Floor pans are in, firewall is in and body caulked n bondoed. Truck bed undercoating is next after the radiator core support rebuild. Battery tray is welded in place..It's coming together nicely...Pics soon, i promise.....Peace

 

[QUOTE=pioneer4x4;862390]The Vega is the first car designed with disc brakes standard.




I'm pretty sure the 1st. "American" car with standard disc brakes was the 1963 Avanti by Studebaker.

 

Couldn't edit the post, so...Gee, I left out a word...First GM car to offer front disk brakes standard....how's that, better?...Peace

 

Actually no, it's still wrong. I think disc, brakes were "standard" on other GM car's like the 68 Vette, and the Opel GT. Not trying to argue, just giving credit where it's due.lol

 

Update: - Currently disassembling, refreshing, an air conditioning evap/heater unit out of a 79 Sunbird - Generation 2 H-body and prepping it for the Gen.1 Vega firewall and underdash setup.

 

The only vegas I worked on were shells....lol. The first pro stock cars Paddock built were Opal GTs, and Vegas. I could have had a street tubbed and tubed Vega back in '73. We had a re-chassis car come in, and the guy went belly up and stuck Norm with the car. I was tempted to put a small block in it and run it on the street, but built a Camaro instead. I think Norm's idea of the Vega would have been better. Nice project. We did a lot of vegas, pintos, and opal gts in the 70's.....

 

Just found the rear window panels, nos from when I brought my Vega, havent thought about that car in a long time, thank for the memory's LINO C

 

Progressing albeit slowly. Obtained the correct bellhousing for the 4.3 and the new Sanderson shortys are in. Mockup for the motor will be soon. Spectrachrome paint is looking mighty attractive. On their website there was a Crossfire ltd. coupe done in un-tinted Spectrachrome. looked like a mirror....Peace

 

At what point in the assembly process did they install the rust seeds? I saw one once that was 3 months old and the top of the front fenders next to the hood were already rusting out.

 

The Cosworth Vega was fun though.

 

The body is from a 75 Cosworth, motor from a 98 Astro, tranny from a 74 vega GT, rear end from a 75 Cosworth-3:73, axles and spindles from a 92 S-10, AC out of a 77 Pontiac Sunbird, tilt steering from a 76 Monza. Kinda reminds me of an old Johnny Cash song.

 

Looking into having the dash recovered like stock. The only dash restoration company that I could find was in California that uses a vacuum vinyl fitting process and they are very proud of their work apparently. They want 850.00 to recover the dash like new. ..So, I must ask, do people really shell out that kind of money for a dash restoration? It's gonna be a show car, but, I am going to have to pass on a dash restoration at that price. And I have two dash panels that need it.

 

The dash recovering will be a custom project for way less than just dashes dot com wants. UPDATE - Rear end removed and prepped for S-10 axles for five lug rims. This rear differential is a locking type GM 77 with 3:73 ratio will be connected to a 77 Saginaw 4-sp. All bushings for trailing arms, panhard bar, and torque arm are ordered and on the way. Underbody restorations are complete, frame (unibody) strengthening is done and primer and undercoating will follow. Sending out the rear seats for recovering this week. Vortec V-6 4.3L, bored .030 over with a mild RV cam, 4-bbl 550 Holley is the powerplant. No, I don't expect it to be as fast as an SRT, but I think it's gonna turn just as many heads and there should be a "Grin Factor" as well....Peace

 

Underbody repairs are all made, rear end is freshened with s-10 axles, bearings and seals and ready to reinstall with fresh panhard bar and trailing arm bushings, and KYB shocks. Gas tank is ready to re-install, body shell is in epoxy primer and wet sanded to 2000 grit., front IMSA style air dam is on the way, rear spoiler is being prepped. Instrumentation cluster has been sent out for restoration, rear seats are at the upholstery shop. beefier front springs arrived, S-10 spindles are prepped and waiting on the new rotors and calipers to arrive before we can have a rolling chassis. New stainless brake lines arrived.
Hood and hatchback work commences soon. I wish I had a nickel for every time I've heard..."Why a Vega?"

 

Sorry Charlie but the first American car with 4 wheel disk brakes (standard) was the 1949 Chrysler Crown Imperial predating the 1950 Crosly Hot Shot (that won the first 12 hours of Sebring). You didn't say they had to work...


First 'vette with standard disks was in '65.

 

...Couldn't help myself ..had to pop on a 82 (first year) S-10. ps, pb, ac,.straight body,2.8v6, very little body rust...($ 500.00). Might have to part with the ssb roadster to make room or add another garage...kidding.

 

Rear is installed, s-10 spindles and new steering linkage is installed. Wheels are mounted...S-10 Sonoma style 15 inch. Dash pad is recovered, Wiring harness firewall connector is moved to allow for hydraulic master, hydraulic throw out bearing will be installed, no cable, no clutch arm. Custom motor mounts have arrived for the SBC-v6 vortec .030 over.New fuel line is in..peace

 

Brake master is installed, wheels are on the ground for the first time in a year and a half, GM truck bellhousing fits, motor mounts modified to bring the 4.3 1.5 inches forward allowing us to use the original drive shaft and torque arm bar and shift linkages. New 3 core, 5/8 copper tube, 14 fins per inch radiator was built to spec with larger inlet and outlet. Shifter is rebuilt now, should shift like butter. All interior is lined with shiny insulating sound deadening material as well as all AC duct work and evaporator box rebuilt and insulated. Waiting on a clutch to arrive...Peace..

 

Possibly to late but my '78 Sunbird (H body) with a factory SBC had a special offset flywheel and shoty bell housing to gain about 1/2". Clutch disk and pressure plate were stock chevvy.

 

Hydraulic throw out bearing is shimmed and in place, motor and tranny are mated. Motor gets installed today along with the drive shaft, torque arm bar and front K member. A/C defrost plenum gets installed today. ...Hurricane coming...all Crossfires and the Vega are in the garage safe and sound...so far.