The Vega was Chevrolet’s first entry into the subcompact car market in 1971. With two million units sold over seven model years, the car made a dent in the infiltration efforts of European and Japanese imports – or did it? Rising fuel costs later in the decade would increase everyone’s sales (you know the adage, “a rising tide raises all ships”). This ’72 Vega is presented as a parts car due to its poor condition, aka “a rolling chassis with the engine.” Located in Lexington, Oklahoma, this Chevy is available here on eBay, where the starting bid is $999 (no takers so far).
Although the Vega won Motor Trend’s “Car of the Year Award” in 1971, problems soon appeared. The engines were known to warp (aluminum blocks) when they overheated, and the bodies would sometimes rust prematurely. These issues were not so much design flaws as execution in production because the car went from development to production rather quickly. While Chevy sold many of them, they’re seldom seen today, except for perhaps the interesting Cosworth Vega, which was not built in large numbers anyway.
We don’t know the story of this second-year Vega, a hatchback that sold over a quarter-million copies in 1972 alone. At 55,000 miles, we guess it’s either worn out or something busted, and it was left to sit for a long time. The latter is likely given the condition of the paint and the interior, the latter of which has deteriorated rather severely.
The seller makes no claims of this being a classic car in the rough. It may be pretty complete with an inline-4 engine and automatic transmission. But the hood is stuck shut, and getting at that stuff will require some surgery. We’re told the glass is mostly good (except for the windshield), the floors are solid, and the doors open and close. In short, we’re told there are “lots of good parts.” Should you have another Vega in better condition, this one could be a donor for. The seller may part it out if the auto doesn’t sell in the auction. It comes with a “salvage” title.
(Not so) fond memories of one like this in yellow.
Ours, also a ‘72 with less than 14,000 miles on the odo quit suddenly on a highway in the middle of the desert on a 110* day in July 49 years ago with no warning whatsoever.
Yes, a warped block.
Another Bowtie Lie and cover up.
Suggestion to seller-if all you’re offered is $5, take it and RUN AWAY.
Yep buddy of mine mothers first new car in Texas was a little Vega and even with hardly any miles it warped – it was A/C equip. They got a new motor from GM….
Build or part out? Is there a crush immediately option?
My first brand new car was a silver/black ’72 Vega GT. I bought it while I was in teh Marines. Nice car for the first 30K miles then the engine went. I finally found a used junkyard engine, swapped it out and promptly traded it.
I had two,both v8 conversions. I loved them.
Accidentally deleted before I posted, so here’s round 2.
These cars should’ve been out before they were sold! Lol!
Told this before, but a customer of the service station in N.Mn. I worked at pulled one morning at -35 and wanted STP Oil Treatment in his ’72 dark green Vega. I looked at him like he was nuts to pour molasses at that temperature.
So I went in the service department, fired up a hand torch and poured that crap in that engine almost at the consistency of water! Stood back and said, “there’s your STP you SOB”!
Never heard anything about it.
“On a quiet night, you can hear a Vega rusting out on the showroom floor.”
Has bid at $1,000
It’s not even a 4spd. SELL, SELL. If you get a $100.00 offer grab that cash fast. Plus it’s already got burnt title. Parts at best!!!
Maybe it’s not worth a lot but the scrapyard will give them more than $100.
yup never did figure it out back then (1982) warped block huh? been bothering me for forty years i would love to have that car back (1974 orange cosworth with white stripes) fun car to drive
The best looking sub compact of the three (Vega, Pinto, Gremlin) , but the worst car of the three at the same time. No one will restore this , but it would be a nice platform for a small block street rod !
Dead-on comparison for the cars, Don, and likely why a couple members of my family went “Vegan” when the gas prices skyrocketed. They regretted it of course.
An Iron duke …
2.3 eco boost driveline.
Had a wagon with 350 Buick motor ran prity fast
A 2.8 out of an S-10 might be workable, if a stick and the engine happened to be discarded in a corner, etc.
Check out the Flea Bay and pics,mean looking Monza next to it
I like small cars; I like the era (good personal memories; the world and I were both younger) but that car was the absolute nadir of GM engineering and office-politics. Poorly made – from low-quality sheetmetal, to inadequate rust protection, to that horrid engine – aluminum block, iron head, tiny radiator. It was something a high-school Auto Shop student might have designed – his first attempt.
IF someone was SO INTENT on preserving a Vega – perhaps because it’s a low-buck entry into the world of classics – I’d start with a later engine. I’d pass on the Iron Duke used in the Astre – too much weight (iron engine the chassis wasn’t designed for) and too little oomph (the Iron Duke was grossly misnamed). Perhaps a later aluminum GM engine could be made to fit. Or a Japanese engine?
What to do with that interior, I have no clue. I’d be astounded if there are replacement seats for a Vega ANYWHERE, unless a shopper happens on a preserved Vega that had an unfortunate accident.
I’d pass. Too much headache, too little reward…even if the entry cost was $5, as suggested.
Exactly. The Vega is interesting as a business case, only. An example of how cost-cutting and bad management can destroy a product, and an entire company’s reputation for a generation.
I’ve had a few vega’s over the years and this one definitely had the aluminum block 4 cylinder, not the iron duke. This would make an amazing V8 conversion. My brothers had a 454 punched out to a 460, a shortened Ford 9″ rear end and an awesome custom paint job. Way to much power for anything but a straight line. A friend’s had a 350 built and nerf bumpers. Added an air foil on front and a little bigger fin on back. Some Z28 emblems in the right places and looked just like a mini Camaro. He did some suspension work and body support so it wouldn’t twist and whalah a very fun and NICE looking car. Wish this one was closer. I have some great ideas for my own. Maybe some day.
No Vega ever had the Iron Duke
77 had one for sure. I owned one when I was younger and my brother has a 77 wagon that has the numbers matching iron duke in it right now.
If I had a great parts supplier, I’d definitely do a frame off restoration on it. Then, I’d put an entirely different motor, and put custom tires and rims on it.
A nice chevy small block stroker
It’d be a sweet runner with a 429 Cobra Jet and a built C6. Impress your Bowtie buddies when you swing into the car show.
Nice Patina
Personally I would scrap it or just sell it to someone who likes it better than me, I remember when these things first hit the Chevrolet lots and some people before going to see what they were thought that Chevrolet had downsized the Camaro. I guess you could find a more modern drive train and put in it but that’s more work than I would want to do to it
Pro Streeter, hands down!
LS IT!! 6 speed with a narrowed 9”! Hahaha!
I always liked these early Vegas. I almost bought a metallic brown 2 door sedan with a tan interior and a 3 speed and an AM radio. They were really nice looking little cars. No one knew the problems at first, and they were car of the year. About 3 years later, I ended up with a Pinto 2.3L 4, and three speed automatic. The drivetrain in the Pinto was quite good, but the body and interior were crap. Maybe Gremlin was the best of the three.
The Vega… a lesson in “execution is everything”… Too bad, the early ones were quite attractive…
These made cool V8 conversions back in the day. The only big expense was a better rear end, since the stock diff went to lunch as soon as you hit second…
Technically my first car was a 74 Vega. I bought it for $75 in 1982, barely running but good enough to drive to my parents. Cleaned it out and washed it, then sold it out front for 150.
Such a cool looking car, like a baby Camaro. I would go with a 4.3 V-6 and five speed manual and add A/C. Would be an awesome daily driver and highway cruiser. A narrowed GM 10 bolt for the rear if the original fails at the new power levels.
Like Rosemary’s Baby, the Vega was damned from conception to delivery
A project initiated by Ed Cole outside of Chevrolet, it was forced on resentful Bowtie guys who resented it, and did the
minimum. The first prototypes collapsed during road testing. The firewall design
made rustproofing impossible. Etc.
The engine failed because the Reynolds Nikasil alloy only works as advertised in a very narrow temperature rang and the cars were supplied with an inadequate, leading to steel rings scraping the cylinder walls causing premature wear.
other than that, the car was made of inferior materials from the recycled steel in the body panels to the mouse fur used his carpeting
This might actually be a 1971, because of the ventilation louvers on the rear hatch.
worked for HERTZ as garageman at airport in 70 s for years , drove every new car as they came out . Chevy s answer to Pinto. always in shop row more than any cars until , gremlins , and such came out , all known as crap boxes , always something wrong cheap plastic , window cranks ,seat buzzers , and more broken .
Had a friend with a blown 540 BBC in his and it’d run 8’s. That’s exactly what I’d do to this. BBC and a PG, strip everything out of it and throw it away.