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Sporty Hauler: 1974 Chevrolet Vega GT Wagon

The seller does a great job at hyping up this Vega. They even make a seized up engine sound like a good thing! We have never heard the phrase “Locked-up tight” to describe this negative condition. They even make a big deal about the fact that the door buzzer works when you open the door! That said, this little wagon does have a few good things going for it and may be worth a look. It’s located in Warminster, Pennsylvania and is currently listed here on eBay with the option to bid or buy it now for $2,290.

The Vega was a boring subcompact that was meant to be economical and not much else. The kammback body seen here did add some utility, but the person who ordered this car obviously wanted a bit more excitement from their family hauler. Not only was it ordered in a bright green hue, but someone checked the GT option box. That package added all the “sporty” features available on the Vega at the time. A two-barrel carb was mounted in place of the standard single-barrel unit for a bit more pep.

Special stripes, rims, and a four spoke steering added some flash. Front and rear sway bars, heavy duty springs and shocks, and new tires aided in the handling department. There was even a tach mounted in the dash. All these additions make this Vega sound downright sporty! Some of the fun is killed by that automatic shifter, but maybe they figured there wasn’t much power to work with anyway, so they might as well focus on handling and looks.

This Vega is claimed to have sat in a pole barn for the past 30 years so it’s obviously going to need some work. There appears to be quite a bit of rust and the drivetrain is going to need to be completely rebuilt. The seized up engine is a bummer, but it could just be a good excuse to drop a V8 in there! There are kits out there to make the job easier and I’m sure it would be a heck of alot more fun with a small block out front. Then those GT stripes might actually mean something…

Comments

  1. Avatar F.A.G.

    I like the grocery rack on the roof. Very sporty

    Like 0
  2. Avatar Steve R

    Lots of interior shots, yet no detailed pictures of the areas prone to rust. That’s never a good sign. Based on the shop in the background I’d guess that wasn’t an oversight.

    Pass.

    Steve R

    Like 0
  3. Avatar Brian G.

    I’m pretty sure I ran into this salesman at a timeshare presentation for a mountaintop resort in Florida.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Snuffy

      He’s now moved on and is selling beachfront condos in Gatlinburg TN

      Like 0
  4. Avatar sparkster

    My girlfriend back in the late 70’s early 80’s had a 1971 Vega automatic. We’d go to the wreaking yards and strip Vega GT parts off to put into her basic Vega, As most know here those were two speed automatics.and weren’t as slow as you’d think they’d be. First it blew the head gasket , then after that repair the transmission died. That’s when I sang the song, I drove my chevy to the levy but the levy was dry. . . . . . . .

    Like 0
  5. Avatar AMXSTEVE

    Ooooooh it’s the “REAL DEAL” . What is that exactly supposed to mean?

    Like 0
  6. Avatar Fred W.

    Not surprised the engine is seized, they all did that right after blowing the head gasket and overheating.

    Like 0
  7. Avatar jake

    These were junk when new and still junk today!!!!! Amazes me how $50 cars become something to restore, lol!!!!! Only good thing for this might be a drag racer looking for a shell and then $50 for it!!!!

    Like 0
  8. Avatar Randy

    Sheesh. Sell the sizzle, not the steak.

    A rusty, junky version of an unloved POS. The sooner the post-1973 era of American cars is forgotten, the better.

    Like 0
  9. Avatar Glen

    I worry about myself, their was a time( not long ago) I wouldn’t find this interesting. Now I like d&@# near anything.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Dovi65

      I hear ya .. loud & clear! I used to have ‘standards’, and wouldn’t go near anything less than a luxo land yacht. Now .. I’m prowling the web looking for Chevette’s, Citations, Pintos … and [GASP!] Yugo’s.

      Like 0
  10. Avatar Doug Towsley

    I like the “Rare opportunity” phrasing, lets sell the concept its desirable and time sensitive. Such “Opportunities” are rare!

    Like 0
  11. Avatar ROTAG999

    Pretty rusty yeah only 1 whole in the front seat…… Guess again buddy lol crush it.

    Like 0
  12. Avatar Vince Habel

    I had one of these as a demo when I was selling Chevys. The drove nice enough but I would not want one now.

    Like 0
  13. Avatar sparkster

    Those don’t look like Vega GT seats. Most Vega GT seats looked more like the Camaro seats than those ugly things

    Like 0
  14. Avatar ROTAG999

    This does look like a base model interior does not have the extra rubber strip on the bumpers either but you needed to check the box for the options. Mine came with the deluxe black vinyl buckets like Camaro and Nova so those were used crossed many GM models mine were pretty comfy and held up good.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Vegaman_Dan

      74 models have the bumper strip. Early 75 models did not. It is a true GT as it has the clear front turn signal lenses and black painted headlight buckets.

      I would gladly have this today if I could with a 4.3L V6 and a TH400 trans.

      Like 0
  15. Avatar Tim W

    As has often been said: they were junk when new (owned its Pontiac twin, the Astre) why would you want an old one?

    Like 0
  16. Avatar Jerry S

    I drive by this car every day in Warminster. It’s at a shop that has a lot of these sort of cars out front, some good some bad, but always a unique variety. I know nothing more about it though.

    Like 0
  17. Avatar levis gasser

    Strip it out drop a 383 in it and hit the track👌

    Like 0
  18. Avatar Vegaman_Dan

    I would love to have this car. It would take time to restore or convert the interior to black, but I would do it. I have a Triumph Spitfire, so rust is not even a challenge.

    Like 0
  19. Avatar Graywolf

    I started as a tech right out of the Navy at a Chevrolet dealership in 1970. I got to work on the last of the muscle cars and the the POS ERA! I hung around for 20 years and made a very good living because all models would fail. I then started selling tools for another 25 years till the vehicles started be more reliable by all manufactures just in time for retirement!

    Like 0
  20. Avatar Steve

    This one is a turd, and as a former multi Vega owner I thought all the “waggon” versions sucked, however they do seem to show up more often than the others. That said my vega ownership goes back to 1971 with a yellow coupe my mom bought new. while it was a total POS and my father had to pay to have it taken away when she moved up to her next car, I feel like the vega gets a real bad wrap. What a GREAT looking car, big egg crate grill, split bumpers, just like a Camaro. GM did improve them over the years and toward the end of the run…..kinda got the right with both the mechanicals and the rustproofing. My last vega was a 1977 hatchback that I tore the rear end out of with a 327 under the hood……….(it was rust free I wish I still had it) All I am saying to all of Ya’ll Vega haters, short of the 240z it was arguably the best looking compact car out there. The Pintos were ugly as F, the crap that came from AMC was just as ugly. I just dont understand why these cars were soooooo universally hated. A rust free examples is a great place to start with a build. They were attractive cars……….you just only had a couple of months to enjoy them before they rusted from underneath you.

    Like 0
    • Avatar joseph

      Vegas never came with a split bumper

      Like 0
    • Avatar Edward Duff

      hey how you doing I’m working on a I kamback 76 have any parts for sale suggestions

      Like 0
  21. Avatar don

    My Aunt had ONE in Billings Montana, yellow two door wagon, woody, with auto, a/c, p/s,pb.

    Like 0
  22. Avatar rando

    I had a 73 GT wagon. Bought it because it supposedly had a sleeved block to go in my 73 hatch with the stock block. The wagon had the 3 spd and the hatch had a 2 spd auto – don’t know who put that in because the indicator was for a 3 spd auto. They boht ran okay, rarely left me stranded (once?). The hatch ended up being full of filler – I was too young to know how to check for such and the filler was straight. the Wagon was yellow with green doors. ugly but both were fun enough. The hatch used a LOT of oil. A quart every 35 – 50 miles. I just gave up on filling it up til the oil light stayed on til about 35 mph. Then add some.

    Like 0
  23. Avatar PRA4SNW

    Question:
    Was the underdash Coolant Level light stock from the factory, or added on as a sort of “blown head gasket” warning light?

    Like 0
    • Avatar ROTAG999

      That was a Factory recall on my 74 GT but i put a Buick 231 V-6 in my car in 75 so never worried about the stock motor after that.

      Like 0

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