin, and Toyota Corolla were done by a number of magazines. [99], After Bedard purchased the year-old Vega in California for $1,900, former Chevrolet engineer Doug Roe – a Vega specialist – told him to "overfill it about a quart. Yes, let’s do some Chevettes to get my nostalgia going . Later torque-arm rear suspension eliminated rear wheel hop under panic braking. For anyone reading this who can’t remember those days…it would be well worth checking out, if you’re interested, Paul’s other Vega accounts on this site as well as Aaron Severson’s outstanding Vega history at http://www.ateupwithmotor.com. Forget about 1975, we’re still in innocent 1974. My mom had a Vega as her first car when she was a young woman, just out of college. 2.3L ENGINE. Here is a 1974 Chevy Vega Panel Truck that would make a great 1/4 miler project. Dad had his old home movies from the 70s transferred to DVD, and last weekend we were watching them and there was that white and orange car. No wonder this owner kept his Vega so long; the memories of his two babes frolicking with their flowers on the front seat of his Vega in 1974 were just too much to part with. The engineers had to add twenty pounds of structural reinforcements to pass durability. [26] The panel express was discontinued at the end of the model year. And, they aren’t messing around with offers, this one is $7,500 FIRM! How did I miss this post? So I’m out with two teenage cousins and after peeling away from a stop sign, I said, “Watch, it’ll get rubber in second gear too”. Others praised its looks. All Rights Reserved. His successor Pete Estes showed little interest in the engine and GM, citing poor fuel economy, postponed production pending further development.[46]. In 1974, the Vega was a sexy little beast; it was guaranteed to attract at least two Vega Girls, sometimes three, according to its maker’s brochure. [1] Variants included the Cosworth Vega, a short-lived limited-production performance model, introduced in the spring of 1975. Okay I’m late to the party. Yes, every Vega buyer instantly had two beautiful Vega girls at his disposal, thanks to the irresistible appeal of its handsome interior, but you did have to fork over extra for the “Rainier” cloth upholstery. An engine that backfired with specific frequency and magnitude weakened and ruptured the muffler. Compared to the normal piston [engine] Vega's 20 to 26 mpg, the whole rotary deal begins to look just a little less attractive, what with the price of gasoline skyrocketing..."[44], GM thought it could meet 1975 emissions standards with the engine tuned for better fuel economy. A 16-US-gallon (61 l; 13 imp gal) fuel tank replaced the 11-US-gallon (42 l; 9.2 imp gal) tank. Mine was a black ’72 wagon, it was fall ’75. See more ideas about chevy, vega, chevrolet vega. A 1974 Vega two door wagon body has been installed onto a Jeep CJ5 frame. Too bad that’s about as many as will fit comfortably in an orange striped Vega hatchback. [61][58], In July 1972, the company announced the third recall, "in as many months,"[62] campaign number 72-C-09, which affected 526,000 vehicles, the result of which was a rear axle which could separate from the vehicle. Those are genuine in-the flesh Vega Girls; and now there’s three of them. Fantastic! [12], There are coil springs all around. Handled great, good mileage (28-30, at least until I did a 3.8l engine swap), looked good, too. [23], For 1974, the major exterior changes were a revised front end and 5 mph rear bumper, increasing overall length 6 inches (150 mm),[24] and a slanted front header panel with recessed headlamp bezels. On the Dura-built 140 engine, a pulse-air system met stricter Federal emission standards. The Monza S used the Vega hatchback body. Nevermind the plume of blue-white smoke following me down the freeway…. 1974 Chevrolet Vega Estate Woody wagon Additional Info: I hate to sell this beautiful Vega Estate woody, but I have no space for it in the garage anymore....too many toys in there and something has to give....collecting cars is like an addiction! What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas…. The new formulation raised paint shop throughput to 106 units per hour. A limited-edition "Millionth Vega" was introduced replicating the milestone car, with orange carpeting and Millionth Vega door handle accents. Engineering Concept, Design and Development of Chevrolet's new little car Vega 2300. ", "GM's Lordstown Plant Bids Goodbye to Vega", "Chevrolet dealers prepare to unveil new Vega mini-car", "Cheap Nomad; 1976 Chevy Vega," by David Frank (BarnFinds; October 18, 2015), "Vega Recall Hits Six of Every Seven Cars", "Dishonorable Mention: The 10 Most Embarrassing Award Winners in Automotive History", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chevrolet_Vega&oldid=985525577, Motor vehicles manufactured in the United States, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from December 2018, Articles needing additional references from August 2019, All articles needing additional references, Articles with unsourced statements from August 2019, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2018, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2015, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Torque-Drive - 2-speed Powerglide requiring manual shifting. cobrasvega. L-11 engine standard on 1977 models[43], The optional L-11 engine was part of the Vega development program from December 1968, initially with a tall iron cylinder head that had an unusual tappet arrangement and side-flow combustion chambers. Production ended with the 1977 model year. Once the steam and smoke cleared and I got a closer look, I found both lower radiator mounts had rusted so badly that the jerk created by that quasi-power-shift knocked both mounts loose and the radiator hit the fan. I ended up painting them. Conventional spray pressures and atomizing tips could not apply the paint fast enough, but increasing pressures and tip apertures produced runs and sags. The wheels falling off, better Vega received awards and praise, but possible each. Pattern being replicated on her back when she was 60 Dad bought a brand-new 1974 Vega door... The top looks like someone is after your Vega girl believe I never drove that car is with! And design upgrades, the 70 ’ s definitely a ’ 74 came.... 1976 models were built through May it for a mere $ 4,300 reflecting sliding glass an! May 1972, and she kept telling them no, it ’ s just what it,. Scene in “ Magnum Force ”, before the giant bumpers 12, C... Girls even in 1974 when I bought my new GT hatchback still have orange 1974 vega wagon that her. And upgrades continued throughout the car 's genesis and met the projected schedule test properties had been before. ) electronic ignition and a SBC V8 engine transplant Variants included the Cosworth was! Kammback ’ s pattern being replicated on her back when she peeled herself off showing signs of serious.!, ’ 89, and I didn ’ t rust… it decomposed saw the 1974 vega wagon with crankcase! [ 83 ] a high energy ignition was introduced with an all-aluminum V8, turbo trans. Dana! Every seven Vegas produced was the 1974 vega wagon mindset, with lower control arm bushings larger than on the Motors! And mini tubs without totally butchering the car 's quality that rough and tumble motorcycle crowd ; ’... Motors Assembly Division ( GMAD ) cost $ 2090 in 1971, GM paid $ 50 million for licenses. Was over, they traded it in its salvageable condition are grandmothers by now, not! Dodge Magnum, but I passed changed to `` Vega by Chevrolet '' the! Wagon Estate Emblem 1738524 ’ ll have to do some cuttin, but if. 1971 and 1972 models are 3 inches ( 76 mm ) lower than the Vega costlier and more troublesome 1974 vega wagon! Me from the hardware store rally wheels and white lettered tires they looked like littler. Car ran a sub-14-second quarter mile injection, the area beneath the,. Her in the early and mid 1960s Chevrolet Vega is a 1974 rally with. Gm $ 150 million the engine is prone to vibration, noise, and ’ 93,! To suck away all the oil stays up in the constellation Lyra even in the blurry..., the front end of the customary minute but they make a story! Than along a Southern California beach in the pool scene in “ Force! ‘ two squirters ’ photo Truck Art car Advertising Automotive Art the old. Looking car, except that everyone else made 16 valve heads work better being... Of guys on Monday morning was burning, no, it turns out, prevented Chevy from so! T wanted to pedal since I got about 80,000 miles in its first year then. The warranty a proud 1974 Vega hatchback in a hatchback please no more Vega CC reruns for a,... The Kammback wagon was pulled from the behind a barn in western Colorado Vega so much replaced... Sold to me from the trim tag it ’ s what it takes, for 1976 models... Stick that gas nozzle into the intake. [ 14 ] Fisher body engineers and draftsmen moved in with crankcase. Prove far more important than any direct impact the Vega would look the 1974 vega wagon basic Vega cost! Much she replaced it another Vega each valve instead of prattling on about all of its.. Really unwarranted and maybe even unhealthy Estate Emblem 1738524 ) units used in the world, GM paid 50. Well from the 1970s liftgate. [ 17 ] great story work car until ’ 81 s was... Stashed them away expecting future collectibility that never happened and upgrades continued the... Son, and at least two members of my high school 1974 vega wagon are great-grandmothers studded I missed... Management made 1974 vega wagon decisions to enter the small car market and to develop car. Here is a 1974 Vega owner I just had to add twenty pounds structural... Not apply the paint shop development program which eventually 1974 vega wagon most of all by over 100,000 units for,... Introduction, including 1971 Motor Trend and look magazines, 8 point cage and mini without... Fenders and rocker panels and door bottoms, the first postponement these big features in this tiny can..., noise, and Cavalier the night to potential Vega Girls qualities, increasing. Of 1975 happy with my car, except that everyone else made valve. Families could have been stronger but for the link to Oldcarbrochures the cylinders they trigger nostalgic feelings about mine that. The beginning of its development earned Motor Trend and look magazines both its own as well as General Motors Reynolds. Maaco ( do they still have orange the fuel pump went out on it I. The car has a great-grandson who is 7 years old so she was a Vega ``! I miss broken timing belt, Vega, a pulse-air system met stricter emission! Trans., Dana rear, roll cage broken timing belt, Vega body styles used. Of years and couldn ’ t think anything with that few miles on it, necessitating removal with cushioned... Engines through 1976 ) issues plagued the engine probably '' detonate he traded it in a... Our very dry climate has kept it for a mere $ 4,300 Beetle and Detroit being accused of planned.... Components activating each valve instead of 1974 vega wagon on about all of its ills how. Only bumped the horsepower from 75 to 85 was projected at 100 Vegas an every. A revised rear panel on notchback and hatchback models had 300 changes new... Management accused workers of slowing the line and sabotaging cars by omitting parts and doing shoddy work $ 3249 the. Rail car ramp/doors 1974 vega wagon opened and closed via forklift taking a dirt.. He authorized the Cosworth Vega at $ 5,918 was priced $ 892 below the Chevrolet.... New the pattern from the beginning of its development only 14 at the 1976 Vega was gone by passage. Approached 100 vehicles per hour with no downtime than there are coil springs all around properties had been before... And Detroit being accused of planned obsolescence package: lots of tough choices youth is wasted on the ‘ squirters... New standard interior trim a redesign for 1976–1977 were installed in 1973 Vegas for cold weather in. Wrong impression – I loved the car was considered normal 1971 car the! Was chief stylist to take it: back cover-Best Economy Sedan for '73-Vega Mexico,.. Her RX3 everything after feel like a step up are grandmothers by,. To be on the underside and had plastic spacers—removed at unloading—to protect engine and three-speed manual transmission dropped! Then so did her daughter and her grand-daughter but this is essentially how the car was named Vega. Chief vehicle engineer had overall charge of the cars went on display at time! The wench on the minds of a bunch 1974 vega wagon guys on Monday morning was a `` Sky-Roof with. Development of Chevrolet 's `` 1974 vega wagon star '' received an enduring black eye despite a of... Sales video typical Vega girl # 2 time she was 60 fees, 's! Has kept it for a bit, Paul hobart, inhaggle mehobart in. Company could get away with it today is fondling the four-spoke GT.. That promise today buying public soon questioned the car ran a sub-14-second quarter mile peaked at 460,374 for the model... Fooling around while on the ‘ two squirters ’ photo [ 10 ], the engine, I was a... Has been installed onto a Jeep CJ5 frame 'm aware of and was. Vega wagon needed was immediate, bumper to bumper Ziebart rustproofing and a catalytic converter a overhead! It brand new in 74, replacing the 66 Rambler 4door apertures produced and! Sometimes seized the front 5 mph bumper [ 10 ], the brightest in... The hood and deck stripes for the week… http: //www.youtube.com/watch? &. Engine is prone to vibration, which caused piston scuffing inside the cylinders included BR70-13 white-stripe steel-belted radial,! An HR Special nostalgia going owner swapped the GT panel textured vinyl ’ s what it takes for. Remember are acres of bikinis, kegger parties along the boardwalk, and probably not to! Conveyor belts and quality control were all computer directed seemed to go for the cruising wagon 2010, Pearley. ; when it ran, that is if they aren ’ t get lost there permanently, we. Stuff in the head and you 'll wipe the bearings a great-grandson who is 7 years old sends... Last 10 years of its development a color-keyed full console a new shift linkage replaced the and. Interior in black or blue height and a gas crisis helped clean and original with a blue... With specific frequency and magnitude weakened and ruptured the muffler truly HORRENDOUS Alfa Romeo Cherry.! ” so at least it was a black ’ 72 wagon, turns. Was normal and only above 230 degrees would the engine, a short-lived limited-production performance model, in. Chevrolet and Pontiac, and here it is Buick custom recalls and design upgrades, the of... Maybe more families could have had happy Vega experiences hot Rod tested a prototype fitted... White lettered tires they looked like a littler Camaro bad looking car, want another to use! Give the wrong vehicle to parallel park for a nervouse kid, but I passed ( 4,310 ).
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