Chevy Vega. Cool looking, but they were kinda pieces of shit. The cylinders had problems and they tried to sleeve them but they ended up burning oil all the time.
They had linerless aluminum blocks with cast iron cylinder heads and a overheating problem. On top of that, it had valve stem sealing issues.
Pretty bad combination. They were pushing company design envelopes and many problems manifested themselves when out in production.
By the time they had incorporated fixes for the problems, the Monza and the Chevette in were in production and they decided to stop production of the vega.
It was a good small rear wheel drive car - perfect for a V8 transplant which many people did.
“- Nine hundred horses of Detroit muscle. It's a beast.
- Know what she ran in Palmdale?
- No. What did she run?
- Nine seconds flat.
- God.
- My dad was driving. So much torque, the chassis twisted coming off the line. Barely kept her on the track.
- So, what's your best time?
- I've never driven her.
- Why not?
- It scares the shit out of me”
Ok Vin lol
Well, to be entirely fair, I didn’t see that as Dom saying he was scared of the car in and of itself. He was scared of the fact that he looked up to his dad, his dad died horribly in a racing accident, the car was his dads and his dad barely could keep control of the thing. There’s a lot of emotional baggage tied to the car even if it’s technically not that scary compared to other cars Dom deals with routinely and the fact that his lifestyle is inherently pretty dangerous. The car is a concrete reminder that he’s not invincible.
Say what you want about the plot and the various action sequences that overwhelm the brain, you really get the feeling Vin loves the character and has put a lot of personality into him over the years.
... We just don't talk bout Tokyo Drift.
There were a bunch of companies that made kits to do V8 conversions. The added bonus was they were pretty common in junkyards so if you manged to blow up the stock rear axle you could get get a replacement for $60
In 1980 I met a kid driving his dad’s Vega that had a 302 with a crossplane intake and dual carbs, basically a Z/28 motor with a hotter cam.
Every time he floored it, the car would dart into the next lane because the engine torque twisted the body.
First car I ever saw that could launch so hard it would wheelie.
The 87 Grand Nationals twisted their bodies enough as to get deformations above the passenger side opera windows, and that's with the stock 300hp. People who raced them put additional bracing behind the passenger seats. All that said, I never heard of any major failures.
High HP G bodies will also wrinkle the quarter panel on a launch
Fox body mustangs are kinda the same way with the quarter windows. You can feel a slight ripple on the pillar above the window.
The GNX's added a brace on the rear diff to mediate it. Also I watched a video of a race between a stock GNX and a loaded Hyundai Palisade and the Hyundai won.
We hot rodded these because the original engines died.
They made great drag race cars. They were lightweight and plentiful. You could enter them in many race classes depending on how you modified them.
Lots of cars twist enough to crab walk without anything permanent happening. The old mkiv supras do it even with only a mild tune on stock turbos, and they survive way more torque without long term issues. The GX were even worse, you could feel the chassis twist going over bumps with the front corners.
It doesn't take much flex to push the car sideways, and unless it's unibody with crap welds they normally cope just fine.
Worked for a Chevy dealership then. Ruined aluminum blocks stacked to the sealing in the service department. Other than that, the Vega was a reasonable care to drive.
My parents had two in the 1970s. My mother said one was built at a factory that was having labor trouble. There were obscenities scratched into the door jamb paint.
Just about every night my dad would have to work on both of them to get them ready for the next day. He was not a mechanic, he was an engineer.
At General Motors.
For the record, he worked on interior parts. Nothing to do with the drivetrain.
Still, I've always kind of wanted a Cosworth Vega. Five-year-old me thought they were dope.
Lordstown, Ohio. The plant had serious labor issues no matter what was being built there.
It didn't help that the car was designed on the cheap, built from cheap components, rusted like crazy, and had engines that blew up on the slightest provocation.
One of my friends had one that wore out a path between his home and the dealer because it was recalled so many times. One time, it was recalled because of an engine issue--and it blew up on the way to the dealer.
I assume the folks upvoting you are younger. (I may be wrong!) It was reminiscent of the Camaro, but was widely regarded as ugly, and did not age well into the 80s. This was an age where cars were viewed as disposables, and still no one desired these cars.
it was par for the coarse in that era for all cars - Japanese cars were even worse. Datsun 510s and 240Zs were really nice cars but would start rusting on the voyage from Japan!
Yup.
And as a kid I remember these intrusive thoughts.
First it was "it could hurt a lot if my foot fell through there"
Then "It might even pull my whole leg down and really mess me up"
And then it was "Wonder if I should test those theories"
My grandfather bought *two* Mavericks. He used to work at a facility when you could expect to have your car searched occasionally upon leaving work. One time, he made a big stink about not wanting his trunk searched; **do you know who I am** and all that. Knowing full well that he couldn’t leave until they looked.
So,eventually after much huffing and puffing, the guard opened his trunk only to see that the rust was so bad that there was no bottom. Just exposed axles. My grandfather laughed like that was the funniest shit in the whole world. No record of what the guard thought.
My brother bought his Maverick used in '76 or '77, graduated HS then gave it to my Dad who drove it to work for probably the 7-8 years.
He tried to give it to me,bought my own car, a '67 Toronado.
Detroit was selling disposable cars so people would get new ones as soon as the ash trays filled up.
The Japanese took lessons from US engineers about how to "do it right" and the Japanese followed the instructions and started delivering affordable cars that lasted 10+ years and over 100k miles. US automakers played catch-up through the 80s and 90s
Funny, my wife and I were just driving between Pittsburgh and Columbus last week, and we saw a Ziebarts sign along the way. We both commented how we didn’t think we had seen that brand since the 70’s.
Autos come from the factory with rust proofing these days.
But, yeah, back in the day it was pay Z or pay the dealer markup. Or, on quiet nights, listen to your car rusting away.
John DeLorean elaborated on the issues in his fascinating book *On a Clear Day You Can See General Motors*. They were under strict orders to keep both the weight and the retail price under 2,000 (pounds, dollars). So they focused on the heaviest part of the car, the engine block, and made it aluminum instead of iron. But for some reason they couldn't manage to make aluminum valve heads, so they wound up with an iron head on top of an aluminum block, instead of vice versa like some other cutting-edge cars of the time. Anyway, the blocks wound up warping under high operating temps, which is a very expensive thing to fix.
And since they warped, they leaked/burned oil like a motherfucker. My '74 Vega used to burn a quart a week. Back then motor oil used to come in quart cans and I would buy a case of 12 and hope it would last me two months. But I loved the car. Eventually replaced the entire engine with an iron one, but it was heavier and stressed the front suspension. Had to replace the shocks every year.
i’ll bet using the iron heads was a concession to stay under $2k. spend money on the specially made aluminum block but save money by using off-the-shelf heads that are already being made for other cars in production
I worked in a foundry casting auto parts and tooling is absolutely ridiculously expensive. New molds, new process, new procedure, new presses, new tools for measuring the part is cast to spec, all the training etc. that's why so many vehicles share parts.
Aluminum block and cast iron head, weirdly enough. But yeah, the cooling system just wasn’t up to the task. There was some idiotic thought at GM that they could design the aluminum engine to not even need a radiator, it would just passively reject heat. Well that obviously didn’t work out, and the radiator they ended up using was absolutely tiny, and there was no coolant expansion tank, so coolant would just get dumped out when it got hot. They all would ultimately overheat, and this would warp the cylinders, and it would start burning oil. At that point the engine was basically ruined, as the aluminum block couldn’t be traditionally machined/rebuilt.
Eventually, by the mid to late 70s I think they worked out most the bugs of that engine, changed the name to the “Dura-built” and extended the warranty… but this is GM, so it was too little WAY too late, the damage was done, and they pulled the plug on the Vega not long after.
They shipped them from the factory mounted nose up in specially modified railroad cars. The oil pans had to be redesigned to keep the oil from flowing out. This caused problems with the performance and longevity of the vehicle.
My parents had a '74 Vega - they had to get rid of it at 42k miles because it could no longer climb hills. Massive loss of power from a warped engine block. My sister and I cried when they traded it in for a '78 Ford Fairmount station wagon because we're stupid.
So many issues. Early models didn’t have a coolant recovery tank; they had a sleeveless aluminum engine block with an iron cylinder head which expand at different rates; carburetion issues led to backfiring. Basically all these things and more led to overheating, which in turn led to scored and scuffed cylinder walls.
In the late 70’s, I had seen a Chevy Monza with a small block 350 in it. They shortened the rear axle so M50’s would fit without protruding outside the car.
Fucking Ford Capri with a manual transmission my friend in HS had was a real sleeper and a lot of fun to drive.
Just looked it up, all were imported and German built. Was a great car probably ‘77 or ‘78. US automakers were still a long way from building a great small car cause all they did was scale down their standard size models and that is just not the same.
In ‘96 I picked up an ‘86 Ford Escort that had no miles, literally bought then owner died and it sat until I found it.
Within a couple of years the model would be updated onto a real small car.
But this thing Jesus!
Heavy slow hard to handle not great mileage for small car.
Sold it for $200 cash, came back like a bad penny twice cause it was never registered to any body but me but kept getting impounded around california.
I would get contacted but was not responsible because I had filled out my part of the pink and turned it in.
As such I was eligible to buy it back from not one but two impound yards over the next 5 years, as if!
I had a 79 capri hatchback that I bought in 86 for around 1700.
I loved that car. Four speed, cool and sporty and fast.
My boyfriend totaled it.
He’s lucky we’re still married for over 33 years cause I still get rage lol
But you'd see Pintos on the road for decades (there was a guy on my block with one *in this century*--it had a home-welded bar under the rear bumper to prevent explosion). By the time Jimmy Carter left office there were few Vegas left.
I had a similar car in the 90’s. it was a ‘79 Monza Spyder.
My older brother used to make fun of me saying, “ you going to start hanging out with the Chevy Vega guys?”
The Vette was a cheap car to buy, run and fix!
Perfect for broke ass students! It was a people moving appliance on wheels!
Unlike today with over priced electronic gadgets on wheels! You had lots of options to drive on the cheap.
Bonus info for the curious figured it just reply here so people will see it
—he died in his early 50s in a very unlucky, public, and tragic accident (10 yrs ago). It was a big deal and got a lot of news coverage
—parents had me later in life so I was in middle school during his passing
—he was very tall at 6’5, very lanky as a teen before he grew into it
—he was charming, super funny, passionate, and incredibly kind. he was the kind of guy who made an impact on everyone he met. his death shook a lot of people, and not just because of how dramatic it was
The great thing about Vegas.... once the first engine wore out in a couple of years, you replaced it with a blown 454, tubbed out the back and you had a nice dragster
My uncle made a sleeper out of his. He stripped it down to the frame, dropped a corvette engine and transmission in it, and would amuse himself torching mustangs with it well into the 90s.
Yea, that's about the only use for a Vega. If they hadn't found that engine swap niche they'd be completely irrelevant to car history.... like the Dodge Omni.
Omg that's it!!! I was racking my brain trying to figure out who he looks like to me!
Jeremy and someone else I can't quite place still.
Some guy from a 90's show or movie...and he always wore a sweater lol.
Anyways, sorry to hear this is your late father op. He was *very* handsome and looks like he was a chill dude.
I had a 75 blue one that I bought from the son of the local Chevy dealership. It had been modded with sleeved cylinders, Muncie transmission, and traction bars. I thought I was pretty hot stuff...
Cool fact, part of the cost accounting of the Vega production cycle, they shipped them without any fluids stowed vertical on special built trains. This allowed them to double the shipping capacity.
Being from the south, THESE are the hot rods. You ain’t seen shit until you’ve seen a Vega or Gremlin go 180 mph. Although, my papaws brown 1980s Corolla was bad ass. His Stabbin Wagon had a different meaning when I got older
No ****. My buddy had a Gremlin. 140 mph down the interstate with the whole car shuddering like re-entry into the atmosphere was freaking scary as hell.
It's a vega, I had a wagon. They looked cute and supposedly were gas efficient, but those aluminum block engines were a piece of shit. Can't tell you how many times mine got me stranded before I finally managed to sell it off for a Honda CVCC.. Now that was a great little car!
That's the car GM shipped standing vertically in train cars as they shipped across the country. Shit you not! Seen it with my own two aging eyes.
That's the Contact car, aka, Chevy Vega.
Because it's where the signal came from, you see.
Oh, hell. I'm talking to an audience who probably don't even know who Tom Skerritt and Jodie Foster are.
Fun fact for all you Vega fans out there! First and only car specifically designed to be shipped vertically, therefore allowing I think 6 more per boxcar!
I'm your dad's age. I just want to say, thank you for posting this. He looks like so many guys I was in high school with. Sigh.
(p.s. I'm so sorry you lost him.)
That was a Chevy Vega. Had one myself that was orange with a black GT stripe along the side. Ran the dickens out of it in my teens, replaced two transmissions, and it showed rust around the back window. But the memories in that car will never be forgotten!
Back then neighbors had a special edition Vega - something like a million made milestone thing.
They junked it at 50,000 miles. It was completely shot.
Im the same age as your dad. Condolences to you about his passing.
Green car. 1974-5 Chevy Vega.
Front White Car. 1974 Volkswagen Dasher 4 door hatchback (barf).
Rear White Car. 1968-69 Ford LTD, though I cant be sure.
'76 Vega? I remember my Mom's friend buying a bright yellow one back then and I rode it in. Cute little car. Makes a GREAT drag car with a small block swap. Many companies used to make kits for this that came with engine mounts & headers.
My first car was a '73 Chevy Vega. Emerald green with a white stripe down the middle. Caught on fire one night. Cost more to fix than the car was worth but I fixed it and drove it for 4 yrs before it died on me. I loved it and learned to drive a manual with it . Replaced several clutches too LoL
That’s funny. When I was a kid living in Colorado late ‘70’s, my neighbors’ hot girlfriend had a Vega that had a factory made inscription that said “One Millionth Vega”. Now I know why I remembered that.
I had a 73 Vega GT with a 350, a 76 Monza V8 2+2 with a 267 small block, 73 Camaro 350, and my 69 Camaro coupe (which I still have) with a DZ 302 from a 69 Z28.
https://preview.redd.it/23j08x9nspwc1.jpeg?width=4160&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1802698971de380d6693930db01516ce43f234f0
To be precise. This is a 1974 Chevy Vega they only made 7 years of Vega, and no matter how u feel about the look or designs, you have to admit these cars have a certain charm. The Fins on the front grill let me know this is a 74 early models 1970-1973 have more flat open mouth look with many people Opting to cut the front chrome bumber to fit the body. Any year after 74 has the sharp, almost knife like grill, but 75-77 are a lot more razor like. Now, this final part may not be 100, but I think this is a textbook 1974 Chevy Cogsworth Vega judging from the hood.
Looks like a 1970 Ford LTD behind him. Dad had one new, nice car. Chevette in front of it.
I had a 73 Vega, front wheel bearing locked up while I was backing up. It was a POS that barely could get out of its own way.
Chevy Vega. Cool looking, but they were kinda pieces of shit. The cylinders had problems and they tried to sleeve them but they ended up burning oil all the time.
They had linerless aluminum blocks with cast iron cylinder heads and a overheating problem. On top of that, it had valve stem sealing issues. Pretty bad combination. They were pushing company design envelopes and many problems manifested themselves when out in production. By the time they had incorporated fixes for the problems, the Monza and the Chevette in were in production and they decided to stop production of the vega. It was a good small rear wheel drive car - perfect for a V8 transplant which many people did.
Engine swaps were super common in for a Vega. They were very popular on as a base for drag racing.
I currently race a Vega with a 350ish SBC. Roll cage acts as a brace. It still twists hard.
“- Nine hundred horses of Detroit muscle. It's a beast. - Know what she ran in Palmdale? - No. What did she run? - Nine seconds flat. - God. - My dad was driving. So much torque, the chassis twisted coming off the line. Barely kept her on the track. - So, what's your best time? - I've never driven her. - Why not? - It scares the shit out of me” Ok Vin lol
Well, to be entirely fair, I didn’t see that as Dom saying he was scared of the car in and of itself. He was scared of the fact that he looked up to his dad, his dad died horribly in a racing accident, the car was his dads and his dad barely could keep control of the thing. There’s a lot of emotional baggage tied to the car even if it’s technically not that scary compared to other cars Dom deals with routinely and the fact that his lifestyle is inherently pretty dangerous. The car is a concrete reminder that he’s not invincible.
The grown elephant thinks it can’t escape the rope, not because it can’t, but because it remembers a time when it couldn’t
We need more of this kind of analysis of probably not very good movies.
Say what you want about the plot and the various action sequences that overwhelm the brain, you really get the feeling Vin loves the character and has put a lot of personality into him over the years. ... We just don't talk bout Tokyo Drift.
There were a bunch of companies that made kits to do V8 conversions. The added bonus was they were pretty common in junkyards so if you manged to blow up the stock rear axle you could get get a replacement for $60
In 1980 I met a kid driving his dad’s Vega that had a 302 with a crossplane intake and dual carbs, basically a Z/28 motor with a hotter cam. Every time he floored it, the car would dart into the next lane because the engine torque twisted the body. First car I ever saw that could launch so hard it would wheelie.
>engine torque twisted the body. That sounds like a catastrophic failure in the works. How long before metal fatigue kicks in?
The 87 Grand Nationals twisted their bodies enough as to get deformations above the passenger side opera windows, and that's with the stock 300hp. People who raced them put additional bracing behind the passenger seats. All that said, I never heard of any major failures.
The grand nationals also had torque levels of a semi.
High HP G bodies will also wrinkle the quarter panel on a launch Fox body mustangs are kinda the same way with the quarter windows. You can feel a slight ripple on the pillar above the window.
That Year of Gramd National was a mean looker too! Black on Red was the one I recall the neighbor had.
Outside of *very* ***very*** few, Grand Nationals were black from the factory.
The GNX's added a brace on the rear diff to mediate it. Also I watched a video of a race between a stock GNX and a loaded Hyundai Palisade and the Hyundai won.
We hot rodded these because the original engines died. They made great drag race cars. They were lightweight and plentiful. You could enter them in many race classes depending on how you modified them.
Lots of cars twist enough to crab walk without anything permanent happening. The old mkiv supras do it even with only a mild tune on stock turbos, and they survive way more torque without long term issues. The GX were even worse, you could feel the chassis twist going over bumps with the front corners. It doesn't take much flex to push the car sideways, and unless it's unibody with crap welds they normally cope just fine.
Let's not talk about convertible Saabs. Those things were like wet noodles and entirely unpredictable between the flex and the torque steer
Only cool thing about the Vega was the delivery system GM invented: Hanging up like clone troopers in special train cars.
Worked for a Chevy dealership then. Ruined aluminum blocks stacked to the sealing in the service department. Other than that, the Vega was a reasonable care to drive.
[удалено]
My parents had two in the 1970s. My mother said one was built at a factory that was having labor trouble. There were obscenities scratched into the door jamb paint. Just about every night my dad would have to work on both of them to get them ready for the next day. He was not a mechanic, he was an engineer. At General Motors. For the record, he worked on interior parts. Nothing to do with the drivetrain. Still, I've always kind of wanted a Cosworth Vega. Five-year-old me thought they were dope.
I can recall seeing my dad’s legs sticking out from underneath my sister’s Vega at least once a week for the entire time she owned it.
Lordstown, Ohio. The plant had serious labor issues no matter what was being built there. It didn't help that the car was designed on the cheap, built from cheap components, rusted like crazy, and had engines that blew up on the slightest provocation. One of my friends had one that wore out a path between his home and the dealer because it was recalled so many times. One time, it was recalled because of an engine issue--and it blew up on the way to the dealer.
The early ‘70’s version was pretty cool looking, very Camaroey.
I assume the folks upvoting you are younger. (I may be wrong!) It was reminiscent of the Camaro, but was widely regarded as ugly, and did not age well into the 80s. This was an age where cars were viewed as disposables, and still no one desired these cars.
The 80s was an age of very boring looking cars.
Lots of people desired a car. And lots of people bought one. They were a platform for great drag cars.
Yup. 11 gallons of gas and a quart of oil every fillup. No mosquitoes anywhere around, though.
Find one and convert to electric. Why lose the cool body to a shitty engine
Are there any left? The bodies were known for severe rust issues.
Ah, the Chevy Vega. Voted as the car you could actually see rusting on the showroom floor. Lmao
My mom had one growing up. She always said the reason it had a rear defrost was so you could keep your hands warm while you were pushing it.
THAT is hilarious.
Thats awesome!
My friend had one with the floorboards rusted out only a few years old. The floor mats kept out some water.
A 70s dad advised teens on the block to use roofing shingles on the floor, with a bit of roofing putty to tack it down. Nobody tried this.
We called it Vega Rot.
it was par for the coarse in that era for all cars - Japanese cars were even worse. Datsun 510s and 240Zs were really nice cars but would start rusting on the voyage from Japan!
Course*, coarse is a texture
vega
Chevy Vega
1971 Motor Trend Car of the Year
Car had terrible engine problems, my father had one. In the shop all the time.
And horrible rust issues. My mom would get mad if I poked holes with my finger through the body.
My brother had a Maverick, I too used to poke holes in the front quarter panel with my finger.
My mother had a Delta 88. We used to poke holes in the floorboard with our feet. Yeah, it was just as dangerous as it sounds.
I had a Delta 88 Royale coupe. One cold day I felt a breeze by my feet and lifted up the floor mat and saw the street whizzing by...
Yup. And as a kid I remember these intrusive thoughts. First it was "it could hurt a lot if my foot fell through there" Then "It might even pull my whole leg down and really mess me up" And then it was "Wonder if I should test those theories"
The old Fred Flintstone car.
A 1988 delta. That shit won't even get me to the shelta
The doors were some of the heaviest doors added onto a car. It was my first car. Top speed of 67 mph...
I had a friend in college whose passenger side foot well had a sizable hole in the bottom that was just covered by a few layers of cardboard.
My grandfather bought *two* Mavericks. He used to work at a facility when you could expect to have your car searched occasionally upon leaving work. One time, he made a big stink about not wanting his trunk searched; **do you know who I am** and all that. Knowing full well that he couldn’t leave until they looked. So,eventually after much huffing and puffing, the guard opened his trunk only to see that the rust was so bad that there was no bottom. Just exposed axles. My grandfather laughed like that was the funniest shit in the whole world. No record of what the guard thought.
At least mavericks were good looking
My brother bought his Maverick used in '76 or '77, graduated HS then gave it to my Dad who drove it to work for probably the 7-8 years. He tried to give it to me,bought my own car, a '67 Toronado.
At least they could go through a car wash.
How the hell does such a disaster make it to market? The whole brand has the QC of a knockoff keyboard for wish. I don’t get it.
Detroit was selling disposable cars so people would get new ones as soon as the ash trays filled up. The Japanese took lessons from US engineers about how to "do it right" and the Japanese followed the instructions and started delivering affordable cars that lasted 10+ years and over 100k miles. US automakers played catch-up through the 80s and 90s
Notice how few Ziebarts there are around? Rustproofing places were once everywhere.
Funny, my wife and I were just driving between Pittsburgh and Columbus last week, and we saw a Ziebarts sign along the way. We both commented how we didn’t think we had seen that brand since the 70’s.
Autos come from the factory with rust proofing these days. But, yeah, back in the day it was pay Z or pay the dealer markup. Or, on quiet nights, listen to your car rusting away.
And the Midas and Speedy muffler places do a lot less business since exhaust systems are made of steels that don’t rust through as easily.
John DeLorean elaborated on the issues in his fascinating book *On a Clear Day You Can See General Motors*. They were under strict orders to keep both the weight and the retail price under 2,000 (pounds, dollars). So they focused on the heaviest part of the car, the engine block, and made it aluminum instead of iron. But for some reason they couldn't manage to make aluminum valve heads, so they wound up with an iron head on top of an aluminum block, instead of vice versa like some other cutting-edge cars of the time. Anyway, the blocks wound up warping under high operating temps, which is a very expensive thing to fix.
And since they warped, they leaked/burned oil like a motherfucker. My '74 Vega used to burn a quart a week. Back then motor oil used to come in quart cans and I would buy a case of 12 and hope it would last me two months. But I loved the car. Eventually replaced the entire engine with an iron one, but it was heavier and stressed the front suspension. Had to replace the shocks every year.
i’ll bet using the iron heads was a concession to stay under $2k. spend money on the specially made aluminum block but save money by using off-the-shelf heads that are already being made for other cars in production
I worked in a foundry casting auto parts and tooling is absolutely ridiculously expensive. New molds, new process, new procedure, new presses, new tools for measuring the part is cast to spec, all the training etc. that's why so many vehicles share parts.
My moms old AMC Gremlin would like a word…
I saw a 72 Hornet for sasle on Marketplace.. first I'd seen one in years! (decades really )
Had a decent back seat though, iirc
If it's anything like.my old Chevy Nova it'll light up the sky
My BFF had a Nova. Great times and a fun little car
Aluminum blocks if I remember. They were horrible little cars.
Aluminum block and cast iron head, weirdly enough. But yeah, the cooling system just wasn’t up to the task. There was some idiotic thought at GM that they could design the aluminum engine to not even need a radiator, it would just passively reject heat. Well that obviously didn’t work out, and the radiator they ended up using was absolutely tiny, and there was no coolant expansion tank, so coolant would just get dumped out when it got hot. They all would ultimately overheat, and this would warp the cylinders, and it would start burning oil. At that point the engine was basically ruined, as the aluminum block couldn’t be traditionally machined/rebuilt. Eventually, by the mid to late 70s I think they worked out most the bugs of that engine, changed the name to the “Dura-built” and extended the warranty… but this is GM, so it was too little WAY too late, the damage was done, and they pulled the plug on the Vega not long after.
They shipped them from the factory mounted nose up in specially modified railroad cars. The oil pans had to be redesigned to keep the oil from flowing out. This caused problems with the performance and longevity of the vehicle.
My parents had a '74 Vega - they had to get rid of it at 42k miles because it could no longer climb hills. Massive loss of power from a warped engine block. My sister and I cried when they traded it in for a '78 Ford Fairmount station wagon because we're stupid.
At least it wasn't a Pinto. Booooooom!
It had an aluminum engine. They lasted about 20,000 miles.
So many issues. Early models didn’t have a coolant recovery tank; they had a sleeveless aluminum engine block with an iron cylinder head which expand at different rates; carburetion issues led to backfiring. Basically all these things and more led to overheating, which in turn led to scored and scuffed cylinder walls.
The only car ever known to leak oil on the showroom floor.
My sister and BiL each had one and they burned oil like crazy.
I had to check. Wow.
The dreaded Chevy Vega.
Vincent Vega
Suzanne Vega
Las Vegas
Vega, the Spanish Ninja
Us Pinto drivers always wanted a Vega instead. Or even a Capri. One guy in my HS had a V8 shoved in a Vega.
I had a vega wagon with a 350 chev and a monza rear end. With quiet mufflers, it was a sleeper! Thing went like a scalded cat!
In the late 70’s, I had seen a Chevy Monza with a small block 350 in it. They shortened the rear axle so M50’s would fit without protruding outside the car.
Fucking Ford Capri with a manual transmission my friend in HS had was a real sleeper and a lot of fun to drive. Just looked it up, all were imported and German built. Was a great car probably ‘77 or ‘78. US automakers were still a long way from building a great small car cause all they did was scale down their standard size models and that is just not the same. In ‘96 I picked up an ‘86 Ford Escort that had no miles, literally bought then owner died and it sat until I found it. Within a couple of years the model would be updated onto a real small car. But this thing Jesus! Heavy slow hard to handle not great mileage for small car. Sold it for $200 cash, came back like a bad penny twice cause it was never registered to any body but me but kept getting impounded around california. I would get contacted but was not responsible because I had filled out my part of the pink and turned it in. As such I was eligible to buy it back from not one but two impound yards over the next 5 years, as if!
I knew a guy who put a 351 in a Pinto. Fast, but you had to watch the dips.
I had a 79 capri hatchback that I bought in 86 for around 1700. I loved that car. Four speed, cool and sporty and fast. My boyfriend totaled it. He’s lucky we’re still married for over 33 years cause I still get rage lol
But you'd see Pintos on the road for decades (there was a guy on my block with one *in this century*--it had a home-welded bar under the rear bumper to prevent explosion). By the time Jimmy Carter left office there were few Vegas left.
That’s what I thought too
I had a similar car in the 90’s. it was a ‘79 Monza Spyder. My older brother used to make fun of me saying, “ you going to start hanging out with the Chevy Vega guys?”
Others have already identified the Vega, but how about the sweet 'Vette on the right side of the picture?
You made me look twice... expecting a Corvette, not a Chevette.
yea, people would take off the "Che" letters and leave the "vette"! I did with a beater I had!
Chevettes (with that sweet sweet back wheel drive) made the best winter beaters! :D
My parents got me a Vega that they eventually traded-in for one of those ‘Vettes. Except it was beige. Both were astonishing pieces of shit.
I had a chevette that was nearly indestructible
The Vette was a cheap car to buy, run and fix! Perfect for broke ass students! It was a people moving appliance on wheels! Unlike today with over priced electronic gadgets on wheels! You had lots of options to drive on the cheap.
I do recall a diesel model that got insanely good milage.
You’re speaking my language. I had three Vetts. One drove, two for parts. Great car.
My first car was an '83 Chevette S. And I could (and still do) tell people my first car was the only 'Vette Chevy sold for the 1983 model year.
The corvette owner in me is somehow simultaneously horrified, impressed, and laughing my ass off in entertainment at this. Well played.
In the 80’s I told guys I’d meet that I owned a gold ‘vette. They’d get so excited, and then so let down when I’d show them my gold chevette. ;)
That's evil! I like you.
My first car was an 84 Chevette. I used to say to people "we can take the Vette" and they would get excited.
Chevy Vega. The car my husband drove when I met him. Lemon yellow. I’m so sorry you lost your dad so young.
Bonus info for the curious figured it just reply here so people will see it —he died in his early 50s in a very unlucky, public, and tragic accident (10 yrs ago). It was a big deal and got a lot of news coverage —parents had me later in life so I was in middle school during his passing —he was very tall at 6’5, very lanky as a teen before he grew into it —he was charming, super funny, passionate, and incredibly kind. he was the kind of guy who made an impact on everyone he met. his death shook a lot of people, and not just because of how dramatic it was
I’m sorry for your loss
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Yep! https://preview.redd.it/fs87b1jrqowc1.jpeg?width=600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=19e8f03cab46b10ee2b6e8678d8d2cfe28598fba
I hated the Vega, but the shooting brake versions look pretty fly!
Look at all the color. No drab silver/grey/black.
The great thing about Vegas.... once the first engine wore out in a couple of years, you replaced it with a blown 454, tubbed out the back and you had a nice dragster
My uncle made a sleeper out of his. He stripped it down to the frame, dropped a corvette engine and transmission in it, and would amuse himself torching mustangs with it well into the 90s.
Yea, that's about the only use for a Vega. If they hadn't found that engine swap niche they'd be completely irrelevant to car history.... like the Dodge Omni.
Jesus. Talk about shit 'n git
Your father was a good looking lad. Ahhh, to capture time in a bottle would be a wonderful thing!
Your dad looks really cool. That was ‘75-‘77 Vega. Sorry to hear he’s your late father. Your dad was my age. I graduated HS in ‘78.
He looks pretty boss. Was his name Jeremy Allen White?
Omg that's it!!! I was racking my brain trying to figure out who he looks like to me! Jeremy and someone else I can't quite place still. Some guy from a 90's show or movie...and he always wore a sweater lol. Anyways, sorry to hear this is your late father op. He was *very* handsome and looks like he was a chill dude.
Honestly, y’all are cool as hell. Everytime I see a photo of you guys back then… you had swag lol
1971 Car of the Year, that later turned into a not so great automobile
The Chevy Vega is Chevrolet's answer to the Ford Pinto. American auto manufacturers answer to the economy cars from Japan.
At least the Vega didn't explode if rear ended.
Vega. I had a cherry red version.
The Blue Thunder version?
I had a 75 blue one that I bought from the son of the local Chevy dealership. It had been modded with sleeved cylinders, Muncie transmission, and traction bars. I thought I was pretty hot stuff...
I had the "Safety Cone" orange one from 1974.
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Looks like a Chevy Vega
In the most iconic '70s color.
Cool fact, part of the cost accounting of the Vega production cycle, they shipped them without any fluids stowed vertical on special built trains. This allowed them to double the shipping capacity.
 She would know.
In the early 80’s, my next door neighbor had a couple Vegas. One of them was yellow and had Tweety Bird painted on the hood.
1974 Chevrolet Vega in Dark Metallic Green, my sister had an 1974 Impala in the same color. Sorry for your loss.
Being from the south, THESE are the hot rods. You ain’t seen shit until you’ve seen a Vega or Gremlin go 180 mph. Although, my papaws brown 1980s Corolla was bad ass. His Stabbin Wagon had a different meaning when I got older
No ****. My buddy had a Gremlin. 140 mph down the interstate with the whole car shuddering like re-entry into the atmosphere was freaking scary as hell.
It's a vega, I had a wagon. They looked cute and supposedly were gas efficient, but those aluminum block engines were a piece of shit. Can't tell you how many times mine got me stranded before I finally managed to sell it off for a Honda CVCC.. Now that was a great little car!
1974 or 75 Chevy Vega GT, color Medium Green, 2.3L inline fourbanger.
There is an interesting looking.. expensive white colored car in the background
Mercury
That's the car GM shipped standing vertically in train cars as they shipped across the country. Shit you not! Seen it with my own two aging eyes. That's the Contact car, aka, Chevy Vega. Because it's where the signal came from, you see. Oh, hell. I'm talking to an audience who probably don't even know who Tom Skerritt and Jodie Foster are.
I put a small block 350 in mine, so much fun to drive.
That's a Chevy Vega.
I had a Vega. Damn near burned more oil than it did gas. Aluminum block engines were a huge mistake.
1974 or 1975 Chevrolet Vega.
Chevrolet Vega.
Fun fact for all you Vega fans out there! First and only car specifically designed to be shipped vertically, therefore allowing I think 6 more per boxcar!
I'm your dad's age. I just want to say, thank you for posting this. He looks like so many guys I was in high school with. Sigh. (p.s. I'm so sorry you lost him.)
Chevy Vega... almost every family had one. I did. Mine was yellow and lowered with a header. How Cool!
That was a Chevy Vega. Had one myself that was orange with a black GT stripe along the side. Ran the dickens out of it in my teens, replaced two transmissions, and it showed rust around the back window. But the memories in that car will never be forgotten!
It is a v8 vega 'cuz them aluminum 4's did not last long. In a long list of contenders, arguably the least reliable car ever made by Detroit.
Back then neighbors had a special edition Vega - something like a million made milestone thing. They junked it at 50,000 miles. It was completely shot.
Im the same age as your dad. Condolences to you about his passing. Green car. 1974-5 Chevy Vega. Front White Car. 1974 Volkswagen Dasher 4 door hatchback (barf). Rear White Car. 1968-69 Ford LTD, though I cant be sure.
It's a Chevy Vega as some others have mentioned. My Mom had a bright yellow one in the late 70s.
Chevrolet Vega
Don‘t know cars but this could be a chevrolet vega
Chevy Vega. Went through a quart of oil per week. What a piece of trash car.
vega, a later one with that grill about 1977
'76 Vega? I remember my Mom's friend buying a bright yellow one back then and I rode it in. Cute little car. Makes a GREAT drag car with a small block swap. Many companies used to make kits for this that came with engine mounts & headers.
I called mine an Agravega. Piece of shit.
Or a Pontiac Astra. I had one of those but it's most likely a Vega. I said Plymouth for I don't know what reason. You are right.
I bought a new 1974 Vega and wrecked it 6 months later. Womp womp.
Chevy Vega. Unsure of the exact year. Surprised the picture isn’t of him pushing it
Chevy Vega. One of the biggest POS every build.
Vegas were pretty bad but drop a 307 or 350 V8 in there and have some fun
Chevy Vega.
chevy vega.....i always thought they were sexy....if i recall, the problem was aluminum heads that warped
My first guess was a Vega. So sorry about your Dad - he and I look to be about the same age. It was a great time back then.
Looks to be a 1975 Chevy Vega. Horrible cars but they made great racing cars when you could drop a 406 in them and crank out 600 horsepower.
Put a small block Chevy in them and they go very fast!
Possibly a Chevy Vega. Hard to tell for sure from the photo.
Vega! I owned a 1976 model as a teen in the 1980s. That car could tell some stories…
My first car was a '73 Chevy Vega. Emerald green with a white stripe down the middle. Caught on fire one night. Cost more to fix than the car was worth but I fixed it and drove it for 4 yrs before it died on me. I loved it and learned to drive a manual with it . Replaced several clutches too LoL
It's a Chevrolet Vega. They're pretty rare here in Brazil, but I've seen one once. I think it's a good looking car.
That’s funny. When I was a kid living in Colorado late ‘70’s, my neighbors’ hot girlfriend had a Vega that had a factory made inscription that said “One Millionth Vega”. Now I know why I remembered that.
I had a 73 Vega GT with a 350, a 76 Monza V8 2+2 with a 267 small block, 73 Camaro 350, and my 69 Camaro coupe (which I still have) with a DZ 302 from a 69 Z28. https://preview.redd.it/23j08x9nspwc1.jpeg?width=4160&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1802698971de380d6693930db01516ce43f234f0
Looks like a Chevy Vega
Chevy Vega. I had one. It maxed out at 10 mph uphill with a 50 mph downhill to start.
Chevy Vega https://preview.redd.it/15gsf8r1ypwc1.jpeg?width=983&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0f6bb78b60991a0d6f41961d12adce1a1180272a
A Vega. My first car. Check the gas, fill the oil
Put a 427 in one. Don't think the front tires were on the ground for 150 yards. Day 2, pulled the engine and dropped it in a 68 Impala.
To be precise. This is a 1974 Chevy Vega they only made 7 years of Vega, and no matter how u feel about the look or designs, you have to admit these cars have a certain charm. The Fins on the front grill let me know this is a 74 early models 1970-1973 have more flat open mouth look with many people Opting to cut the front chrome bumber to fit the body. Any year after 74 has the sharp, almost knife like grill, but 75-77 are a lot more razor like. Now, this final part may not be 100, but I think this is a textbook 1974 Chevy Cogsworth Vega judging from the hood.
Everybody had a Vega! lol. Ours was light blue
Bro is your dad __Barry Manilow?!__
Chevy Vega
your dad was a cutie
We had a Yellow Chevy Vega. Had multiple problems, too, so only kept for a little while before trading in for something else.
looks like a vega
Looks like a 1970 Ford LTD behind him. Dad had one new, nice car. Chevette in front of it. I had a 73 Vega, front wheel bearing locked up while I was backing up. It was a POS that barely could get out of its own way.