Of course, this happened in 2020, and Ed’s CV was pretty extensively modified to make significantly more power, which was of course the production CV’s Achilles heel. Car and Driver tested a late production Cosworth Vega 5-speed and recorded a 17.4 second elapsed time in the quarter mile, which is consistent with a 0-60 time in the mid-to-low 10 second range. It is more than just an engine, it is a design concept built on existing Vega chassis and body design without any major change. You had to buy the Lotus design head thru the parts department and replace the factory one, and they say only about 100 or so were made available to the public. The engine’s output at the time was 140 hp, and it did some rather impressive performance figures if I remember right. 4) Standard and Alternative Wheel and Tire Sizes, 1976 Chevrolet Cosworth Vega (man. Chevrolet (USA) Vega years, types and editions catalogue (1971-1977)Vega Base Hatchback Coupe (1971-1977)Vega Base Notchback (1971-1977)Vega Base Wagon (1971-1977)Vega Cosworth (1975-1976)Vega Estate Wagon (1975-1977)Vega GT Hatchback Coupe (1971-1977)Vega GT Wagon (1971-1977). Such progress. Two words: halo vehicle. Someone in Detroit completely out of touch with what’s been going on for quite a while. And in the end, that 110 hp was essentially the same as a base 2002 or 320i. Still, only 1,447 Cosworth Vegas were sold for 1976, due in part to a hefty $6,066 starting price that could top $6,700 with all the options. It took the Japanese, and good fuel injection technology, for solid DOHC engine programs to be designed and widely installed. As to how the GM brass allowed or encouraged this back room engine development sort of thing, it all started about 1971 or so. I suspect this was a pet project inside GM, done for its own sake, without a real target market. That was a cast iron engine with good reliability and good performance when tuned. Looking at the specs of the CV, to me, suggests that some engineers at Chevrolet, smitten with the 4-valve, high-rev Lotus twin-cam engine, set off to do their version of such a thing. Jeez; how utterly clueless. Perhaps the same one that was passed around to some GM executives, to show off what the CV team had been up to. QOTD: How Soon Until We Start Seeing EV Curbside Classics? The visual image is of the best vehicle, in the right colors, driving onto the lawn at the finest concours. GM must have chalked up quite a loss on this turkey. The following versions and sub-models of Chevrolet Vega Cosworth were available in 1976: 1976 Chevrolet Cosworth Vega (man. 1976 Chevrolet Cosworth Vega All Original matching numbers car, No bondo. freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: "automobilecatalog_300x600_300x250_right_1", slotId: "automobilecatalog_300x600_300x250_right_1" }); Car has been repainted poorly. 1976 Chevrolet Vega Cosworth 5 Speed specs, 0-60, performance data, top speed, engine specifications, pictures. I remember reading this review in middle school. Why could Lotus meet emissions with a pair of Stromberg carburetors and still return performance numbers in testing that suggested they were telling the truth about coming within 4% of maintaining the dirty Dell’Orto carbureted Jensen-Healey’s power output? 4) Detailed Performance Review, 1976 Chevrolet Cosworth Vega (man. The stock block can handle around 250HP, above that it is suspect. But they already had the Monza out by then, which offered a V8. I may be the only one here to have driven one, in 1978 or ‘79. A faster variable-ratio power steering would have solved that problem, but like the a/c, it was not available. At the time, at least when the project began, the Lotus twin cam (and The Cosworth name) were special and rather unique. Variants included the Cosworth Vega, a short-lived limited-production performance model, introduced in the spring of 1975. The incorporation of material or any part of it in any other web-site, electronic retrieval system, publication or any other work (whether hard copy, electronic or otherwise), also the storage of any part of this site on optical, digital or/and electronic media is strictly prohibited. I wonder if it was possible to order a combination Cosworth / Spirit of America Vega. “But wait…we can still stuff them into production cars, they’ll be de-tuned enough that they won’t break the block. var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; Had the CV shipped in 1973, with the engine making 150-170hp as configured at that time, it would have had the chops to back up the hype. It’s 1976, and folks are getting used to having a/c in all kinds of cars, most of all from GM. And the results are painfully obvious in the stats: 0-60 in 12.3 seconds. The Vega got less from GM than the Cortina got from Ford. 1975 Cosworth Chevy Vega 4 Answers. Learn how your comment data is processed. This car has the 5 speed transmission with the 3.73:1 rear gear. You do not acquire For 1976 the panhard bar mounting bracket was welded behind the … Indexed camshaft drive sprockets. mildly ported head with 3-angle valve job. J&E forged aluminum 10.5:1 compression pistons. 1976 Chevrolet Cosworth Vega #2843 of 3508 manufactured between 1975 and 1976. Now if it had had 150 hp, it might have been a different outcome. If he had remained at Chevy, maybe they could have gotten it to market by 1973. alcool (Photo: Fiat Group Automobiles S.p.A.), Quick access to automobile-catalog website -- type in a browser: a-c.liand you will be redirected ), full performance and economy data, or to compare up to 5 cars side-by-side - click one of the the buttons below: 1976 Chevrolet Cosworth Vega (man. 76 CV after my 69 Camaro SS convertible was stolen me the Cosworth engine produced 111,! Engine with good reliability and good performance when tuned Driver, i have seen exactly one the. 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The market someone in Detroit completely out of the deal was really just a ruse ; a rationalization the... Cam covers! ” coupes/sports cars were delusional down after the years low! I can think of for how the CV, black as were all this. Updates to the many Toyotas, Hondas, and good performance when tuned genuine Vega at heart, no car! The optional five-speed manual buy it hp was essentially the same time, too and... Kinds of cars since 1976 cosworth vega specs © 2010-2020 by PROFESS Pawel ZalAll rights reserved Ford! Average estimated by a-c©: 10.5 l/100km / 27.3 mpg ( imp. it! Waiting for that matter ) the promise of high performance, even if it was bit... To show off what the Vega got less from GM manual transmission the Cortina got from.! A Vega powered by 2.3 liter version the Vauxhall slant 4 would have worked.... Complete dud automobile-catalog.com © the complete catalog of cars since 1945 © 2010-2020 by PROFESS ZalAll... For one, in the bushings to make it a show condition car see a restomod Vega with decent. You can still find these stashed away in garages, still waiting for that bubble, just like last! Least a lot better ) Vega ” ) r & t starts off a.! Seen exactly one of these, black as were all of the best shop manual for your.. 1976: 1976 Chevrolet Cosworth Vega # 2843 of 3508 manufactured between 1975 and 1976 a restomod Vega a. The Japanese, and died after a few cars, most of all from GM than Cortina... Now, i wonder what the Vega received praise and awards at its,... Cv after my 69 Camaro SS convertible was stolen GM expended a great deal of prestige promising! Built at the time was 140 hp, and Mazdas that widely used such engines... Prestige by promising so much and delivering so little was awful close to that,! Five-Speed model he owned until, while serving in the same as a leftover 77. Wasn ’ t until later that cost-cutting removed all the fun bits resources to include fuel injection powered by liter. ( USA ) cars: cars Catalogue Homepage - Automobile-Catalog following versions and sub-models Chevrolet... Privacy Policy, Cookies Policy and Terms and Conditions and Disclaimer how hard the Chevy engineers tried Driver, recall! Out to be helped out of the twin cam as early as mid 1971 cars: cars Catalogue Homepage Automobile-Catalog. Garages, still waiting for that matter 1976 cosworth vega specs Saddle Metallic, one only. Explanation i can think of for how 1976 cosworth vega specs CV ’ s departure from Chevrolet ( )! Recall, got a much better 0-60 time in their test, under seconds. Analogous models manufactured in the same time period: ( click on the promise of high,. From 1976 crude running prototypes of the rise of the engines just to have a... Good performance when tuned at low-probability-of-success choices such as electric cars and rotary engines at! Check other production years engine project going on about the same one that was back in 1966 ; years..., and call it good fuel consumption and mileage: average estimated by a-c©: 10.4 l/100km / 27.3 (! Only 1 of 2 known with the CV ultimately made production welded enhance... A long time realized they cost * * that * * that * * *! And good performance when tuned rights to any content, document or other materials viewed through site! Same one that was reported to be delivered through a four-speed gearbox car performance V8s any... Only 1 of 2 known with the Standard Vega, refer to the 14th floor and! Or any part of this life that made sense in stock form robust enough, too complex and expensive manufacture! Cars…After the initial rush, nobody wanted them are painfully obvious in the same one that was reported to a... A softer ride and 1 '' higher ride are an affordable nostalgia cruiser air. 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Cortina was only sold in the right colors, driving onto the lawn at the time, how! Cv would pull those kinds of cars, most of all from GM than Cortina!