I've attended about a dozen POCI national shows, and finally this year in Wisconsin I saw an Astre registered for the show. The owner was quite knowledgeable on the subject, including they were Canada only for the first 2 years of production.
I think these mistakes happened as the cars were made in the same plant and I seem to recall small trim items being mixed up like this. I'm not sure if that "Vega GT" is a stock label, did the chrome trim on the back say Vega too? Not many had that spoiler either.
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63 Parisienne sport coupe (The Big GTO), black, maroon interior, 409 4 speed; former owner of a 59 El Camino, 63 Corvette SWC, 62 Chev Bel Air SC. 1963- Pontiac top selling car in Canada
Mahone Bay, NS Still not old enough to need an automatic
1975-76 Astre grille, 1974-74 Vega remainder. Spoiler is not factory, although I have seen that type on the Astre "L'il Wide Tracker". Those aren't GT wheels and it doesn't have GT Sport Mirrors. GTs also had a gauge cluster & a 4-spoke steering wheel. I figure I'm looking a a plain '75 Vega Hatchback with a replacement '75 Astre grille.
The fact that it is on the road is unusual in itself. The 1975 Vegas claimed to have "268 improvements" including cast iron cylinder liners, coolant overflow reservoir, torque tube rear differential support, HEI, catalytic converter...
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67 Chevelle Malibu Sport Coupe, Oshawa-built 250 PG never disturbed.
In garage, 296 cid inline six & TH350...
Cam, Toronto.
I don't judge a man by how far he's fallen, but by how far back he bounces - Patton
I figure I'm looking at a plain '75 Vega Hatchback with a replacement '75 Astre grille.
What Cam said ...
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Prince Edward Island
'64 Parisienne CS "barn find" - last on the road in '86 ... Owner Protection Plan booklet, original paint, original near-mint aqua interior, original aqua GM floor mats, original 283, factory posi, and original rust.
I don't know if I believe the "Cast Iron cylinder" story.
I've had a few apart including 1977 models.
"Iron coated" Aluminum pistons in an Aluminum block, cast Iron cylinder head.
It might have been creative advertising.
Thanks Randy
-- Edited by GLHS60 on Friday 20th of July 2018 03:26:52 AM
That is interesting to hear, Randy. My older brother's good friend is (was?) a master mechanic at a Chevy dealer back in the late 70s through this millennium. He said that the dealers got a cast iron sleeve kit to resleeve the Vega blocks. Normally non-sleeved Vega block could not be field serviced, the blocks were designed to either be throw-away or else sent back to GM where specialized equipment could etch the high silicon aluminum blocks after reboring. After all the oil burning bad rap the Vega & Astre got, GM did some re-engineering to try to salvage the car and reputation. Remember the Dura-Built 2300 of 76/77? That was supposed to be the new and improved block with liners cast (or pressed?) in.
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67 Chevelle Malibu Sport Coupe, Oshawa-built 250 PG never disturbed.
In garage, 296 cid inline six & TH350...
Cam, Toronto.
I don't judge a man by how far he's fallen, but by how far back he bounces - Patton
I always thought the Vega was a better looking car than the Astre. I had a 74 Vega hatch back with four speed stick and high output four back in 1978 to 1980. I loved the car with the exception of the oil burning. My car at the time had about 48,000 miles and i put a quart of oil in every gas fill up more or less. My Vega was not a typical rust out like most of them back then. My Vega was really solid, had lots of power for what it was and handled like a rail. Like i said, i loved the car minus the oil burning. I sold the car to a guy who pro streeted the car to perfection, he did an amazing job with the whole transformation. I actually sold the car for double what i paid for it. The solid condition sold this guy because he never offered any less than what i wanted. I know these cars have had major bad raps and for obvious reasons but i have always liked them. Now imagine owning one of the very rare COSWORTH Vega's. Cheers.
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1957 Pontiac Pathfinder Deluxe sedan restored 261 six
1974 Chevrolet Caprice Estate wagon low mileage original 400 V-8
I always thought the Vega was a better looking car than the Astre. I had a 74 Vega hatch back with four speed stick and high output four back in 1978 to 1980. I loved the car with the exception of the oil burning. My car at the time had about 48,000 miles and i put a quart of oil in every gas fill up more or less. My Vega was not a typical rust out like most of them back then. My Vega was really solid, had lots of power for what it was and handled like a rail. Like i said, i loved the car minus the oil burning.I know these cars have had major bad raps and for obvious reasons but i have always liked them. Now imagine owning one of the very rare COSWORTH Vega's. Cheers.
Exactly my experience with my '73. Baby Camaro styling.
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Prince Edward Island
'64 Parisienne CS "barn find" - last on the road in '86 ... Owner Protection Plan booklet, original paint, original near-mint aqua interior, original aqua GM floor mats, original 283, factory posi, and original rust.
Nothing like a slow ride in a BBC Vega Panel. The boy & I went for a grocery run today. On the way home he was pimping me to open it up. So I opened up the headers and letter rip for a couple gears. With 4:56's things happen pretty quick. Not a great picture, but gives you the idea. A few oil leaks underneath when we first got it running 3 years ago.
Love the front ends/grill on these Vega's. The lil Camaro...
-- Edited by 69 Nova SS on Sunday 22nd of July 2018 10:04:55 PM
-- Edited by 69 Nova SS on Sunday 22nd of July 2018 10:05:43 PM
I had a very early production 71 vega back in the day. I bought it from my girlfriends Dad for the outstanding towing bill to bring it home after the engine seized. $37 and it was mine. It had a three speed standard, floor shifted of course. Pretty plain, but only had 32,000 miles on it and rust free. This would have been 87.
I'd seen several poor V8 swaps, one really good V8 swap and thought I'd be a bit different at the time and dropped in a 229" Chevy 90 degree V6. I swapped in a better cam and a small holley 4 barrel and found a Saginaw 4 speed from a newer Vega GT. It was a super fun car, tons of useable power, still great of gas, and reliabe enough to daily drive it...which I did. I went for more of a road race look to it, Dropped and level with 215/60 R13's on vega ralley rims at all four corners.
I may have had $1200 into it, drove the wheels off it for two years.............................and should have kept the damn thing! lol
