GTP Cool Wall: 1971-1977 Chevrolet Vega

[GranTurismo916]

1971-1977 Chevrolet Vega nominated by @Slash

Engines: 2.3L I4, 2.0L I4, 2.3L I4 (GM 2300)
Power: 75-130 hp
Torque: 115-140 lb-ft.
Weight: 953 kg
Transmission: 3-speed manual, 4-speed manual, 5-speed manual, 2-speed semi-automatic, 2-speed automatic, 3-speed automatic
Drivetrain: Front engine, rear wheel drive
Body Styles: 2-door coupe, 3-door wagon
Additional Info: "The car was initially designed to have a Wankel rotary engine, but due to failure to pass emissions, or when made to pass emissions, apex and rotor seal failure, caused it not to be ready in time for production and was set to be installed in the Monza 2+2 but failed to be used there as well. A special Cosworth tuned 4 cylinder version made up to 140hp, and 185hp in it's pre-production version."​

Spoiler: Additional Pics

 

[Joey D]

I never noticed how much the front clip looks like the Camaro of the time when in certain trims. The Vega though is one of those odd cars I rather like, although I like the Monza that came after it better. I'm going to go with a really low cool, borderline uncool since it's one of those cars I never see at car shows and are typically not owned by the standard muscle car bro.

 

[lxmmy]

Cool.

 

[Roger the Horse]

Eh...

 

[Liquid]

1971-1977

Interesting.

Chevrolet

Okay...

Vega

*Bzzt!*

Seriously Uncool

 

[Tornado]

You know what's not cool? An entry level compact that deliberately lifts:

Almost all of its styling:

From actually cool cars:

In a cynical attempt to raise it's cachet.


You know what's also not cool? A car with humongous initial investment with bona fide innovative ideas (despite all of the internal engineer infighting over its design) all hyped to high heaben that was penny-pinched down to being a catastrophically unreliable and badly built heap that rusted into the ground within a couple of years.

You know what's definitely not cool? The biggest division of one of the world's most powerful industrial corporations making a hugely public failure out of making a performance version of it; even after working with a highly successful engine builder/racing team to do it.

 

[Dagger311]

SZ.

 

[GTRacer22]

Uncool.

If it had a V8, it would be a much different story.

 

[The87Dodge]

One of the best looking cars of the fuel crisis. Would've got Sub Zero if it had a V8.

Cool

 

[Tornado]

How would a strangled pig of a 350 do anything but make you look even more like a poseur for owning one instead of just buying a Camaro?





Also:

"The car was initially designed to have a Wankel rotary engine, but due to failure to pass emissions, or when made to pass emissions, apex and rotor seal failure, caused it not to be ready in time for production and was set to be installed in the Monza 2+2 but failed to be used there as well. A special Cosworth tuned 4 cylinder version made up to 140hp, and 185hp in it's pre-production version."

The Vega was designed from the start to have the aluminum block I4 that it came with. GM was talking about how revolutionary the engine was going to be before the actual car was even shown, and the engine/car were as explicitly for each other as the earlier aluminum V8 had been for the Y-Body cars the previous decade and the 60° V6 had been for the X-Body the following decade. The Wankel engine was only licenced and proposed as an uplevel engine option after the car was finished since GM didn't have anything else to use in small cars; and its inability to be fixed up to meet fuel economy and emissions restrictions is what led to GM just buying back the Buick V6 from Jeep.


And the Cosworth never had anywhere near 140 horsepower when they finally got it to production. They had a production version with 140 horsepower ready to go in 1974, but it failed EPA testing which delayed the car another year as they detuned it down to 110.

 

[Paulie]

Cool for the ability to engine swap and have a fast, lightweight car with nice styling from its big brother, Camaro.

 

[Leonidae@MFT]

Cool, because it had Cosworth twincam as top of the line version.

 

[Legro]

I'm slightly confused now. Is it an enlarged Kadett that someone tried to turn into a Camaro?

Or a Manta with Kadett's rear?

What I am sure about though, is that if someone has imported one here, it's driven exactly how you're most likely to see the two Opels being driven. Burnouts, and pathetic attempts of drifting in a car park.

 

[Dennisch]

How miserable it may be, and I don't know why, I think it's pretty cool.

 

[Adamgp]

Always thought these were good looking cars. Plus the Vert A Pac rail cars that GM & Southern Pacific came up with to transport these were interesting.

My mom owned one back in the 70's and said it was a fun little car. My dad had a Pinto at the same time. Good taste in cars runs in my blood.

Solid Cool.

 

[JR98]

It's like a Camaro but smaller and uglier. Meh because it has a Cosworth engine.

 

[TexRex]

How would a strangled pig of a 350 do anything but make you look even more like a poseur for owning one instead of just buying a Camaro?

That's a real noggin scratcher. Opting for something that isn't a Camaro makes one a poser?

Also, so what if it borrowed existing design language--Acura introduced the shield grills with the 2009 TL, is the new NSX trying to be a TL?

The Vega gets a Meh from me as I neither like nor dislike it, but I'd take it over a Camaro its contemporary without batting a lash.

 

[synchromesh]

The first 2,000 Vegas were very well built and reliable cars. This is because John DeLorean had many employees and inspectors making sure the cars were put together correctly. Once he left to make his own company, GM cheapened up the process and thus ruined the car. Voted Uncool because it's old enough where you wouldn't look that bad driving it. However, terrible American car.

 

[Dennisch]

Not a single one for sale in the Netherlands, or on Mobile.de.

It must be rare.

 

[homeforsummer]

Uncool, if only because it looks ever so slightly depressing in regular trim, like someone took a Camaro and removed some of its will to live.

I actually have a Hot Wheels Vega though, which looks quite cool. One of these:

 

[Stotty]

I'm slightly confused now. Is it an enlarged Kadett that someone tried to turn into a Camaro?

View attachment 427471

1st thing I thought when I saw it was 'American Kadett'

Uncool.

 

[Tornado]

That's a real noggin scratcher. Opting for something that isn't a Camaro makes one a poser?

Opting for something that isn't a sports car (insofar as the mid-70s Camaro could be called one itself) but was deliberately made to look like one (twice) and had even less potential to back it up in spite of its infamous quality and engineering problems makes you a poseur. Particularly in the context I was responding to, where two members were talking about how adding almost certainly over 300 pounds to the front of the ~2400 pound car and destroying any handling capability and fuel economy that it had so the it could be brought up to a staggering 110-125 hp would have made it cooler, when it in fact would have made it all the more conspicuous how the car you almost undoubtedly bought at least in part because of its stylistic similarity to the contemporary Camaro was not actually a Camaro.


So, yes. At least the Cosworth Vega, as ridiculous as its pricing and underwhelming as its performance was, had a niche to itself; and at least the Mustang II V8 was the best performance car you could get at all if you went Ford instead.

 

[GTRacer22]

Uncool, if only because it looks ever so slightly depressing in regular trim, like someone took a Camaro and removed some of its will to live.

I actually have a Hot Wheels Vega though, which looks quite cool. One of these:

I have one just like that, except it's red and white. Definitely one of my cooler cars. 👍

 

[playnthru]

GM owned Opel when these were built so it's no big surprise they look similar. The Vega is also one of the first american cars built as a "throw-away" car.

 

[Slash]

Opting for something that isn't a sports car (insofar as the mid-70s Camaro could be called one itself) but was deliberately made to look like one (twice) and had even less potential to back it up in spite of its infamous quality and engineering problems makes you a poseur. Particularly in the context I was responding to, where two members were talking about how adding almost certainly over 300 pounds to the front of the ~2400 pound car and destroying any handling capability and fuel economy that it had so the it could be brought up to a staggering 110-125 hp would have made it cooler, when it in fact would have made it all the more conspicuous how the car you almost undoubtedly bought at least in part because of its stylistic similarity to the contemporary Camaro was not actually a Camaro.


So, yes. At least the Cosworth Vega, as ridiculous as its pricing and underwhelming as its performance was, had a niche to itself; and at least the Mustang II V8 was the best performance car you could get at all if you went Ford instead.

I wouldn't say the II was the best for Ford. The Maverick was about the same.

 

[Cowboy]

I've always thought of the Vega as a baby Camaro due to a resemblance to the Camaro.

Cool.

Uncool, if only because it looks ever so slightly depressing in regular trim, like someone took a Camaro and removed some of its will to live.

I actually have a Hot Wheels Vega though, which looks quite cool. One of these:

I have one in an Aqua color.

 

[synchromesh]

@Slash 2 speed semi-auto?

 

[TexRex]

Opting for something that isn't a sports car (insofar as the mid-70s Camaro could be called one itself)

Yeah...no. Camaros are just Chevrolet's answer to the Mustang, which was just a parts-bin purloiner cobbled together to appeal to a younger consumer.

deliberately made to look like one

I'll consider this if some evidence of such intent were shown, but until then it's just a matter of design language. It's certainly possible an order came from on high (corporate offices) to design a baby Camaro, but I'm not convinced.

Particularly in the context I was responding to, where two members were talking about how adding almost certainly over 300 pounds to the front of the ~2400 pound car and destroying any handling capability and fuel economy that it had so the it could be brought up to a staggering 110-125 hp would have made it cooler

No objection to this--I've never thought bigger is better regarding engine swaps, as most cars are developed with a drivetrain in mind.

I've always thought of the Vega as a baby Camaro due to a resemblance to the Camaro.

 

[Slash]

@Slash 2 speed semi-auto?

Yes. It was a 2 speed powerglide except you have to shift it manually without a clutch because GM stupified it so it wouldnt shift on its own making it a cheaper alternative.

If you've ever ridden an ATV with a low-high transmission its basically the same thing.

 

[JAHHAJ]

As said before, this car is depressing to look at, therefore it gets an uncool from me.