1975 Chevrolet Vega Hatchback 2.3L from North America
Summary:
This has been and still is one great little car
Faults:
I had a single valve burn out at 180,000 miles.
New radiator at 145,000 miles.
Rebuilt the starter 3 times, still have the original one.
Replaced OEM muffler and shocks at 80,000 miles. 2nd muffler then took me to 205,000. I'm on the 3rd muffler since the car was built (same exhaust pipe except for the 2.5 ft end connected to output of muffler).
Rebuilt the alternator 3 times, but also had loads of 27 amps from AM ham mobile radios (all tube type).
General Comments:
This has got to be the most reliable, trouble free, easy to work on, great gas mileage, and with the fold down rear seats and hatchback. It is amazing the stuff I've hauled! From furniture, rugs, chairs, dressers, christmas trees, 10 foot sections of pipe (that go between the front seats) and able to close the hatch!), and even camping out in the car! Though I don't have the optional tent accessory that connected when the hatch was open.
The Delco radio is tops; when I used to listen to FM, it did, and still picks up stations other car radios don't even hear, and on AM, the sound is hi-fi not tinny.
Now that some stations are playing the '60's format again on AM, it is like time has stood still cruising around.
Handles great, easy to park, seats are comfortable, even the rear seats, which is unusual for this decade.
Just do all the regular maintenance on it!
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 19th August, 2007
29th Jun 2021, 03:13
I wish I had your Vega. Mine nickeled and dimed me the entire 4 years I had it. To this day it was the worst car I ever owned.
29th Jun 2021, 19:31
My dad owned two in the mid ‘80s, one a panel wagon that smelled like cow dung, and that’s what it was, a piece of cow dung. The guy he sold it to later said the frame broke on the road. The other was a green sedan that I drove for a year in high school. It wouldn’t start if it were below freezing, the starter would intermittently fail, it had a top speed of 50 with the rods a-rattling blowing oil smoke out behind it, and rusted out halfway up the doors. God, what a shameful example of the American automobile. The best thing I can say about it is that it kept you warm and dry on a sleety October night, so it was a step up from a bicycle though not as dependable.
30th Jun 2021, 17:03
Yeah, these cars were such garbage. Made worse by the fact that major union and labor issues were happening at GM, leading to some instances of soda bottles and loose nuts and bolts being left inside the door panels (intentionally).
30th Jun 2021, 20:31
What years were they? Supposedly (even though I never owned one) these cars got better in the later years, but by then the reputation was tarnished. GM would follow this same pattern with the X body cars and the Oldsmobile diesel. The Vega may have been one of the worst cars of the time, but I can tell you from experience that the full and mid size V8 GM cars were excellent.
1st Sep 2010, 13:02
In my college days I owned a 75 Vega Hatchback; it was a 4 on the floor, and was pumpkin orange in color.
It was fun to drive, and to haul around stuff.
It could do 93 or so mph going down a hill at full throttle, plus it would shake, rattle and roll in the process.
Unfortunately the 2300 cc engine had to be overhauled twice (while on warranty). The second fix got rid of the oil burning problem.
It also had the notorious Holly twin carburetor, which had to be replaced. The car was hard to start in cold weather, even after the carb was replaced and checked out.
One very cold night, the car froze up and would not even turn over in the morning. My Father in-law, in his car, helped push start it down the road, something that could be done with a manual transmission. She started after the second pop of the clutch in second gear.
The body held out OK for the five years I owned it, with minor rust on the rear wheel wells and front fenders.