The question is: if you have a nearly perfect example of a bad car, do you have a good car? Back to philosophy class we go, to grapple with this one-owner 1976 Chevrolet Vega Kammback Estate wagon, here on craigslist. With an asking price of just $7000, and capable of driving away from its home in Phoenix, Arizona, this Vega wagon presents as if it has had a caring owner all these years. The seller notes it was parked in 1987, but still kept up; he even drove it to Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale auction recently. He might not have been the only one in a nice Vega – these seem to be cropping up with regularity lately. Chevy sold some 2 million examples over the model’s run from 1971 through 1977; obviously, some survived unscathed. But scathing was the opinion of these over time, as the engines overheated, starved themselves of oil, warped, scored their own piston walls, and backfired violently. Adding to the misery, axles fell apart and rust started before the cars left the factory. Is this a good moment to thank Rocco B. for this tip?
The infamous engine is a 140 cu. in. aluminum in-line four-cylinder, ironically named the Dura-Built. With just 70 hp on tap (down from 90 hp at introduction), you weren’t going anywhere quickly, but part of the point of the Vega was its gas-sipping nature, at a time when small economy cars were selling like hotcakes. This car has the Borg-Warner five-speed manual transmission; another high point is that by 1976, Chevy was improving this engine’s durability with a new water pump, valve stems, and gaskets – consequently gaining the confidence to offer an upgraded warranty to 60,000 miles. This odometer reads 98,000 miles.
The seller reports that the front bucket seats need to be recovered, but in this photo, they don’t look bad. Plaid upholstery rings that 70’s vibe, especially with the faux wood side trim, available only on the Estate. The rear seats are in good condition. Though the dash is faded, the glove box pops with its original color. By 1976 the Vega had finally received a four-spoke steering wheel from the GM parts pile.
Original literature accompanies the car, showing the purchase from a dealership in Colorado. Survival of these items is a big plus in my book; it’s a form of meticulous behavior that casts a glow on the car itself. Neither Colorado nor Arizona is known for rusty cars, and sure enough, this seller assures us that this wagon is rust-free. Scotty Gilbertson covered a Kammback for Barn Finds back in 2016; that one was priced at $7500, and many commenters howled about the price. So here’s a shocker: this one went for $11,750 at auction not long ago. If I had a yen for a Vega, I’d be on the phone pretty quickly with this seller; it’s a nice example and reasonably priced given today’s market.
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