The 1970s Chevy Vega is a largely forgettable car. Unless you happen to have a 1975-76 Cosworth Vega, which had a performance DOHC head. And while more than two million Vegas were produced from 1971 to 1977, only 3,500 units had Cosworth power. The seller, a member of the Cosworth Owners Association, has owned the car for four years, and it looks good. Plenty of parts have been changed over the years. Located in Williamsburg, Michigan, this survivor is available here on Craigslist for $8,900. Thanks for the tip, T.J.!
The Cosworth used Chevy’s all-aluminum inline-4 with a special DOHC cylinder head. Though only 3,500 cars were sold, 5,000 engines were built (so what happened to the other 1,500?). Because of the engineering that went into the car, it ended up in the same price range as a Corvette, which may have hampered demand. Output was 110 hp, so it was a potent little powerplant. 2,000 or so of the cars were sold as ‘75s, and less than 1,500 more in ’76. If you bought a ’75 Cosworth, you could get it in any color you wanted as long as it was black. They expanded the palette in ’76.
This Cosworth is documented, in that it comes with the original build sheet at 76,000 miles. Only 2,000 of those have been added since 2010. The seller is a Cosworth Vega guy and bought this one in 2022 as he had one back in his younger days. It looks to be in solid shape, including the body (which was prone to rust early on), paint, and matching vinyl interior.
A long list of stuff done by the seller is provided. It includes new tires, brakes, front upholstery, carpeting, and suspension parts. battery, fuel injectors, water pump, radiator, and more. So, some of the seller’s asking price is to partially recoup the investment made in the last few years. It will take a Cosworth fan to appreciate the car, as these are the priciest Vegas you’re likely to find.
So it last had an oil change in 2010, and the owner is bragging about it? Looks really nice, but with that kind of maintenance, you gotta wonder.
Do you really think he did all that work and didn’t change the oil?
Read his ad.
Way better than the clapped out one shown here a few weeks ago. Had these been anything other than the Vega platform, they’d probably be appreciating. But $8900 for something that will always be a Vega is a hard pill.
Does not say the last oil change was in 2010, only that the sticker is proof of the mileage. No mention of last oil change.
I’ve done multiple motor swaps on these over the years from 327’s to 454’s. I prefer the older style front end. These had posi and a bit better suspension. They ran great with a 400cu small block
Still forgettable. Built by disgruntled hippies, I was told in the day-
If you want a Cosworth Vega this is probably the one to get with a service record and recent maintenance, assuming the price isn’t out of line. These Cosworth Vega’s show up on this site often, most are project, which could easily turn into bottomless money pits.
Steve R
The Vega wasn’t good, but it had good intentions!