America's RARE Forgotten Canyon Carver - The 1975-1976 Chevrolet Cosworth Vega

[@rarecars3336]

EDIT: The Vega's 4 cylinder is NOT based on the QUAD 4 pictured from the Oldsmobile...It is based on the GM 4 cylinder that is also referred to as the "Durabuilt-4", the Quad 4 name came after. I must have gotten the two confused when I spoke on the video so please take the "quad four" and replace that with the 'Durabuilt-4" and all the other facts are the same. Apologies for the misspeak!

[@mikecone4049]

I've been mechanic for 30 years and you Still show me cars I haven't heard of. I also know that if you want to correct somebody on their own channel it should be done appropriately without public s*** talking so hopefully that was accomplished.

[@robertcabrera6232]

Glad you corrected this, as I was headed to the comments to post this. The Olds Quad 4 was a newer design from the mid '80s with an iron block and aluminum heads, that from the ground up was intended for dual overhead cams and 4 valves per cylinder. There were a few that were made with a single cam and 4 valves that were called "Quad OHC," and shoved into el cheapo econoboxes, but the vast majority were decently powered modern DOHC. The Vega engine on the other hand was a SOHC, all aluminum block casting with no cylinder sleeves and cast iron heads. They were notorious for overheating and oil consumption issues, and for eventually blowing head gaskets. This was because of several factors. GM skimped on production costs by not having steel cylinder liner sleeves, which created an issue where the pistons expanded more and faster than the cylinder bores under load. This lead to premature wear and oil burning. The same goes for the iron heads and aluminum case. The heads would expand faster, which put tremendous stress on the gaskets causing high failure rates. Once they over heated they were nearly impossible to repair as warpage was common. Additionally, the way the case was cast made it nearly impossible to bore the cylinders and deck the mating surfaces with the head, so no machine shops would touch them, making rebuilding nearly impossible. My Dad bought a used low mileage Vega, cheap, sometime around 1980, and it ran flawlessly for several years until it overheated for the first time in scorching hot Miami stop and go traffic. Then it never ran right again. He must have taken it to a dozen mechanics, but either they wouldn't work on it, or their repairs were half-assed. It wasn't long after that first time it over heated when it started burning oil like a pig, and he couldn't drive it further than 20 miles or it was sure to overheat. After a year or so of dealing with those problems he tried trading it in, but dealers wouldn't give him anything for it, even though the exterior and interior were in near showroom perfect condition. He eventually sold it to a family member that had just arrived from Cuba for a couple of hundred bucks.

[@timmainson]

@@mikecone4049 Yeah but...I wanted to sh*t talk☹ 🤣

[@angelperez7891]

But after the discontinuation of the Vega Cosworth Twin-Cam model the entire engine's basic design was later built in-house by Oldsmobile as the Quad 4 but larger (2.2 liters and up,) superior horsepower (as high as 200,) but no compatibility or interchangeable parts with the Cosworth-tuned Vega engine.

[@bloatedgoatfpv]

Glad you covered this. The dohc head was Cosworth's design. The quad 4 was wholly engineered in house at GM (their first) and debuted in1987 or 88.

[@andrewwasson6153]

I think the 70-73 baby Camaro Vega hatchbacks were the nicest looking Vega’s. I had one that I stuffed a Chevy 350 V8 into with a Holley 600 with vacuum secondaries and a Weiand dual plane manifold. Not a very complex power plant but it was very fast and completely dependable. The downside is that it got very rusty in the lower door skins, lower fenders and the area around the hood.

[@frestkd]

The Quad4 was designed and developed by Oldsmobile not Cosworth. GM Cosworth engine was designed before the quad4.

[@MikeBrown-ii3pt]

WAY before!

[@Paul_D_Lashley]

I was going to say the quad4 came out in the late 80’s early 90’s. They put it in the aero tech pace car for Indy. I think it was called aero tech. My dad worked for an olds caddy dealer and that aero tech was bad ass looking.

[@angelperez7891]

Oldsmobile copied the design concept for the Quad 4.

[@BuzzLOLOL]

@@angelperez7891 - Olds had W43 DOHC 4 valves per cylinder 455" V8 way back in 1968... they knew how to do such things... just the thought of it caused NASCAR to ban it...

[@robdog5.0w]

Ford owned Cosworth at that time

[@mutantryeff]

Did you know that GM special trains built so that they could stack Vegas vertically while being transported instead of horizontally like most cars? They could get more Vegas onto a single special transport train car to reduce the costs of selling the vehicles.

[@rarecars3336]

This is an awesome piece of input!

[@MikeBrown-ii3pt]

I don't remember which channel posted it but, there's an older KZbin video about the Lordstown, Ohio GM plant that actually shows those train cars in use.

[@mutantryeff]

@@MikeBrown-ii3pt I had an aunt that worked at Lordstown for many decades.

[@MikeBrown-ii3pt]

@@mutantryeff That's cool. I'm in Northwest Ohio and there are still many automotive industry related jobs around the area, not the least of which is Jeep in Toledo and their various suppliers. I've never worked any of those jobs but I have many friends that have and still do. Those rail cars were called Vert-A-Pak. The Vegas were loaded into them nose down.

[@zorak1704]

My dad worked at Lordstown for over 40 years.

[@tobization]

I had a '75 Cosworth Vega. The air injection system (the tubes you see running over the valve cover) connected directly to each header primary tube. It would suck raw gas into the tubes and pump it into the exhaust system on deceleration and blow 5 foot flames out the exhaust - at will. I yanked the fuel injection system (sold it to a collector in San Luis Obispo) and bolted on a Hutton manifold replete with Weber carburetors. The car would snap oversteer when pushed to the limit. The brakes were shit as was the shift linkage. The mid-seventies to mid-eighties were terrible for car enthusiast choices.

[@andyharman3022]

Yep, I put the HME dual Weber setup on my '75.

[@kevinhuber8723]

an honest evaluation. No matter the cylinder head, these cars were JUNK. The head became a beast in USAC Midget racing for a few years.

[@MrGaryGG48]

I bought a '72 Vega GT new. I really liked the looks for a car that i would actually afford but I soon learned to be careful on bumpy crooked roads. I had a friend at the time that had a Triumph TR3 and that's where I learned all about "wheel hop!" That thing would go sideways faster than it went forward on a crooked back road if you didn't take a lot of care in the corners. The Vega must have been a distant relative because it handled just the same. There was a straight (boring) road on the way home from work and there was a fun road that was crooked as hell but you'd better learn quickly how to handle that car. The car had potential but a young sailor with a young family just didn't have the funds to develope that potential.

[@keithhampton9700]

I had a 74 Vega GT. Put a Cosworth sleeved block in it. The head was already sold. Me and my father squeezed 190 horse out of it. Quad Webbers, ported head with shortened 327 valves. Popup pistons and cam grind. Miss that car.😢

[@rarecars3336]

WOW thanks for sharing that, 190hp in that car in the 4 cylinder had to be a real fun time!

[@skaldlouiscyphre2453]

The head was what made the Cossie engines special.

[@roachroacharito9113]

Takes me back to the days of my youth. A guy that had a gameroom in my hometown (in Texas) had one of these. Black w/ gold trim and old-school flames on the front. This was '76. It just as easily could have been parked outside The Emporium gameroom in the movie "Dazed & Confused" (which was set in '76, in Texas). It's a neat car & was an even neater time to be growing up in America.

[@Cartier_specialist]

I was fortunate enough to drive one back around 1977 and it felt stronger than 110 hp. Of course back then everything was so slow that any car capable of putting you back in the seat seemed fast. Fast forward a few more years and I had the opportunity to drive a 1979 Plymouth Fire Arrow 2.6 and it was definitely quick for its day.

[@ronalddaub9740]

I had a 4 speed In a Monza and it would smoke the rear tire off. Same engine as the Vega Then I had to Vegas one with a powerglide and one with a turbo hydramatic 3-speed yes they had more power than what it was rated for

[@kevinkirk4285]

One of my buddies in the USAF in the early 1980s had a 1975 Cosworth Vega. I knew back then that it was something rare and unique and so very cool!

[@rarecars3336]

Probably the only cosworth on base!

[@kevinkirk4285]

@@rarecars3336 Probably the only Cosworth in New Mexico! LOL

[@Jesse-rj2ye]

My father-in-law had one in 1975 and we used it in 1979 to go to Canada for a honeymoon I couldn’t keep tires on it I believe it was a 500 fire stones I think I bought six tires for that car for two weeks up in Canada but we had fun with that we brought it back and he had the motor redone two years later and sold the car by then I was driving A 1970 Torino twister 351 boss top loader 325 gears never mind the Vega

[@kendanielson7204]

I came across one while driving on the Oregon coast (twisty road) back in the early '80s. That Cosworth Vega could get with it! I was impressed.

[@joetuktyyuktuk8635]

I fondly remember, everyone with a Vega or Monza in high school strapped a 327 or 350 into it... fun times.

[@kenogster3059]

A friend of mine had the Vega Wagon back at the end of the 70's and that thing burned more oil than gas. It was like a concert with heavy dry ice smoke shooting out the back. Ah the good ole dayz.

[@adamweston4152]

I'm from Wales UK and i discovered the cosworth Vega a couple of years ago and I have been really intrigued by them, they look great and the engine is interesting too, to be honest I'd like to own one as I like niche car's like this. Thanks for your videos, I'm really enjoying them.

[@sombra6153]

I think the real problem was Vega motors in general had serious durability problems and I remember starting to hear about them as early as 1974 long before home computers, the Internet and social media. The good thing was it made used Vegas in need of an engine very cheap and gave birth to the “ V-8 Vega “ aftermarket phenomenon.

[@BuzzLOLOL]

Those aluminum block Vega 4s couldn't withstand the slightest overheating... plus a timing belt for the OHC meant it wouldn't be long before the engine failed from a broken timing belt... and aluminum block vs iron head had high risk of head gasket failures from different heat expansion ratios... The Pontiac Iron Duke 4 eliminated all those problems...

[@janofb]

I had 2. The block was made of an alloy that the iron rings scored, and you got massive oil burning. They should have warrantied it but didn't. Don't know why I ever bought the second one after owning the first, but I swapped an old's v6 into it and it was great.

[@edmundanderson657]

@@janofb Your not kidding. I owned many and worked on many more. The cylinders looked like termites eat them.

[@AB1Vampire]

A cloud smoke coming out the back of a Vega was very common to see in the mid to late '70's.

[@timfeeley714-25]

If I remember right one of the problems also was that they ran an extra hot 190 or $195° thermostat in them to help meet emissions which helped lead to engines wearing out early, my friend Ted's Vega wagon burned so much oil that we drove around with a 5 gallon container full of used oil, one day while driving down I-5 the engine gave up the ghost suddenly and exhausted all five quarts of oil through the exhaust in about a second flat it made such a fog Bank on the freeway that we couldn't see cars until they popped out of the smoke cloud.

[@lunsy9420]

A friend of mines Uncle had one. It sat and literally rusted to the ground. He did have a 73 Trans Am SD 455 that was in perfect condition so i guess that made up for letting the Vega rot.

[@nightshiftgarage8824]

Great video. I increase my car knowledge with every one that you make. Keep up the outstanding work and we will keep watching.

[@fideauone3416]

Had a 75 Gt. Loved that little car. always wanted a Cosworth, even now.

[@michaelwright1602]

My father sold cars in Pontiac Michigan, a Chevy dealer that is no longer there. They had a new one of these on the showroom floor... I fell in love with what was under the hood, it was simply incredibly cool back then. The car was a metallic green with gold pin striping if I remember correctly, maybe it was black. My buddy had a Vega, we went everywhere in that car, manual transmission. Out on the trails, the woods, it went everywhere. My neighbor bought one, and stuffed a 350 chevy 4 bolt under the hood with a manual transmission. And yes, they rusted. Fun times.

[@Friedbrain11]

I loved my '72 Vega fastback and it had a very rare vinyl roof on it. Wish I had never let it go. My engine lasted through 100k miles before needing rebuild and it ran even better afterwards.

[@rarecars3336]

Those early Vegas were really good looking!

[@GrievenceCapitolist]

Loved the lines of this car back in the day . Thanks

[@rarecars3336]

Great looking car!

[@lancerevell5979]

I used to see one in my local area now and then, in the early 2000s.

[@andrewk7745]

I had a 1976 Cosworth Vega. Pretty cool car. There was a plaque on the dashboard with the production number. I believe mine was between 2800-2900. It was the black and gold with white seats. I ended up spinning a main bearing and sold it to a guy that fixed it. The problem back then was that aluminum quality was horrible. The solid lifters were the coolest thing about it. Tap, tap, tap, 😝

[@EconAtheist]

must've had a mopar sound to it

[@rarecars3336]

Eyy a real owner, thanks for sharing your story!

[@MichaelAllan01]

Just commented on the Baldwin Motion Vega about this and here it is! Thanks!

[@stevengagnon4777]

My first car was a 75 Opel 1900 sport wagon built in Germany. It certainly was a good handling little wagon. The best part wss in 1975 they put a Bosch full multi port fuel injection system in the 1900. Definitely a better engine than the rest of the Vega offings plenty of torque and a bit of horse power at the top. A "Vega " that was also fun to drive...it's ultimate demise was Wisconsin Winters . It had 175,000 miles which wasn't to bad for the time since the engine was still running perfectly.... that engine now lives in an Opel GT replacing the 1.1 liter. I have a set of front shocks that never made it into the wagon left yet.

[@Demonbfg]

I bought one new in 75, good and fun car. Thanks for the memories.

[@rarecars3336]

Glad you enjoyed! These are super cool - I feel like they don't get enough credit!

[@Demonbfg]

@@rarecars3336 I agree. The Corvette in 1975, base motor only had 165 hp and the only optional engine had 205 hp and the car didn't handle very well. The Cosworth, on the other hand, handled great. Granted it didn't have much low end power until you have the rpms up, then it went pretty good. In 1983,i bought a Shelby Charger, which was the best handling front wheel drive car in the same class size as the Cosworth and it was rated at 107 hp. I would have liked to see both cars on a road course, to see which one would win in the handling dept. Fun Times.

[@bunsonhoneydew9099]

I was a high school kid at the time and our school was about 20 minutes from the Tonawanda Engine Plant. We did a tour for Auto Tech class and they had a special temperature and humidity controlled spot in the plant where they put the Cosworth motors together. It made me wonder why whey built all the other motors in the big dusty drafty factory and didn't think twice about it.

[@rarecars3336]

Cosworth are true professionals in the engine space

[@BobbyOfEarth]

It was so long ago, I almost forgot about my Vega. I owned a 1971 GT 4spd. hatchback, with the L11 engine, which is the factory two barrel option. Traded my 1968 400 Firebird to my brother-in-law, in 1974. As long as I kept all the bolts tight, it was fast and smooth... at Fremont dragstrip.

[@cnance1972]

The Cosworth has a distinctive sound

[@barcham]

Great timing! I was just thinking about this car a few days ago. Thanks for this! 👍

[@richvandervoort2950]

GM had a hot rodded Vega at the Mesa proving grounds for high speed tire test. The engine was based on the base Vega SOHC engine. I was surprised that they didn't use this engine. It was built on a pre 74 Vega so this engine probably wasn't available when they built this car.

[@tommissouri4871]

When my 60,000 mile warranty finally ran out, I installed a Blackjack header, put on a 2-1/2 in exhaust to a turbocharged Corvair muffler with 2-1/2 outlet. Through a friend of a friend, I acquired some of the peanut jets for the little two-barrel Holley to rejet to match the header. These jets were unavailable at the time due to emissions laws. With that, I could run mid 17s on the quarter mile. A friend did purchase a 1975 Cosworth new. My GT could beat his every time in a stoplight race or down a section we measured to be a quarter mile. He paid about $6300 out the door with options where I paid about $4100 out the door with options. At the time he bought his, a left over new blue 1974 Corvette coupe was on the dealer floor for $6500. This is why Cosworth failed. The price of a Corvette but a warmed over Vega GT could beat it.

[@GavinByrneLand]

I'm a new and very happy subscriber. This channel is fantastic!

[@Porsche996driver]

Have you done a video on the Monza yet? That was kind of a mature Vega, and one version had a little V8 similar story.

[@douglasmcdowall5006]

I loved this video, I always had an interest in these cars because of another odd car I used to have. It would be cool to see a video on the Merkur XR4Ti!

[@dukecraig2402]

Merkur, now that's a blast from the past that I haven't thought about in quite a long time.

[@mattfarahsmillionmilelexus]

I've always liked these, saw a dead mint black one at a show a few years ago and the want was palpable.

[@shovelhead56]

Great Story!! I had never heard of this Special Vega. Remember guys dropping V8s in them back in the day.

[@rarecars3336]

The V8 Vegas were some serious drag strip weapons! Thanks for watching!

[@jonmeek3879]

Very well done

[@rarecars3336]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed!

[@jhwk1970]

I bought a new one. It was a 75 and we enjoyed it for awhile. Traded it for an Avanti II. Then kids came.

[@michaelrandell4021]

When I lived in Orlando, a Corvette shop had 2 Cosworth Vega's in their agozillary lot. Off of 17/92 and Howlbranch rd.

[@rarecars3336]

I wonder if they ran?

[@gordonstroup882]

I was..... am, a Vega lover. I only love the 1971-1973 body style, though. They were kinda fashioned like the Camaro of the same years. I actually had a 72 GT hatchback, and a 72 GT wagon. The hatchback was the dark orange with a black stripe, and the wagon was metallic silver with the black stripe. The hatchback, I rebuilt the engine, steel sleeves were pressed in for better piston ring sealment. The pistons were changed out to be 10 to 1 compression. The block and head were milled to also bump up the compression. It ended up to be 10½ to 1 comp. I installed a nice little bumpy camshaft too. A larger capacity radiator, changed the intake to a 4 barrel and installed a 550 Holley carb. A good style header for the exhaust, a new dual exhaust system, a stock 4 speed manual transmission, a posi unit in the rear axle, a set of Lakewood slapper traction bars, and some wider tires on all 4 corners made it a pretty quick little car. I drove it everywhere, here in Arizona. The cornering was great, the horsepower gain was awesome, and it was a perfect sleeper. Now the wagon.... I bought this from a friend. He had already installed a 6 point roll cage, subframe connected together, also a narrowed 12 bolt Chevy rear axle with 5:13 gears, hand made 36 inch long traction bars that bolted up to the subframe right under the front seats. They really transferred the weight and the little wagon could hop the front tires off the ground when you got on it. It had a BorgWarner 4 speed and a Hurst Super Shifter. The engine that I put into it was a 65 Corvette 327. I did quite a few changes to it, and turned out to be a ground pounding, loud thumping, wheel pulling, fast little bitty street station wagon, perfect to drive to the grocery store anytime at all, ha ha 😅. Fun times at Central Cruise night. Thanks for sharing your video. Y'all take care now, ya hear? 👋🙂👍 ✌️😊👌

[@rarecars3336]

Thank you for sharing your story that was awesome to read and see how you enjoyed and drive the cr*p out of that car!

[@leesantos9711]

I had a 1974 hatchback with a 350 V8 and loved it !

[@rarecars3336]

Sweet!

[@davedifranco4033]

I had a 72 Vega GT..stuffed a 350 w/ aluminum heads underhood..4 sp and narrowed rear end came out of a 70 chevelle ss..custom drive shaft and suspension....a REAL HOOT!...wish I still had it!

[@rarecars3336]

I am sure that thing FLEW

[@davedifranco4033]

@@rarecars3336 well...blew of a Hemi Cuda...that was good enough for ME!

[@tomthomas9910]

Baldwin motion " put any motor in the vega" 350/427/454"

[@chrisbailey4254]

The Torana hatchbacks coupe had very similar lines.

[@bourbonslurpee]

I was thinking the same thing

[@rarecars3336]

Wow you are right!

[@kelvindodd5577]

I had a '75 Cosworth Vega, sold it because it was a dog around town until the revs were high. By that point you were breaking the law with the 55 MPH speed limit. The headers were a work of art, but I was turned off by the harmonic weight added to the rear of the transmission. Happily an enthusiastic father and son bought the car.

[@cmajaa1]

I had one of these in the early 80's, ended up having the block sleeved and Venolia pistons added, also ditched the fuel injection for webber side drafts. 8000rpm redline.

[@ghw7192]

One of my cousins bought one several decades ago and kept it. He passed away early this year and I am guessing that his son has it. An interesting car, but still a Vega.

[@rarecars3336]

Sorry to hear about his passing. Hopefully that car stays in the family!

[@fishypictures]

I was at an auction and came across a Oldsmobile Achieva with a Quad 4 . I had heard about this engine and was going to bid on it but after thinking about it I got scared off , I would not be able to maintain it over the long haul and finding parts would be hard…… when it drove up to the auction block it sounded like a V8. I was tempted to bid but the price went up quick and beyond me. Turns out others knew about this engine as well. I believe this young guy who looked like a farm boy got it. This is the first time Iheard anybody say Quad 4 in a long time.

[@kenswonger4738]

for me I've always liked the Chevy Vegas.i had a 72 Chevy Vega .gold on gold.it was an hatch back.my motor had no engine problems.just the dealer would not replace my front fenders.so I traded it off.

[@terryboyer1342]

I had a 73 Vega GT. Local dealer had a 75 Cosworth in showroom but wouldn't let me test drive. (I was still in high school) My bro in law was an engineer for Saginaw Steering Gear and a major backyard gear head. He got to drive/test one a few times. He said the acceleration was great!

[@rarecars3336]

That is awesome thanks for sharing that!

[@Tramp-dm5xr]

Drove my 1st car/77 vega hatch up and down east coast 1300 mile stints. Never gave a single problem. Cold ac Auto with weak performer tho. Bought a cheap 77 vega station wagon.... My 1st swap: buick V6/Monza 5speed Totally different animal - smooth, torquey. Then built a 4.1L, as per the free GM Ruggles Buick V6 guide Left V8s in the dust. Sounded like one too. Every rider commented how it effortlessly stuck you in the seat Even girls!

[@rarecars3336]

Light car + nice v6 = FUN

[@downeys1]

My brother and I owned four of these. My dad brought two home, gave them to us, and then told us we had to pay for them. These first two were 1976 models with 5-speeds. Mine was green and my brother's was beige. The MSRP on mine was $7k. An interesting car and my friends thought I was nuts, they all had Trans AM's etc. and comparatively much faster. These engines had the Si coated cylinders like M-Benz uses, sodium filled exhaust vales, tuned headers, 410 rear ends, dog-leg 5 speeds and electronic fuel injection. Put a Monza exhaust on it; wow! All that and simply anemic hp. Thanks uncle Sam for killing what could have been a great car.

[@rarecars3336]

Definitely, these had a ton of potential, with high 100hpish in one of these I imagine it would be very fun

[@ref0270]

My dad was on a wait list for this car, but production was pushed back to 1975. He regrets not waiting to this day.

[@dirkditmer453]

One my favorite cars was my '71 Vega. Completely stock, but drove it places some people wouldn't take their Jeeps. Was finally stolen in Oakland, CA.

[@bruceh92]

I always really liked the Vega, and, mini-Camaro describes it well. With todays high h,p, 4 bangers, you don't need a V8 conversion anymore - but it's still very cool. Wish there were more...

[@rarecars3336]

Agreed it is SO hard to find a clean vega today

[@b3stanga697]

I remember they used to advertise it as one Vega for the price two! It cost as much as a Corvette.

[@BuzzLOLOL]

Yeah, not good for mass marketing...

[@dukecraig2402]

One Vega for the price of two? I can't see that as being an advertising slogan, explain to me exactly how that's supposed to attract buyer's cause I'm just not getting what the allure of spending twice as much for a car is supposed to be. Just can't see that slogan being approved by management at GM.

[@andyharman3022]

I remember that ad!

[@BuzzLOLOL]

@@dukecraig2402 - All sellers know there is a certain group of people who wouldn't be caught dead paying the low price that ordinary people pay for stuff...

[@cliffbraddock5436]

So many comments, so I will add one more: I am an original owner of 1976 Cosworth Vega #3517, seems to be the next to last made. I recall spending all of my savings to buy it at ~$5300. The electronic fuel injection was blamed for rough idling, unstable idle speeds, etc. Dealer changed the "computer" twice. I changed to Webers while still in warranty and never looked back. A sure way to get attention is to take it out for short ride - guys want to tell their personal story about Vegas wherever I go. Funny, in the late 1970's, back in the day when the car was my daily, nobody paid any attention. When I autocross the car today, no other car sounds the same on course - loud noise under the hood (Webers) and another unusual noise at the tail pipe. Turning 5,000 to 7,000 RPM while on course. Young guys would argue as to who made the car - Cosworth of England or Chevy. The Chevy bow tie emblems settle the argument. Yes, a strange car indeed.

[@garnerblair5179]

I had a '76 Olds starfire , black , cosworth rims , louvers. 231 Buick v6 and 4-speed manual . I wish I had it back .

[@cary3428]

I’ve never forgotten them, I worked at a Chevy dealership in 1976.

[@rarecars3336]

I heard these were slow sellers, would you agree with that being someone who has first hand experience with them at the time?

[@sc3ku]

I saw a Cosworth Vega in the Pick N Pull in Little Rock once. used to go there in ~15 years ago to look for weird cars and that was probably the strangest..

[@rarecars3336]

Yeah a hopped up american inline 4 is definitely out of the ordinary

[@bryanst.martin7134]

I put a 305 in a Vega wagon one weekend with my buddy. Drive shaft was a bit wonky but it was drivable. Did you know that the crash tests between Pinto and Vega were rigged? Vega was rear ended at 35mph, and the Pinto at 55mph. I was young, but I read the fine print during commercials.

[@rarecars3336]

I actually did not know that so thank you for sharing!

[@rjscott6116]

The twin cam Vega was damn good looking cars.

[@rarecars3336]

I agree with you I think these are handsome looking cars!

[@daleolson3506]

Where do you get your miss information?

[@HEHE-dx9og]

Probably from CNN. Or uncle joe.

[@ellarson1]

I can’t think of the TR7 as a treat to any manufacturer, in any country…

[@moremoney2]

To own a TR7 meant you had to keep an expert auto electric person on call.

[@rarecars3336]

LOL

[@HiTechOilCo]

When I, "smashed", the notification button it broke my monitor!

[@tomsherwood4650]

I once took a ride in a Cosworth that I was considering buying. But it would have been impractical. They would not probably be a daily driver, and I did not have the luxury of a garage and a second car for playtime. But it did slam me back in my seat riding along!

[@rarecars3336]

Yeah I would definitely see this as a more of a weekend car!

[@metrichotrods1763]

My father had one. These were the original "4 cyl that pissed everyone off" car.

[@rarecars3336]

These cars are sweet, I wish more people liked them! I think they are rad!

[@jameslatham2655]

I can tell you I have heard so many stories of guys dropping the little 283 into these cars it's staggering. How fast and scary they were. Best I can recall, most of the stories ended with winning by a lot or bad wrecks. Some of the fellas said that they were able to go so fast that it scared them bad enough that they got rid of their cars. Now that is scared.

[@tedunguent156]

I'm sure that Chevy spun the story of why they detuned the car. There is no way they would make a Vega that outperformed the Camaro or the Corvette at a lower price.

[@dukecraig2402]

All those stories are nothing but that, just stories, like all the Buick fanboys who always cry the conspiracy nonsense about GM axing the GNX because it'd out perform the Corvette, never mind the fact that the chassis was slated to be discontinued after 87 back in 84 when they started development of the next generation chassis, somehow or the other they always manage to overlook that simple fact. Don't ever believe any of those nonsense conspiracy theories about Chevy complaining to GM and having other lines discontinued, they're all nonsense that sprout up from fanboy tears, if any of that was even remotely true the cars never could have developed in the first place, none of those stories are true no matter how much someone swears "My dad/uncle/cousin/grandma worked at Pontiac/Buick/Oldsmobile and they told me...", it's all just a bunch of story telling from butt hurt fanboys.

[@moremoney2]

GM bean counters and lawyers couldn’t face the liability of another Ralph Nader. Developing more power and meeting safely and crash standards meant the structure and handling would have had to be updated. Too costly. It’s amazing that the Corvette is still alive at GM.

[@worldtraveler930]

I knew a person who had one of the Cosworth Vegas he Claimed that it was a Factory Race Edition and I never bought it because it spent most of its life in the pasture and was pretty faded out and cracked interior, who knows maybe my mistake maybe not!!! 🤠👍

[@rarecars3336]

Poor Cosworth Vega, wish that thing got driven HARD like it should have!

[@skaldlouiscyphre2453]

Funny, considering there never was a Chevy works team, meaning there was never a factory backed Vega race car. Sounds like a tall-tale.

[@worldtraveler930]

@@skaldlouiscyphre2453 The fact that the Vega spent most of its time I knew of it's existence out and the open pasture does tend to lean in that direction of thought!!! 🙄😏

[@skaldlouiscyphre2453]

@@worldtraveler930 Absolutely. If he thought it was an even more rare version of an already rare car he likely would have treated it like it was worth something.

[@MarchHare59]

Dropping a Cosworth engine into a Vega was like drinking vintage Chateau Mouton Rothschild '55 from a Flintstone's jelly glass. I actually saw a Cosworth Vega in a Chevrolet Showroom in 1975. The Sticker price was higher than the loaded Chevrolet Caprice Classic Convertible standing on the other side of the room. No surprise it didn't sell.

[@dpierson489]

They should have used the 151 iron Duke and put the cosworth head on it!!

[@sixoaksfarm1556]

Aint seen a Cosworth in a minute.. Now do the Chevy Monza, plz.. I had a 1975 with a 262ci V8(A Spyder before they were "Spyders"). A true mini-Camaro! Was a better car then it gets credit for.

[@rarecars3336]

The Monza will be added to the list!

[@sixoaksfarm1556]

@@rarecars3336 Thank you!.. Not a ton of info on them out there. Be cool to see what you find...

[@sixoaksfarm1556]

@@rarecars3336 by the way I had a fairly rare camaro. Was a 1977 Z28. What was interesting about them was that they were the 1st year Z28 after Gm took that model Camaro out of production in 1974. When it came back it had many parts from the 1974 Z, including the eras metal front and rear bumpers that went away in 1978 in favor of the urethane "one piece" front facia... Also the rims were carried over from 74 and the air induction hood, which was a rear facing hood scoop had not yet been made so they used the standard flat hood with the 78 style stripes that would accentuate the air induction hood.

[@craigchabot8892]

Back in the eighties I built a V8 Vega. I used a 400 horsepower LT1 350. The car was so fast, I drove it one time and sold it the next Day

[@jfv65]

These are such cool rare cars. I never knew these existed until about 10y ago. Chevy should have sold it in Europe. They could have done rallies and races with it. In stead GM-Europe (Opel/Vauxhall) also enlisted the help of Cosworth engineering. They made the 2.4L inline4 16valve engines for the Opel Ascona 400 and Manta 400. Those cars were homologation specials that became very succesful rally cars. Even later in the early 1990's Cosworth again designed a cilinderhead for Opel/Vauxhall for the e-Kadett 2.0 GSI. That car was a frontwheel drive hatchbacks with great aerodynamics and with 155hp those were quite quick. Same for the Calibra. Cosworth also designed the cilinderhead for the Mercedes 190e-2.3L 16valve. That car won many touringcar races. Other highly succesfull rally cars with cosworth designed engines: Ford Sierra Cosworth 2wd and 4wd and Escort Cosworth 4wd. Think what could have been with that Vega Cosworth... it could have been very succesful in Europe.

[@martinmckendry6244]

Europe had Opel Ascona 400 then Manta 400, UK had Vauxhall Chevette HS and HSR from GM. But do not forget the Ford Escort Rs1600 and RS1800 with Cosworth BD series engines

[@garthhancock3373]

I had the opportunity to scoop a 75 example that was clean af 9 years back. I've been regretting not buying it since.

[@MikeBrown-ii3pt]

A friend of mine bought a complete rot box of a Cosworth Vega back in the mid 1990s. The only salvageable parts were the engine, transmission and rear axle. He swapped the engine and trans, a 5 speed in this case, into a very nice Vega wagon with a blown engine. He still has it and it's a very fun, nice weather driver.

[@rarecars3336]

Darn that would have been a sweet ride!

[@garthhancock3373]

@rarecars3336 yeah the example I had looked at had been decatted and un-smogged, so it was a little bit faster than factory. The only thing was I didn't like the price the guy was asking "mind you 12k at the time" now I see them going for way more.

[@GRAHAMAUS]

It's fascinating to see the cross-pollination between GM's various global design studios. The Vega GT obviously owes its fastback shape to the Opel Manta A, or perhaps that's the other way around? Not to mention the similar Holden Torana. And the Cosworth Vega's wheels were sourced from Vauxhall's ultra-rare HP Firenza, manufactured by Avon in Britain (and also used on the later HS Chevette). This is a special run-flat "safety wheel" that has a very shallow well so that a flat tyre cannot detach from the rim (I would love to know if this aspect made it onto the Vega unchanged). GM's British head of design was Wayne Cherry, an American who was a protégé of John DeLorean, and no doubt they conferred regularly, and the similarity of the design language between US and UK vehicles shows accordingly. In an era before 'world cars' and globalisation, it's only now a lot of these similarities are becoming more obvious.

[@durban64]

My first car was a hand me down1976 2.3 3 speed automatic transmission that would accelerate 0 to 60 in 13 sec. no wonder I never got a speeding ticket in that car. I lived in Fla. and can say the air conditioner worked great and never failed.

[@blackericdenice]

6:04 There is no way a 110 hp Vega was keeping up with a 170 hp 280z. I had a 75 280z.

[@rarecars3336]

Those are the tested numbers from the period, i believe the vega was still actually a fair bit lighter

[@blackericdenice]

Yes the Vega was lighter 2,480 lbs. than the 280z 3,000 lbs. but the power to weight ratio go to the Z 17.64 vs 22.54. The lower the numbers, the quicker the car. If you had driven a 280z. You would not compare a 110 hp Vega to it.@@rarecars3336

[@blackericdenice]

This is the reason you have to know something about cars when you are reading from the book. Like the start of your video. The book is not always right.@@rarecars3336

[@blackericdenice]

My 2016 F150 has a 2.7 liter twin turbo v6 has 325 hp and weigh 4,460 lbs. A 1989 Mustang GT automatic has a 5.0 liter v8 with 225 hp and weight 3,250 lbs. It's a lot light than my truck but my truck does 0 to 60 in 7 seconds vs the GT 7.8 seconds. The power to weight ratio is 13.72 F150 vs 14.44 GT.@@rarecars3336

[@oldschool8432]

I know this is over a year old but it had to be a misprint

[@mikejacob3536]

My Dad's '75 Vega rusted the rear end clean through the frame by 1984, with only 80,000 miles on it.

[@backcountryme]

Back in the day the Cosworth Vega was used in Usac Midgets. My dad drove a car with one. They were decently fast in their day.

[@MikeBrown-ii3pt]

How was the Cosworth engine based on the Quad 4? The OLDSMOBILE Quad 4 wasn't even in use until the late 80s or early 90s!

[@rarecars3336]

YOU ARE CORRECT LET ME MAKE A DISCLAIMER, THANK YOU FOR CATCHING THAT misspeak i totally missed that

[@stevearnold100]

I had a friend that had a Cosworth Vega. Her ex-husband sabotaged her by loosening the wheel nuts. The wheel came off while she was driving down the freeway. She saw it and somehow she managed to drive the car across 3 lanes and bring it to a stop before the car went down on the strut.

[@HEHE-dx9og]

What do mean by down on the strut?

[@bricefleckenstein9666]

Had GM been successful in getting the 215 BACK from Rover, this car would never have been wanted, needed, or existed. The Olds version of the 215 in particular was a GREAT fit in a Vega, making similar power and a lot more torque, while only being about 30 pounds heavier. Then there are the "upgraded" versions of that engine Rover made from it over the years - GM could have done VERY similar things using their own parts bin and a small amount of machining, to bring the engine easily into the 250-300 CI range, if they though they needed it - at NO significant weight cost and possibly some weight SAVINGS.

[@edmundanderson657]

I think the Buick version was a better fit. The way the heads were cast made them a tighter package. Around here the Buick was a lot more plentiful which helped too. Then there was the one year only alternator bracket, more buick ones around then Olds.

[@andyharman3022]

Could have been interesting, but in that era, the Chevy 262 V8 that went into the Monza in 1975 only had 110 HP, so the Buick/Olds 215 would have been down at about 95 HP. I test drove a 262 Monza back around 1980, and while it had the great V8 sound, it wasn't really any faster than my 2.3L single-cam Vega. I kept the Vega for another four years. Dad and I had the block sleeved, and the car got me through college.

[@bricefleckenstein9666]

@@andyharman3022 Net horsepower vs Gross was part of that. But even with 95 (estimated) net HP in a car as light as a Vega, it would have run quite well for the time, without ruining the good handling the Vega already had. And yes, I am pretty sure that the Buick version (also used by Pontiac) had something like twice the production of the Olds version. @edmundanderson657 I had the Olds version in my 1973 GT - fit was no issue and there were swap kits that worked for either version (the versions had a lot of commonality). Heads (and resulting compression ratio) intake manifold (Olds was 4 barrel, Buick was 2) and an extra bolt-per-cylinder on the Olds were the primary differences. Keep in mind that folks put 396-427 Chevy BIG blocks in those cars fairly often, which was a noticeably larger engine, and they fit without mods to the compartment (though the headers had to be custom made). PLENTY of space in that engine compartment.

[@andyharman3022]

@@bricefleckenstein9666 I know about V8 Vegas. My brother and I put a 327 Chevy in one. Still have it.

[@bricefleckenstein9666]

@@andyharman3022 327 was a lot more weight in the front end, noticeable impact on the handling. Did make more power if it was built or an older pre-smog engine - but that extra power was overkill.

[@Workerbee-zy5nx]

My buddy had a white vega with some performance goodies on it...👍

[@MrPaulTA]

Like the video. most definitely need to change some of the history. thanks for adding my brown COV that was on the dynamometer. that was not me in the car though.

[@andyharman3022]

How much power did it make on the dyno?

[@MrPaulTA]

@@andyharman3022 125 hp

[@TighelanderII]

An "End of the Decade" issue of LIFE Magazine from 1980 had an Auto section. The caption under a photo of the regular Vega was, "Lost half of its value on the sales room floor."

[@mkmccoy6929]

My cousin had a 76 one with a 327cid in it ... and Ford 9 inch it was scary fast and top out around 160 mph..

[@rarecars3336]

That sounds like a RIOT

[@stevejarred6484]

It's a shame that the Cosworth Vega got dragged down with the whole Vega line. Could you imagine Cosworth Vega wagons or Pontiac selling Cosworth Astras. I imagine there could have been Cosworth versions of the Monza, Sunfire, Skyhawk and Forenza as well. I think offering this engine in so many models would have brought production costs down.

[@pauljs75]

If you go into the J-body era of Skyhawk, there was the T-type which used a turbo version of the 1.8L 122 engine. But examples in original form are rare, of the few that may survive. Generally due to a turbo delete which eliminated the entire point of the T-type designation. Reliability issues as those engines had neither an electric cooling system or run-down to support the turbo, many people didn't let it idle long enough like they were supposed to after spirited driving and such resulted in cooked turbos. Those were fun because you had another 50 to 60HP vs. the fuel injected version. And gen-1 J-bodies was around 200 hundred pounds lighter than the following generation. An engine replacement might also end up losing the turbo too, as the turbo version of that engine was sourced from Brazil rather than any U.S. production. So they did have something fun, even if it's not quite the thing you're thinking of. Another rare and forgotten thing it seems.

[@321-Gone]

Since you did the little beast, Do the turbo Shelby Carhger. That charger would eat the lunch of many larger carr from the same era.

[@rarecars3336]

That car is on my list!

[@kenik2023]

​@@rarecars3336 Make sure you mention the 300hp super 60 package. Off the shelf parts❤

[@vonhalberstadt3590]

The Pinto had an inherent edge over the Vega - huge rear wheelwells. You simply could easily fit decent tires on the Ford. The Cosworth Vega is legendary though.

[@Mr.Guild1971]

A Beautiful , mostly forgotten Gem. Pontiac Starfire ,PLZ

[@johnrobinson5156]

Cosworth Vegas cost more than new Corvette or Cadillacs. Could also buy a used Cobra 289 same $

[@rarecars3336]

Yeah when you put it that way, i woulda had the cobra lol

[@Dangerous_Drivers_of_CA]

When I was a kid my neighbors had a 1976 Bicentennial edition Cosworth Vega.

[@Oldbmwr100rs]

A friend's dad bought one, they garaged and pampered that car, but it still had problems. One being gasoline seemed to dissolve the carb! At least it was a Durabuilt engine one with a larger radiator than the original Vegas came with. That was one of the problems, GM used a heater core as a radiator and the early engines ran hot, it was a joke how many corners they cut on that car, if they had done much of it right in the first place they would have done far better.

[@edmundanderson657]

@@Oldbmwr100rs Funny thing is other then the Cosworth there there was only 2 radiators, with AC and without. If you were having overheating issues with the 71-72s the warranty was to swap out the rad for the AC one and you got a new sensor with an indicator light under the dash. After 73 they went back to the small radiator.

[@mypl510]

There is a near mint '76 Yenko tuned Cosworth Vega in the late Bruce Crower's garage. And it is not for sale, sadly.

[@TimKeachie-o2e]

I had a 1970 gt vega and loved it

[@boredom.victim]

I can tell you why they didn't sell well, nobody wants lackluster government mandated lack of performance. still, to this day, we still refer to "the good 'ol days" for a reason - and that's it exactly 💯

[@Jordan__Sloan]

That wagon looks sick

[@rarecars3336]

Those wagons go look cool!

[@bretta3]

How anyone could talk about the Vega Cosworth and not mention the engine problems is amazing to me. Cosworth designed a good engine. Then GM decided that the aluminum block didn't need cylinder sleeves or any cylinder coating. They decided that just plain aluminum cylinder walls would be just fine. These engines were know to fail from worn out rings and cylinder bores with as little as 20k miles on them.

[@planethopper335]

Even though I sleeved mine, the Cosworth blocks were made from a aluminum silica alloy. The tech behind this idea utilized a special honing process that removed aluminum leaving behind a lower friction silica layer. This technology has been used by other high end cars as well, such as Mercedes, Porsche and Ferrari. Manufacturers claiming 5+% increased HP and fuel economy. The silica & aluminum alloy was a technology that was ahead of its time. The problem with this alloy was that the engine's oil would have to be diligently changed every 2000 too 3000 miles. Back in the 70's the average American changed their oil between 7000 and 9000 miles. Today with far superior synthetic oils and greater emphasis placed on regular oil changes, this technology is still employed. The Chevy Cosworth engine was a alacart smorgasbord of high tech racing innovations. Nobody would be neglecting their Ferrari's oil changes and car maintenance schedules. The Chevy Cosworth Engine was an extremely advanced design that required rigorous maintenance schedules.

[@Jesse-rj2ye]

My father-in-law had a Cosworth Vega that we drove for a honeymoon in the early 80s I bought a mercury marker SVO let him drive it once and he wished he had his car is worth back but by then even after rebuild of his motor it went to pieces 2 1/2 years later the Vago was memorable but not reliable

[@randallhoward3231]

The engine blocks were a horrible mistake. Every once in a while, you had to fill it up with oil and check the gas. The cylinder walls were aluminum and couldn't endure the ring wear. My little brother had a 1976 Vega and it left visual evidence of it's passing. But, he purchased a factory remanufactured engine at a Chevrolet dealership. These engines had steel sleeves installed in the cylinders. Afterwards, he had a nice car that wasn't an embarrassment to drive.

[@paulrose6359]

My Vega was the WORST POS I ever owned. I bought it new and in less than a year it was using a quart of oil every 700 miles. It rusted, and I lived in southern California, The plastic inside the car started to fall apart and split, just like the seats. All in all the Cosworth was OK but the reputation of the Vega was so bad that the cool motor did not help sales.

[@joeljohnson3157]

Chevrolet should've just added a 350 I know it wouldn't have been but a175hp but it would've been a great upgrade. My best friend had a Vega station wagon with a built 283 4bbl 4spd and with a car load it smoked a Buick Grand National until about 110mph!!!

[@rarecars3336]

The Vegas with the V8s swapped in form everything that I have heard could MOVE

[@skaldlouiscyphre2453]

Putting a V8 in it would entirely miss the point. GM was trying to show they could build a modern performance engine. Putting a heavy, low-revving V8 in it wouldn't achieve that goal, it would just prove what everyone already knew, that a big engine can make a small car go fast in a straight line. GM should have entered a few Cosworth Vegas in SCCA. If it could beat some Datsuns and Bimmers it would have a much more solid legacy instead of just being a 'what-if'. Sadly the Cosworth Vega came along a few years after the 2.5 Challenge category had ended.

[@edmundanderson657]

They basically did (small block not 350). 75 when the monza came out had all the same underpinnings suspension as the Vega.

[@joeljohnson3157]

@@skaldlouiscyphre2453 I should have specified I was referring to the standard Vega 2.3 the Cosworth was a great design if it had a turbo/intercooler option it would've been a legendarily Fast car!

[@skaldlouiscyphre2453]

@@joeljohnson3157 Absolutely. That would be a really fun car, depending on how they tuned it. Without a turbo, it would get to run in a lower category in FIA Group 2 racing, if that's a concern. There were a bunch of competitors with 2000cc engines so it would be a good place to show it could compete with the world. With a turbo they'd need to be wary of how weak the blocks are. Apparently Yenko encountered (the turbo Stinger Vegas) a similar power limit as Cosworth, only with a turbocharged version of the regular engine. Same point of failure too, iirc. It's an interesting what-if though.