Chevrolet Vega Cosworth

 

In the 1970s, Chevrolet and famed racing engine manufacturer Cosworth put together a limited-production vehicle that answered a question no one had thought to ask: What would happen if you dropped the most technologically advanced passenger car engine in the world into a Chevy Vega?

The Cosworth Vega, finished in natty black with trick gold pinstripes, was Chevy's compact economy Pinto-fighter, only with a hugely expensive and complicated engine under the hood. Consider it the 1970s equivalent of dropping a Formula 1 V-8 into a Kia Rio.

The Cosworth four-cylinder was an exotic beast that does not look out of place even compared to today's high-tech engines. With dual overhead cams and four valves per cylinder, it was at least one decade--perhaps two--ahead of the competition. In fact, it was so ahead of its time that expense and reliability issues, combined with the Vega's legendary tendency to rust, doomed the project almost immediately.

As odd as the idea of a Cosworth Vega seems today, with our collective impression of the Vega as an awful car hardening into certainty, it makes a fair amount of sense. The concept of a powerful engine in a small, light car is nothing new; and the Vega is nothing if not small and light. For the time, it was among the most agile cars its class, with an eagerness to change direction quite rare at the time. Then, the look--ridicule me if you must, but the Vega was actually a pretty little car, with trim lines and quite European details.

Those few Cosworth Vegas that have not followed the path of their standard Vega brethren in dissolving into their component parts after a few years are much-loved and even bring decent prices from their fanatic followers.

I am one of those followers--you see, my family has a long, not-so-proud history with Vegas. As I mentioned in the Chevrolet Chevelle SS454 Car Lust, my father had a long, sordid affair involving a wrecked Buick, a spare V-8, and a donor Vega, all of which took up proud positions in front of our single-wide trailer when I was a baby. My mother was so proud.

But, to her horror, it's rubbed off on me, to the point that the idea of a hot rod Vega sounds just right.

Comments

[Meagan on June 18, 2008 at 05:25 AM]

Cheverolet Vega!Amazing car. Nice to see it.

[Tommy D on July 09, 2008 at 04:21 AM]

Yellow color of the wheel rims is looking good..

[Kristopher Gerbracht on July 24, 2008 at 02:41 PM]

In June 1979, my friend and I went down to San Diego to look at my (then) dream car. I ended up with a 75 Cosworth, #0109. It was a very nice car, but as I kept it longer, more things started going wrong with the car. On December 16, 1986, I was at a light in Los Angeles, when my light went green, I went. Without knowing it, a 68 Ford Torino GT ran the red light and hit me, demolishing the car, but, leaving me intact. I placed the car for sale in the CVOA newsletter, and sold it for 1/2 of what I paid for it.
Overall, the car was very well balanced. When you turned the wheel, you went right the corner, and then the next corner, etc.. I think that is what I liked most about my Cosworth, BALANCE.
About 21 years later, while I was auto crossing my Audi A4 in Bremerton, someone came up to me and introduced himself by saying
he has my car (along w/other Cosworths) and it still runs! Wow!
Well, So Long, Kristopher Gerbracht

[Katbyte on August 18, 2008 at 11:08 AM]

I had a regular silver 1972 Vega with the silver tinted windows that were reflective-now no longer legal. I bought the car for $1700 in 1973 in Melbourne, Fl. I ran that car hard. For two years, I drove 500 miles/wk commuting to the U of F and then ran it until 1979 when it needed repairs to the engine that were cost prohibitive. It burned oil so I always kept a couple of quarts in the back-it was a hatchback. I loved that car and I used it daily for everyday travel and hauled my first baby, now 32 y/o, around in it and felt perfectly safe. It was great on gas-I remember when gas went to $0.46 p/g and I was horrified.I was working as a nurse putting my husband thru college and grad school. Money was tight-I remember takehome pay for an RN of $270/2wks at that time-later rising to $500/2wks in 1978 at the VA Hospital in Gainesville, FL. I loved that car. I later had a ford model no longer made that was a piece of junk and then switched to a Nissan Minivan-also a piece of junk in the FL heat. The last car I bought was a Toyota Corrolla which I drove for 200K and it was still running well when I sold it. It made many trips back and forth from FL to PA, where I finally sold it because my health forced me to give up driving-not easy to do at 51years of age. The corrolla was the next best to the Vega. I used to Corrolla to drive at least 1000 miles/wk as a visiting nurse and it ran like a charm. The Vega will stay in my mind because it was really the first car purchased with all of my own money and it just looked cool. The Vega taught me how to add oil, change plugs, etc., which now would seem annoying to me but in my mid-to-late 20's, who cared?
Thanks for the memories.

[davis,br on August 18, 2008 at 05:06 PM]

I know this is an old column. But.

I drove one these, new, in 1976 (I think).

No one had purchased the poor thing, and so it had sat for almost two years (Patton Chevrolet, Fortuna CA). I had my eyes on it, so I finally asked my uncle (sales manager) if I could try it out (I'd purchased enough cars from the dealership so no one minded).

It. Was. Hot. Zooma-zzoooommmaaa hot (well, to me).

And it was a revelation, because it was so light, so little, and had soooo much power. And sounded great! to boot.

But the clutch? Dang, but I still recall that clutch as being one of the hardest things to press down on any thing I'd ever driven (and I had driven old WWII ex-army 12 tonners - and various old trucks you had to double-clutch to even shift, since they didn't have synchros - that my dad used to build his drilling rigs on).

The suspension was not, umm, cushy. It was more like what I imagined some Nascar rig would be like. It handled very well for the 100mph (give or take a couple, and yes, I was cautious through the corners) drive along Blue Slide Road that I took it on, though.

...and it was the only good-looking Vega evah. The wheels were gold, not yellow. All the striping was gold. It was very tastefully done. Too bad it was a Vega.

[Meagan on August 28, 2008 at 11:48 PM]

Chevy.It's just amazing.

[don smith on October 16, 2008 at 04:30 PM]

hi was just trying to find out more info on thi car.I am cleaning out a warehouse and was givin a price of $1500.00 this same car. it is practicly rust free and 100% it was put there in 1979. I could use some help deterrmining its value.thanks Don

[That Car Guy on November 28, 2008 at 12:30 PM]

The Vegas had a cable clutch. Just take it loose from the pedal, feed it through the firewall, dump some WD-40 inside the cable, and the clutch works like a charm! Oh yeah, hook it back up when you're done with the lube.

[Tony on December 21, 2008 at 04:08 PM]

I bought a 1974 Vega GT in 1976 with the help of my wonderful grandmother. I didn't have any money but was a confirmed motorhead taking college prep courses in high school. I think I paid $2400. The car had all of the GT trip, and the most alluring feature beyond the ralley wheels and cool leather interior was the four speed stick shift. It ran like it had a rat chasing a piece of cheese on a conveyor belt but I loved the car! It was as close as I could get for as broke as I was to a "hot rod". Great memories!!

[JAY on December 23, 2008 at 05:11 PM]

I WAS LOOKING AT A 1976 VEGA COSWORTH THAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO AS A PROJECT CAR.IT IS IN A HEATED GARAGE AND IN "OK CONDTION" CAN ANY ONE GIVE ME A APROX- VALVE.THE ASKING PRICE IS $2400.THIS CAR IS ALSO FROM OHIO.AND DOES NOT START.CAN ANYONE GIVE ME ANY PROBLEMS THAT I NEED TO LOOK FOR.....

JAY

[Dick on January 23, 2009 at 12:57 PM]

Don & Jay,

Go to the Yahoo Groups Cosworth Vega and to WWW.CosworthVega.com with any questions.

[Eric Westman on March 12, 2009 at 05:36 PM]

Hello
I have a Vega, i believe it to be a 1977, i bought the dang thing bacause i thought it was a cool car, well ok it is a cool car !, my vega is different then others, it has a trunk lid, not a hatch back ! anyone out there have any idea to how rare this model is? it is set for a restore prodject this spring, it is near perfect on the interior , the original 4 is junk, i have an old reman that i built for my monza dirt track race car that i never did use, have a steel sleeved motor with a slight bump up in the camshaft, so that will get put in ! and then repainted some nice wheels,and then the fun times driving it around, would like to find Vega clubs, or parts books ,, anything vega ,

[john gutek on April 22, 2009 at 05:19 AM]

i have 3 cosworth vega's now, they are great cars. I ported my injection and the car loves it. It is closer to what cosworth thought it should be in performance. When I go to the local show's they treat me like GM royalty......JOHN.

p.s. I also get about 25 miles to the gallon

[john gutek on April 22, 2009 at 05:30 AM]

I have a lot of time on cosworth vega's I also repair them.....john......john@heidelbergrepair.com
phn.847-550-1617

[Scott McIntyre on May 11, 2009 at 10:33 AM]

Interesting comments. I've owned and modified two #0826 (75 Black )and #3035 (76 White (factory modified by SkyTrends - sunroof) 1 of 50. I could think of worse to have/own.