They are asking alot of $$$$ for this stock Stripper HB. Other than the Auto Transmission and the 2bbl Engine I don't see any other options on this car. After looking at the Pictures after posting them I see it also has some sort of external apearance package, as it has GT style rocker trim, wheel well molding and the bright workon the lower edges of the side glass, all those were not part of the Vega Base Equipment. But most Vegas have had an V-8 engine transplant, and used up or rusted away. I beleive the low Milage by the look of the under hood insulation. I have never seen one that intact in 30 or so years. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Chevrolet-O...736389f&pid=100033&rk=3&rkt=4&sd=231475282975
The extra nice outside bits would have been called the 'Custom Exterior Group' for '73. And here's a shot of the last page of the '73 Vega brochure. There's something wrong here. Do you see it?
Most 1973 Vegas I remember didn't look that nice in 1973. Actually even though I don't like them it's a nice looking little car.
Krash, the "notch back coupe on the flier sure looks like a Hatch Backto my eyes!!!! And I agree the asking price is about twice what I think the high end of this car is, but the 71-73 original Vega's have been bringing in more dollers than even low milage Cosworth Vega's the last few years. But the ones I did se over $13,000 were low milage original 4-speed GT's, with better color combo's, that had been shined up and presented well. This car with it dirty engine, bad rear bumper chrome, automatic trans (could be a power glide or a 3-speed Auto) and not being a GT or have the nice optional Gauge package. I can't see it selling for much over $5000. Vega's can be funcars to drive, but thecouple of early automatics I drove did not inspire me. Now with the GT Package, and a 4-speed they can be fun if not fast cars to drive.
12,000 miles? Isn't that about as long as those things lasted anyway? As a kid growing up, I remember a couple different neighbors who bought early 70's Vegas new. No one kept one much more than a single year. Only car in the neighborhood that the Vegas outlasted was another neighbor's 73 Plymouth Cricket wagon. It only lasted a few months before it left on the back of a tow truck for the last time.
My cousin bought a new '73 Vega GT. Orange with white stripe and black interior. Manual trans, and power disc brakes. That was about it. That was a super little car...for about the first year. She bought it in March 1973 and drove it about 40 miles per work day, so that's 200 miles and change per week. I seem to remember that car started having problems the following March. It ran great all Summer, then the Winter was fine, too. But after about 12K miles, everything that could go wrong with the car, did. Clutch went first, then the RF spindle broke in the parking lot at work! Not two weeks later, the engine self-destructed in a fantastic manner! GM warrantied the engine. She sold that car right after she got it out of the shop, and while it was still a runner! But, for some odd reason, I want a Rallye Orange Vega GT. Something that might have a V6 Buick stuffed in it, though.
Patrick, They are fun little cars if you get rid of the Vega 2.3 engine, the later 75-77 Durabuilt ones with the HEI, and Hydrolic lifters were alot better, but still not great. The 76 and later cars have many suspension improvements, Torque Arm rear suspension with a panhard bar, 7.5 inch rear axle, Bigger rear brakes, and Vented front Rotors. They even had T-350 Automatics availabe. But most people prefer the looks of the 71-73 cars, and they were the worst for quality and durability. But that said I don't see many 71-73 Toyota, Datsun, or Honda's on the road either. They were not much better then in my opinion. My sister actually bought a 72 Vega with the 1bbl engine and a 3-speed manual. It actually had the front fenders replaced under warranty for rust. She bought it in December 1971, and by November 72 it had baseball sized holes in the front fenders. I think the main reason the engine lived is my father insisted she get the HD cooling option, that gave the car the same Radiator as the 2bbl cars had standard. So it had more than a tea cup of coolant in the system. She drove it for 4 years, put 90,000 miles on it. Other than the Fenders I think it went thru 5 electric fuel pumps while she had it. I ended up adding a firewall mounted fuel pump for her turn on if the in tank pump quit. She did use it several times. She ended up trading it in on one of the last of Convertable beatles. She still says the Vega was "FAST" compared to the Smog equiped 1600 Convertable Beatle. I agree they are not a great car, but I would rather drive a Vega/Astre than any of the 80's FWD GM Cars. They were truly Awful in my opinion, they may taken a week longer to rust out, but that was the only advantage I would give them.
Front fenders were a single stamping, and VERY light. I was working in a Chevy dealer parts department in '71 when they came out. You could easily lift a Vega fender by your little pinkie. A Monte Carlo fender by contrast, weighed 3X's as much (and that's no exaggeration).
We had a green '74 Kammback GT when I was little. My dad traded it in '77 for a Corolla SR5 Lift Back before the smoke got too much thicker and the rust got any worse. Looked just like this, except it had the GT trim and wheels. Still remember the black and white herringbone seat fabric.
