When an economy car remains in factory condition, does anyone care? The seller of this 1976 Chevy Vega seems to think its stock condition makes it a standout, and it might. Vegas were often the source of hot-rodder’s affections, as the economy car body and drivetrain were ripe for dropping in a massively hopped-up mill to create a sort of gearhead paradox. Would you preserve or resto-mod this example here on craigslist with a $1,400 asking price?
Thanks to Barn Finds reader Rocco for the find. I’m not sure Vegas have (or will ever) get to the point that we’re clamoring over whether one remains stock or not, but if this example is rust-free, it could be worth a look if a Vega is on your list of must-haves. The Vega doesn’t appear to be rusty down the sides, other than some bubbling by the C-pillar trim seen here.
The seller claims the Vega’s four-cylinder, the fuel-sipping engine will start with some gas squirted down the carb. The manual transmission makes this more palatable as a potential project, but given the limited performance offered by the underpowered powerplant, three pedals won’t yield any significant increase in speed. An extra hood is included in the sale.
It certainly looks a lot better on these aftermarket wheels, which only appear on one side of the Vega. If those rollers are included, the Vega is suddenly a looker. I hate admitting wheels can make that much of a difference, but here, it makes even a tired car look good. If they work for you, you’ll find this Vega on the Columbia, MO craigslist.
There is one for sale Craigslist Hutchinson KS comparable to this,1200
Factory condition…. They are not kidding the Vega came factory equipped with rust!
POS then and now
I remember seeing large holes in the metal panels in back of the hood about 3 years after the car was introduced.
Well at least it’s at a reasonable price unlike the Non-running rusty Mopars and junk Porches I’ve seen here on Barn Finds going for 30 to 60k!
I agree a fresh low price to get it sold 👍
It’s a decent car to start with …
Keep original or go late model fuel injection V6 which in modern cars get more than 300 ponies for this light car which is more than later 1974 plus
eight cylinders back in the day
In the 70’s a maintenance man I worked with dropped a 327 in one just like this as far as color goes but not rusty and it was wicked fast but he went through 3 rearends before selling it. All he would have had to do is put a narrowed rearend out of a Camaro to solve it but he just moved on to another project.
I see the cry babies are lose on here today.
Its not the stock engine.
They keep saying there is a butt for every seat so I want to meet the one that wants this. Must be a member of this group, good on all of them for loving something most of us despise.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/VegaNation/
I am not a paid member but I read most if not all of the listings and I would take this Vega in a heartbeat!! Also any Chevette I love those little cars!
Had a friend that had a diesel Chevette, you could hire out to spray mosquitoes in the Spring but it got 50+ mpg.
Reminds me of a fellow who hated his Vega so much he wrote a song about them & played it on his guitar after he visited the dealer one day & saw a row of 20-30 of them with their engines out on the floor. The Vega was an orphan from day one – supposedly designed for the Wankel engine when GM sank something like $60 million into NSU for a license to build them, found that engine died quickly, & stuck the strangely-designed 4 banger in them. I believe Delorean was one of the members of that ill-fated plan – no one in GM wanted to work on the salvation of the car, so it became a committee-car – all bad! Came with an undersized radiator, so they stuck in their upside-down engine sort of borrowed from Porsche: Aluminum block with I think nickaseal bores, topped by a cast iron head with long bolts into the block. When the car got hot due often to a slight coolant leak combined with the undersized rad, the block expanded faster than the headbolts, but topped by cast iron, which didn’t grow, the aluminum over-compressed the head gasket. On cooldown the gasket couldn’t seal anymore – some brilliant thinking there………
One day in Detroit I was driving up Northwestern Hwy toward W. Bloomfield, and saw a white cloud ahead on the two N-bound lanes, which obliterated everything behind it. Finally crept up on it & found it was a Vega with the gasket leaking like a sieve! All the AF was going out the exhaust, but the car was still moving. Can’t remember if the driver looked like he was aware of the problem or not………Stying was certainly better than the Pinto, but GM really dumped on that program!
Theres a whole bunch of wrong in your post, just wanted to let you know. The Vega was never designed for the Wankel, the Monza was, its related to the Vega, but the idea of putting the Wankel engine was for the Monza, again, not like Wankels had a great rep either way.
The 2300 was not “borrowed from Porsche” it was a whole in house GM design, there was a OHV engine designed by Chevrolet was not alloy, but Ed Cole wanted to go with the OHC alloy engine. The Vega was a committee car from the get go, DeLorean really only was involved at the very end of the program being complete, DeLorean didn’t become head of Chevrolet until 1969-70, by then the Vega was pretty much ready to launch.
There never was such a thing as a rust free Vega.
Interesting, if the photo is correct, looks like an Iron Duke, not the OHC head gasket blower.
Thank you. I thought the same thing ACG. An Iron Duke is a beauty in looks compared to that tractor like Vega engine.
Here’s one from Barn Finds itself
Whisper this. g m lost in a lawsuit decades ago and has a lifetime engine replacement, unlimited owners. Do not know if any factory replacements are left, or, a different engine was used by g m. Lemon Law. Except the rust, not in warranty. So, depending how long you keep it, any price could be acceptable. But, I will not drive small cars. Now, back to more assembly on another 440. Steering gear box and pump. Replace a torque converter on another. Finished a Valiant cooling system, air, heater, and test to sons for dinner.
Absolute total BS. Sorry, maybe Bigfoot and the Jersey Devil can get that warranty claim filed……
The 1976 Vegas with the 2300 did have an extended engine warranty up tp 5 years and 50,000 miles to try to attract customers who had a fear of prior Vega engine issues.
That car appears in pretty sad shape, also that is NOT a Vega engine.
Thank you, I think you’re the first person, besides me, to notice, that’s an Iron Duke, the engine that started appearing in H-cars in 1977, a 1976 Vega would have still had the 2300 in it.
This one is crappy but Vegas and Opels and other small GM cars are pretty good looking designs. I’m surprised people don’t swap modern RWD Toyota engines and transmissions into them…same premise as the Cosworth, but reliable power.
Someone along the line wisely replaced the Vega engine with an Iron Duke.
Less rust than two year old ones I saw in the mid west way back when.
That has race car written all over it as far as I’m concerned, I can see the blower sticking out of the hood now.
Junk. $400 tops! Not bad if newer rust free and Bill Jenkins slid a V8 in it but otherwise junk, especially factory!
Here is the specific info needed for secret engine warranty on Vega-Astre. Covers 1971-1974: General Motors Vega and Astre, GMC-328-3M 6-74-MBF Vega-Astre “Special Policy” Request for Reimbursement-Special Engine Overheat Policy. You must still have the original engine in place, or a replacement, or repaired engine. Unlimited owners, unlimited engine replacements. Lifetime. The book is titled, Lemon-Aid. ISBN 0-8253-0014-2
Page 149. Joe Machado.
Fantasy Land, though I just sent in a form that enters me in a contest to win a new 1970 Mercury Cougar and a years worth fo Miller Lite plus round trip tickets to Hawaii on TWA!!
BTW, even IF this was a real thing, which is severely doubtful, it would have been wiped out with the GM bk along with a bunch of old liabilities that were shifted to the Motors Liquidation Corp Holding Co.
So sorry original engine Vega owners……
There has to be a secret handshake that goes along with that secret warranty.
And that handshake needs to take place in the service managers pants……seriously though, now I want someone to call a Chevrolet dealer as an original Vega owner and try to ge this fantasy warranty honored, it should be hilarious.
Saw one of these built with a 350 sm and a 4 speed. The body and interior were nearly perfect. that was an awesome car.
The info supplied was for real owners, not the making fun of real warranty seekers. Duh, yes, it would be hard to get, but it is out there. Evidently you have experience with the in pants handshake
Need phone number to contact