Turbocharged V6: 1972 Chevrolet Vegamino

The Vega was Chevrolet’s first foray into subcompact transportation beginning in 1971. A lot of planning went into the little car. But it fell short in execution, and the early Vega’s were plagued by engine and premature corrosion woes. One of the body styles was a 2-door wagon designated as a “Kammback”. The seller or a predecessor has attempted to turn this wagon into a miniature El Camino of sorts, with plenty of work remaining. Located in Milford, Pennsylvania, this turbocharged project is available here on Facebook Marketplace for $4,000. Thanks for the interesting tip, Barn Finder Gary.

Across its seven production years through 1977, more than two million copies of the Vega were built and sold. Of these, 468,000 were Kammback wagons. However, you seldom see a Vega today unless it happens to be a Cosworth, which was a special performance edition that has developed a following. The troublesome inline-4 that populated the Vega is long gone, having been replaced by a 3.8-liter V6 lifted from a Buick Grand National. It’s turbocharged and paired with a TH-350 automatic transmission.

The transformation of this 1972 Vega into a “Vegamino” looks to have been done crudely over a few weekends rather than at a professional shop. The bed area needs more work, and some unresolved rust is present. We’re told this thing runs and moves, and with the Grand National engine and more (including a 12-bolt rear end), this could be a future barnburner.

This pickup has been on the market for a couple of months, so the right kind of buyer hasn’t found his/her way to the project vehicle. The interior appears to have some custom touches, and we’re betting this former Kammback had a 4-speed manual because of the narrow pedal now being used for the brakes. The odometer reads 98,000 miles, but we have no idea about the V6 and other transplanted hardware.