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Cosworth Vega?

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BizJetGuy

Jedi Hopeful
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I may have the opportunity to purchase a one-owner, all original '75 Cosworth Vega. Beautiful car (well, as beautiful as a Vega can be) but I don't have a clue what to offer the guy.

Quick version of the story... the owner is a close friend of my father. He bought the car new from the dealership and tried to give it to his son many years ago. His son is not a car guy and has no interest in the car, whatsoever.

The car is low mileage (not sure of the exact number, but will find out this week). All original and in running condition. All documentation including original bill of sale. Only about 3,500 of these things were built.

I've seen pricing on the internet run from $2,500 up to $13k and don't want to insult our close family friend with a low offer.

Anyone have any experience with this creature and potential value??

Thanks in advance!
 
Hi, Mike -

Interesting car. There's a guy here in Clarksville who built up and raced 'em. Also Lotus Elites. I'll PM you his name and contact info; he'd be a good resource.

Mickey
 
Here's what I found:

"The $6,000 price tag and less than spectacular power output guaranteed that Chevy was not going to exceed the forecast limited production of 5,000 units. In fact, 2,061 cars built in 1975 and another 1,447 the following year meant there were some left-over engines. Most sources estimate that 5,000 engines were hand-assembled. While a few engines were used for warranty replacement, none were actively marketed for off-highway performance, so they stayed in inventory until the early 1980s, when around 500 were disassembled for parts and the remainder scrapped for a tax write-off.

Examples in worthwhile condition have generally stayed within $2,000 of their original MSRP for over the last decade. However, better examples are starting to get noticed and there have been some slight market adjustments upward."

But for $4K - it should be a beauty, IMHO...black & gold were the only colors available

I had a '71 Vega that we had lots of fun in - until the aluminum & steel in the engine decided to not like one another!
 
Wow - thanks for the quick replies!

I should get some more details in the coming weeks... I haven't seen the car with my own eyes in probably 10 years. It looked great then and it hasn't been through much since.

If I get some photos, I'll post just for grins and giggles.
 
Caveat: This is just one oddball's take on it.

It'll break your heart...

Walk away.
 
tony barnhill said:
I had a '71 Vega that we had lots of fun in - until the aluminum & steel in the engine decided to not like one another!
Click to expand...


Ditto on that Tony
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:] Originally Posted By: tony barnhill



I had a '71 Vega that we had lots of fun in - until the aluminum & steel in the engine decided to not like one another!



Ditto on that Tony [/QUOTE]

....& I was stationed in Germany at the time...Chevrolet sent all the new engine parts to one of their dealers in Holland but wouldn't pay the labor so I ended up rebuilding it myself & traded it in for a '72 Mercedes 230 (my first Mercedes - owned them ever since!)......the dealer sent one of his mechanics out to my car - guy was in a long coat, white shirt & tie - with a tape measure....he made me a good deal so I drove home in a new MB & left the little Vega there....I went back sometime later for some warranty work - there was my Vega with a complete MB drivetrain....service manager said the dealer was building it for his teenage daughter & liked the styling but wanted MB reliability.
 
I remember going to look at one in the showroom
with a friend - we thought that it was pretty cool.
Also had a friend who went to Cosworth while in England.
They told him how they put this engine in this "big" car.
Guess it was a big car to them.
I'd say make a low offer.If you get it,good,but if
you don't,no great loss.I know I'd at least think about it.

- Doug
 
I've witnessed several friends' attempts at ownership of these beasts. It was horrific to watch. The design was good, the engineering & materials not so. The Cossy version was repeatedly delayed due to liner 'issues' and finally fixed with the use of REAL liners (at Cosworth's INSISTENCE), so it's better than planned, but you'd never see me trying to give one a home.
 
I had a 73 Vega G.T., {Sliver with black stripes} got it used, Yes It smoked! I had steel sleeves installed, Cured it of smoking, After that it ran very nicely, Lotsa fun to drive! NO wasn`t a cosworth. Never the less I liked the car. Wife totaled it, opening day of deer season, she hit a 4x4 Buck mule deer with it. I say, if you are looking for a daily driver avoid it. If you are looking for a collectable and can get it at a resasonable price, you have room to store it and you like the body style and it`s in reasonable restorable condition, grab it.
 
DrEntropy said:
It'll break your heart...
Click to expand...

doesn't that pretty much describe all the cars (and owners) on these boards? Kind of a lonely hearts club for LBC's (and a few others)

Me: Hi, my name is John-Peter & I'm an LBC addict

All: Hi John-Peter

/bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wall.gif /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/thirsty.gif
 
I had a '74 kamback (wagon)GT 4 speed. I knew about the engine problems, so I ordered the air conditioning radiator without the air conditioning. The dealer thought I was nuts! If I folded down the back seat, I could carry two bicycles and riders inside. The body rust was the reason I sold it. It was fun and I liked the midnight blue!

Rich
 
I knew a guy who had a Vega Wagon.
He kept a case of oil in the back.
I thought that was good - you never change
the oil,just let it burn off enough,put on a new
filter & refill it.

- Doug
 
AngliaGT said:
I knew a guy who had a Vega Wagon.
Click to expand...

A friend of mine had a Vega wagon with an automatic transmission in high-school. We called it the 'Mega-Vega'. He got a speeding ticket for doing 65 in a 30mph zone. When he told his parents (I was there) they were shocked that the car actually did 65mph. Yes, he did lose his license for 35mph over the posted speed limit... in a Vega. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif
 
I walked into the dealership specifically to buy one. At the time, a cheap, good looking fastback with an overhead cam engine seemed exciting. I looked at one out in the new car dept being prepped with the hood & doors open and remember being stunned by the crude appearance of everything but the outer sheet metal. Even though my wife had agreed etc etc I just couldn't do it.

Re the Cosworth - Times have changed. If the price was right I'd consider it. Drive it first. These cars (Cosworth only) still generate enough interest that you can sell it without too much effort.

Weren't Vegas (not the Cosworth version) designed to stand on their nose without losing fluids so they could be shipped vertically?
 
When I was in high school,Chevrolet donated a
2 door hardtop Vega with an automatic.Seems that
there was a problem with the body welds.What a piece
of garbage that was!One of the students at school
stole the wheels & tires off of it,& had the stupidity
to drive his car to school with his "new" tires on it.

- Doug
 
I've low respect for the things. The Cozzy engine and the driveline may have some value tho. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/devilgrin.gif
 
My next door neighbor, a professional mechanic, bought a used one four or five years old. Gave up on it. Bob
 
Back in the day, (1978 that is)two of the hottest cars in Belleville Ontario were a Vega with a 351 & a Pinto with a 302. Neither had upsized their gas tanks though and an evening's cruising as 2 or 3 tanks of gas.
 
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