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Pretty Please - add it to our Events forum(s) and add to the calendar! >> 
Crap Cars
- Thread starter vettedog72
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kennypinkerton
Yoda
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It'd have to be by a conglomeration of authors - hehehehehe
And, just out of sheer humility, they'd have to include their own title. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
And, just out of sheer humility, they'd have to include their own title. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
wkilleffer
Jedi Knight
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Back in the day, my dad wanted a Vega. I can understand why. They look good style-wise, and all their features seemed great on paper. After all, they were built in part by robots in an advanced factory, had a great aluminum V6 engine, and even had a baffle in the oil pan so they could be stacked on end and more of them shipped in a rail car.
He's glad he bought a Chevette instead.
He's glad he bought a Chevette instead.
coldplugs
Darth Vader
Offline
[ QUOTE ]
Back in the day, my dad wanted a Vega. ...had a great aluminum V6 engine, and even had a baffle in the oil pan so they could be stacked on end and more of them shipped in a rail car.
[/ QUOTE ]
I wanted one back then also and actually went to the dealership to order it. I would have bought it dirt cheap since my entire family worked there & I'd worked there through high school & part of college. I loved the looks and the specs were pretty good (I don't remember them ever having an aluminum V6, though, just a gruesome smallblock installation in a later incarnation of the car). I popped the hood, took one look, and went home with an Impala wagon for the family instead.
That thing was the greatest example of autmotive inelegance I've ever seen. I had a friend who later had a Cosworth Vega - that was a little better.
I think they spent too much time getting Vegas to stand on their noses without leaking and too little where they needed to.
Back in the day, my dad wanted a Vega. ...had a great aluminum V6 engine, and even had a baffle in the oil pan so they could be stacked on end and more of them shipped in a rail car.
[/ QUOTE ]
I wanted one back then also and actually went to the dealership to order it. I would have bought it dirt cheap since my entire family worked there & I'd worked there through high school & part of college. I loved the looks and the specs were pretty good (I don't remember them ever having an aluminum V6, though, just a gruesome smallblock installation in a later incarnation of the car). I popped the hood, took one look, and went home with an Impala wagon for the family instead.
That thing was the greatest example of autmotive inelegance I've ever seen. I had a friend who later had a Cosworth Vega - that was a little better.
I think they spent too much time getting Vegas to stand on their noses without leaking and too little where they needed to.
wkilleffer
Jedi Knight
Offline
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Back in the day, my dad wanted a Vega. ...had a great aluminum V6 engine, and even had a baffle in the oil pan so they could be stacked on end and more of them shipped in a rail car.
[/ QUOTE ]
He could be wrong, but what Dad said was that the car had an aluminum V6 or I4 that was considered to be quite advanced for its time. There was some kind of defect that caused them to overheat and warp their head, or something equally destructive. GM ended up having to replace most of the engines that got out. They ended up with the cast iron I4 known as the Iron Duke.
Dad said what put him off the Vega was going over to the Chevy dealership and walking out to the back lot behind the service department and seeing several pallets stacked up with those engines. That was about the time the word started getting out about their trouble.
For all its shortcomings, Dad's Chevette ended up being a pretty good car and lasted around 120k miles. He hated to get rid of it, but the front floor boards were rotten and the ignition was developing some trouble that was expensive at the time.
I wanted one back then also and actually went to the dealership to order it. I would have bought it dirt cheap since my entire family worked there & I'd worked there through high school & part of college. I loved the looks and the specs were pretty good (I don't remember them ever having an aluminum V6, though, just a gruesome smallblock installation in a later incarnation of the car). I popped the hood, took one look, and went home with an Impala wagon for the family instead.
That thing was the greatest example of autmotive inelegance I've ever seen. I had a friend who later had a Cosworth Vega - that was a little better.
I think they spent too much time getting Vegas to stand on their noses without leaking and too little where they needed to.
[/ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Back in the day, my dad wanted a Vega. ...had a great aluminum V6 engine, and even had a baffle in the oil pan so they could be stacked on end and more of them shipped in a rail car.
[/ QUOTE ]
He could be wrong, but what Dad said was that the car had an aluminum V6 or I4 that was considered to be quite advanced for its time. There was some kind of defect that caused them to overheat and warp their head, or something equally destructive. GM ended up having to replace most of the engines that got out. They ended up with the cast iron I4 known as the Iron Duke.
Dad said what put him off the Vega was going over to the Chevy dealership and walking out to the back lot behind the service department and seeing several pallets stacked up with those engines. That was about the time the word started getting out about their trouble.
For all its shortcomings, Dad's Chevette ended up being a pretty good car and lasted around 120k miles. He hated to get rid of it, but the front floor boards were rotten and the ignition was developing some trouble that was expensive at the time.
I wanted one back then also and actually went to the dealership to order it. I would have bought it dirt cheap since my entire family worked there & I'd worked there through high school & part of college. I loved the looks and the specs were pretty good (I don't remember them ever having an aluminum V6, though, just a gruesome smallblock installation in a later incarnation of the car). I popped the hood, took one look, and went home with an Impala wagon for the family instead.
That thing was the greatest example of autmotive inelegance I've ever seen. I had a friend who later had a Cosworth Vega - that was a little better.
I think they spent too much time getting Vegas to stand on their noses without leaking and too little where they needed to.
[/ QUOTE ]
tony barnhill
Great Pumpkin - R.I.P
Offline
[ QUOTE ]
Back in the day, my dad wanted a Vega. ...had a great aluminum V6 engine, and even had a baffle in the oil pan so they could be stacked on end and more of them shipped in a rail car.
[/ QUOTE ]
Back in the day I have a '71 Chevy Vega GT w/Cosworth engine...that little sucker would fly! Took it to a Mercedes dealer in Germany to trade in on a 230 sedan for Jerri....dealer sent a mechanic out to measure engine compartmewnt - mechanic, hah! Tie & long blue work coat!
Dropped back by dealership once for warranty work & saw my little Vega sitting in the shop - with Mercedes innards! Dealer's daughter was driving it....
Back in the day, my dad wanted a Vega. ...had a great aluminum V6 engine, and even had a baffle in the oil pan so they could be stacked on end and more of them shipped in a rail car.
[/ QUOTE ]
Back in the day I have a '71 Chevy Vega GT w/Cosworth engine...that little sucker would fly! Took it to a Mercedes dealer in Germany to trade in on a 230 sedan for Jerri....dealer sent a mechanic out to measure engine compartmewnt - mechanic, hah! Tie & long blue work coat!
Dropped back by dealership once for warranty work & saw my little Vega sitting in the shop - with Mercedes innards! Dealer's daughter was driving it....
kennypinkerton
Yoda
Offline
I think the vega engine problems had to do with an all alloy engine, that didn't have steel cylinder liners. A Merc swap makes sense in germany... Small black chevy swap makes sense in US. It's all about performance and economics. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif
Camshaft
Jedi Knight
Offline
[ QUOTE ]
I think the vega engine problems had to do with an all alloy engine, that didn't have steel cylinder liners. A Merc swap makes sense in germany... Small black chevy swap makes sense in US. It's all about performance and economics. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif
[/ QUOTE ]
From what i've seen it looks like bad valve stem seals were the culprit, rather than the lack of steel liners. The cylinder bores were etched to create a wear surface for the pistons.
A Cosworth Vega is still on my top 5 dream car list...
I think the vega engine problems had to do with an all alloy engine, that didn't have steel cylinder liners. A Merc swap makes sense in germany... Small black chevy swap makes sense in US. It's all about performance and economics. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif
[/ QUOTE ]
From what i've seen it looks like bad valve stem seals were the culprit, rather than the lack of steel liners. The cylinder bores were etched to create a wear surface for the pistons.
A Cosworth Vega is still on my top 5 dream car list...