Since everyone here is into Chevy's with 4 bangers, who out there(that are old enough) will admit to owning a Vega, a GT, or the Holy Grail of Vega's a Cosworth? I had a '72 GT back in the mid 70's, that I swear, was a fun little car for the times.

 

I had a '57 Chevy back in the 70's. No Vega's - but I did have a Luv truck with a V8, and N50's on the back!

 

I had a 72 Vega it was my first new car. Changed the block to the steel liner block.

 

I remember those very well....it actually led me to the '77 Chevy Monza 2+2. It had a 4 banger when I got it. It had a blown head gasket. Instead of rebuilding it, I found a 231 V6 from a Buick Cutlass. Completely rebuilt the V6 and dropped it in the Monza. It was a fairly easy mod, since those chassis already were equiped with V6, so parts were plentiful at the wrecking yards.

I wish there was Internet and Forums back then. Cause, there was so much more to this type of mod, that I really was not aware of. Like, I did not know the rear end should have been changed with the V6. But, man, did the car scream. It had a 4 spd gearbox, and I could get 2nd gear tire chirps. And in 4th gear and about 3500rpm, I would only be going about 55mph. There were much more mods that I goofed up in, but it was a fun car.

Anyway, I do not to take the thread away for the Vega GT.....Those were the days..

 

I was born back in the '70s so I have no car memories from back then. I wish I would have been around back then because all of the '50s and '60s cars were all still around and cheap compaired to todays prices.

 

There was 6 - 55 Chev stock cars when I was in Hawaii in 74 and 75. I drove a 57 Triumph TR3 in a mini-modified class.

 

I had a '57 Chey with 327, holley dual feed weind intake accell dist hedman headers T-10(rock crusher 4sp trans), hurst shifter with T handle 456 poey no front wheel wells pipes came out under rear bumper. Getting on the freeway on day CHP was behind me I blew out the valve guides...oil on CHP windsheild.
Had to get another car while repairing '57. Vega GT strange shifter drove it for a year sold to friend got '73 Trans Am 455 SD

Charles

 

The first car I ever worked on was a 62 Truimph TR3A. My friend bought it, with the shortblock in the engined compartment and the head in the trunk. We used to drive it around on the starter motor (you could see the pistons moving) until we rebuilt the motor. We were both 15 and believe it or not we got the car running-barely. We abandoned it a few blocks from his house when we both got cars at 16 (he a Vega and me an Opel GT.) (By the way, both cars had the same tranny-a Sawginaw. My Opel had a blown head gasket, which I replaced along with a valve job, Hooker header, and Abarth exhaust. I had a modded car before I had my full license at 17.) His Vega was actually registered as a V8, which we planned on putting in until he got arrested for driving it without a license, insurance, registration, etc. He eventually got his brothers Triumph GT6+, then swapped the SU carbs for those from a TR6 (so much bigger he had to cut a hole in the hood and put a small scoop for clearance. He later got hold of a Buick aluminum 215 CI V8 with factory turbo (before the TR8 was even thought about). We put the entire motor together, sandblasting the parts to make them look like chrome. It was on a motor stand waiting to be installed when my friend had a huge fight with his dad and moved out of the house. His father put the motor to the curb to be thrown out.

 

my oldest Chevy a pair of 1951 Deluxes, Vegas, an even half dozen as a kid, one with a 396 shoe horned in...it would go straight like it was shot from a cannon, but it didn't turn well and one that you had to jamb a crowbar behind the starter and rock it occassionally to get it to start... I loved those cars !!! Favorite Chevys, a 1972 El Camino, a total 70's custom with a 396 and of course my HHR...of the over 100 cars that I have owned in my lifr they were the only black cars!!!

 

I didn't have a vega GT but what I liked even more was the CAMBACK I think that is what it was called. Canback,HHR, was it a panel truck or station wagon. Maybe that is why I like the HHR.