Chevrolet Vega: Gm’S Four-Letter Word

Gone but non forgotten. Big Foot sightings are to a greater extent than mutual than a Chevy Vega on the dorsum roads of Alabama. That’s why my jaw dropped when I spotted a modest herd of Chevrolet Vegas gathered amongst a winding, mount road. More Vegas were discovered every bit I descended terrain perfect for hiding moonshine stills.
I suspect these examples were hand-me-down refugees from the 1970s. All hiding from discordant owners, who had used them every bit storage bins or garbage cans. What else could explicate the trash piled inwards the seats? Flat tires, missing wheels, busted glass. The fail too abuse could non hold upwardly hidden past times dead leaves or fallen trees.

1971 Vega blueprint rules

Baca Juga

The light-green Vega is a 1971 model (pictured), i of to a greater extent than than 270,000 that were produced during the initiative year. Believe it or not, the Vega was Motor Trend's "Car of the Year" inwards 1971. Not all of them were green. This i sported GT fender badges too a surprise within the bring upwardly of Chevy’s laid about compact car. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 quick inspection of the hatch revealed engine parts. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 maroon 1974 Vega positioned behind the light-green '71 makes it tardily to compare the blueprint development at Chevrolet during that fourth dimension period. The grill too headlight surface area of the Vega too Camaro shared many styling cues throughout the Vegas production run. The early on ’71-’73 Vegas are favorites amid collectors.

Wide-mouth grill of the 1971 Vega mimics Camaros of 1970-73 vintage.

Quality modest car?

Nearly 2 i yard one thousand Chevy Vegas were built betwixt from 1971-77, during their seven-year production run. Chevrolet’s laid about stab at edifice modest cars was successful inwards damage of sales but proved to hold upwardly a long-term fiasco that harmed GM’s reputation. Resale values of American-made compact cars, fifty-fifty ones built xxx years later the laid about Chevy Vega, has been laughable inwards comparing to their Japanese counterparts.

My laid about auto was a 1976 Pontiac Astre, a biological twin to the Chevy Vega.

Why exercise I similar Vegas?
My laid about auto was a 1976 Astre, Pontiac's 'version' of the Chevrolet Vega. These unloved underdogs of the "H-body" platform pick out dorsum fond memories. I learned to effort too exercise stupid materials inwards that car. It had a bent fender when I bought it for $160 inwards 1988, too yes, it was green.
My dad helped me acquire the auto induce for the road. I 'helped' past times staying out of his way, mostly. Dad straightened the fender with a chain wrapped to a greater extent than or less a tree too offered to pigment the entire car. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 shelf total of sometime automotive paint, bought inwards bulk, for inexpensive was where I shopped for pigment inwards our garage. I wanted black, dad wanted yellow. Guess who won? My dad said dark would demo every imperfection.
To me, yellowish pigment screamed, "Watch out! Student driver on the loose!" That color in all probability saved my life inwards the long run.
My Pontiac Astre would burn downward rubber, provided I was making a sudden plough from a dead stop. I would floor-board it every fourth dimension I took off. The Astre was powered past times Pontiac's 151-cid (2.5-liter) "Iron Duke" four-cylinder engine. That ninety horsepower engine was stone solid. It was a adept laid about car. I wishing I yet had it.

Chevy Vegas. Driven hard, wrecked, sporting half-hearted repair jobs too left for dead.

More Vegas nearby
I passed ii to a greater extent than Vegas on the means downward the mountain. Sitting inwards a yard overgrown with cars was a silverish 1975 Vega GT with a mismatched door too crushed past times a tree. Next to it, a cerise Vega too a manufactured habitation were unharmed.

Jody Potter
— Junkyard Life

A 1975 Chevy Vega GT smacked past times a tree downward was parked inwards an overgrown yard a half-mile downward the mount from several other Vegas.

1971 Vega tail panel emblem.

1971 Vega GT had a 2-barrel carburetor too 110 horsepower.

Vegas had an aluminum cylinder block too cast-iron heads. The master copy SOHC caput was hiding inwards the hatch.

These Vegas, photographed too documented inwards my master copy 2008 story, accept vanished from the woods. My Vega photos were used on many other websites. I idea it was fourth dimension to reclaim them for Junkyard Life.