zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Buying
/
For $9,100, Become Vegan
For $9,100, Become Vegan-October 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:10:07

When new, Chevy's Vega was shipped from the factory standing up on rail cars. Today’s Vega has twin turbos for the twin rotors of its adopted Mazda mill, but you’ll still need to decide if its price makes its seller a stand-up guy.

Yesterday’s was pretty damn rare, seeing as it’s claimed to be one of only 100 of the special editions ever built. That apparently wasn't enough to account for its twenty grand asking, resulting in a narrow but decisive 57% Crack Pipe loss.

Two of the most venerated names in the automotive world are Hurst and Jeep. Put them together and…

You know what else is pretty rare these days? Vegas, that’s what. No, not Las Vegas , but Chevy Vegas. Developed under the code name XP-887 and guided by Ed Cole - the very same executive responsible for the Corvair - the Vega was intended to take on both the imports and the new home-built smaller cars from domestic competitors Ford and AMC.

But sadly it didn't go as planned, and Cole's design edicts created rifts with the Chevy engineers. Newly elevated to the position of Chevrolet General Manager, John DeLorean attempted to fix the things that were wrong with the XP-887 - issues mostly resulting from Cole’s mandates - but there was only so much that could be done.

In the end, the Vega was released in September 1970 with a somewhat flaky corrosion-prone unit-body, and an aluminum engine that, lacking liners, tended to eat itself alive over time. The poorly engineered engine mounting (the mounts spec’d were too soft) made that engine seem course and vibration prone even when it wasn’t ovaling its bores. To top it off, the Vega ended up being almost 10% more expensive than its VW Beetle target, as well as Ford’s Pinto, its direct competition. Unequivocally it was a disaster, but at the very least it was a damn good looking failure.

Today’s still looks pretty sweet, and this one appears to have stood the test of time, having not returned to its base elements like so many others. It also solves the whole beer can engine issue by having its Chevy four-pot dumped at the recycler and adopting a pressurized Mazda 13B out of an FD RX-7. So equipped, the ad touts the car as something that even Jay Leno doesn't have. Take that, Jay!

That engine isn't the only Rising Sun part this Vega has adopted, there apparently also being the seats, 5-speed gearbox, wheels, brakes and pumpkin as well being fitted. How that all goes together goes unexplained, but the ad does note that it’s neither a trailer queen or a clown prince, having been built 4,000 miles back by “two experienced rotary engine mechanics.”

The 13B-REW now resident under this Vega’s hood is also an engine made of aluminum with its own history of reliability issues. Of course most of those had been worked out by the time this one had its sequential turbos applied, and as you might imagine 250 horsepower can atone for a multitude of sins.

Visually, the car has been dressed in skirts that share the body’s virginal white paint. The nose has had its bumper cleaved so that it’s now bumperettes, while inside the dash has been replaced with aftermarket gauges and the space has been fitted with a cage.

The seller wants $9,100 for this wonderful mashup of Vega and Mazda (Vegzda?) and it's now up to you to say if that's a decent price to be unlike Jay Leno. What do you think about this custom rotary Vega for $9,100, does that price seem very nice? Or, would even Leno turn this one down?

You decide!

, or go if the ad disappears.

Help me out with NPOCP. Click to send a me a fixed-price tip, and remember to include your commenter handle.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Buying
At $5,900, Is This 1984 Nissan 720 4X4 A Solid Deal?
At $5,900, Is This 1984 Nissan 720 4X4 A Solid Deal?
According to its seller, today’s Nissan 4X4 shows “pride of ownership.” Let’s see if it would take swallowing one’s pride to pay its asking price. Opinions were split on how well the design of yesterday’s has held up over the years. Some of you commented that the design still...
Oct 30, 2024
Someone Willingly Paid $16,000 For A Maserati Ghibli On Cars & Bids. Don’t Make The Same Mistake
Someone Willingly Paid $16,000 For A Maserati Ghibli On Cars & Bids. Don’t Make The Same Mistake
Let’s cut right to the chase: buying a is not a good idea unless you have deep enough pockets for the upkeep. For those not in the know, they’re sirens. They draw you in with their premium Italian image and sweet songs of and then go in for the...
Oct 30, 2024
At $8,600, Would You Go Topless In This 1994 Cadillac Eldorado?
At $8,600, Would You Go Topless In This 1994 Cadillac Eldorado?
The seller of today’s Caddy claims they should be selling it at auction but says who’s got time for that? Let’s see if we have the time for this custom convertible at its non-auction price. Many of you agreed that the $950 asked for yesterday’s was “chump change.” Even...
Oct 30, 2024
Which One Of You Suckers Is Going To Pay Over $32,000 For A 25-Year-Old Toyota 4Runner
Which One Of You Suckers Is Going To Pay Over $32,000 For A 25-Year-Old Toyota 4Runner
The (and Tacoma) have a death grip on used values. It’s been this way for years. Go ahead, go try and buy any TRD trim that’s a couple of years old; it’ll cost you as much as a new one — not that you could buy a new one...
Oct 30, 2024
At $950, Would You Go All-In On This 1984 Plymouth Colt GTS Turbo Project?
At $950, Would You Go All-In On This 1984 Plymouth Colt GTS Turbo Project?
One of the calling cards of today’s Plymouth Colt is its “Twin Stick” overdrive gear change, which gives the car eight speeds going forward and two in reverse. Let’s see if this project car has anything else to offer. Just as Goldilocks discovered when appropriating Papa Bear’s lifestyle and...
Oct 30, 2024
At $18,500, Would You Lean Toward Buying This 2022 Ford Mustang?
At $18,500, Would You Lean Toward Buying This 2022 Ford Mustang?
Today’s Mustang is being sold by a towing yard, which means it’s probably a lien sale. Let’s see if this clean title convertible is priced to put a new buyer on the hook. The general consensus on last Friday’s was that it would be the perfect car for someone...
Oct 30, 2024
Copyright 2023-2024 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved