Calling Gearheads

[M Fowler]

I don't remember the magazine but I still have the how to book on vega hot rodding.

I graduated to a Buick Opal GT with V6 for fun and then old hot rods and t-buckets.

[Structo]

I did bracket racing when I was young. Built a 1971 vega first with a 327/auto/narrowed 9 inch ford rearend. Then a 350 went in. I should have just when straight to 427/454 and been done. It was fun but then raising a family and drag racing budget didn't work for me.

I don't think an intact hatchback Vega ever made it to the junkyard as it seemed like they all wound up on the dragstrip. Do you remember V8 Vega Magazine?

I got pulled over once in 73' GT that a 327 in it. The car is long gone but I still have the 327. I also remember taking a piece of 2x6 and a slegdehammer to the firewall of a 75' to get a 427 and its headers to fit. Me and my high buddies could never get that car to go straight, I'm surprised I made it through HS alive.


Yeah, I feel ya.

Heheheh, I had a friend with a 72 Vega hatchback.
He was into drag racing as well as a few street races here and there.
He had a stroked 350, tunnel ram and two Holleys.
The whole undercarriage was rebuilt because the uni-body can't hold up to the torque.
He had these torque bars or traction bars that went from the rear axle to points under the front seats.
I believe he had a Ford 9 inch narrowed with tubs in the rear wheel wells.
I know he had some fat wrinkle wall slicks.
It had a built up turbo 400 auto with B & M parts and shifter.

Even after all the frame work on that car he couldn't keep a windshield on that car that didn't crack from when the frame twisted.

At the drag strip the wheels would come up about 8-10 inches.
He consistently ran in the low 9 second range.

It was sort of street legal. He got stopped for excessive exhaust noise a couple times on the gut.
He had mufflers but they were the Turbo type and it was still pretty loud.
But you could hear the gear drive camshaft over the exhaust.

It was and still is the fastest street legal car I have ever ridden in.

Before that he had a very fast 69 SS Chevelle with a 402 big block.

Lot of fun and that guy could build a great fast car.
He restored 69 Z28 Camaro's in his spare time.
He had one that I wanted so bad. All matching numbers with the factory 302. It wasn't in that bad of shape but he always did a frame off restoration so the car was essentially brand new when he was done.