Hey Padgett. did you ever drag race out in Bithlo? I believe a part or two on the Vega have come from that bone yard across the street from Orlando Speed World. UPDATE - The motor mounts had to be modified by an inch (cut and rewelded) to keep from having to cut the drive shaft, the shift linkages, bang up the firewall. The wiring harness connector in the engine bay had to be moved closer to the fender by an inch and a half to make room for the hydraulic master cylinder which eliminated our clutch cable, pulley and arm asembly. This is a slave-less system, direct to the throw out bearing. Air conditioning plenum is installed with refreshed blending door actuators. 8000 Cosworth tach is out for calibration to a 6 cyl instead of a 4 cyl. Speedometer is at a tatoo shop being re-painted. Anodized aluminum bumpers have been stripped of anodized coating, skuffed and polished, all belting rubber renewd along with all bumper bracketing and associated hardware. Hatchback has been rebuilt and reinforced at the hinge pin area. Door jams are painted and all parts are in epoxy sealer primer. Chrome alternator is installed along with a new AC condenser coil. Front lower valance has been riveted and epoxied to a custom lower air dam...almost IMSA style from the Monza. Currently I am polishing the new aluminum AC compressor with a Dremel.
A slim electric fan out of a Plymouth or Chrysler product fit perfectly which we have had to modify the shroud a little, but it will remove and install like the ones on the Crossfire.
The 550 Eddlebrock has not yet been mounted to the Performer intake. Lots of work left to do....

 

Any more updates ?

 

~We are currently in the process of mating the stock plastic lower valance to an IMSA style fiberglass lower air dam so that they will mount as one piece for greater strength. We reinforced the back side of the 42 year old plastic valance with foam-fill and undercoating using adhesive promoters before we riveted and epoxied the lower air dam to it.
~ We have mounted the fenders and mock-fitted the hood and are finalizing the front grill and hand-polished aluminum bumpers with its refreshed mounting hardware and rubber parts.
~ The tachometer, a rare 8K tack out of a Cosworth Vega,(others were 7K tachs) is on its way back from Canada where it has been calibrated for a 6 cyl as opposed to the old 4 cyl. That was holding up the completion of the instrument cluster/dash combo installation. The newer style dashes used a separate instrument cluster where in 74 - 77 it was a part of the dash. The center A/C ductwork connects at this time as well. Big Pain.
~ Headlight bezels are being painted and the headlight bulb buckets are restored and ready to install with fresh adjusting screws.
~ I stripped the bullet style side view mirrors down to raw aluminum and am debating if I should polish them or paint them to have them ready to reinstall after the shell is painted.

 

Photoshopped new faces for tach and speedo. Yet to install. De-anodized aluminum brite dipped trim pieces, one at a time, and etch primed and painted. LED lights are installed into the lower air dam. Doors need to be mock fitted. Gotta cover up the Crossies in the garage while sanding and priming the Vega. Gonna be a hot summer. Peace

 

~Update~ Instrument cluster is complete with new sockets and bulbs and ready to install ..after I get a suitable 2 **** radio. Replacing horn button switch hardware today. All of the radiator hoses are installed and covered with flex metal. Shut off valves are installed on the heater hoses.

~~Complete build is described with photos at H-body.org . Click forums, look for FrankenVega.

 

In the late 1980s, I built a '73 Vega GT with a 215 CI aluminum Buick V8. A former GM engineer had a kit that allowed the use of a T-50 five-speed transmission. It was great fun, but I kept breaking motor mounts.

 

I have the stock '74 4-sp Saginaw in it connected to the 4.3 Vortec. I am learning the differences in the T-5, T-50, and the World Class T-5. I am not anxious in having to move the shift lever at all if I change to one of these transmissions. The rear end is the 3:73 7.5in. from the Cosworth. In 73 or 74 they anticipated the Wankel rotary and made the transmission tunnel larger.
Build project can be seen on H-body.org website, Forums/Project builds. I think the Crossfires are in one of the pics in the garage.
Thanks for sharing your Vega pic.

 

Sure would be nice to get some of that flexible aluminum heat shielding like the Crossfires use at the firewall to shield my speedo cable near the exhaust. Engine start day soon.

 

She's Dead Jim! Power at the firewall harness connector, no power at the fuse panel...no horn, no headlights, no dome light, no radio, no clock (not a single luxury!)...Bypassed all of the fusible links on a 74 -3 terminal starter setup and went to a 2 wire starter..gave the fusible links their own sub fuse panel, which is hot. There is a circuit to de-energize the fuel pump if the oil pressure sending unit fails which is tied in to the hot side of the coil and the neutral safety switch (which is tied together, jumped out). Something is amiss.

 

~ Traced dead short and disconnected a misplaced (blk/w red strp) wire. Horn works, side markers work, tail lights work, only one brake light working, no tag light, headlights work, no instr. clstr lights yet. Oil light works with key in run, dash brake light indicator works, no reverse lights yet. I'm working with the original harnesses which were for an automatic, now a 4 speed. Seat belt buzzer ignition interlock may be the next problem incurred.
~ Once all the electric circuits check out, it will be time to prep the Vortec V6, .030 over for cranking , then hang the doors and send her out for paint. Color? Mazda "Soul Red Crystal" a candy color.

 

~ Replaced turn signal switch and flasher units, all lighting works properly, radio, cig. lighter, dome light, E-flashers.
~ Going through the oil pressure safety circuit and seat belt interlock circuit now prior to startup.

 

~ Got the temporary exhaust connected, distributor installed, oil, filter, and zinc additive, plugs, wires, fuel installed. Primed the dry carb and fired it up. Fixed fuel leak, T-stat housing neck sealed up, cleaned the tachometer connections added bulb grease and got the tach working. E-fan came on normally, we let it idle for a half hour with slight revs of the RPM's. Motor has slight cough every now and then...we think tight valves, not covid. Couldn't test the transmission yet until we fill and bleed the hydraulic throw out bearing.

 

~ Cough was neither the "Rona" or tight valves, ...can you say ..plug wires 3 and 5 mixed up causing backfire shifting the JEGS starter whos JEGS supplied bolts were smaller in diameter than the stock GM bolts taking out 3 separate(120degrees?) flywheel teeth. Starts and runs great so far...no dead spots starting...I think I'll live with it till it causes a problem.
~ Mounting the cluster and dash pad next then securing the steering column.
~ Problems bleeding the hydraulic throw out bearing may cause us to have to go in and shim it more....sux.

 

~ Replacing the rotary vacuum AC/Heat vent control so the air doors in the plenum will work properly. Waiting on that part...it's the same as the one on the Corvette...Ecklers had it. Then we can secure the cluster and dash and steering column.
~ Made valve adjustment to eliminate ticking...no tick now...engine runs smooth.

 

~ Tidyied the engine bay wiring and re-loomed all loose wiring now that all electrical is operational.
~ Ordered new windshield washer pump. Installed the hood support rod...tricky.
~ Clutch bleed problems...may have to re-shim the hydraulic throw out bearing...can't get it into gear yet.

 

~ Clutch (hydraulic TOB no slave) is bled it seems. Shifted into gear and depressed it and she rolled, havent tried it under power yet.
~ Reservoir pushrod support bracket of the linkage to the pedal that we fabricated was not heavy enough and bent so we welded more metal to it.
~ A/C vent downpipe driver side needs to be finalized before the dash and cluster finally goes into place allowing for the steering column to be secured...it's hanging at the moment.

 

~ Hydraulic TOB finally bled. Shifts into gear properly. Runs and drives now. Drove it out of the garage to clean underneath and backed it back into its spot.
~ Passes the "Heidelberg Test"....printers know what this means...you can balance a nickle on its side with the motor idling...smoothe.
~ Speedo cable exits the speedometer in a way that the newer"77" air conditioning plenum is in the way. We will bore a hole through the plastic plenum and make a sealed tunnel through it with PVC to run the speedo cable through.
~ Seat rail mods to the Pontiac G5 seats is now taking place. Theyre a little wider than the original Vega seats, but we mocked up the door with the seat in place and the door closes properly.

 

~ Exhaust leak at exhaust manifold , drivers side, where we fabricated a plate to cover a component that we do not need, gasket failed, has to be bench fixed.
~ Removed steering shaft from rag joint and uncoupled the univ. at the steering gearbox to facilitate manifold removal.
Working backwards it seems.
Paint soon...Mazda 46V Soul Crystal Red candy and the GT stripe will be..2008 Dodge Brilliant Black Crystal Pearl...I have the reverse GT paint mask for the black, but it's gonna be touchy to apply over the fresh basecoat of red.

 

~ Exhaust Manifold leak is fixed.
~ Seats are mounted...temporarily till after paint when they have to come out for carpet.
~ Doors and hood and hatchback mounting next. Theyve all been restored and strengthened and butterscotched in the galley ways between the metal.

 

Finally got the instrument cluster -speedo cable issue - solved. The vacuum actuator that controls the defrost door mounted on the 77 AC plenum, interfered with the 74 speedo cable location of the GT dash preventing full insertion of the cluster into the dash frame. Found one off of a Dodge Ram truck with AC that looked similar and had a longer actuator arm allowing for relocating of the interfering actuator. We fabbed a tin bracket to hold the newly relocated actuator.