Chevrolet’s Vega Cosworth should have been a raging success. It brought Formula One engineering experience to the table as Chevrolet tried to add excitement to a vehicle many considered little more than a motorized shopping trolley. However, the result failed to meet performance expectations, and the program was shelved due to low sales. This 1975 example could address the shortcomings courtesy of an engine transplant. The twin-cam four has made way for a 350ci Crate Motor, and I must thank Barn Finder Pat L. for spotting this fascinating vehicle. It is listed here on Craigslist in Billings, Montana. You could drive it away by handing the seller $24,950 OBO.
Potential buyers could order their 1975 Vega Cosworth in Black only. The company added eight additional shades in 1976, but there is little doubt that the Black cars immediately drew attention. Chevrolet added Gold pinstripes and “Cosworth Twin Cam” decals in a look reminiscent of the successful Lotus Formula One cars. This Vega presents well for its age, with the paint retaining a respectable shine. There are a few minor marks and chips, but the first impression is positive. This paint shade is excellent for exposing panel imperfections. However, there are no problems visible in the limited exterior shots. The decals are showing their age, but with replacements readily available, addressing that shortcoming won’t be complicated or expensive. The Vega’s greatest enemy was rust, with many otherwise healthy vehicles dissolving like a soluble aspirin. This classic seems to have avoided that fate, with no visible issues and none mentioned in the listing. The distinctive gold-centered alloy wheels are in good condition, and the glass appears flawless. So far, this looks like an average Vega Cosworth, but it is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
The Vega Cosworth’s engine brought together cutting-edge motorsport engineering that lifted the car’s performance from humdrum to impressive for a four-cylinder vehicle from the mid-1970s. Its 1,994cc aluminum alloy engine featured a twin-cam cylinder head, fuel injection, and tubular exhaust headers. The result was an engine producing 110hp and 107 ft/lbs of torque. The car could scamper through the¼-mile in 18 seconds, and contemporary road tests praised the performance and handling. The downside was that these motors were horrendously expensive to produce, pushing the price of the Vega Cosworth perilously close to that of the Corvette. Buyer demand was lower than expected, and Chevrolet ended its grand experiment with only 3,508 cars ordered against a planned production run of 5,000 vehicles. The seller emphasizes the originality of this Vega and states it has a genuine 64,000 miles on the clock. Those claims are largely irrelevant because this classic has undergone a profound change. The four is gone, with the engine bay housing a 350ci Crate Motor. Its specifications are unclear, but it would be a safe bet the driver has considerably more than 110hp under their right foot. The power feeds to the rear wheels via a four-speed manual transmission, and the car has only clocked fifty miles since the transplant. It runs and drives like new, promising an entertaining experience if the driver presses the pedal to the metal. The seller includes a couple of original Cosworth cylinder heads but no engine blocks. There are also other components that could help return this classic to its factory specifications if the buyer craves originality.
The Vega’s interior hints little at the changes wrought beyond a couple of additional gauges under the dash. Otherwise, things appear as they would have when this car left the factory. The overall condition is good, with the Black vinyl upholstery free from wear and other issues. The gold machine-turned gauge fascia looks excellent, with the same true of the dash and pad. The carpet seems slightly faded in several spots, but I wouldn’t classify that as a deal-breaker. There is a factory pushbutton radio for entertainment on the move, but no further factory options.
Some people believe the 1975 Chevrolet Vega Cosworth under-delivered on its promise, especially if price was a factor. It was undoubtedly expensive, and the performance figures look underwhelming by modern standards. The original concept was for the project to feature a V8, which never eventuated. This car rights what some consider a wrong, and should pin occupants in their seats with little effort. Do you think the seller made the right move, or should they have left this rare classic as its creators intended?
If you like Vega’s ( I do) and are NOT a Cosworth purist, then this car can provide everything that was promised! Clean body, even has the optional swing out rear windows. GLWTS!! :-)
My girlfried at the time had a brown vega. She traded it in for the black cosworth 75 new. She was pissed cause it was no faster or better one she had. I had originally told her save her money as i had a built 327 doing nothing on a stand. End results was 327 went into the cosworth making that car bad ass.
Further more after what i did, a vega is still a pyle of crap, lol, lol, lol.
Take a rare version of a car, remove what makes it rare.
What a stupid idea
Especially because he could have done it to any other Vega
Dosen’t make sense
I agree. Of the two million Vegas made, this guy had to destroy one of the rarest. That really hurts.
I totally agree. A wrong move. You just devalued this vehicle.
Only if you could find one without a rollbar, rear slicks w/wheelie bars, and fon’t forget RUST!
Unmolested Cosworth? Rare and valuable.
V8 Vega? It isn’t a Cosworth anymore.
Pass.
Ruined a somewhat special car.
The Cosworth only ended up with 10 more HP than the stock Vega when it was all said and done. A cast iron V8 is too heavy, after you add all the heavy duty components to make the drivetrain strong enough your in the Camaro weight category. Ask me why? I built a couple back in the 70s, an LS would’ve made more sense.
The 1975 Vega GT engine made 87 HP (net), so you got about 30% more horsepower with the Cosworth, but that same Vega GT engine also made 14% more torque, at 122 lb-ft.
Lots cooler cars out there for $25K . . .
The 350 was the way to go,the only thing that sounded special about the cosworth engine was the problems and the high cost to make them.most 350 swaps are usually automatic,having a 4spd makes for an even more exciting driving experience….but not at $24k,this is more like $10-$12k at best.
You can’t find any Vegas for 10.000 that aren’t Swiss cheese, try looking. A regular V8 Vega now are in this price range, about what it costs for all the parts.
There’s no such thing as a regular V8 Vega.
He wants the price of an excellent Cosworth for a car that the only think that makes it a Cosworth removed. Now it’s just another Vega with a 350 swapped in.
The small block V8 practically bolted into the Vega, so it’s a mystery why GM didn’t offer a V8 performance version alongside the smoke belching aluminum 4 banger from the git go. The Vega platformed Monza 2+2 did offer a downsized 262 small block.
The Vega was originally designed to accommodate a V8 by request of Ed Cole, and early production units actually had dual exhaust pipe reliefs in the transmission crossmember. One prototype V8 car was built, and in April 1972, Cole compared it with a stock Vega and an early Cosworth prototype, choosing to approve the Cosworth for production.
My first car was a 1971 Vega notchback, into which I swapped a Buick 3.8l V6 when I was in college. That’s probably the best/most streetable swap for the Vega, as it adds maybe 40lb. and doesn’t disturb the Vega’s excellent handling.
I also owned 1976 CV #2196, which had been set up for autocross by the PO – it was an absolute hoot to drive!
Because of the mickey mouse rear end & trans?
I owned a Monza 2+2 ,with the small V8, a 2 bbl carb, and a 4 speed trans. It was a hoot to drive.Not much of a drag car..hard to launch. It was a tire smoking speed demon…burry the speedometer shortly after shifting into 4th….A Vega with the same setup would have been a big seller.
Vega near the price of a Corvette with what 110 HP?
No thank you
Of course the Corvette for 1975 only had 165 horse, but I see your point.
1975 L-82 Corvette had 205 hp.
In January, 1974, Car & Driver’s test of a Pilot build Cosworth Vega (170 HP gross) turned in the fastest 0-60 MPH time (7.7 seconds) of any car they tested that year.
The 1975 L-48 Corvette (165 HP) was only slightly faster to 60 MPH than the derated (110 HP net) production 1975 Cosworth.
A 1973 Road & Track test showed that a Vega optioned with BR70-13 tires outhandled the Corvette.
The Vega (and especially the CV) had plenty of potential – all wasted by GM…
That’s what a lot of buyers said in 1975-76, which is why GM only sold 3500 of a planned run of 5000 cars. Either the Corvette, or a fully loaded Trans Am, with cash back to boot, was the much more popular choice. Ed Cole originally expected the Cosworth to produce closer to 150 hp, but by the time the EPA got through with it, 110 hp was all you were going to get. A great idea doomed by a flawed execution, but then again, you could say that about the entire Vega product line, LOL!
Right on Robert… Chevy developed and built the aluminum in-line 4, then added the 5000 British engineered Cosworth Dual Overhead Cam Cylinder Head… Supposedly 3508 Cosworth bodied cars where built. So that leaves1402 without bodies to put them in… Was this intentional? How many Vega Cosworth’s did they plan on building? I would imagine that a percentage of them where to go towards warranty work, maybe some where to be offered for sale over the counter! I do have to question… Does a run of 3508 make a car rare? Cool car then and now!
GM was disappointed by demand for an anemic car that was almost on par with the Corvette price wise? Really? Could anybody predict that? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
Huh?? Disappointed?? They sold more than 2 million Vegas… I wouldn’t call that a sales flop.
Too bad some people don’t understand what you’re saying.
There are only a few engines I’d ever swap into a Cosworth Twin Cam Vega and I’d have to get the Vega at a giveaway price. The first would be a compilation of early and late Quad-4 engines – You’d be close to 2.5 liters and 200 HP with that combo.
But, if you’re going there, why not find a wrecked Saturn Skye or Pontiac Solstice and swap the engine and transmission into the Cosworth Vega (especially if it has the Turbocharged engine)? If it doesn’t have a Turbo, call ZZ Performance, as they seem to play with the turbo version of the Eco-Tech and Kappa twin cam 4s.
Interestingly, the Quad-4 development team bought several low-mile Cosworth Vega engines for evaluation in the development of that engine.
I wonder why they had to buy them, when GM scrapped the remaining 1500 or so examples it had on hand when the program was cancelled?
Why destroy a rare version (Cosworth) by swapping the engine, when any old Vega will do. Swapping the trouble-plagued Vega mill for something more reliable, assuming that the body hasn’t been consume by rust, is almost a requirement, but the relatively rare Cosworth versions have been appreciating at the auctions recently. Sometimes it just takes time for people to appreciate a car that was ahead of its time when it was new. The Cosworth, despite its relatively high price, was an example of what GM could do when it put its mind and engineering talent to it, and paved the way for this second “Golden Age” of car performance, by giving GM its first experience with the technology (aluminum engines, multi-valve cylinder heads and electronic engine controls) that is now standard all over the world. It’s worth something to preserve one of those turning points in automotive history, instead of destroying it with an engine swap!
Another good swap would be GMs turbo 2.0 Liter 4 cyl., from a Gen 6 Camaro. 275 HP and no weight penalty you would get with a 350.
V-8 power with what looks like the stock four lug Vega rear. What could go wrong ?
That’s what I was thinking too. Not much info on trans and axle. With 50 miles since the swap, parts might go poof if pressed.
You can’t find any Vegas for 10.000 that aren’t Swiss cheese, try looking. A regular V8 Vega now are in this price range, about what it costs for all the parts.
If the Cosworth was blown up I think this is one possible avenue. But as someone else mentioned, a newer 4 cylinder like from a 2.0 liter turbo car (Solstice/Skye) would bring much more integrity to the build.
I’d go with a Supercharged 3.8 out of a Pontiac Bonneville SSE to keep the weight down and with a pully change you could get a lot more boost for your buck and not have all the issues of the Turbo lag or intercoolers and piping taking up every inch under the hood making it hard to work on. A good friend of mine put that combo in an 87 Fiero and it was impressively quick!
As the owner of a 1975 Cosworth, I could not agree more with the sentiment that removing a state of the art engine setup that was well ahead of its time is practically sacrilege…
However, we need to keep in mind that about 1/3 of these cars were raced in autocross (these engines easily get to 150+ HP with removal of emissions gear and Weber carb swap), and many an engine saw an early fate being raced as such. Being that the seller has a couple of cylinder heads but no block seems to suggest the original 2.0L is long gone. That said, at 25k, I can buy a low miles perfectly preserved example, with the original engine intact. The seller is indeed asking too much for this car as presented.
Too much money for what it is. Granted, a rust free Vega is not very often found, but still not worth the asking price even if it was a untouched Cosworth. The big deal with the Cosworth was the engine, I can see it bringing a premium price, but it ain’t here and the body outside of some trim items is still just a Vega. It would be a fun car, but about a quarter of the price it would be more fun. For less than $25 G there are a lot of fun cars out there that would be a better investment.
JUST an OLE SWABBY lookin and smilin, I had a 67 Sun beam Tiger that we installed a built Boss 302 in it .. NOW THAT was a tire scorcher at about 1900 pounds,
Bill with @couriouscars did a good history on the Cogsworth several months ago
https://youtu.be/mmU6nQKXnwA?si=mhh7yVez9F8pF1BB
We had one at our dealership. It was not much faster than a Vega GT till you got to about 3500 RPM it really came alive at higher RPMs.
If I had the money, I’d probably buy this car because its different. Nobody has one of these where I live and it would be fun surprising a few people with that 350 under the hood.
Or surprise yourself when you crash.
Its not a Mustang…lol.
It would be interesting to hear the background on this car. Bought without an engine? Blown up? Then a swap sounds somewhat justified. If I were going to swap an engine into this it would be the aluminum LS based LV3 Chevrolet. The LV3 engine makes 285 HP at 5300 rpm and 305 lb⋅ft at 3900 rpm on regular gasoline, and with a simple tune, 310 HP and 330 ft.lbs. I don’t know the weight, but I would bet you are right in the ballpark of the original. The rear axle would be the weka spot, but a narrowed to fit later model with custom drilled axles for the stock 4 lug wheels would make this a much more reliable car. I’m not a fan of this body style, I still like the 71-73, especially the GT. The were a nice little package.
It’s going to be difficult to hide what it really is, considering the short wheelbase and the need to have headers and of course the exhaust system to enhance that motor….The rumble grumble will be a dead giveaway. Unless you stick steel wool up its *&^%$ just before sneaking along side an unsuspecting soul that thinks his car is hot!
Sure are a lot of comments here. I don’t see anything here that’s cause Worthy.
This person ruined the car. Now it just a V8 Vega that’s painted black. $2K car- Max.
I had 276 Vega’s, a wagon and a notchback that had 262 v8s from the factory in them they did offer a v8 in the Vega but it was very anemic the horsepower didn’t make up for the weight over the four cylinder
Vegas were never offered with V8s, only Monzas, which, if a California car, could be had with a 350 that made 125 HP (net). Other States got either a 305 making 115 HP (net) – also offered in the 1978-79 Pontiac Sunbird – or the diminutive 262 making 110 HP (net) in addition to two V6 offerings. As far as my research indicates, the most potent engine offered in any H-body was a special option 305 V8 making 145 HP (net) in the 1977 Monza.
Vega was intended to be offered with the GM RC2-206 rotary engine, but that plan was shifted to Monza in 1973. Ed Cole and Pete Estes then effectively killed the program.
This car would be blast to drive and it still maintains the stock appearance. I’ve seen far worse modifications to classic cars that get a free pass by comparison.
If the swapper acquired the car with a good CW engine, this was a misstep. The only real allure of a CW Vega is, well, bragging that you have a CW Vega that survived.
If the swapper acquired it with no engine or an unsalvageable engine, at least a somewhat rare car is still around and moves under its own power. That said, an LSJ or LNF would have better fit the car’s ethos of using an techy four cylinder in a lightweight envelope.
Might be worth $2495. Or might be a death trap.
Not worth anything without the Cosworth pump.
The std Chevy Vega L4 weighs only 285 lbs! Does the cosworth motor weigh even less?!
But an iron Chev small block weighs 575 lbs! & about 535 w/alum intake.
The Buick/Rover 215 V8 weighs only 318 lbs – the best v8 choice, if you don’t want to change front springs & upset balance, handling, & braking.
The Pontiac L4 Iron Duke, Tech IV weighs about 350 lbs, as does the Chevy II 153 L4 & Chevy V6-60 2.8, 3.1
If you read the sellers ad then you see he has all the parts to put it back to a cosworth except the block which leads to the strong possibility that the motor was blown and in order to get top dollar out of what is obviously a VERY nice car they put in what looks to be a pretty nice small block while including the cosworth engine parts in the sale. Pretty good idea IMO. If I could afford it I would most certainly buy this one. But then I’m a Vega super freak.
If they would have only made the Vega with real metal instead of the tissue paper.
Engineering trying to save money.
No, it’s not Engineering trying to save money! Let’s be clear. It’s the Accountants trying to save money and overriding the Engineer’s judgement that causes the problem! I’ve seen it not just at the “Big Three”, but VW as well. Only the Asian companies seem to be immune to the “Bean Counters” trying to become Engineers and cheapening the product to save a few pennies per unit, all while costing the company millions of dollars in lost sales from poor quality once the warranty expires!