Hi Everyone!

This story is a long time coming. My family has been in possession of a 1976 Cosworth Vega since about 2004. #2467. I was only about 13 years old at the time, and according to my parents, they found it in an empty field. They bought it for $1000 and brought it home with plans for it to be my first car once I turned 16. It came with all of the original warranty information from the dealer (Jack Marshall Chevrolet Co. in Claremore, OK), the original owners manual, and (what looks to be) an original service manual from 1975. Originally purchased on August 2, 1977, this car has FINALLY made it on the forum, 48 years later to the day.

The history of the car before 2004 is a mystery, but it was driven at least into the 90s with a mileage of roughly 80,000 miles. The rumor in the family is that it had transmission and/or engine issues and was abandoned; we know very little else. Surprisingly, the underside is solid and only has a bit of surface rust here and there, so it likely didn't sit in the field for too long before we found it. Once we had it, it's been garage kept and inevitably became a shelf for junk.

Last year, my mom twisted my ear and said enough was enough. "Get that thing restored or get it OUT!" Message well received. We attempted to turn the engine over, took the hood off, attached a battery, turned the engine over by hand to see if it was free. It rotated freely but the timing belt had turned to dust. It's been a year (priorities being what they are). So next step is to check the cylinder bores, get a new belt, and see if it has any compression.

I'll upload the documents and pictures of the car once I get them a bit more organized.