Today has turned into an impromptu Vega Day (you think we plan this stuff in advance?). Dave Skinner raised my hopes this morning with his excellent street find of a ’73 Vega, thinking he might have found a beater CC Vega with its original 2300 engine. No such luck. So are there any left out there? And I’m talking about a genuine Curbside Classic, not someone’s garage queen. Although if it’s 2300 powered, an honorable mention would certainly be in order.
I did find two myself, but that was a couple of years ago. This yellow GT wagon, used in one of my first CCs, was running, and for sale. I should have bought it; all it needed was a new front fender. I regret that deeply now. And I had a second chance, on another Kammback:
I found this running ’74 Kammback at the Saint Vincent dePaul Sales lot a year or two later. But unlike the that sweet ’73, this one was pretty ratty, especially inside. Made for a fun post, though.
Then I ran into this ’77 driving down the street with a genuine Vega girl aboard. This is the last regularly-driven Vega in Eugene. I had high hopes it was still 2300-powered.
When I spotted it parked in front of a bar at ten in the morning one day recently, I decided to go inside and find the owner to see what was under the hood. When was the last time you went into a bar before noon? Zesty!
It wasn’t hard to find the Vega’s owner. He gave me the bad news, but it really wasn’t worth the effort (and bad smells), since the owner conveniently put on a very original-looking 3.8 Litre V6 badge on its cute little butt. Another hope dashed.
So go out there, Curbsiders, and scour the countryside. There has to be a 2300 powered Vega still chugging along somewhere, emitting that distinctive exhaust sound that was described as “fruity” by one of our commenters. The prize? How about a date with Vega Girl herself? I’m sure I can arrange it.
If Ed Stembridge finally gave up and stuck a V6 in one, I am guessing that keeping one of those things on the road with its original engine simply can’t be done. I hope I’m wrong, though – I would love to meet the one guy in the entire world who proved worthy to own one of these fine Chevrolets.
Who said I “gave up?” I was still in college, remember? (c:
The sleeved, tuned headered & GT-cammed 2300 was still running great, and chirped second gear with no problems.
I have a saved search for eBay, and every so often one with the 2300 turns up. If I ever see a ’71 notchback, it will require extreme self-control to not Buy It Now.
I have a 72 wagon with a 2300, daily driver for over 40 years. Ran when parked a few years back. just sitting under a tarp in my grandpa’s back yard since my dad passed. Recon it would crank right up with a little love. It’s not the motor that came in the car. But it is a 72 lump if I remember correctly. Think I may still have the original motor laying around too. Just trying to hang on to it until I can afford to restore it to its former glory. It’s one of the last few thing I have of my dad’s. Love that car. It was the first car I ever drove.
I have one and it is very reliable for short rides but I tried to make all the stops in cruising the coast and it did not like it. My husband wants to put a larger engine but I do not want to I want to keep it original. If anybody knows anyone that is interested in purchasing this I have all the documentation on repairs maintenance Etc since 1976. I am located in Louisiana. If I do not answer your email send another just in case it gets sent to spam. Bkempnurse @ gmail.com
Brandi, it’s gorgeous. I really hope it finds an appreciative owner if you do sell it.
And here you go:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1974-CHEVROLET-VEGA-GT-STATION-WAGON-SOUTHERN-CAR-NICE-CONDITION-RUNS-WELL-/370886989108?forcev4exp=true
Nice try Ed, but I don’t know if that counts. Aren’t we supposed to actually encounter a 2300 Vega in the wild rather than on ebay?
And who knows if the car really exists? You can probably buy a Thylacine on ebay too.
Maybe I’m just jealous, since I know my chances of finding one are exactly zero.
I would be surprised if many people know what a thylacine is! Quite a few people still looking for them.
I’m an Australian, so I know what a thylacine is.
Getting a little OT, but a similar hunt in Australia would be a to find a mid 1980’s Holden Piazza as a daily driver. The car was released 30 years ago, and I have never seen one!
Two Australians went a nationwide search to find a Piazza, and wrote about their adventures in a book:
https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/books/general-books/humour-gift/In-Search-Of-The-Holden-Piazza-Chris-Warr-and-Joe-Kremzer-9781741146301
I bought a Thylacine once, but it never improved my thys.
“Ask your doctor about Thylacine”.
I have one and it’s completely original. I’m trying to sell it because my husband wants to take out the original motor and put in a better one but I think it should stay all in one piece. It even has the original seats every single thing is original
It’s effing tan.
Something is bothering me about that car. If you look closely, there’s a painted side trim on the car that looks like it was a ‘woody’ wagon originally. Now, my memory for Vega’s is rather shadowy, other than my personal ’73 GT, but did they do a wood sided trim on the wagons? And if they did, it certainly wasn’t a GT. Everything else seems up to snuff, although those wheels aren’t what I remember on a GT, either. Looks like the standard model for that year.
At least in some years there were DiNoc Vega Wagons and I agree with you that the width of the side trim along with the way it turns down at the front looks like the trim to surround the DiNoc. Considering the era it might have been possible to order both the GT package and the wood sides IF the right boxes were checked even if it wasn’t officially available nor shown on the order guides. The wheels of course are an easy change so it wouldn’t be that surprising if they were swapped out some time in the last ~40 years.
I checked the ad…it’s the Di-Noc Special.
You actually could get an Estate GT, at least in ’76. Here’s a pic from the brochure:
Just a couple of days ago I saw a Vega in traffic, it certainly was beater so it might have still had it’s original engine. I also saw a wagon at a gas station I passed by a couple of weeks ago but it had been redone and based on the size of the rear tires likely wasn’t still sporting a 2300.
Remember the Vega “Nomad”? 70’s marketing at its best.
There was one on eBay earlier this year…
Good luck on fining a Vega that still runs with the original engine….I think the last one saw was twenty five years ago or longer. I remember back in the early ’80s we had a temporary hire at the place I worked, he was just out of college and was driving a Vega wagon. I took a short ride in it one day and the experience reminded me of the ’72 Vega I once drove. I’d forgotten how lowsy the interior was along with the Song of the Vega…the crude sounding exhaust note it produced. Hopefully all of these things have long since been recycled into lawnmowers, washers or something more useful.
Saw this and I finally had to sign up so I could post a photo I took a little while back. There’s a Vega Kammback that’s been running around my neighborhood since spring. As hard as I look, I can’t seem to locate it parked, so I’ve never been able to get a good photo or talk to the owner. This photo’s the closest I’ve gotten.
Coolest part is when my wife saw it, she immediately called out “Vega Kammback!” I think it’s so cool that she can ID old cars like that. The new stuff…not so much.
Perhaps this?
And the flip side…
That looks exactly like the new Vega I rented in Las Vegas in late August 1972. Powerglide and a/c. It would wind out in low range and then – thud – into high. If I was driving along and flipped the a/c switch it was like I’d driven into molasses. Fine car.
Well, how’s this for a hint? Just saw this past Sunday, sitting in a mall parking lot. No, not on a trailer! It had to have come in under its own power.
I’ll be doing a CC on it sometime soon.
it’s own power But what was that power? The whole point of this hunt is to find one with the original 2300 engine. If that one had it, and you confirmed it, the chase is already over. But I wonder…..
Sorry, it didn’t occur to me to get some shots of the engine from underneath. Drat!
A local example found curbside.
How about using a Ford 2.3? Can it be installed?
Or more to the point, should it be installed? I’ll understand if you delete this comment as a violation of forum decency standards.
If you have enough time and/or funds then yeah you could stick a Lima 2.3 in there and it certainly would be a huge improvement in engine durability. Source one from a later Turbo Coupe and you’d also can a big increase in HP while still being significantly more durable.
Good Lord, if its acceptable to put a SBC into any and everything with wheels, surely it is OK to put a 2.3 into a Vega! You have given me an idea. When I get some spare time, I am going to make it my life’s work to put as many Ford and Mopar engines into classic Chevrolets as I can. 🙂 Damn, but that would be fun – to go to a big car show with a 57 Bel Air or a 63 Impala with a Mopar 360, Torqueflite and Mopar Road Wheels.
I felt “unclean” even thinking about putting a Ford in a Chevy. Sort of like the Torah ban on mixing linen with wool, or military bans on fraternizing with the enemy.
The Vega’s styling holds up much better than its engine.
I have a friend with an 83 King Cab S10 powered by a carbed Ford 302. I would actually love to have it because it represents my truck with a back seat.
My closest encounter with a Vega was the wreck that belonged to my niece long enough ago that it should have been a good car. She owned a pinto after that and felt it was an upgrade. When she dented that everywhere she went with a Dodge slant six wagon. Guess she got around. If I’m lucky I hope to not encounter any vegas.
Check some of the H-Bodies found here near the bottom of the page (all beaters):
http://www.ctcautoranch.com/Cars/Car%20Sub-Pages/Cars%20Chevrolet%20Cars.html
When I was in the Air Force Reserve in the ’70’s a friend in the unit had a Vega, the engine was shot, so he had a 2.0 liter pinto engine dropped in it. As far as I remember, he told me it ran better than with the 2.3 Vega four.
The Lambrecht Chevrolet auction has a 1977 Vega Kammback with 1 mile on the odometer, so I suspect it has the original engine! Hopefully the link below works, if not, look up the Lambrecht Chevy auction, lot number 125.
https://www.proxibid.com/asp/LotImageViewer.asp?ahid=1530&aid=68561&lid=17400614&url=125L_7.jpg?replacewithpaddle
Would a Pontiac Astre count?
Since they made like 1 Astre for every 30 Vegas, an Astre should count double!
When I moved to Gallup, NM in 2002 there was a group of nuns running around in an Astre wagon in blue with a blue interior. Near as I could tell the only option it had was the automatic transmission. From the sound of the exhaust note though I would wager the motivation was Iron Duke not aluminum 2300…
I did want that car badly just for the fun of a bucket seat, shift on the floor, two door wagon. Don’t see it anymore, hope it got a good retirement the body was sooooooooooooo clean and rust free.
A Vega running around the streets of Cleveland would be weird enough, but one with its original engine? HAH!!! It would much easier if you asked me to find Jimmy Hoffa…
GRRRRRRRRR!
I scooped a Willys M38 a while ago.
The seller said it had a Chevette engine.
When I posted pics to The Chevette Forum, I was told it was a Vega engine.
Who would do that?
It seems to run smoothly & doesn’t smoke, but it sure dampened my enthusiasm. I’ve barely looked at it since.
Again…GRRRRRRRR!
I found it believe to be 1973 vega wagon
2300 cc with 23k orig miles barn find email me back who’s ever interested ineedsurplus@aol.com
Please send us a link to the ad with pictures and more details. I’m not just going to send off an e-mail to an unknown address.
Found it 1973 vega wagon 23k orig miles 2300 cc email if interested ineedsurplus@aol.com thx
Had many Vegas ….Since my KAMMBACK wagon lasted up until Aug 1992, a 1974 GT wagon 4 speed with the orig motor but I did the head and babied the car, got over 140k on motor but bought it used in Nov 1984 for 500 bucks, ran good until the tranny was moving way toomuch so I looked underneath and found out the trans crossmember attach points were 3/4 gone..stripped all the GT equipment , 4 speed buckets steering box and odds n ends for them to live on in rods at the swap meets.RUST in Peace my Vegas, you served us well from 1975-92
Does an Astre count? There’s an elderly man with what I’d swear is a 2300 powered ’75 Astre driving around Danville/San Ramon. These are affluent communities (home of the Blackhawk museum), so this car really stands out. I guess you’d have to be rather affluent to keep one of these things running. The car is not a complete roach, but neither is it anywhere near showroom condition. It was featured on Jalopinik, but I’d like to capture a photo myself though it’s kind of difficult since I only see it when I’m out on my bike. Last time I saw him all I could do was give him a thumbs up, which he acknowledged.
He must’ve bought that car new before he became ‘affluent’ and grew fond of it. Can’t imagine any other reason why he’d be driving it now.
Uhh, I hate to sound like a doubting Thomas, but this is the Internet – so- pics or it didn’t happen 😉
Ah the Vega! Poster-child for everything that was (some say still is) wrong with the US auto industry. Rapid rust and an aluminum engine that made great advertising, but was probably the worst design for performance and durability installed in an American car to that date. Though to be fair, while most ’70s Japanese cars had bullet-proof drive-trains, they also rusted quickly. Also, the Vega didn’t have the early Pinto’s designed-to-detonate gas tank. I liked the Vega styling better too – especially the early small-bumper wagons. But every 2300 Vega I’ve ever driven was a rattly slug!
Didn’t the last ones come with the Iron-Duke 2.5 engine? Or were all those re-badged as Monzas ?
I last saw a well-preserved, late generation, yellow Vega hatchback running around my neighborhood about 10 years ago. Never got a chance to talk with the owner to ask if it still had the original Vega engine.
Happy Motoring, Mark
A friend of mine owned a used 1975 Cosworth Vega in 1978-79. Looked nice, but could never get it to run right. Even so, I wish I would have had to foresight to buy and store it, along with the 1968 Firebird 400 I sold for 800 dollars in 1978.
I still miss my 74 GT.
If I ever came across a nice one (there was a modified wagon in a town near me) i would seriously consider buying. However, not going to happen, haven’t seen any Vega in any condition in a long time. A 77 model would be desirable as by then GM put in a more reliable engine. I should never have sold my GT in 1990..grrrrr.
I’m convinced there are NO original 2300 Vegas left. The radiator support on my brother’s new ’72 rusted through after a year-and-a-half and the radiator fell into the fan. Vega engines are doomed if their radiators are attacking them.
i’ve always been a fan of smaller cars.
Don Yenko made a Yenko Stinger Vega. Imagine the 2300 engine with a turbo.
Here is a pic of my ´77 that I had in Switzerland from 82 to 86 when I got a new S10 Blazer. It was spotless and ran perfectly. The pic was taken on the day I sold it. It was bought bycollector who as far as I know still keeps it in storage somewhere in the Zurich area.