Back to Building the V8 H-Body The Vega started out as a car with high hopes. Talk to the experts. With over $70,000 into the car, no expense was spared in building this Vega. Throughout the build process, Jeff has adhered to his original budget thesis, bringing his 2,650-pound hot rod to fruition for well under $5,000. Dig the V8 Vega GT flyweight: 2,700-pound curb, 360 hp from a 350ci LT1, a solid-lifter camshaft, beefy four-speed, and a resilient rear-axle assembly. The motor was plumbed through the original catalytic convertor, and single exhaust. Note the dipstick location when you pick your oilpan being sure to select one that will meet your specific needs. Engines with over 400 dyno horsepower are available. Car and Driver's SS/Sedan Challenge 1973 Vega GT, Vegavairbob/1973 Vega GT Video - CarDomain/Castrol EDGE Contest Winner, Vegavairbob/40 Year Old Survivor-1971 Chevy Vega, Vegavairbob/1973 Vega GT in Motor Trend Classic - Fall 2010, Vegavairbob/Chevy Vega sweeps 2010 New England Concours D' Elegance presented by Hemmings Motor News t, Vegavairbob/Mad Men land the Chevy Account - will promote the XP-887 (Chevy Vega). Baldwin, New York 11510-0597 The lack of interest in a classic rear-drive compact that could famously swallow a V-8 sounds odd in light of the fact that GM built nearly 1.9 million of them from 1971 to 1977 (Chevy and Pontiac combined), but these cars lived hard, short lives. . In short, many enthusiasts overlook these simple, proven techniques successfully employed by GM Engineers in the construction of the V8 Monza. The rear suspension was so much better, that the force of acceleration was transmitted to the rest of the body. The V-8 conversion added only 30 pounds to the front of the Vega so the handling, steering effort, and ride are unchanged. Of course the wooden shape would be removed once the reshaping was complete. There are a number of aftermarket oilpan manufacturers, but you can easily make your own if you check the clearances and can weld. MID-LENGTH Tube Headers- UNCOATED Headers Part# 44061 Full Details Add to Cart $924.43 I chose an Iskenderian Racing Cams 270 Mega Cam, because these grinds use more overlap than others this improves mid range torque, at the serious expense of idle quality (a 280 would have been better, but I bought the 270 with the intent of using it in the 283, but the 283 was pooched). Once you get all the stuff you don't need removed, then you need to start adding all the stuff you need for the full chassis, which consists of rebuilding the firewall and making an entirely new floor and tunnel from the firewall to the tail pan." The single headlights and factory hood shape say 1970 F-body and the round parking lights and peaked egg crate grille say 1969, or even 1955 shoebox if you pull the bumpers off." You are now signed up to receive great E-Mail Offers! Some parts are not legal for use in California or other states with similar laws / regulations. Also of note is the front bumper, which was modified to resemble the split bumper of a '71 Camaro-another key design element of the original Hot Wheels car. "Basic V-8 conversion is LT-1 (350) with a single 725-cfm Holley mounted on a factory aluminum manifold. The only modification required when using these parts is the construction of a pair of drop brackets to lower the stock vega radiator mounting points 3 overall. Usually Super 200 or Hy-Jacker air shocks are used along with custom Super-Bite traction bars." However, I have seen an aftermarket oil dipstick assembly made by Lokar that uses a flexible stainless steel tube with stainless braided cover and aluminum billet dipstick (see a Summit Racing catalog). That expression ten pounds in a five-pound sack sat on me like a vulture; a better band-aid would have been to vent the inner fenderwells to allow the super-heated air to escape that stifling five-pound sack. Auctions Search Auctions Live Now 1973 Chevy Vega GT Hatchback, stock, 4-speed. Black ceramic block hugger headers for Chevy Monza, and V8 Vega conversion applications with small block Chevy engines with angle plug heads. 1975 Chevrolet Cosworth Vega #404 in Lutz, FL To the right is a scan of how Hooker suggests you modify the pan. Another lesson to be learned from the V8 Monza is radiator surface area. Contact the company by e-mailing Showcars@idirect.com (click link) or telephone (905) 857-6345. The ad said needs TLC. When you read that, believe it. "A Griffin aluminum radiator with dual fans cools the Chevy LS3 with a Tremec TKO 500 transmission which has been set . Drag racer Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins in the 1972 season, won six of eight National Pro-Stock division events with his Pro Stock, 331 cu in (5.4 L)-powered 1972 Vega, Grumpy's Toy X. LSX-R Port Fuel Injection, 46-pound. by Thomas Voehringer said, "The Chevrolet Vega capitalized on the Camaros stylish lines and the publics growing interest in smaller cars. Transmission alternatives and early model Vegas require additional parts." "Dan La Grou and Dutch Schepplemann (The D&D) told me that they could convert a a customer's late-model Vega for a total cost of $850." Use a quality oil filter to protect your engine from contaminants and while you're installing the kit why not add an oil cooler as well. This time, the item was a Vega fitted with an all-aluminum 302 V-8 and a Turbo 350 transmission. pn# 10508 : pn# 10555 1 3/4" tubes : pn# 10510: . Bolting the pan to the engine will prevent the oilpan from warping while you shape it. Lastly, a set of Wilwood brakes helps this Vega stop on a dime. However, I have received reports from consumers who have tried this kit that some of the holes are in the wrong location preventing the brackets from bolting onto the engine. Chevy Vega Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. Factory Oilpan The main reason for the thinner 2 row core was it allowed room to install a very large 7 blade (17) fixed-pitch cooling fan. "Dan La Grou and Dutch Schepplemann (The D&D) told me that they could convert a a customer's late-model Vega for a total cost of $850." Rodder and Super/Stock March 1973, "Boss Vega"Stick a Vee in your Vega or let us do it for you say's Joel Rosen, Motion's super swapper!"Realizing all the problems involved in the stuffing of V-8 power into the little cammer they discovered, first hand, the effects of coupling solid small-block horsepower to the Vega powertrain and suspension." Looking for v-8 kits for my "77 vega. If you intend to use factory V8 Monza exhaust manifolds then the dipstick location may be a problem. Though the small-block conversions were readily accommodated with selective use of a hammer and a 2x4, the big engine needed some surgery in the bellhousing region to situate the 454 in the stock location. One of the last engines was bored out to 302 cu in (4.9 L) for the Vega application. About the overheating proclivity? Last known address Super Chevy April 26, 2016 "Could This Be The Worlds Coolest Vega?Viva Las Vega: The Radical Fusion Bomb Explodes on the Circuit! "It was going to be a ride that would blur the line between Pro Street and show carto build the best Vega in the country - An updated chromoly chassis, a Chris Alstons Chassisworks front end was mounted, as was a Ford 9-inch rear. Motion built the initial tubular exhaust headers but if the project rocketed, he said hed already made arrangements with a major source to handle that chore. (2) $726.95 JEGS 30065 - Painted Long Tube Headers for Pontiac 326-455 (17) $232.99 Trans Dapt 4689 - Engine Swap Motor Mount Kit Small Block C. (2) Best of all, this kit is completely bolt-on, requiring . Everything else is a bolt-in affair. GM did build V8 Monzas (same chassis) with 262 CI engines, I heard Cali cars got a 350 . Be sure to check fan shroud and radiator clearances before starting the engine, no sense in trashing a new fan or radiator. It's easier to start from scratch than fix someone else's mess. The car GM reacted with was the Vega, called a sub-compact. The Vegas brakes worked like the ones on the Scuncio car, only worse. That was the second best thing to happen to it. Nevertheless, the Vega and its H-platform stablemates have long since fallen out of favor with hot rodders due to their scarcity. See below table for gallery. "We shouldnt like these, right? Will not fit Monza chassisTrans-Dapt Performance started offering transmission adapters and engin . Considering the dubious weight balance and manual steering, I was hesitant to slam the Vega into a corner for fear of monstrous understeer. "Putting all 620 hp and 590 lb-ft of twist through a unibody that was assembled by an indifferent union shop over 40 years ago was not in the cards. Then while I hammered I could be sure that the wooden shape would prevent me from causing the oilpan to interfere with the reciprocating assembly. 350 4-bolt LT-1 block, Isky 270 Mega cam, Offenhauser manifold and Rochester Quadrajet. View car. Check out their Phase III Vega in the April '99 issue of Super Chevy magazine, or go to the Motion Performance homepage at K6112 Upper control arm bushing kit (OEM-style) (need 2) K6155 Upper control arm bushing kit (offset) (need 2) K6113 Lower control arm bushing kit (need 2) . The N50x15 Goodyears (28-inches tall, 12.6-inch section width) and stock-width 12-bolt posed another glitch. This is the '72 Vega former drag car that I found in PA. The cycle repeats, and wheel hop is the result. The typical protruding lip at the firewall-to-floorpan intersection point may need to be laid back or trimmed. Box 875 The new owner had begun painting it, had installed the 9 differential, and had also done some minor repairs. The solution here is a 15x21 V8 Monza 2 Row Radiator with a constant-pitch Monza 7 Blade Engine Driven Fan resting inside a V6 Pontiac Sunbird Radiator Shroud. A half-hour into the traffic and stop lights, mostly on Sunrise Highway, the Rat puked coolant, but not enough to curtail the investigation. If you have a stock V8 pump, people have claimed it's good for at least a 350 with a 600cfm carb under hard driving. Custom/Fabricated Upholstery expert James Jacobs brought the flame motif into the Vegas jet-black interior, adding embroidered and embossed details to the supple leather seats and wheel-tub covers. Next, using the measurements provided here, use a rubber or wooden mallet and lightly tap the area of the oilpan to be modified. 03/07/23 , pending manufacturer availability. This car was considered for production by Chevy executives for 1974, according to Hot Rod. See . Fresno, CA 93711, USA. Automatic transmission. Sure, there were options: a heavy-duty cooling core, a narrowed 12-bolt, and a shorter prop shaft. The total weight of the car increased to only 2395 pounds, and its performance with the 215-cubic-inch V-8 engine is spectacular. I personally prefer the dual remote kit, twice the filtering area and cleaner oil. Black and gold paint with the right stance helps too. The chassis is a Chris Alston's Chassisworks unit with a Fab9 rearend, Wilwood brakes, Eibach springs, Momo seats and steering wheel, and DJ Safety gear. Instead of running out and buying a fourth Pinto (gasp! To the right is a scan of how Hooker suggests you modify the pan. All brackets, even the hood hinges, are custom-made from scratch! It had a Very tired 283, and a four speed. Hemmings Motor News has been serving the classic car hobby since 1954. When the wheel spins, the axle is unloaded, and drops down. Now, since the main swap had already been done, I had the joy of discovering the weakness of Vega bodies. If you've used any other aftermarket V8 Vega/Monza pan on a 400/383 successfully e-mail me. What was the price tag? It sports a power bulge hood lettered with LSX 454, a low, black chin spoiler, and blacked out grille. 1973 Chevrolet vega v8 in Valley Springs, CA 1973 Chevy vega with a small block Chevy 350ci. The power glide transmission has a 3500 rpm stall converter as well as a shift kit and a B&M Quick Click shifter. In the engine bay, welds were ground and seams smoothed. This wide body IMSA inspired Vega features LS3 power a TKO 500, and substantial body work. Although it had an aluminum block and an overhead cam, the engine was larger, noisier and rougher than any other four-cylinder engine at the time. Once upon a time, Hot Rod scored an exclusive tech story straight from the Chevy product planners teaser book. Hes been editor of Car Craft, Hot Rod, and Chevy High Performance. 30+ days ago. So as soon as I was certain of the market, I decided to build the car and offer a complete kit from the first prototype. Specifically, that was the car I drove in the early fall of 1973. He stopped for a long moment and said it started at $4,000 and went to $6 or $7,000 US dollars. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! Be sure to check fan shroud and radiator clearances before starting the engine, no sense in trashing a new fan or radiator. Some examples of these chemicals are: lead from lead-based paints, crystalline silica from bricks and cement and other masonry products, and arsenic and chromium from chemically treated lumber. A few details could be improved upon, but overall the car looks well built, and with nearly twice the power as a stock four-cylinder model, it should be quick too. . Lot #23,728. For springs you have a couple choices, you can go with H-body (Vega, Monza, Sunfire, Astre, etc..) V-6 w/air conditioning front springs or V8 Monza. A custom engine plate holds this motorized piece of art all together. All interior tinwork was done by East Coast Muscle Cars in Craley, Pennsylvania. When looking in the factory parts manuals for these, you'll only find them in Group 1.219 of the Chevrolet Parts Catalog Models thru 1975 (Chevrolet Parts Publication, Book No. If I were to attempt this, I would fabricate a wooden shape that would fit inside the oilpan and still allow the pan to be bolted to the engine. Since these are front engine mounts, they will fit virtually all header designs. Dover, Kent County, DE . Installing a larger radiator will also require a larger fan. The performance is not like a super-muscle car, but by today's standards it is decidedly hot. If you still have the stock rear parking brake, the Vega, unlike all other GM cars, did not have a conventional means of self-adjusting the rear brakes. Like that distant star, Charley Dennys spectacular Chevrolet Vega station wagon is light years away from the compact Chevy grocery-getter that rolled off of a Lordstown, OH assembly line back in 1976. the Vega used either a 6.5" or a 7.5" rear end. Sort. It has excellent handling, styling, and package size but for some reason the Vega's engine design did not match the rest of the car's excellence. All Rights Reserved. 1973 V8 Vega TRADE. 1973: the odd-even day oil embargo did its best to consternate everyone, but hot rodders are always gonna hot rod and one of the most progressive conversion houses was Motion Performance hard by Sunrise Highway in Baldwin, Long Island. P.O. In '74 Jenkins built another Vega, "Grumpy's Toy XI," that featured several firsts like the use of a dry sump oiling system and a MacPherson strut front-suspension configuration. We are largest vintage car website with the. Thats pretty heady stuff in a day that boasted Z/28 Camaros, Boss Mustangs, Challenger T/As, and Corvettes. If you also need to know what rubber mounts to use, you need 1966 Chevy truck small-block chevy mounts. "Throw something together from junk and do well against the big names at autocross events." Also, it has a big-block style oil dipstick mount on the driver's side of the oilpan where the dipstick would enter through the side of the oilpan. cjbiagi@yahoo.comClyde 1975 Monza 2+2 My Monza kcawoo01 15 Registered Member Jun 21, 2007 #5 Mine has the stock little radiator. The V8 Monza radiator requires modification to tackle engine cooling problems on V8 Vegas by relocating the upper outlet to the Vega location and mounting it 3 inches lower, requiring relocated lower radiator brackets on the Vega. You just have to find parts where you can, and then you have to make them fit. The factory oilpan has a notched place just in front of the rear sump for clearance of the steering drag-link. dave verhague. Add to Cart. (exc. Nestled under the Vegas hood is a Chevy mouse motor built to last. It was already bored .030, the crank was turned .010/.010, and I just freshened it up with new rings and bearings. However, I have seen an aftermarket oil dipstick assembly made by Lokar that uses a flexible stainless steel tube with stainless braided cover and aluminum billet dipstick (see a Summit Racing catalog). 1932-34 Ford 4-Bar Tube Axle Kit for Chevy Spindles, Chrome. Folks have reported they had to cut re-drill and reweld these backets just to get them to work. The back end became quite soft, and started pointing in different directions. Then, people didnt call such device a power-adder or anything of the kind. Fits small block Chevy V8 with automatic or manual transmissions. It was named Motor Trends Car of the Year upon it introduction in 1971. That's how Gateway Classic cars in Detroit describes this 1976 Chevrolet Vega, which is hiding a 350 cubic-inch V8 under its hood. VEGA V8 MOUNT KITMotor mount brackets, bushings, plates and rear crossmemberFor use with TH 350 automatic transmission onlySB CHEVY V8 INTO CHEVY VEGA/ASTRA.