The RARE Turbo Vega That The EPA Hated - The Yenko Stinger Vega

[@rarecars3336]

Motion Vega or Yenko Vega, which are you taking?

[@kyleanderson6505]

Motion hands down!

[@trainnerd3029]

Motion! An American V8 always beats a four-cylinder…

[@rarecars3336]

@@trainnerd3029 I think the Yenko Stinger Vega was a really cool ide abut I agree - motion all the way here.

[@rarecars3336]

@@kyleanderson6505 Agreed in this case

[@BoostedMaverick]

Nice but I’ll take My AWD 2024 Maverick ecoboost 2.0L with my bigger turbo, Intake, bigger Intercooler, performance exhaust and Edge Autosport Tune

[@JamesRomanski]

I built an all aluminum 215 cu in V8 Vega. In the late 70s you could buy a kit to convert a Vega using an old 61-63 Buick or Oldsmobile 215 cu in all aluminum (with cast iron cyl sleeves) V8. It only weighed 50 lbs more than the Vega 4 cyl which you could offset by mounting the battery in the trunk. No welding required. Kit used motor mounts a modified bell housing, different drive shaft yoke, shortened shift linkage and a different cooling fan. Mine was 11:1 comp ratio with a cam. Stock the engine put out 200 HP. I ran it twice in the 1/4 mile and pulled a 15.2 and a 14.8. I made a custom dual exhaust and it was a total sleeper. What a blast that car was. I broke 6 rear ends until I finally found a Chevy Monza in a junkyard with a 3:34 posi that was essentially a 10 bolt cutdown Chevy rear. Lots of fun and many memories.

[@vintagemotelguest]

All of that is great - for the time -- but today you can install an aluminum LS-1 -2, or -3 and it will also only way an extra 50 0r 100 pounds.

[@bricefleckenstein9666]

I had a Old version of that - bought it from an SCCA autocrosser. Lowered 2" or so, 245 Goodyear gumballs all around. I never found the cornering limits on that car - as it would do 55 around a "25" corkscrew easily. Also had plenty of "get up and go".

[@JamesRomanski]

@@vintagemotelguest Yea but I bet it doesn’t cost about 400 bucks for the engine conversion kit exhaust and everything needed like mine did.

[@billk9628]

Did this to a 1986 Mazda RX7 FC3S, LS1/4L60E from a 2000 Corvette, later added a 8.8 IRS diff with 3'23 gears from a 1990's T bird Super Coupe. Added 75lbs to the front, which later was countered by the 8.8. Car went 12.0 @ 132. mph, topped out about 170mph, Stopped great with the 4 piston slotted rotors and calipers all around. Oh and if I kept my foot out of itwhich was next to impossible, it got 29MPG at 80 MPH on the interstate Car weighed 2938lbs on my work scale without me and a full tank. Lots of fun to drive with the wishbone suspension all around! Crazy fast, and just rediculous to daily drive. Really miss it but that 15 years ago.

[@georgebaker9352]

Not totally accurate. Chevy offered a 110 hp version. I ordered a 71 notchback, 4 speed, with F41 suspension package (same as the GT). I added a Yenko exhaust shortly after delivery. I've owned economy cars, sport cars, muscle cars, station wagons, and pretty much everything in between (I'm 74 years old). That Vega, with all of its shortcomings, was one of the best handling cars that I've ever owned or driven. On a backroad or an interstate exit/entrance ramp, it was easy to leave an Olds 442 owner struggling to keep it on the road while watching the Vega pull away . . . I've done it more than once. When the 442, GTO, or Corvette caught up at the next intersection, the guy would never, ever make eye contact.

[@georgebaker9352]

I had the 110 hp version.

[@ACF6180T]

Love the styling of the Vega, But a 65 thru 67 Corvair Moza with optional 140 HP engine, & handling package would take everybody to the woodshed.

[@rarecars3336]

I believe I said the base engine was 90hp - I know there was the higher hp option as well. There is no replacement for that lightweight and agile toss ability of a small car!

[@billlloyd4354]

The 2bbl Vegas were rated at 110 hp in '71, and 90 in '72. There were no differences in the engines, but the way the industry rated hp had changed radically. I still have the '73 GT I bought new when I was a senior in HS. It's still a 4 banger, and was competitively autocrossed from 1975 until 2002. You're correct, they are excellent handling cars.

[@drippinglass]

I thought they were great looking cars. The ‘71-‘72 without the federal bumpers. They were rockets with a SBC install.

[@trainnerd3029]

I always thought they were great looking cars! Mini Camaros!

[@rarecars3336]

Yes they really do especially with a split bumper!

[@Raggzzaug11]

@@rrawlins5003 Even with a supercharged 3.8 V6 it would be a riot! 280hp/280tq

[@Friedbrain11]

@@Raggzzaug11 They are :)

[@garyhoward2490]

My parents neighbor, bought a Vega GT wagon, brand new in 71. 1 month later, it had an LT 1 , a turbo 400 and a 12 bolt rear end in it. He even changed the hubs on the rear and to a 4 lug setup, so he could use the stock Vega wheels. Looked completely stock!! Super sleeper!! Awesome car. Same guy had a 67 Stingray coupe, with an L 88 in it. Funniest thing was, he was an aerospace engineer by trade, and looked just like Mr. Rogers. I'll never forget that guy!

[@johnlennon8653]

My neighbour and I were the first in my town to put a V8 into a Pontiac Astra in the mid 70s. My dad made the engine mounts and headers because he was a welder. Little car surprised everyone when we put it on the street. Gary’s other car was a 67 Firebird with a built 326. Had some good older friends who got me into cars, and dad always had fast ones too.

[@ekimp252]

I put a 350 SBC/ Turbo 350 in a ‘77 Pontiac Astre in the mid ‘80s using a Trans-Dapt kit. That thing was scary

[@stephenmartini5890]

I had a 283 with Hooker headers, Borg Warner T10 4speed with a shortened rear of 370. Fast but not practical especially, in the rain.

[@redbarchetta8782]

Had a 71 with a 283 with an LT1 cam and 2 speed powerglide. LOVED IT.

[@StephenKoselke]

I was the Parts Manager of the second oldest Chevy dealer in the US during the Vega era…our owner was a Corvair buff, we were one of two dealers in Chicago metro who stocked Vair parts…later I worked as an engine builder at Larry Claypool Vair Shop, one of probably six Vair specialists in the country…Vairs I found, especially the early ones were built like tanks.. we had a couple daily drivers we serviced, when they were over 50 years in service. On the other hand, and to be fair, I’ve always been a sports coupe fan, and own a WRX now…Vegas were and are, one of the worst cars any company in the world ever built. Junk is junk…put a turbo in junk…it’s turbo boosted junk with an even shorter life. During the Vega era I remember how great they handled. I also remember if you got the tiniest spot of rust on the cowl in front of the windshield you did not touch it even if you were gentle, because your finger would go right thru. And GM in their let’s get rid of these attitude at one time sold the cowl panel for $35…. Later when the Vega was being axed you could only purchase said cowl as part of the complete roof panel at over $400. The front fender rotted at the dog legs really bad…so much so that the replacement fenders came literally with about ten pounds of black undercoating tar on the entire inside surface of the fender…all the way to the top. Most particularly GMs engineers built the 2300 engine upside down according to common thinking…all overhead cam Euro motors were aluminum head and iron block, a winning combination…GM used an iron head and an unreinforced aluminum block…duh. In my tenure of unloading, recrating and returning failed Vega 2300 motors under warranty I still remember the total, 38. That’s a lot of failed motors for a small dealership to deal with, and several of those were the second time, meaning the replacements were no good, those being rebuilt themselves, because they ran out of new ones. Many of the blocks had the cylinder head bolt holes strip when disassembled as galvanic reaction between the iron bolts and aluminum block ate up the threads, then the head gaskets leaked, then it overheated, then thud. Sooo, Yenko decides to turbo boost what was basically a corporate hand grenade and pull the pin faster. Subsequently with tar filled fenders and an Iron Duke instead of the crap 2300, and a rebadge to “Monza” GM fixed the problems, and like always once fixed dumped the model completely.But there was always hope and later they repeated their incompetence with the Oldsmobile quad 4 in B,O,andP designations which we just as bad as the 2300. I love cars in general and rare ones the most but the Vega by itself was a disaster, except for the handling.

[@ChimeraActual]

Agreed. I ended up flat filing the block to get a few more miles out of my '72. To make matters worse, I was working at New Departure Hyatt roller bearings, a subsidiary of GM and got laid off in the oil crisis. GM eventually ran that company into the ground and abandoned it. Never trust GM!

[@davidcoggins8891]

Concerning the Corvair.. Was there any kind of fix for the drive belt setup?

[@StephenKoselke]

@@davidcoggins8891 as I learned it the drive belt set up worked fine if two things were true…the fan belts were wrapped all the way around with an outer coating…Some kind of fabric? Secondly, the belt needed to be adjusted to the right specification, and at least the later cars had an anti flapping device which also had to be set just right. If I remember correctly, only a Japanese company still manufactured the correct spec belt. The company was named Mitsuboshi as I recall. ( not Mitsubishi…this outfit only made belts. ) If you want I can check that for you. Let me know.

[@budrohammbone2806]

The styling on the Vega was excellent with a rubber band propulsion in the front, that was prone to overheating. The power plant decision killed the car before any were delivered. The Vega wagon conversion to a small block chevy was very popular, at that time. The corrosion protection of the day was virtually non existent so there aren't so many left today. Oh Yeah, Yenko Vega Wagon w/ turbo 4spd.

[@rarecars3336]

Yeah with how many rusted away its amazing looking on facebook marketplace seeing how few are for sale that are still nice - such a tiny number

[@skaldlouiscyphre2453]

It's a shame GM cancelled the L-11 alloy head for that engine. They wouldn't have had the same issue with differential expansion and resulting head gasket issues. The head they went with instead really doesn't make much sense.

[@billlloyd4354]

@@skaldlouiscyphre2453 I saw an aluminum cross-flow head intended for use on the Vega. It was owned by a friend who was a machinist at Reynolds Metals in Richmond, VA, during the Vega engine development. Probably the same type you mentioned.

[@skaldlouiscyphre2453]

@@billlloyd4354 Awesome. I've never gotten that close to a holy relic before but I hope it was exciting.

[@pauls5745]

yeah that and even better alloys for the skins nowadays. underneath still rots out, but there's not much pre 90's sheetmetal left unless it was out of the elements it's whole life

[@ThomasMaterene]

They were good little cars, I owned two in the late 70s. The first that came off the transports had an engine weakness in the cylinders and all had to be replaced. They eventually fixed that with steel sleeved cylinders and they became very durable. I pulled a 4x8 U-haul full of household and all my tools which really put a load on the car. I drove from Houston to San Diego and never had any problems except for the air filter system filling with engine oil due to the engine making a lot of crankcase pressure and forcing the oil up and into the air filter., now that filter was a steel can and about 30 bucks but I used one of my large fillips screw drivers to punch large holes in the top of the filter so the engine could breathe again and that worked out well only needing one new filter on the trip and a new one on arrival which remained closed without the excess engine loads. I drove up that 4000 foot pass going into California and almost at the top of the grade the transmission a 350 turbo dropped into 1st gear by itself and topped that pass. There was 0 damage to the engine and before I left I had put a new block and cylinder head in the car, it was actually a station wagon. The engine was never a powerhouse and even the little SS model had no power. It was a great car to go back and fourth to work and not cost a fortune in gas. While working in San Diego I bought a nice clean little SS wagon and swapped all my engine and transmission into it. It was painted a Ferrari Red with custom interior of vertical black and red striped seats. A year later I sold the car to a good friend and he turned around and sold it to a woman that was in the Navy at Marimar NAS . It was really a beautiful little car, the air conditioner an A-6 was almost as big as the engine and when it would cycle on and off it was like throwing the boat anchor out. heh

[@theodorgiosan2570]

Never knew there was a Yenko Vega but I'm not surprised. The Cosworth Vega has been my dream car since I was a kid. I'm almost at the point where I can buy one now. It has all of the features that I love about my current daily driver engine swapped '79 Subaru DL (light weight, low center of gravity, lightweight aluminum high revving engine, manual brakes, manual steering, and manual transmission) along with the feature that car is missing (rear wheel drive). That Subaru makes 120hp at 6500 rpm and weighs 1800 lbs. The engine is an EA71S made in 1989 with 12:1 compression, forged pistons, a Holley 1904 carburetor from a Ford inline 6, and a 310/310 duration cam. The transmission is a dog gear 5 speed out of a 1972 Subaru 1300G. It's a beast of a little car to drive around and will spin the front tires through 2 intersections in 1st gear without even trying. I just wish it was rear wheel drive. And I think the Cosworth Vega with a modern ECU, individual throttle bodies, coil on plug ignition, flex fuel sensor, and camshafts made to replicate the N/A Ford Cosworth BD spec, would be even better. Maybe add a used Nascar T101A transmission for quick clutchless shifting like the Subaru and it would be perfect.

[@joelcheek3494]

I came across the Turbo-Stinger in a junkyard in 1980. It said Turbo-Stinger on the side, just exactly like the magazine car in the video. So I know for a fact a Turbo-Stinger was built and sold and wound up in a junk pile in Lookout Mountain, TN, despite what is claimed in the video.

[@Dunkolunk]

My Aunt Diana was an airline attendant in the late 60's threw the early 70s. She met Yanko on a flight. They talked about the car she was getting ready to buy. A Vega. He asked which dealer in Pittsburgh was she going to. She told him. A month later, we visited her apartment. She showed us the Vega. Told the story about meeting Don. I remember my dad saying. It's too flashy for a family car. She told us. It came with a huge box of parts. It was a turbo and intake a carb and an exhaust flange kit. It took up the hole bottom half of her closet. She asked my dad. Do i need these to keep the car running? He told her no. It's a racing kit. Since she wasn't a racer. She threw all of it in the trash. 😢 The Vega rusted out. The engine smoked. It was sold for scrap.

[@rarecars3336]

Wow so she got one of the few turbo kits for the cars?! That is a crazy story thank you for sharing!

[@getplaning]

That was interesting. I always liked the Vega, especially the wagons. A small V-6 or V-8 would have made that car.

[@rvarsigfusson6163]

A V6 either 3,8 with a blower or a plain Caddy V6 engine and no more then up to twenty years old.

[@914_werke]

Monza wagon

[@kimdearrington258]

There were plenty of Vegas with big block Chevrolets and they were dominant on the drag strip in the 1980's. Of course there were many with small blocks that had all kinds of power as well.

[@oldschoolmotorsickle]

Looks like every Yenko Vega is private hands is lifted and has giant rear tires. Good video!

[@DarrenFinley]

How about a documentary on the cosworth vega?😎👍

[@billk9628]

back in the 1980's a friend of mine had one of those Cosworth Vegas with the mechanical fuel injection. Was fun! What I wouldn't give to have all of my high school cars back these days!

[@Edmund_Mallory_Hardgrove]

Two of them were in Warner Robins, GA in the mid-1980s. One of my girlfriends dad was a big car collector, he had all sorts of really cool cars, and sitting in his warehouse among them were these two Vegas. I thought they looked way out of place, among his car collection. He told me that they were Yenko Vegas, and were the rarest cars he'd ever owned. I guess he was right.

[@desertrat77]

In 1974 I bought a GT hatchback with 4 spd. I only bought it because I couldn't afford a few others, Fiat X1/9 and Toyota Celica included. But for what it was, that little white Vega with the wide Polyglass tires and GT package was really a lot of fun. About the time I bought it, I began to hear that they were famous for burning oil, although the real reason why was anything but widely known. I was determined that I would take such good care of mine (best oil, changed every 2000 miles) that my Vega wouldn't suffer the same. It did, of course. Thanks to those silicon-lined cylinder walls, no 4 cyl Vega was immune. A real shame, because it was such a great platform.

[@pauls5745]

yeah, torque was still allowed even tho hp had to suffer. I bet you could have a chirpy good time with a 4 spd!

[@Friedbrain11]

I call BS. The oil burning was caused by the owners...period. The silicone aluminum engine had wear characteristics that beat the iron engines. They did not burn oil just because of the engine metallurgy but because of the owners. There is more to an oil change than a filter and some new oil by the way and I bet you never cracked the owners manual at all on it. Mine never burned oil any more than iron engines did...period.

[@desertrat77]

@@Friedbrain11 The silicon impregnated cylinder walls were way harder than steel. Harder than the steel piston rings. So while you may be correct in saying that engine had better wear characteristics than an iron block, leaving the worn piston rings out of the equation yields a poor conclusion. They burned oil; it's too well documented to even try to argue with.

[@danstory4286]

The cure was a Toyota 18RGE drive train. Then, it was solid, fast and reliable.

[@desertrat77]

@@danstory4286 of course. Great idea. I'd buy that car today.

[@BoostedMaverick]

Thanks for the video and keep them coming 🎉

[@crw3673]

I'll keep saying it! If General Motors had stuck to the turbocharging development they started back in the early 1960s, GM and all their divisions would have been a powerhouse today. Just imagine if GM had continued development on the turbo corvair. The turbo 3.8 engines from 78 to 89. The turbo 4.3 of 90 to 91! Thirty years later just about most all of GM engines are turbocharged from the 3 cylinders to the 8 cylinders. Why did we stop turbocharging development in the early 90s?😢

[@barryknodel9654]

Agree, why also did they stop Rochester mechanical fuel injection, from 57,58.

[@tonysendrick6347]

And the 62 Olds jet fire..215 V8 turbo

[@tommissouri4871]

Ford built the turbo 4 cylinder Mustangs and Capris in the late '70s. However, they had issues with them eating the turbos. One issue was that when the car shut off, the oil pressure to the turbo bearings stopped. So while the hot turbo cooled down, the oil would burn in the bearing, and end up having the bearings fail. This could be solved with an external oil pump or an oil accumulator (Accusump) that ran for a few minutes to keep cooling oil flowing through the bearing while the turbo cooled. However, Ford didn't do that and instead finally dropped the turbo version. They weren't all that much powerful as they only had somewhere around 4 or 5 lb. of boost.

[@juststeve7665]

The EPA

[@DaDeCodeIsTruth]

So we're just going to ignore the BlackWing turbo V8s, the turbo 3800s, in the Grand National and Trans Ams. Or how about the Turbo Grand Prix, nevermind all of the Supercharged LSA motors or 3800s. There were even turbo 4 bangers of the late 80s? GM NEVER stopped turbo and F.I. development. The tech was simply limited to its era. Now turbo and supercharging are as good as it can get and more viable than ever.👍

[@andyharman3022]

I've owned five Vegas. A V8 conversion that my brother and I built. Two regular daily drivers. Two Cosworth-Vegas. The Cosworth is one of the best-handling cars I have driven, and I have driven sports cars on race tracks for 40 years. It's too bad the Vega had a crap engine. Even the Cosworth was strangled from the factory.

[@bmepdoc9675]

Had no less than 4 CV's back then. Bill Hutton at HME in Clarksville, TN made side draft DCOE Weber manifolds. I had them on 3 cars. On 2 of my cars I opted to 'backdate' the crank to the original spec which bumped it from 2 to 2.3 liters. I never had a crank snap even though they were routinely spun up to 75/8k RPM. The other major issue on the 1976 CV's was the welds on panhard rod mount would snap resulting in no lateral rear end control. The 1975 cars showed no such propensity. A simple and effective upgrade was fitting the vented front rotors from a V8 Monza. How time flies. Was one of the original members of the CVOA when Bob Malloy founded it. They handled 'decent' but build quality was atrocious. Alfa GTV's, Mazda Rx2/3, and the 2002's were a tough nut to crack and, in most cases - just a much, MUCH, better car.

[@andyharman3022]

@@bmepdoc9675 I still have my '75 Cosworth, and yes, I put the HME Weber conversion kit on it in 1984. I rebuilt the engine with steel sleeves and the short track cams. Kept the 2.0L displacement and stock compression ratio. I've wanted to put a turbo on it for decades, just haven't gotten around to it.

[@bmepdoc9675]

@@andyharman3022 Part of the family for a long while now, Andy, that's for certain. I recall having a set of the short track cams, which, if I recall correctly, were ground for GM by Crane down in Florida. I never did fit them for reasons long forgotten, but probably due to finally moving on. Tom Tuggle was was a fellow down in Phoenix who also tossed bucket loads of money and time into his and he went the turbo route. We're talking the burgeoning of the artificially aspirated era and not many were providing parts. Spears and Bob McClure come to mind, and of course, Ak Miller in Pico Rivera, but pretty much everything available back then was a crude 'kit' with bulky RAYJAY or AirResearch blowers. Heat soak was a concern as was fabricating a suitable exhaust/header turbo mount capable of providing even a modicum of durability with the thermal duty cycles imposed. The Vega free standing bores were an optimal platform for o-rings. I liked my '75's as they 'just seemed' to be screwed together a touch better. Also, the saginaw gearbox was significantly more durable and when fitted either a Hurst or Mr. Gasket linkage, immeasurably superior to the T-50 5 Speed, which would lock up on extended high lateral G right handers. Your benefit would be employing a blow through system with a rising rate fuel pressure regulator huffing into what I assume are the 40 DCOE's. I had the 40 as well as 45's with the output nod going to the 45's from about 6k onward. Turbo application though? 40's hands down. The smaller 40's were far easier to tune from an air corrector/emulsion and jetting perspective. I apologize for my extended diatribe..... The end.

[@andyharman3022]

@@bmepdoc9675 I'm loving it!

[@kerrypierre9494]

Another great video 👍 I would go with the Motion Vega, love a V8. Keep the vids coming 👌👍🔥

[@josephpacchetti5997]

Interesting Video, THX 4 posting.👍🇺🇸

[@terryoquinn8199]

Not a Chevy guy but I like all cars to some degree . I did learn some things in this video that I did not know before . I was a Plymouth guy and now a Dodge guy . The 1970 Plymouth AAR ‘Cuda in a Moulin Rouge with black interior and trim is my all time favorite car ever ! Since it doesn’t look like I’m going to be able to pull that off , I’ll have to learn to be happy with my 2023 Dodge Challenger Hellcat Jailbreak in Plum Crazy Purple with a black interior and trim . 717 hp is pretty damn cool I must say !

[@The_R-n-I_Guy]

It's a shame these cars had so many problems. I think the Vega is a beautiful car. Especially the wagon

[@olliefoxx7165]

I have nevwe heard of the Yenko Stinger Vega wagon. So cool! Thanks for a well done and informative video. 👍

[@rarecars3336]

Glad you enjoyed the video - thanks for watching!

[@willbar1961]

Makes me miss my 72, I put in the 350/TH400. Was quick because it was light. Surprising the cylinders on the stock engine block could stand boost.

[@Keith-rk4td]

Steel sleeve block from a Cosworth or get a machine speed shop to sleeve the block.

[@reevesautomotivefarm9614]

Thanks. my first car was a 74 Vega GT 4 speed and i wish i still had it.

[@urntwrthyZ]

Thank you, really enjoy these. Subscribed.

[@BradleyBellwether-oy2qi]

The first car I ever rember my parents having was a '78 Pontiac Sunbird wagon that shared the same platform and body style as the Vega wagon. It was light metallic blue and had the 2.5 "Iron Duke" in it. I'd love to have that car today! I used to sit in it when I was 5 and pretend I was a race car driver. 😂

[@bmepdoc9675]

In the early/mid 70's George Spears (Shelby/Spearco) as well as Bob McClure (BAE automotive) and even Ak Miller made 'kits' for the Vega. I owned a '73 Vega GT with one of Spearco's draw through holley/weber 5200 systems. A high school friend had one of Jack Stratton's (Huntington Ford) Pinto Pangras which had an Ak Miller developed blow through design 2.0 OHC 4. That Pangra ate my lunch at any time, anywhere, and 5 times on Sunday. We both autocrossed our cars back then and the Pangra was just on a different level of performance. Later in 1975 I scraped up all the $ I could muster and bought a new Cosworth twin cam Vega from Schonlaw Chevrolet for an eyewatering $5977. The only option was a limited slip. Still, a ridiculous amount of money considering a new Vette was only a couple of hundred more. I autocrossed the Cosworth as well and yes, it handled better as a result of the newly introduced 'torque arm' rear suspension coupled to the posi, but a faster lap time over that darned Pangra remained elusive.

[@rarecars3336]

To be totally honest with you this is why I love reading the comments - I never heard of the pangras but I just looked them up and WOW that is so cool. Thanks so much for sharing - I’ll have to do some more research on them and make a video!

[@randallblack9519]

Buick skyhawk had a turbo option 4 cly.

[@42lookc]

And Pontiac Sunbird Turbo. But those cars came almost 15 years later.

[@313barrygmail]

84. They had a 2 L superhawk turbo charged.

[@richardmountz3865]

In 72 most Vega's had a one barrel carb and 3 speed manual. When the cylinders took a dump I too went with the steel cyl sleeves. Being an ultra low comp eng I shaved FIFTY THOU off the head. Cam, header glass packs, two barrel carb, bigger tires and (what do you know) a rock crusher 4 spd bolted right up with a bigger clutch to boot. After break-in I was nicely surprised it would bark the tires in third. The biggest thing I did was readvance the dist for that engine and it came alive..

[@johnrobinson5156]

Interesting story. Didn't know. I had a Pinto Pangra turbo kit made in 70's. It was very fast in my 73 wagon using AkMiller turbocharger setup that smoked mid 70's Corverttes and Camaros. Reliability was questionable, as no waste Gate was used.

[@mikef-gi2dg]

That was pretty accurate. I am a self described Vega140 cid expert. I have a 75 Monza with a stalled turbo 2.3 project that goes back to the early 80's. The lack of parts is the biggest problem. I also have a 79 V8 Monza, and that pushed the turbo project ever farther off the schedule. I seriously considered an Ecotec 4 as a suitable swap, but the lack of rear wheel drive conversion parts has stalled that as well. Don't get me started on the COSWORTH VEGA.

[@rarecars3336]

An ecotec 4 would actually be a really cool swap - probably would be a ton of fun in the vega

[@mikef-gi2dg]

@@rarecars3336 Still a viable alternative, just stuck on the rwd conversion stuff.

[@radamus210]

Bitd, Vega to V8 conversions were serious sleepers but became well know quickly HAHA! Even a couple V8 Pinto's popped up, but they were stupid uncontrollable, but looked and sounded badass. And just like trucks like a CJ5 on 44's a strong wind could blow over~ but we grew up putting plastic models togethers building Frankenstein Hot Rods~ when we got our hands on the real stuff? we were very creative. And we also had the Mustang II that got molested. The Vega was a cool car man, they were everywhere, poor mans Camaro.

[@samspade7522]

Thanks for the info. I bought a Yenko Vega Stinger used when I was in Ft Huachuca, Az and took it to Germany when I rotated. It was fun on the Autobahn but I always thought it should have done better. Now I know the owner installed turbo was not installed correctly (pressurized the venturi but not bowl of carb and probably ran too lean). I still kick my self for leaving it over there when I was separated from the service on a hardship. Guess you cant win them all.

[@rarecars3336]

Another person with the Turbo actually on the car, this is so awesome to hear! There couldn't have been that many Vegas in Germany then

[@ericb592]

Had a '73 GT Wagon when I was in H.S. that I put a freshly rebuilt Olds aluminum 215 V8 into after the 4 banger crapped out. Ran it through a TH350 (thank you Advanced Adapters!) and a stock rearend and the stock GT wheels. It was a mid 14 second car but still handled great because the V8 barely weighed more than the stock 4cyl. Less than a year after the swap, I got hit by a drunk driver and the car was totalled. I miss that car.

[@jakespeed63]

Great video, information and editing job. Now I want to go out and buy a Vega GT Ha!

[@jerryshafer474]

I worked in an engine shop back in the late 70s. Those engines as a rule would show up smoking around 30ish thousand miles all we did was sleeve the cylinders and you rarely saw them again until they were truly worn-out

[@rarecars3336]

The iron duke 4 that replaced the 2.3l vega motor was definitely a much better and more reliable replacement

[@harleydude-xo8pu]

I had bought a 1971 Vega hatchback in the early 80's and straight piped out behind the passengers door. I took the A/C vents that went into the cabin and redirected them into the carb as well as having a cold air intake that went from the grill to the carb and then I would blast the air conditioning on high, basically having a true forced cold air intake. That car smoked cars and got insane gas mileage but sucked in the winter seeing I had no heater due to the engine running at best 120 degrees. I was averaging around 60 mpg on the highway and it sipped gasoline. The best I was able to run the quarter if I remember correctly was high 14's and around 90 mph, not bad for a 4 banger grocery getter.

[@gordocarbo]

60mpg?? Is that a typo Big fan of cold air also but Id think the AC compressor would sap any power gain from the colder air. Installing a cool can on my old iron when I have time.

[@harleydude-xo8pu]

@@gordocarbo I had no A/C to the cabin of the car just to the carb, which gave me great gas mileage in the winter, seeing true freezing air temperature was being forced into the carb, much like Dodge has done with the current Demon.They use the A/C to force cold air into the throttle body. I used to have a 1986 Toyota Cressida and I ran a cold air intake from outside the front of the car directly to the throttle body and went from Vegas to Tonopah and back to Vegas in the dead of winter and used about 7 gallons. The trip was around 430 miles which gave me around 60 mpg with that car. I never hooked up the A/C directly to the throttle body just ran the cold outside air.

[@Electriceye1984bySam]

Good stuff👍🏻 great channel❤

[@The_sinner_Jim_Whitney]

Such good-looking little cars. If only we had learned a little more about small, efficient cars by the time they'd been offered. How awesome would one of those things be if they'd been reliable and solid? Such a shame.

[@stevegall3594]

More power needed (Chevette) and corrosion prevention in the Rust Belt(Japanese cars) were the factors in the Seventies. Greed and politics also, I reckon.

[@gordocarbo]

If only GM put sleeves in those blocks from the start...

[@BulldogGTX-i2f]

And yet GM made the boneheaded decision to put a cast iron head on an aluminum block.

[@mikef-gi2dg]

I have/had several and I never trashed the head gasket by overheating it to the extreme. that never caused me ANY problems. And I drove the heck out of these little engines that sound like turn of the century sewing machines. They are a lot tougher than many know.

[@Eric--zs6um]

I had a 79 Monza Spyder with 3.2l and not the 3.8l . Put a 350 backed by saginaw 4spd. Also the 75 Monza TC with 262 v-8 auto. Glorified Vegas.

[@gordocarbo]

Was 10 at the time, had the model of the white Monza flared wiht the red n blue stripes thought it was a great looking car .

[@mark006868]

Rare Cars.....In fact, Chevy offered a High Perf Vega of it's own...It was called a Cosworth Vega 16-Valve....

[@slowvega]

They called it the "Cosworth Twin Cam". I own # 0278 out of 3508. Young people have no idea what it is.

[@ripwreckraceway]

WOOOOOOO shared liked loved !

[@terryhannon8095]

I had a 69 z-28, the toughest race I ever had was against a Cosworth Vega. Unbelievable

[@rschris]

Awesome video!!

[@rarecars3336]

Thank you man I appreciate that! So glad you enjoyed it - and thanks for tuning in!

[@rschris]

@@rarecars3336 oh yeah for sure. My dad built two different Chevy Vegas the first one was. 1973 wagon gt he put a small block 350 with a 700R4 trans with a b&m shift kit had a Dana 44 rear end with 4:10 gears and welded subframe connectors . 4 point roll bar and made it a 2 seater that car was so fast and very light

[@rarecars3336]

@@rschris Wow 4.10s and a stout 350? That thing had to fly down the strip

[@rschris]

@@rarecars3336 oh bro let me tell you you had to goose the throttle if you were driving around town to get it out of first gear, the tires would chirp making a left or right turn real easy without even trying. Back in the day I think the guys name was Don Harley he made a kit to mount the sbc into the Vega and we converted all the wheels to five lug 79 trans am rear disk brakes and like 74 or 73 Camaro front disk . That lil car was a Beast . We had also put a fiberglass hood on it. Many 5.0 mustangs , Corvettes and a Porsche 911 not to mention A Ferrari 308 new what Chevy Vega tail lights looked like with our blue dots we installed in them!!!

[@johnnycrash3270]

3:16 black VEGA 4:50 red VEGA 7:19 dark green VEGA 7:59 orange VEGA 🤩🤗👍💪

[@samuelanselmo4159]

I had a 71 GT with this. Junk. I installed a 302 RS Camaro engine using the Chevy Monza Spider setup

[@stevearnold100]

I had a friend back in the early 90's that had a Cosworth Vega. They were higher horsepower than the Yenko. Talk about balanced! Her ex-husband had sabotaged the car by loosening the lug nuts. She was on the freeway when a tire came off the front. SHe was able to go from the fast lane across three lanes onto the shoulder and stop before the nose fell down on the brake rotor.

[@mikef-gi2dg]

Sounds like a serious crime took place.

[@electricroo]

I put a Crower cam, Hooker header, and a Holly carburator in my 72.

[@wymple09]

Having had both Corvairs & Vegas, I'm torn between the 2 for preference. Either one in a performance package is near the top of my list.

[@christorrence1114]

I had a 76 with a stout 355 v8, It was nuts.

[@TheDieselndust]

What about the Cosworth Vega?

[@johnccargill4665]

in 72 I was a chevy salesman, we had a yenko stinger vega on the showroom floor for months. I was there one day when a man from Yenko came with his turbo demonstrator. He warned us to not exceed 55 hyybdred ron, one of our salesman did and the car immediately started smoking. Althoygh Yenko beefed up the pistons crank and rods the block was untouched. Later I had a buyer come in to look at the 4 grand Vega, he boutht it and wanted the turbo. That was a dealer installed option. The install stretched our serevice department. In fact the Manager of service threatened me not to sell another. The kid must have believed me and kept the revs down never saw him again.

[@MilfordHeavenMercadoPach-im7jk]

Ahhhh, the same old story of hot rodders and epa but this time i really wanted to see yenko win one against epa unfortunately it wasn't meant to be with them saying 'It's not smog legal the turbo kit so stop now or get sued dom' okay this line was made up for drama so don't take it for real 😅 anyway thanks rare cars for today's video is a 'what if' game changer that could have been real fighter against bmw, vw, honda, and toyota best compact cars at the time so thank you and see you later bye now.

[@rarecars3336]

I know right - wish this car didn't get smacked down - it could have been a real cool start to something special.

[@MilfordHeavenMercadoPach-im7jk]

Thank dude and have nice night.

[@cdjhyoung]

A high school friend did manage to scrap up the money and install that turbo package on his car. He was not a mechanic in any form, so I'm not real sure who did the work. The end of this story came about 3 months after the up grade. He was doing burnouts with the car and managed to twist the drive shaft so badly and violently it destroyed the car. He didn't get hurt, the main damage, other than to the car, was owning a pair of underwear he could never wear again.

[@kasmanien]

The Vegas were nice little cars when brand new, but as soon as you started driving them they just fell apart, junk cars. I helped a friend move from St Pete to Atlanta once and drove their Vega back ,which in really good shape when we started,ran great.By the time we got to Atlanta it was on it's last leg , I couldn't believe how fast it just basically self destructed.

[@ChimeraActual]

My 1972 Vega was a nightmare. The block just kept on warping, I can't imagine it as a race engine.

[@mikef-gi2dg]

If you don't blow the cooling system and severely over hear the engine the block won't just WARP. I know, I drove the heck out of mine and still have it today. H body owners like me are totally crazy.

[@sjelliott6660]

We had a Vega when I was a kid in the 70's.

[@flyingsword135]

I'm your turbo lover....

[@ChessIsJustAGame]

1979 Mustang, engine options included a weak V8 to a turbo 4. 5.0L vs. 2.3L and the turbo produced more power and weighed less, better handling.

[@robertbritton4716]

Where does the cosworth Vega fit in to this line up?

[@andrescer]

Great video. When are you going to do a video on the 1980s Shelby Chargers! Turbos. 4 cylinder. Low build counts.

[@Intellectuallychallenged]

I see ultimate green mk2 rs I hit like

[@htschmerdtz4465]

I had a reliable Chrysler Daytona turbo 4 in the 1980s. I've owned and flown turbocharged light aircraft that have been around since the early 1960s.

[@Cartier_specialist]

That's a shame. I imagine the Cosworth Vega with a turbo would be extra potent. I don't recall the specs on the Cosworth engine but it was subsequently stouter than the standard engine.

[@Flies2FLL]

Volkswagen between 1984 and 1986 sold 52 turbocharged cars, the majority of them Scirocco's. I had one.....

[@gordocarbo]

The Sciroccos were super popular remember them in the HS parking lot. DIdnt know they could be had with turbo

[@ikkenhisatsu7170]

Thank God the EPA saved us again. We could have been having fun.

[@IronMan3582]

In the video about Motion Vega, I had never heard of Motion so I just assumed it was going to be about Yenko and the Corvair...I had heard about a Turbo Vega before and didn't expect it to come from Yenko and here we are anyway That's a bit too bad, shame that fuel injection wasn't an option yet because that probably would have helped with emissions. Buick used sequential fuel injection and turbo charging to great effect with the Grand National that absolutely put to shame the Corvettes of the day that still had an air condition and was still emissions compliant

[@Marvinmartion]

Actually Buick , Oldsmobile, and Pontiac were turbo charged in the early 60’s! The Pontiac tempest, but I don’t remember the Buick or olds names.

[@Friedbrain11]

That "anemic" 4 cylinder Vega motor was hindered totally by GM from showing tis potential. With a 4 barrel intake, small 4 barrel carb, and headers it was easy to double hp without losing the gas mileage. I know this from personal experience. I also saw a 3.8L equipped Vega which was scary as Hell to drive as it accelerated so fast. I knew one guy(I worked with him) that did the modded head and the rest was stock and he not only got more mileage per gallon but more performance too. That engine had even more to give if you cammed it and turboed it. I was looking to buy one of these but the dealer refused to order it from Yenko for me. I had no way to both buy the car and go to Yenko dealership to get it. I could do one or the other. Damn idiot Chevrolet dealer in Denver...so I never bought it and never bought from that dealership either.

[@miguelcastaneda7257]

Dont forget cosworth vega few produced

[@Tramp-dm5xr]

Dobi and IECO offfered lowering springs and KYB shocks. I also had Herb Adams adjustables on another. Monza Spyder sway bars Cars stuck to the road, then the crappy seats had you sliding all about the cabin. Swap em. That ugly little 2300 got a harsh rap. My 77 never gave one bit of trouble IECO believed so much in the 140 cid an offered: ported big valve head, blocks, cam, dual webers, etc. Hotrod magazine raved over their 'poster car' performance. Can still find article online Several draw-thru turbo builds featured in magazines over the years. Unleashed raw potential of that 'ugly little motor'. General consensus was that it would give your typical V8 vega "fits"

[@bmepdoc9675]

Dobi, IECO. Herb Adams. Companies and names not heard in decades!. Dobi (Washington Blvd, Culver City) used my '76 Cosworth to prototype their air dam mold and gave me their first production piece as compensation for the use of my car, also pictured in their adverts. IECO in Santa Monica on Broadway I believe . Oh my! I purchased more than one set of their quick steer arms for my Corvairs campaigned in autocrosses, and Herb Adams. Was familiar with him and spoke several times, last time being at a sanctioned SCCA time trial at Lion Country in Orange County where one of his Firebird/Camaro clients was beading up rubber. Many don't recall but Pat Bedard campaigned his Vega on behalf of Car and Driver against all comers and did remarkably well. I worked closely with Dick Guldstrand jointly developing spring rates, sway bar drop blocks, control arm bushings, and the considerably revised compression/rebound valving in the Koni's we were running. I had no seat support problems as Scheel was impressed with my effort and donated a set of their seats as long as I mentioned them in any ads or interviews or had photos. For rubber, all of us pretty much ran Caldwell race compound recaps out of Pasadena or Bandags in Irvine. Thanks for reviving some log since dormant, old memories, Tramp-dm5xr!

[@Tramp-dm5xr]

@@bmepdoc9675 very interesting, indeed! Those definitely seemed like the "good ol' days.

[@jmason61]

Racing aside, my dad bought a 75 Vega cause he needed a cheap commuter car with 3 kids driving it around too... endless problems year after year it finally died with around 90k. Something about the engine using aluminum parts that were engineered wrong...& It wasn't a cool looking mini Camaro by any stretch

[@rarecars3336]

75 yeah they look a lot worse than the earlier 70s cars - that 2.3L stock motor was not great

[@butchgeagan9768]

I don't ever recall the corvair being "all the rage."

[@rarecars3336]

they sold 1,800,000 cars

[@jamesregiste960]

I remember it, and I live in London!😊

[@aquatecpoolservice4547]

Weren't they the first American turbocharged production car?

[@bvward]

@@aquatecpoolservice4547 Olds also did a turbo 215 c.i. V8 around that time, I believe...

[@ACF6180T]

@@aquatecpoolservice4547 Yep! Even though Oldsmobile beat out Chevrolet by 2 weeks on there release with the Jet/Fire engine in the Cutlass. Chevrolet Corvair went on to outsell the Oldsmobile Turbo; Both were released in 1962 Oldsmobile dropped the Turbo option in 1964, & the Corvair Turbo option was dropped after 1966 only due to the arrival of the Camaro coming in 1967, & poor sales of the Corvair in 66; Everybody was into pony cars with V8's, & the Corvair just couldn't compete; Even though they would take everybody to the woodshed as far as handling in the 2nd gen. Corvair ( Yenko Stingers ).

[@Tgtouh-oe9ld]

They're still around they just released at 2024 yanko Camaro stage 3 1500 horsepowerJust like the copo name is still aroundAnd you still only can get it through the dealerships

[@danb.3397]

Closest was the Cosworth Vega that wasn't exactly bad, just a bit clunky as most cars were then ( build quality ).

[@v1-vr-rotatev2-vy_vx31]

And the new three cylinder turbo, toyota's are blowing up also,, Along with the v six turbos..

[@gordocarbo]

Meeting epa stds today has mfrs cutting corners and quality to pass Toyota nor Honda are what they used to be! 22r toy trucks were great runners...neighbor has a perfect condition 90 Honda wagon, loaded sunroof incredible shape, he refuses to buy anything newer. Ive ridden in it and blown away how solid it is...with NO tire roar/road noise that all late model cars have.

[@thomaskauser8978]

My '74 Vega came with an oil can holder .under the dash.

[@BillWendell-y5c]

It was a p o s the day it was new. They fell apart underneath you. Fit in a small block at least it started up in the morning. Add 'Merican mechanics who had no idea how an electric fuel pump with oil pressure cutout worked. Monza was the same issues in a different shape. I would kill for a Yenko Corvair.

[@pcno2832]

So, they sold the cars with all the turbo-ready modifications, but not the turbocharger? That sounds like a bad idea, since turbocharged engines are usually reworked for a lower compression ratio, which, without the boost, would mean less power and worse fuel economy than the engine would have had with the original compression ratio. Of course, bigger carburetors and exhaust systems could have made up for the loss of power, but the final product was still half-a-loaf. I guess those were the breaks in the new world of emissions restrictions.

[@rodeleon2875]

a fellow GI shoehorned a 327 into one of the wagons. it was fast but shook like crazy and blew rear ends right and left.

[@rarecars3336]

a 327 was probably the perfect v8 for this car

[@ric889]

My aunt had one. Was the bright yellow color. 76?

[@deandee8082]

rather have cosworth Le'Vega .. lol .. yup, way better platform twin overhead cams, realistically you can pump 5-600hp done right like 30 lbs of SC boost, it would have to be all rearranged, throttle bodies off a hayabusa, crank totally worked over, cams, pistons, rods, roller bearing crank the works.. aluminum CnC works head, real good cooled oiled turbo or charger setup, they get 800hp out of a turbo 1300cc busa engine totally streetable you can get 600 out of the cosworth done right, prolly have over $25k into it but it would be fun on a supercharger set up, the way id go... crank drive off a serpentine belt, leave the exhaust alone, pressurized air box.. modern dual butterfly TB's, dual injector shower head set up.. be a real fun car set up for corners .. they used to have a lot of classes for the pinto, capri, and vegas.. oh boy . . in the day it was big fun

[@wymple09]

I still haven't seen ANYBODY make a small displacement turbo engine that lives all that long. I would much rather have a somewhat larger, naturally aspirated engine. Small turbo engines are way overstressed. In general they are crap beyond 100K IMO.

[@davetscantech]

Didn’t the stock 4 cylinder have aluminum cylinder bores that caused the the engine issues?

[@busman2050]

Yes it did. They were oil burners. I had a 74. Fun to drive with the 4 speed and 2 barrel carb, but unreliable and sloppy build quality.

[@busman2050]

Later bought an 82 Celtics, excellent build quality but not as fun to drive as the Vega for some reason

[@davetscantech]

I built a couple of V8’s but handled terrible

[@mikef-gi2dg]

No, no and no. The all aluminum Reynolds 390 block has a no bore liners. I was not a problem unless you severely overheated it and blew the head gasket. Water in the cylinder would score the bore/pistons. Not changing the oil as recommended would also cause problems. I had/still have several, and the aluminum block was not the problem. And I drove mine very hard.

[@joewaldrip8962]

Yenko has an E not an A as the second letter in the name. why do you mispronounce the name ? is this a Jersey or certain eastern way to say YEnko ?

[@chas4life]

My Dad brought home a brand new Vega GT in 1974. Unusual for my Dad, since he always bought used cars... but I remember how cool looking and racy that car looked with it's gray paint and black racing stripes. It was a hot looking car from every angle. Sadly, it disappointed in a major way when the bottom end exited the car at freeway speeds just after the warranty expired. Even to this day, it's one of the best looking compact cars ever made by a US manufacturer IMHO.

[@ValorMotorsports]

Anything on the Cosworth Vega?

[@lesliehorwinkle]

It was a lousy engine BUT true to GM form, they developed the Iron Duke then killed off the platform. I had a 77 Astre with a 5 spd. Had the galv. body panels been out, it would have been exactly what people wanted. Then they had a DOHC version no one could afford too. I think I could run the place better.

[@Friedbrain11]

I can tell you from personal experience that the "Iron Duke" was anything but a good engine and it was even worse performing than the Vega engine. It was a POS that couldn't get out of its own way. More of a boat anchor than the Vega engine for sure.

[@lesliehorwinkle]

@@Friedbrain11 U crazy. It got 30+ mpg and had 88hp. More than enough for a economy car. Closer geared w/ 5 spd.too Tons more reliable..they used it 10 more yrs.

[@deadhomer8468]

To bad Yenko quit making Chevy a performance cars in 72 and he passed way in 87i would love to see what he would do to with 2010 Camaro

[@rarecars3336]

Technically he made them back in 81 too with the Turbo Z

[@juststeve7665]

Yenko did build some awesome cars but this wasn't one of them. The Chevy COSWORTH Vega blew this away. Yeah they cost almost as much as a Corvette but they had far more potential. The factory de-tuned the Cosworth engine but that was easily reversed with the application of some more cash... and we all know that gearheads don't care about price... just POWER! My neighbors bought a Cosworth Vega in 1975... they later wished they had waited for the 76. I could not afford one at that time but not long after I had a special order Buick Skyhawk with every option available from all the factory packages incl the 5 spd trans and the 3.8l engine instead of the 3.2l, larger sway bars and wider factory wheels. It was what the Vega could/should have been. If GM had went forward with the aluminum 215 V8 in the Vega as they had conceptualized it would have been the only thing better at the time... Chevy produced the Monza with a 262/305/350 V8 and even though the 305 and 350 were an anemic performers in stock form they had great potential. The Vega was intended to be an econo shitbox from the start... The Monza/Skyhawk a performance car. Although I love the early Vega body style the base 4 cyl engine had a shitty cylinder head and adding a turbo couldn't fix that. The Cosworth cylinder head proved the potential. I think of the Cosworth head as the predecessor of the Honda high performance cylinder heads.

[@Rick-O-Shay60]

Where is the link you said would be provided that would further document these cars??? 😠

[@ernestcotton9324]

They used turbocharger and superchargers on trucks and equipment in the 50's

[@jamiedriscoll9781]

7:30 no need to flip the image. Seeing backwards text and passenger side exhaust throws the image