From: Nate Nagel on
Tegger wrote:
> "hls" <hls(a)nospam.nix> wrote in
> news:N_adnfqOvN5yAF7XnZ2dnUVZ_oqdnZ2d(a)giganews.com:
>
>> "Otis" <rev_otis_mcnatt(a)yahoo.com> wrote in message
>> news:1f20ce7d-cd39-4208-920c-08032814acbb(a)37g2000yqm.googlegroups.com..
>> .
>>> Over the years, the inevitable subject of worst cars ever comes up,
>>> and the Vega is always at or near the top of the list. I've seen it
>>> a hundred times. I feel I should put in a good word for the little
>>> car.
>>
>> That is, I believe, the car with the silicon/aluminum alloy
>> engine...That thing went out for most people very quickly.
>
>
>
> Anybody ever read the Wiki page on the Vega? It's a pretty good read.
> <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Vega>
>
> Maybe I'm weird, but I always thought the Vega was a good-looking car. But
> then I liked the Plymouth Duster as well.

I'm with ya there. sure wouldn't mind having either a Duster 340 or a
Cosworth Vega. nothing wrong with the styling of either car.
(actually, there's very little wrong with any duster, even the humble
Slant Six models.)

nate


--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel
From: dsi1 on
hls wrote:
>
> "dsi1" <dsi1(a)humuhumunukunukuapuapa.org> wrote in message
>>
>> The engine on the 124 sports models were fine. It was the first
>> belt-driven double overhead cam design engine used in a mass
>> production car. Rust was a big problem in the states. I'm guessing
>> that it doesn't rain or snow in Italy and Europe. :-)
>
> Somewhat wrong. Rust was a problem with all Fiats made in Italia.
>
> Fiat is a bit of a joke, even in Europe. I lived there for many many
> years.

I'm guessing it's partially because they're such a big force in Europe,
the same as GM is in the states.
From: Ashton Crusher on
On Wed, 30 Sep 2009 09:46:20 -0700 (PDT), Otis
<rev_otis_mcnatt(a)yahoo.com> wrote:

>Over the years, the inevitable subject of worst cars ever comes up,
>and the Vega
>is always at or near the top of the list. I've seen it a hundred
>times. I feel I should
>put in a good word for the little car.
>
>My sister got a new Vega in early 1973 (a stripped-down one at that,
>about as basic
>as was available). I then inherited it in late '74 and drove it
>merrily for another full
>year. That little car was never ONE ounce of trouble. It cruised at
>75 mph like
>a charm, never burped or coughed, and I actually don't know that the
>oil was
>ever changed!!!! Maybe the car was serviced when my sister had it,
>but I know
>it wasn't during the time I had it (young and car stupid I guess).
>When
>I traded it in for my dream car at the time (the dreamy '75 Toyota
>Celica GT),
>it had about 42k miles on it and still performed like a trooper.
>Maybe it
>was a rare gem off the assembly line I don't know, but I had three
>friends
>who also had Vegas and I don't remember any of them being lemons; one
>did have notoriously squeally brakes though IIRC.


Did you live someplace cool/cold? Here in AZ in the heat they were
dropping like flies.
From: dsi1 on
Tegger wrote:

>
>
> Anybody ever read the Wiki page on the Vega? It's a pretty good read.
> <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Vega>
>
> Maybe I'm weird, but I always thought the Vega was a good-looking car. But
> then I liked the Plymouth Duster as well.
>

Too bad the car had a well deserved reputation as an oil burner - and I
don't mean diesel. As I recall, the valve stem seals were no good.

OTOH, an all-alloy engine block is a pretty exotic feature even today
and the car was bitching looking - a big departure from the cars of the
day. The 1970 Camaro look-alike front end was kinda cool too. The
dashboard seems to be directly lifted from a Fiat. :-)

I only had 1 chance to check out a Vega and it seemed to me that the car
felt like a big clunky GM product. Somehow the engineers had managed to
reproduce that lousy GM, ponderous, and loosey fit feeling in small car.
Oh well, it looked good anyway. :-)

I like the looks of a Duster too. My boss had a Duster. It had big tires
and a "340" decal on the rear flanks. I remember coming up to a stop a
little fast and when I stepped on the brakes, nothing much happened. I
panicked and really stepped on it and that thing went
EerrRrrrrrrrrrrrccch! I stopped in time but looked like a big dufus.
Those 70s car sure had crappy brakes. :-)
From: SMS on
Otis wrote:
> Over the years, the inevitable subject of worst cars ever comes up,
> and the Vega
> is always at or near the top of the list. I've seen it a hundred
> times. I feel I should
> put in a good word for the little car.

I remember my step-father deciding to get a Vega over a VW Beetle. I
think it was in 1972. The Vega lasted two years before it was rusted
beyond repair. I remember reading a joke somewhere that said that it was
actually constructed out of compressed rust.

At least during the two years it lasted there was no engine trouble.