Quick, what’s the rarest Vega? A Cosworth, you say. No, no. Though rare when new, they have since wound up the most common, being about the only Vega that was saved by collectors. No, I’d say the Vega GT would be considerably rarer today, as their fun-to-drive and worthless-by-1980 factors resulted in most being driven into the ground. But how about a GT wagon?
Yes, this is one of the few, the brave, surviving 1974-77 Vega GT Kammbacks. My uncle found it sitting on the side of the road in rural Iowa with a for sale sign. He would have gotten more pictures, but a less-than-friendly dog convinced him it was prudent to return to his car.
These Vega Kammbacks are a favorite of mine. Yes, I know all about the Vega’s troubles, but it really was a great looking little wagon. And I’d especially like one with the Compaticolor interior shown here: white buckets with blue trim. On a white or black Kammback GT. That would be really sharp! So, is a GT Kammback the rarest Vega? I think so, but let’s be honest: ANY running Vega is a rare survivor in this day and age.
Interestingly, I briefly considered re-enlisting in the air force for two more years back in early 1973. With my re-enlistment bonus, I was going to buy a new car. One of my choices was a YELLOW Vega wagon like in the photo. Saddle brown interior, of course.
After mulling over and realizing I wouldn’t be in any better of a circumstance two years hence, I made a very wise life decision not to buy the Vega.
Oh, and getting out of the service as well…
Nice find, especially for the midwest. I agree that these were exceptionally nice looking cars in their day, and even now. Somehow, the Vega came through the 1974 bumper redesign fairly well (compares with the Pinto, which was ruined).
Yes, white vinyl interiors had quite a run in the 70s. My stepmom had a white 74 Cutlass Supreme coupe with white interior and blue dash. I remember more than one day spent inside that car with a rag and a spray bottle of Fantastik. It always cleaned up nicely with a little effort.
I always liked the Vega Kammback based on looks alone. Just a sweet little wagon. I didn’t even mind when they rebadged this car Monza.
I’ve mentioned this before, but I love Vegas, probably because I’ve never owned one.
I’ll stick with my promo cars, but this wagon is one I’d want, in theory.
I bought a 1973 Vega GT, used, in the spring of 1974. At least until it started using too much oil I enjoyed driving it; the car was reasonably light and responsive and drove/handled a lot better than my previous car, a VW Super Beetle. The Vega could have used more power, and it could have used a five speed transmission as there was a huge gap between 1st and 2nd in the four speed. I ended up joining the Air Force a few months later and actually drove the Vega from my home in Kentucky to the west coast. By this time the Vega needed a quart of oil every 200 miles but, compared to the misery of driving an non air conditioned car from east to west in July, this was small change. Eventually the Vega got to where it was using a quart of oil every 100 miles so I took the first reasonable offer I could get; I think I sold it for $400, and I was happy to get it.
I learned to drive in a 1974 Vega, so I still have a soft spot for these.
Softer than those plastic door panels which turned into chalk, but not quite as soft as the plastic steering wheel, which turned into sticky goo.
I think the rarest of Vegas is one with the original motor that still runs. 99% of ones that come up on Ebay (yes, I check occasionally) are either Cosworth or V8 conversions.
Yeah. A ’71 or ’72 with the original engine would be incredibly rare.
Since getting a Vega engine to last beyond 80,000 km was practically impossible.
My dad’s ’74 GT didn’t make it to 50k miles.
I imagine the Sedan Delivery models are rarer yet……
The U.S.P.S. bought thousands of them and get very good service indeed as they never went on the freeway so the engine’s didn’t fail like all other Vegas…..
Here in So. Cal. they sold them in large lots to the Self Service Junkyards when about 18 years old and they weren’t even rusty .
-Nate
I imagine the Sedan Delivery models are rarer yet……
That is what I would figure as well. I was in college in the 70s, saw Vegas everywhere, but I don’t recall ever seeing the panel truck version.
It’s because the Vega was wildly successful when it was introduced. At the time, there were still a lot of people who remembered WW2 and no way were they going to buy one them thar ferrin’ car, which were made of flattened beer cans anyway. So off they went to the Chevy store and GM sold over a million of them in two years.
It didn’t take for the horror stories to start but it was a only two years or less that they started to rust like crazy. By 1974, in Canada anyway, the Vega was recognised for what it was: a piece of crap. GM lost a lot of customers with this car and never got them back, either.
The Panel Delivery version is rare, I’ve never seen one either, they produced very few in comparison to all the other models, I think the panel Vegas carried a truck type GVWR sticker since Chevy technically sold them as part of their light truck line up as well. They were also the only early Vega with low-back seats from what I recall since their “truck” classification exempted them from some of the car regulations. You could even get a Vega panel with a drivers seat only.
When these were new, we called them “Vega Vans.” My senior year of high school was when I went car shopping, and I briefly looked at a green ’71 Vega Van (panel). Didn’t test drive it, but when starting it up and letting it idle, it made tons of godawful noises (and it was a Powerglide). Pass. (approximately October of 1976 – Annex Motors used car lot, San Rafael).
Do you know if they still have any left ? Looking for a 1975 builder wagon. Any help is appreciated
I love Vegas, and I have owned one. ’73 GT hatchback in the ubiquitous (for the time) silver with black stripe. And it gave me good service for the three years I had it. Including three seasons of SCCA B-sedan autocross. Granted, it was starting to smoke at trade-in time, and my opinion of the car probably wouldn’t have been as good if I’d have tried to stretch a fourth year out of it.
But I still have very pleasant memories of the car. And no complaints.
These are good looking cars. A real shame about the lousy motors and rust prone bodies.
Let’s not forget the disintegrating interiors.
“All of out stuff is American made, it’s a little bit cheesy, but it’s nicely displayed.”
I think Frank Zappa wrote this song for the Vega.
If the GT Kammback is a rare Vega, then I owned a REALLY rare Vega. It was a dark green metallic 1974 GT Estate Wagon, loaded with options including a green Custom Cloth houndstooth interior, A/C, 4-spd. manual trans., roof rack, bumper rub strips and tinted glass. I bought it in 1979 and sold it in 1982. It was a beautiful car and fun to drive. I would love to find another one.
That’s right, there was a woody GT too. I bet yours looked great with the dark green paint and woodgrain. Here’s a pic from the ’76 brochure:
I’ve mentioned in other posts about the black ’72 Kammback I owned for about a year in 1975-76. Fun to drive, handled well, comfortable for a small car with bias-ply tires…27MPG highway with the 2-bbl engine and a 4-speed.
A GT in all but name and deluxe dash.
It was already rusting away that fall of 1975. The radiator support in particular was rotten but I didn’t discover it until hooning around with my cousins Tom and Ed on Rt. 422 west of Butler, PA. the conversation went something like:
Tom: Betcha can’t get rubber in 2nd gear.
Me: Betcha I can…
And as I got rubber in 1st, shifted to 2nd and got rubber again, the jerking action (especially with those motor mounts, deliberately loose to somewhat contain the roughness of the top-heavy Vega engine) pulled the lower radiator mounts away from their rusty lower support, putting the rad back into the fan and spewing coolant over Rt. 422 as the engine overheated.
Teachable moment if there ever was one…
Yet if I didn’t already own a ’57 Chevy and ’68 Chevy Pickup (and I really can’t justify three projects), a ’71-’73 Vega Kammback would sure be tempting.
Long as it came from Arizona or Montana or someplace similarly dry. Strip and rustproof it before painting it black.
Then I’d probably look for a 2.2 Ecotec and pair it with a 6-speed. Or maybe a V-6 like a 3400 or a 3800. Get some bigger brakes on it. Go have fun.
But probably NOT try to get rubber in 2nd.
“Yet if I didn’t already own a ’57 Chevy…”
You make me sick… with envy!
I wish I had time, space & money for one.
Post a photo.
Yes. Except for the black part – I’d go orange, yellow or some metallic pea green or brown. Something that shouts “Hey everyone! I’m from the ’70s!”
I, too, will take that Compaticolor white & blue interior. Finish it off with a “What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas” bumper sticker. Ok…sorry about that.
+1 for the bumper sticker.
I always thought it would be cool to turn a Kammback or Sedan Delivery into a miniature El Camino… an El Caminito?
…Uhhhh, I believe that awful puns are actually my department. . . 🙂
Hey, I like that bumper sticker idea!
Great looking, even today, but what a let down. Just an awful car.
It took more than keeping them off the freeway to make them last. Like never driving them, and I’m not sure that would even help. My ex had one, and there were 4 at work. Easily the worst car I have ever experienced. It’s too bad, I still like them in a way.
Nice ’77 Kammback for sale in IL-
http://www.autotraderclassics.com/classic-car/1977-Chevrolet-Vega-441044.xhtml?conversationId=140654
I remember the Chevy ads in ’76 touting the “torturous Death Valley test” – a last ditch attempt to woo people back to Chevy dealers for a Vega; an atonement for past sins. Cooling and driveability problems corrected; better sheetmetal, however, it was too little, too late. ’77 Vega soldiered on with the Pontiac Astre and by then they had the Pontiac Iron Dukes . . . .
It interesting that there is a blue Chevy Cruze visible through the Vega in the first shot. Generations.
I think that was the rental my uncle was driving.
And speaking of, the Cruze wagon looks really nice, but I don’t think we’ll be getting it here. A Verano Estate Wagon version would get my attention!
Oh….. I thought when you meant rarest of the rare that you were talking about a Vega with its original 4 cylinder engine in it
I think this would have to be the holy grail of Vega wagons…
Nice is it running? How much ?classic nomad ? Year 1976
I absolutely hate those abominations. My dad had a ’74 GT that disintegrated before its 5th birthday. Not necessarily a bad thing, as I would have ended up with it as my first car when I got my license in spring ’79 instead of my mom’s ’74 Pinto, which was still virtually rust free at its 5th birthday. BTW, it was also a northeast Ohio car and had about the same miles.
For a few years, around ’73/’74, our local Sears department store used the Sedan Delivery for mobile TV and appliance repair. They were medium bright blue, with a white roof.
I was a pre-teen at the time. But my impression was that these Vegas seemed small and low to the ground, compared to a van, to make ideal light repair or delivery vehicles. A lot cheaper on gas though.
If you could find one, a Sedan Delivery was the Vega of choice for a SBC hotrod conversion, mainly due to better weight distribution/structural rigidity than either the hatchback or wagon.
The notchback Vega coupe was rare in its day. Hardly ever saw one, even in hot rodding magazines. Hatches and wagons were a dime a dozen, until 1984, when all were melted down.
The Cosworth version was ‘rarest’ overall.
A friend of mine has a double rare, notchback Pontiac ASTRE. Which were like made in a 1 for every 1000 Vega ratio.
I agree with you on that. Here is what was probably the rarest Astre made. A 77 Formula. This one was on eBay just last summer. It had the 140 and not the IronDuke. I can’t think of the last time I saw an Astre wagon though.
I occasionally see an Astre Wagon around here, or at least a wagon with an Astre nose on it. It is done up in “Pro Street” style though.
I remember seeing a white Astre “Formula” new in ’77 (Troncatty Pontiac-GMC in Corte Madera, Cal.) Looked like a budget Trans-Am of sorts. Actually looked pretty sharp. I remember it as white with white vinyl buckets, red carpets, white rallye wheels . . . . Iron duke/automatic.
That’s right, I forgot about the Astre sedan. Here’s one from the ’76 brochure, along with a pretty sharp red Astre GT. I know they’re just a re-grilled Vega, but I like Astres. Actually, I like Mercury Bobcats too…
Carmine, any chance you could get some pics of your friend’s Astre? I’d love to see it. I have never, ever seen an Astre, other than in my stack of ’70s Pontiac brochures…
Next time its out, I’ll get some pictures, it looks like the yellow coupe in your post above, same color, except it has the cheapie steel Vega-esque wheels with the trim rings, I’ve driven it a few times, it’s kinda fun, base car, except she has power steering, brakes, a/c, automatic and the 2bbl 2300 Dura-Bilt 4 cylinder.
Did they even sell the Notchback Astre coupe in the U.S. back then? I never saw one. Did see the hatches and the wagons . . . .
I worked for an alarm company in 1973 that had 2 sedan deliverys already rotting away in the back parking lot. They were automatics with only the drivers seat. They had about 35k (miles) on them. I asked why they were never used, was told they both had blown engines and were total pos. They were 1971, I couldn’t believe a 2 year old car was ready for the junkyard. I did own a 1971 (green on green,all my $500.00 or less cars seemed to have that color combination). I think I paid around $450.00 in 1979. It had a 4 speed, was a fastback sedan and ran OK. I had 2 problems with it, one day the starter engaged while it was running and turning off the key killed the engine but the starter kept cranking away. I finally had to rip off the battery cable as the starter started smoking after a couple of minutes. When I reconnected the cable, it was fine it never repeated that problem. I wonder what that could have been? The second problem was I got it to work one day (temp gauge/light never did work) and as I shut it down smoke rolled out from the radiator grill. The water pump was gone. That was when I discovered the timing belt drove the pump. After I changed that the car ran ok but seemed to have less power, so I sold it for about what I paid. I think I had it less then a year, it of course did use oil but it served me well at a time when money was tight and I needed transportation. I think it had the 2 bbl 2.3, It was not a smooth runner at any kind of RPM.
The starter problem you describe is not all that uncommon on the Delco 10MT and 12MT starters. It is caused by a short in one of the coils in the solenoid. There are actually 2 parallel wound coils in those solenoids the pull in booster and the hold coil. The pull in coil grounds through the starter windings and when the solenoid provides power to the starter that coil has 12v applied to both ends. So when a short to ground happens and you release the key the power coming from the starter terminal feeds back and keeps the starter cranking. That is why the “remote solenoid” installation is fairly popular, which in fact is just adding a Ford starter relay and adding a jumper just as Ford did on the vehicles they equipped with 12MT starters.
Thank’s Eric. I always wondered about this, didn’t happen as I started it, I had been driving for quite a while when the starter just engaged on it’s own while I was driving. I suspected maybe the ignition switch, but as I said it never did it again, and nothing luckily was damaged, starter was still ok. Burned my fingers pretty badly even through the rag I used when I yanked the cable off! Hooked it back up after things cooled off and worked fine after that. As you said, It must of been some kind of short that was a one time happening. A Ford relay install would have been good insurance. I used to install those on VW’s for starter problems.
http://forums.h-body.org/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=39174
Just to satisfy everyones curiousity here’s the list of the rarest Vega models. It doesn’t look like the GT Wagon is at all that rare. Kind of funny how 1,255 models is considered rare and 27,619 which is still a high figure is also in the top 10. Just goes to show how common even the bottom feeder cars were back than and even today. I’m used to single digit numbers out of a couple of thousand cars built as being considered rare. And I even own two Cosworth Vegas. Sorry I couldn’t find any numbers for the Astre which would be even rarer than the Vega.
So the LX was the rarest! Thanks for the info Lt. Bruno.
The LX was an fancier version of the sedan, and only made for ’75. Here’s a snippet from the brochure:
And here’s the only picture of the LX from the ’75 brochure.
And just because, the ’75 Vega Girl from the cover!
Sam Elliott looks happy with his Vega…
I think his GF lost her eyebrows using the carb cleaner on the hot engine.
That’s a lot of stache for a Vega owner, it must belong to the girl, he probably didn’t want to get sand in his orange Stingray…..
You can find Suzanne Somers in the 1974 Vega sales brochure. Sorry I don’t have an opinion as to whether she looks better today or 40 years ago. Kind of a toss up if you ask me. I guess the same goes as far as the styling of Vega is concerned. LOL
“Chevrolet makes sense for America” Who the hell thought that up? That’s easily the worst single line of ad copy I’ve ever read.
It still seems like a MENSA member thought it up compared to some of the crap I see on TV today, like the talking GEICO pig and the “cheesesteak shuffle”
I’m really sick of the Geico pig, and the Flo commercials always prompt the mute button.
I have to resist the urge to throw the remote at the screen instead of changing the channel whenever a Progressive or GEICO ad come on.
I’m really sick of the Geico pig, and the Flo commercials always prompt the mute button.
Gee…I kind of like the “chick flick” ad where the guy is broken down on the side of the road, in the rain.
http://www.progressive.com/commercials/chickflick/
And the one where Flo is the hooker outside of the store
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dvcn9u2_mxY
‘course, my favorite is still the free credit report “dream girl” ad
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XK4wOCcnbTk
The Chevy ads that irked me were the “baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet” things that implied you were not really American unless you drove one of their products
As for the Chevy ad, I kind of agreed with you back in the day. However, we must agree that this was maybe the first memorable Chevy ad campaign since Dinah Shore sang about seeing the USA in your Chev-Ro-Lay. In Delorean’s book, he bemoaned Chevrolet Division’s horrible record on advertising all through the 60s. They spent many times more money than Pontiac, yet never really got anything for it. Does anyone else remember a Chevy ad campaign from the 60s? The only one I can think of was the “Jet Smooth” line from 1963-64-ish. The Baseball Hot Dogs Apple Pie ads were from after John Z took over at Chevy.
I think her full name is Flo Monthly. She’s just about as welcome.
I’ve always wondered why the Vega wagon retained the visible Flow-Through Ventilation air vents that were dropped on all other GM cars after a one-year appearance in ’71. Especially given they were in exactly the same place as the engine cooling vents on the Corvair Lakewood wagon. When these were new that made me do a double take.
I had a “76 Astre wagon. I ordered it from the factory and liked it for the six years and 106,000 miles I had it. It was identical to a Vega except for the grill and name plates. In the sales brochure, GM talked about all the improvements which had been made to the car. Rust resistance was not one of them as it was a problem after four years. No other complaints though. After reading about how the car was developed, it is not surprising that they were awful for the first several years.
I love the look of the Vega Kammback but I will echo the chorus of the other posters on here. This is a prime example of a great idea, bad execution that GM did throughout the nadir of the mid 1970’s throughout the earlt 1990s. My neighbor had a new one that of course gave up the ghost long before he finished paying. It sat unloved in his driveway for years (junkyards were inudated with rusted out Vega hulks and refused any more entries). Imagine having a car that routinely blew ite engine and prematurely rusted away, leaving the owner in a perpetual financial hole.
So true. Visiting any junkyard in Northern California in the mid-late 70s through the mid-80’s, one could find rows (plural) of Vegas . . . . and beginning in 1988-89, rows of Renault Alliances, many just 5-7 years old . . . .
Anyone who’s been around CC for a while knows I am referred to (usually behind my back) as “The Vega Whisperer.” My first car was a ’71 notchback (cc here), and we eventually ended up with four Vegas of which we often had three running at one time.
The silver-grey Kammback in the photo is a ’73 GT with an automatic and a/c – an absolutely horrid combination. The GT got a slightly hotter cam and two-barrel carb which mainlyconverted the extra gas into noise little extra power. With the extra sound deadening and carpet, the GT was also heavier – progress was glacial compared to my nimble ’71 base model.
I eventually put a GT head/cam on my ’71 but kept the single barrel Rochester, and after adding tuned headers (and sleeving the engine), regularly got close to 30mpg (and could chirp second gear all day long – third if the road was wet). Toward the end of college, a Buick 3.8L / THM350 combo replaced the 2300/4-speed and even more exaggerated hoonery ensued.
I had about 220,000 miles on the car (a Vega World Record, perhaps?) when I finally traded it in towards a new Suzuki Samurai. Being a Southern car, the only rust issues I had were around the glass – I’d have to pull the front and rear lites, sand and repaint, and reinstall about every three years. I won’t gloss over the fact it was a high-maintenance car, but really not much more so (in my case) than any other cars we owned at the time.
Out of all the cars I’ve owned that I’d like to own again, a ’71 notch would actually be in the top three. It was a light, well-balanced car that responded well to the suspension mods I did, and was arguably one of the most handsomely styled cars to come out of GM in the late ’60s/early ’70s.
regularly got close to 30mpg
Around 74, Motor Trend tried to see if they could nurse a car over 50mpg.
They had establised a gas mileage test loop of, iirc 73 miles, with a mix of city, burbs and freeway driving, that they drove each car they tested over to get comperable, real world mileage numbers. This was before the EPA published estimates and automakers were making outragous claims.
They started with a Vega, then added synthetic lubricants, which were just coming on the market, a revised head that was modified to increase swirl and compression, a “foam injector” (one of the many pieces of snake oil being marketed at the time), and gave the engine their “dynotune” treatment of revised carb jetting and ignition advace curve.
It’s been nearly 40 years since I read the article, but I think they did make it over the 50mpg mark, with some very careful driving.
I remember that article, Steve. They added a lip spoiler and I believe they didn’t exceed 50 mph; turned off the engine and coasted downhill any chance they got.
I want to also point that the Vega was C&D “Readers Choice” best compact car for like 4 years in a row.
I have a 72 vega with 74 thousand miles. Original drivetrain. And a cool time capsule to the 70s
. Wish there were more around today .
GTs were 30% of production of Hatchbacks and wagons. Not so rare. Panel Express was 2% of production and made up to ’75. It is the rarest Vega
The yellow wagon in the picture is my car now it’s in my garage I cant believe it