A Mal Kooiman car. From Michigan. Parted out?

Part of Chris Wheaton’s Registry
Black/ Black Vinyl VIN- 266117

Owned by David Ellerbe in Simi Valley CA.

Offered for sale on eBay in July of 2003:
1975 Cosworth Vega Serial #1768
1V77E5U266199
Original Cosworth Gold Wheels retaining 95% Original gold paint.
VBB2 Black vinyl Interior.
4 Speed.
3:73 posi rear gears.
Rear window defogger.
Swing out Rear Windows.
AM/FM 4 speaker Stereo Radio.
Soft Ray Tinted Glass.
Door edge guards.
Heavy Duty Battery.
Auxiliary Lighting.
All gauges including Tachometer in working order.
37,137 actual miles.
Purchased New@ Dutch Chevrolet, Belfast, Me. Have original Maine title.
Most of Original Window Sticker still remains on left rear window.
A 2 owner registered Cosworth Vega.
98% Original paint, Car was professional compounded and Buff on July 3 2003. Owner just bought Brand New, impossible to find, under hood insulation pad. Available to CVOA members only. Paint has a few blemished and a little thin in a couple of spots but is almost completely original and unmolested, as the rest of this 28 year old Cosworth is. Almost impossible to find one this untouched. All Mechanics' are all original Cosworth; nothing has been replaced or restored. The present collector just replaced the tires with 4 new 195x13 Armstrong top of the line rubber. Owners has Original Factory GM 1976 (Non Cosworth) Vega Service manual which covers most of this Vehicle

Bob Kramer (possibly current owner) According to Region 8 Records. 12/4/14

Other owners listed as John Peacock in 1986,

Owned by Scott Gamble in Michigan. Black/ Black Vinyl. VIN 266291

Other owners listed as John Peacock in 1986, and Bob Kramer (possibly current owner) According to Region 8 Records. 12/4/14

According to an August of 2011 membership application, this car is now owned by Ken Smith of San Rafael, CA.

According to a September 2011 eBay listing, this car belongs to Ken Zymeth (Smith) of San Rafael, CA. The listing reads: 1975 Cosworth Vega for Auction. Dash Plate #1772. 20,700 miles(an estimate as I do occasionally drive the car). 2 Liter DOHC Fuel Injected Aluminum Block engine. Refreshed with all new seals and gaskets in 2010. All bearings and clearances were in like new tolerances. Stock 4 speed manual transmission, stock rear differential. No air conditioning, no power steering, no power brakes, no power assisted anything as the Vega came from the factory that way. This car was built in Tonawanda, NY. The only non GMC after market part is the Manifold Air Pressure unit. Black paint is original except for right front fender. Exterior accent stripes and logos are CVOA supplied items. Interior looks original and is in excellent condition. Everything but the dash clock works. The dash is in excellent condition. Has the factory installed AM/FM radio. New Radiator, clutch, pressure plate and throw out bearing. 5 New Cooper Cobra GT tires. Cosworth alloy wheels were reconditioned and repainted in 2009. This car needs nothing but a new driver. Owner's Manual, Vega Shop Manual and Cosworth Vega Supplement Manual included. There is NO RUST on this car, anywhere. The rusty color in the spare tire well is discoloration of the seam sealer. The trunk paint is intact. The exhaust system was updated in 2010. All the updates, repairs, refreshed and newly installed items were commissioned by the previous owner who was planning to give this car to his high school student daughter, but opted for a more practical car, instead. This car is in excellent condition, looks every bit as good as the photos and performs as the Cosworth team intended. The car has spent its entire life in Arizona and California. All the historical information provided about Cosworth Vega #1772 is from the two previous owners here in the SF Bay Area of California." http://kenzmyth.com/1975cosworthvega2/cosworthvega/

According to a July 2009 membership application, this car is now owned by Jacques Charton of San Rafael, CA. The VIN is 1V77E5U266324. Black/ Black Vinyl

Offered again in November of 2005 with the following description: “Up for sale is my Fathers 1975 Cosworth Vega. He is the only owner of this car. It has 18,699 miles, this is the actual mileage. It has been in Arizona all but the first 2 years of its life. Been in storage for 15 years until about 2 years ago when it was brought out to be cleaned up to be sold. It has not been registered since 1986. It was pulled out of storage and talked to Bill Heard Chevy and had the following replaced, spark plug wires, packing wheel bearings, Service of rear diff. replaced exhaust due to being plugged up with grass. Flush cooling system, Lube oil, filter, flushed fuel system, cleaned fuel tank, replaced all lines, replaced fuel pump, replaced battery and replaced tires. A total of about $2000.00 worth of work. It runs great! I only have the title and the owner’s manual as far as paperwork goes. Please look at the pics in detail as I'm not a professional car salesman and don’t know how to perfectly describe this car. It is dash # 1772. Interior- great shape! Seats are perfect, I can’t find anything wrong with them, same goes for the headliner, carpet is also great--might be faded a slight bit but it has no stains tears or scuffs, also has floor mats. Dash and gauges are in great working shape, not a single thing wrong that I can see. Glass is also in great shape! No leaks on the inside! I would put the interior at a 9.8 out of 10. Paint and Body: Body in very good shape, there are about 4-6 small door dings, not very noticeable, see pics down the side of the car to see them. I would put the body at 8.5 out of 10 Paint is good for the age in my opinion. It is good in most places but has scratches on the hood from a dog jumping up on the hood, may be able to be buffed out but I did not want to try due to the age of the paint. There is also a key mark on the passenger door, see picture. It is about 30 inches long. There are 2 places of rust about the size if a thumb nail or smaller, I could not find any other rust anywhere. They are by the windshield near the wipers, in the grated area. I would rate the paint at 7 out of 10. Motor is perfectly running and pretty clean, see pictures. I would give it 9 out of 10 due to not being 100% shiny. Please feel free to ask all questions! Please don’t bid unless you want this car and have the cash now. I have sold this car 2 times and the bidders did not have the $. I will leave negative feedback if I have to. A $500 deposit is required within 5 days! Car must be picked up or shipped within 14 days.” In answer to a question, the car sold for $6100 the first time, and $5400 the second time.

Offered for sale in a Tucson, AZ auto trader magazine: “#1772---(1975) with 18 original miles (yes, it says 18)just serviced, new fluids, belts, battery, tires. Runs great, no rust, $7,000. 480-767-2695, ask for Ryan.” According to Chris, VIN is 1V77O5U266324.

Offered again in January of 2005. Miles are 18k, not 18. “WOW. This is a 1975 Chevy Cosworth Vega with only 18,800 original miles!!! I'm selling this for my father; he is the original owner of this car!!! This car has been in storage in Sedona AZ for the last 16 years, until October of 2002 when it was trailered back to Phoenix, AZ. It was taken to the Chevy dealership and they were told to take care of anything it needed. It did not need much due to the limited miles on it. Here is a list of what was done, Packing of front wheel bearings, Serviced rear differential including lubed and replaced gasket, replaced muffler, flushed cooling system, lube oil and filter, replaced battery, cleaned fuel system including replaced all flexible lines, fuel pump, and cleaned gas tank, and replacement of spark plugs and wires. The tires were also replaced. We spent about $1500.00 getting everything to original condition. The car is all stock except for the muffler (still have the original) and the lower front air dam. I was told it was an add-on (it could be removed). The only thing that is not working to my knowledge is the gas gauge (I took it by the dealership and they looked in the back by the tank and said they knew what the problem was and it was simple, but I have not had a chance to take it back yet). The car has been driven less than 50 miles since all this work was done. The number on the dash plaque is 1772. It is a 4-speed manual. As with all cars back then it has no AC, no power steering, no power brakes, no power windows, no power door locks. All the lights are in good working order along with the radio. It has a duel overhead cam 4 cylinder motor. The inside of the car is very good to great condition. I would say a 8 or 9 out of 10. Please see pictures!! The seats are great, no sign of any wear, no sagging of the headliner, door panels are great. Carpet is very good; it has always had floor mats. Dash is also great with no cracks. This car was originally bought in Ohio, but was quickly brought to Arizona and has been here ever since. It has not even been registered since 1986. The paint and body is the only flaw in this car. It has some door dings which I have tried to get into the pictures, but a camera can only tell so much. The paint is original so you can get an idea of its condition. It is chipped in numerous areas and keyed on the passenger door. This car would really be amazing with a fresh coat of paint! The motor runs good and starts right up even after sitting for a month or so. It does leak a little oil but I think it is out of the oil pan. The motor in my opinion is pretty clean, but the pictures are for you to see. I could find no rust on this car. I looked under the hood, in the wheel wells and so on. Please e-mail me with any questions or request for other pictures.

Part of Chris wheaton’s registry
Black/ Black Vinyl VIN- 266355

Part of Chris Wheaton’s Registry
Black/ ? VIN- 266381

Part of Chris Wheaton’s Registry
Black/ ? VIN- 266410

Owned by John Dubovsky from the Flint, MI area. He has owned it for about 20 years (as of late 2004) and has recently developed a renewed interest in these cars. He also bought #0171 in Brecksville, OH after it was offered on eBay, and got a spare engine with it that had Webers!

For your bidding or "Buy it Now" consideration is a 1975 Chevrolet Cosworth Vega Twin Cam. The Cosworth Vega was a limited production version of the popular Vega Hatchback that was built in 1975 & 1976, with a total of approximately 3508 units being made. The primary difference between the Cosworth and standard Vega was the high performance 4 cylinder dual overhead cam engine that had Electronic Fuel Injection, and along with this had a high performance chassis with cast-aluminum wheels and a unique appearance package featuring gold trim accenting the black paint outside and an engine-turned gold dash panel on the inside that had a unique production number plaque for each car affixed to it. This one has #1776 as its' Cosworth production number.

I'm the second owner of this vehicle, and have had it for 27 years. Throughout my ownership I have strived to keep it as original as possible, and it does retain the original drive-train, exterior paint and interior. As far as I know, except for the Ziebart rust proofing, an aftermarket muffler and exhaust (which was on the car when I bought it), an aftermarket high pressure fuel pump, a refurbished dash bezel, repainted wheels, replacement rubber fuel hoses and refurbished battery tray area and trunk well, this car is exactly as it was when it rolled out of the factory. I have owned several Cosworths through the years, and this was in fact the first one I ever bought, and I can say without hesitation that I have enjoyed driving it more than any other one. It has always started right up and ran strong and free, enticing me to wind it out and take it for a "spirited" drive. This car wants to be "driven" and not babied, and I think that because I have always done that, it has always responded by being reliable for me.

During my ownership, but for an 18 month period from 2001-2002, the car has been kept inside a garage. That 18 month period that it was outside and the fact it had a paint problem from the factory on the horizontal surfaces (that was sloppily addressed by the dealer) has caused there to be some paint crazing and flaking that resulted in some surface rust. There is no rust through on the car, surface rust only. I have addressed the surface rust as it has cropped up, and in fact there is now some very small areas that need attention, but to have this permanently stopped would require a repaint of the car. There are 4-5 small door dings in the body that I am sure could be eliminated by a ding expert, and the gold striping shows its age. The front bumper fascia is cracked (common on these cars), and the aluminum bumpers while not perfect, are in good condition with no dents and some oxidation of the anodizing. All glass is intact with no cracks, and all windows operate as they should. All lights and signals are in operating condition. The rear tires are old and need to be replaced showing some minor signs of sidewall cracking while the front tires are in good condition.

The interior of this Cosworth is very good. The only things taking it from excellent are:
1) the carpet is a bit faded from when it was outside and a bit worn looking in the driver's foot-well because the original owner did not use floor mats
2) the AM/FM radio is not working and I believe it needs a new speaker
3) the driver's side sill plate is a bit scuffed and dinged up
4) the clock does not work and is missing the adjustment knob
5) the rear window defogger needs new wiring where it transfers from the wiring harness to the hatch
6) there are minor scuffs on the plastic panels in the rear seat and hatch area

Overall this is a very structurally solid and excellent running and driving Cosworth with a very nice interior that has some cosmetic issues that would need attention if you would want it to be of show car quality. It is a blast to drive and has been very reliable, and for me that has been what I have enjoyed about having this car, and I believe you will too!

Though not pictured, there is a full jack set and storage hardware that goes with the vehicle, along with a spare wheel in good condition without a tire.

The original owners manual and a Cosworth Vega supplemental shop manual will be included with the vehicle.

Vehicle is being sold as is/where is with no expressed or implied warranty of any kind. I have described the vehicle to the best of my abilities and reserve the right to end the auction at any time as the vehicle is for sale locally. I will help in any way I reasonably can to assist in the shipment of this vehicle to the buyer.
Listed on ebay 8-24-15 by John dubovsky from Flint Michigan

Listed for sale on Facebook Marketplace in Huntingdon Quebec on 2-28-2022. In rough Shape.

My friend Richard also owned #1777 in Clearwater FL, and this car had the full blocked black background on the fender decals. Richard bought #1777 for $500. It needed a clutch and cable to run. The car needed to be restored. It was a driver, but intact. The bottom of the right quarter panel looked like someone took one of those old fashioned manual can openers to it! We changed the clutch, cable and cleaned it up. The car has long been sold and we do not know where it is at this point in time. JDEaglefish123.
Black/ Black Vinyl VIN- ?

This car belongs to Howard Johnson of Myrtle Beach, SC. The VIN is 1V77E5U266503.

Part of Chris Wheaton’s Registry
Black/ Black Vinyl VIN- ?

Sold to Todd Armstrong in Cadillac, MI. Selling price $5000

My name is Brian Rathke and I own # 1780. My dad passed away this last year and it was in a barn he had for many years. My dad had bought the car with the intention of restoring it but just got too sick and it had been sitting for years. He kept saying that he just wanted to hear that car run so I hiked in through the snow with tools, fluids, and LED light sources (remote location with no electricity, lights, or water). I got the CV running and took some video which I showed him while he was bedridden and it made him very happy. He passed away the next day so I guess timing is everything and I was glad I made the effort. I did put some new tires on it after talking to you about sizing. The car will need a lot of work but it’s FUN to drive and I’ll make a decision to either restore it or potentially sell it and buy another restored (or well preserved) Cosworth. Are there any shops that specialize in Cosworth engine work? Anyway - just wanted to touch base. Enjoy the Cruise this weekend!!!

Brian Rathke
Bellaire, MI

This is one of Bruce Jahnke’s two Cosworths as of December of 2009. He is planning to sell it once he gets the restoration of his #1894 done.

This is one of Dave Dempsey’s Cosworths as of July, 2003. The VIN is 1V77E5U266599.
Black/ Black Vinyl

Current Owner is Greg Rush in Michigan

Mal Kooiman SCCA SOLO 2 Championship Race car. Sold in 2014. Current owner is David Herringua in Lake Orion, MI. Black/ Black vinyl VIN 266632