New Ride - '73 Chevy Vega Station Wagon.... yes, a wagon!

Discussion of anything that doesn't fall into the Solo II and RallyX Categories
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bugdewde
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Re: New Ride - '73 Chevy Vega Station Wagon.... yes, a wagon

Post by bugdewde »

Custom fabricated upper and lower control arms with some added caster. Would like to have better camber but no one makes these for Vegas in any other configuration than for Drag Racing. They use the larger(and more available/cheaper) S-10 ball joints.

From Overkill Racecars in Co.

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Got a set of rubber AND a set of poly bushings to use in these babies. Thinking of going with the poly and throwing a gob of grease on them in an attempt to keep them from squeaking. If they squeak, I'll have to yank them out and go with the rubber ones(was saving the rubber ones for my mostly stock '73 GT Hatchback)!
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01badz28
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Re: New Ride - '73 Chevy Vega Station Wagon.... yes, a wagon

Post by 01badz28 »

Looks good man! FWIW, my poly bushings are quiet - its the rod ended stuff that is noisy.

I PM'd you back about the brakes.
Ryan E. Jarrard
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bugdewde
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Re: New Ride - '73 Chevy Vega Station Wagon.... yes, a wagon

Post by bugdewde »

OK, it's been too long since I posted anything about the project. It's currently in a "hold pattern" after finding the unibody's right front frame rail is pushed out an inch or so.... not allowing the mock up engine block to bolt in correctly. Will need some frame work......... :evil:

So I got the custom control arms installed with poly bushings.... and S-10 ball joints.

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Cut and modified the S-10 spindles to accept the 4th Gen Camaro calipers:

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Cut the S-10 rotor hat down so the Camaro rotor will slip over it.....

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Removed the S-10 disc from the rotor, now the 4th gen Camaro rotor slips right over the old S-10 rotor hat..... larger S-10 bearings will be plentiful.

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-I've gotten the 5-lug axle shafts (S-10) installed into the 7.5" Monza housing for tire fitment purposes, only. The torque arm and panhard bar aren't installed yet as the early Vega uses a 4-link rear setup vs the later Vega 3-link. Will have to fab up some panhard body mounts and the torque arm mount (trans or crossmember).
-The Monza housing sports a new 3.42 ring and pinion gear set with a limited slip diff.
-Using some old IROC 16" wheels (yes, GOLD).... had to use two sets of "FRONT" wheels with the larger offset/backspace to clear the tie rod ends as well as give me some wiggle room in the rear.
-Front springs are cut down Cosworth Vega springs (from a Vega forum member already cut... not sure how much was cut)
-Rear springs are stock Vega Wagon with 1 coil cut off.
-Doors were so rusty they had to be replaced... from http://www.under1981.com (their car had their website spray painted on the side!!!!) Hahahaha......

Yep, YELLOW car, half-azz painted WHITE, with GREEN doors and GOLD wheels.... that's how I roll. As if it could get any worse..... It's a VEGA STATION WAGON!!!!

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As mentioned earlier, the mock up engine block, custom bellhousing and T-5 trans are installed but will not bolt up to the frame correctly. Towed car home (previously at a friend's house/shop that is now up for sale) and it's sitting in my dog's play pen.....

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man, that little aluminum V8 is gonna improve the center of gravity of the stock 4 cylinder's 90 lb cast iron head .
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Last edited by bugdewde on Wed May 07, 2014 9:38 pm, edited 2 times in total.
TedV
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Re: New Ride - '73 Chevy Vega Station Wagon.... yes, a wagon

Post by TedV »

:rockon:

sucks about needing to go on a frame machine tho.
Ted V.
don't make me list all my VW's
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bugdewde
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Re: New Ride - '73 Chevy Vega Station Wagon.... yes, a wagon

Post by bugdewde »

yeah.... not been very motivated to play with it anymore.
Maybe after the newness wears off the new toys.

'72 Baja with Bus 002 trans and rear torsion assembly/frame swapped in the rear (5.37 ring & pinion... and yes, the bus torsion rods are too stiff for a Bug)
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After selling my last stock '79 Trans Am that I ran with you guys (and the Pro-Touring guys) a couple years ago, I've been unhappy without one. My first car was a white '79 Firebird ..... and I've always had one or two throughout the years, here and there. So I've been looking for another good deal for a while now. Just didn't find any good deals out there.......
On a whim (well, mostly), I decided on an '81, well documented, all original, 30k mile, Turbo car.... Duh!!!! :?: It's got a couple worn spots in the paint (wheel flare and rear spoiler) but is a typical 30k mile/33 year old car. Really shouldn't be modded, just touched up.

I've never owned an automatic T/A before..... always 4-speed cars..... already searching for the special, externally-balanced, Pontiac 301, manual trans flywheel ...... :oops:
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More pics here: http://www.cardomain.com/ride/4071452/1 ... c-trans-am
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MARKP
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Re: New Ride - '73 Chevy Vega Station Wagon.... yes, a wagon

Post by MARKP »

Nice. Love the updates on your projects.
Mark Pilson
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bugdewde
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Re: New Ride - '73 Chevy Vega Station Wagon.... yes, a wagon!

Post by bugdewde »

Well......... I'm somewhat embarrassed about posting this. :oops:
Not wanting to deal with frame machine work and a general lack of interest in wrenching on junk, I opted for another Vega Kammback.
I was adamant about not exceeding the $3k build of the white wagon so it languished out back just lurking into my thoughts occasionally... with it's tweaked frame rail.
Until I saw this one in a craigslist ad.
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This one is a '72 with a '62 Oldsmobile F-85 215 V8. The 282 duration cam is way too large for the current set up (2.56 LSD and auto trans). So a more torque friendly cam will be swapped in from one of my other 215s.
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VIDEO of engine idle: https://youtu.be/9BmrGiWKGlE

So...... first off, we're swapping in an old Monza T-50 five speed from a previous project I had years ago.
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Torque arm length and trans crossmember issues are holding me up right now. Thought I had bolt-in items lying around in the basement..... but I guess I sold them with the old Hatchback project many years ago. Sucks!
Swapping late model Vega/Monza stuff into an early model floorpan doesn't just bolt up with correct pinion angles and such. :x

While the white car (which this thread is about) still sits untouched, it's "upgrades" can eventually be swapped into this one. But not in any real hurry to mod this one much further. This one is slated to be a "driver" and not a "project".

I may see you guys back out there at a couple events with the "Grocery Getter"..... just for fun.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Oh, by the way...... I eventually did find the ever-elusive manual flywheel for the Pontiac 301 engine that was only made in '79.
So there may be a manual trans '81 Turbo T/A out and about this year.
TedV
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Re: New Ride - '73 Chevy Vega Station Wagon.... yes, a wagon!

Post by TedV »

:rockon: :rockon: :rockon:

You have seen the CAM classes, right?

Mmmmm turbo T/A :twisted:
Ted V.
don't make me list all my VW's
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ConeEater
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Re: New Ride - '73 Chevy Vega Station Wagon.... yes, a wagon!

Post by ConeEater »

There's so much overt coolness to these cars that I can't handle it so early in the a.m..

You, have awesome taste. Glad this thread was updated out I had never got to see.
Brian Huber
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bugdewde
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Re: New Ride - '73 Chevy Vega Station Wagon.... yes, a wagon!

Post by bugdewde »

Just bought a well-worn '91 Miata from a co-worker, tonight. Picking it up Sat. Not exactly a beauty queen, but it might be a good fair weather toy.

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**************************************************************************************************************************************************
Back to Vega stuff........

Vega wagon T-50 5-speed swap is done... somewhat.
Many obstacles encountered, as the 215 motor mounts seem to be further back than the mounts that the swap items came from. NOTHING fit as expected.
Much better (fun) gear ratios with the 2.56 rear gear and short 205/60-13s.
3.40, 2.08.1.40, 1.00 & 0.80
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bugdewde
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Re: New Ride - '73 Chevy Vega Station Wagon.... yes, a wagon!

Post by bugdewde »

Upgraded front anti-sway bar from a stock 7/8" to one from a V8 Monza Spyder (F-41 handling package) which is 1 & 1/8" .
Added poly end link bushings, too. Whoa! What an improvement. Still looking for an F-41 rear bar..............

Comparison:
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Mounted:
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90civichb
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Re: New Ride - '73 Chevy Vega Station Wagon.... yes, a wagon!

Post by 90civichb »

That poly bushing install you did. What a lot of guys in the Miata community do is notch the bushings and drill/tap the control arm for a Zerk fitting. They should already have grooves in them for grease. It's time consuming but easy to grease later on.
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Check out some of the build.
https://www.youtube.com/user/90civichb
Cody Yankey
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bugdewde
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Re: New Ride - '73 Chevy Vega Station Wagon.... yes, a wagon!

Post by bugdewde »

https://youtu.be/NLD8krMbOl0

Found out why the Vega's quarters were rusty.
Cleaning out the quarter drains.
Oklahoma red dirt (dry, very dry) probably wasn't too bad on it's own..... but add water from the screwed on mud flaps.....
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