Notchback Survivor: 1977 Chevrolet Vega
Seven years after the first model year for the Vega, this car rolled out of the factory wearing this Bright Orange paint and those big bumpers. The seller has this 1977 Chevrolet Vega Notchback Coupe posted here on craigslist in Hudson, Colorado, just northeast of Denver. They want $6,000 firm for this one. Here is the original ad, and thanks to Gunter K. for sending in this tip!
At 14.5-feet in length, the Vega was, indeed, “a trim size”, as written in a 1977 Vega brochure. That brochure goes on to say that the Vega has 42.9-inches of front legroom! As a comparison, a new Chevrolet Suburban has 44.5-inches of front legroom. Would any of you have guessed that his Vega would have just 1.6 fewer inches of front legroom than a brand new Suburban?
The Vega was made from 1970 for the 1971 model year until the 1977 model year and there was a two-door hatchback, two-door wagon, and a two-door notchback with a trunk, as with this car. There were no four-door versions but if I had time, I’d whip out a version on Photoshop. Maybe I’ll come back to that later. The seller says that this car is all original and has never been modified, which I guess is sort of the same thing but I say that all the time, too.
Sadly, the interior photos are lacking as far as actually showing the interior as a whole rather than detailed photos. We don’t see the seats at all front or rear or anything but three close-up photos, including the one above showing very dirty carpet (are those cigarette burns?) and a four-speed manual transmission. A five-speed would also have been available as well as a three-speed automatic. The Vega brochure mentions a “built-in heater and defroster system” as a feature, so you know this car had it all!
The engine looks clean and it should be Chevy’s 2.3-liter inline-four with 84 horsepower and 117 lb-ft of torque. The seller says that it runs and drives, and all of the glass is original and in good shape. This sounds like a nice start for a Vega restoration – if there is such a thing. Question of the day: Hatchback or Notchback?
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Comments
The fact that the coolant overflow receptacle is a Shell Rotella oil container tells me that the water pump should be well-lubricated.
Preference in order:
Kammback
Hatchback
Notchback
I have had 26 of these critters in the 80’s and 90’s as I rebuilt and sold them as a secondary income. Every year, every model except the Cosworth. The Notchback was the cheapest and least desired. Rental car market was the primary buyer of Notchbacks.
This one does have the 4 speed Saginaw transmission instead of the 3 spd AT.
It “fine”, but not desirable.
I had three Notchbacks, a green and two tans. One of the ran ones was veeeeery early 1970, and had blank panels for the air vents at the footwells as the default vented ones were not available for production yet at that time. Even in 1970, automakers were shipping and selling incomplete cars!
You mean to tell me the latter non a/c car had 2 push/pull knobs under either end of the dash for outside air, & the air was blocked off by the wrong kickpanels?! I think more likely someone at the factory put on kick panels meant for Vegas with a/c BY MISTAKE, since those do NOT bring in
FRESH air directly from the outside. I would have gone to the dealer, demanding the proper kick panels be swapped in!
You should have reserved at least 1 of those vegas for only good weather driving(would not matter how many miles driven, as long as there were no accidents) & store in a garage to avoid sun damage. If you eventually swapped in a chevy 153 4 cyl & a powerglide & some spring assisted front shocks, i bet it would still be rust free, look good, & be running fine today!
Did you ever try to swap in the 4 cyl(sawed off strait 6) from the 60’s nova?
The local, small-town Chevy dealer had one just like this on the lot well into 1979. It was prominently featured on the raised, covered platform they used to highlight selected inventory. Every time I passed by, there it sat, available but unloved. I was shocked the day it finally disappeared.
Now it’s back. Like a bad penny.
Notchback, dirty, has rust, 6K FIRM
What’s not to like? All of the above.
Actually looks like a fleet purchase for a highway department…
Was the car even worth $6k back then. I doubt it.
Another GM garbage compact product of the era.
6000 bucks would have bought you an Impala in 1977, so no, they weren’t worth in back then.
Let’s see, undesirable year, fugly bumpers, trashed interior, different shades of orange, and rode hard and put away wet. I know Inflation is bad, but marijuana is legal in most states, and I think someone got a hold of some purple haired skunk weed. This is a really tired car that needs to be euthanized. These were bad new, put it to sleep or donate it to your local church.
OTOH, it’s a running Vega in one piece in the third millennium, with surprisingly solid wheelarches. Someone should preserve it as an example of a car that sold in the millions and is all but extinct…
… but it won’t be me.
These were nice to drive — I test drove a new coupe with the sports package and manual transmission. It was comfortable, peppy and fun to drive. I suggested it to my dad, who was looking for a new car.
Good thing he decided to get his second Saab V4 in a row. The Vega proved a very bad car with severe rust issues and a self-destroying engine with cast iron head on an aluminum block.
The grisly details are all here. If you’re old enough to remember, you’ll chuckle or shed a tear. If you’re too young to recall, you’ll learn a few things from this Motor Trend read.
The car on sale is a piece of history. Worth $6000? I paid that for a used Miata a few years ago which runs like a champ. So … I’m doubtful.
https://www.motortrend.com/vehicle-genres/chevrolet-vega-terrible-cars-that-shouldnt-have-been-terrible/
My “first new” car. 1971 bought for $2249 (and I had to take out a loan – still have the window sticker) … it was a *very) basic model. Absolutely NO frills: turn signals were not self cancelling, the window washer was a small rubber bulb on the dash you had to pump … and last no head liner. I lived in North Texas at the time … ouch For the record, it died before it reached 40K even with a new “warranty engine” installed.
My very first car was a black 1976 Vega hatchback auto tran & red interior. And yes it was very hot in the summer after sitting a while. Decent little car, but just not enough HP for a 17 year old. I think I paid about $2500 in 1978 but been too long. Only had it about a year before jumping into a V8 car, but had already started hearing that problems with the engine would coming, so good time to sell it.
Was there a special option/model that utilized the hugger orange paint color?
Seems i recall something about this?
I’m surprised that he didn’t mention that the car keeps him awake at night from the sound of it rusting. 🤔 my 73 did it for me and lost its front fenders by 75 and was working on engine number three.
I’m with Vance. Maybe the church could have a car bash.
I bought a ‘73 Kammback with 63k. Had a new “upgraded” factory longblock with 17k. Really nice car. Figured I got an awesome deal! Didn’t make it to 18k.
Sold it to a friend for $400. He only ended up paying $200. Lesson learned.
There is a way, which I have seen, to make these look even worse. Replace a door with one from a hatchback. Fits fine, except it’s about 2” short height-wise. 👍🏻
$6000? They gonna own this until the day market reality sets in. By then the gas will be sludge, the battery will be toast and the paint, tires and interior even more baked. Delusion has a cost.
Notchback has a couple more inches of rear seat leg room as opposed to the hatch and kammback as well as the Dura-Built 2.3 with all the improvements Chevy should have made by ’73.
Peak Vega.
I used to hate the front end and bumpers on the later model Vegas but GM did a better job with these than Ford with the Pinto.
The engine is probably fine. If it craps the bed the Iron Duke 2.5 drops right in.
The Notchback was a scarcity back in 1977, and even more so today. I can’t remember ever seeing one.
I didn’t think it would happen but this is actually a car that make the Chevette posted a couple of days ago look like a bargain!
Notch back for me.
IMO, Chevy could have saved a bunch of design & tooling up money here if they used the doors & smaller windshield of the fastback – in the notchback.
Sure don’t know why Ford doesn’t make a notchback mustang anymore, which sold more than the fastback in the 60s, at least – lot of lost sales, if you ask me. & why they & the others don’t offer a lower cost/lower power V6 (200 hp would be fine for commuting) is beyond me.
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