The daily driver of Eric C of Seattle: It has pretty much every option available.”

I just had a complete new 2 1/2-inch, crimp-bent exhaust system installed on my '75 CV #1881. Complete meaning from the header all the way out over the axle in the stock location. He used a Flow Master muffler. He even fixed me up with a stainless steel, two-outlet tip off some Cadillac SST application. Not stock, but looks like those tips the Honda guys use. Traditionalists may cringe at that, but I like the look, and he threw it in gratis. Total cost for the system was $550. The car is stock except for the Hutton dual Weber set-up. The only unintended effect of my new exhaust system is that it forced me to have the big dent in the roof fixed, the one I put there by dropping a headlight bucket on it THE DAY I BROUGHT THE CAR HOME! This after my wife had offered to help me stow parts, and I told her to bugger off and let me enjoy my new toys in peace. Stuffing parts in your rafters over your new car with no help after four beers should probably not be part of the Tech Tips. Anyway, I couldn't have a car that sounded so cool showing that huge dent. Eric

Eric, Eric, Eric, don't you know... never ever give up even the slightest chance to involve your wife in the hobby, in a useful way or not. The dent was wifedom's way of punishing you for keeping your toys & hobby too much to yourself. ;) Kevin

Offered for sale on eBay in July of 2003. 1975 Cosworth Vega dash #1881. This is a 4-speed car with rear swing-out windows, Electro-Clear rear window defrost, aux lighting, two-speaker AM radio, a Pontiac Astre Formula rear 3-piece spoiler, and a 3.73:1 open rear end. Note that the spoiler isn't present in two of the photos; I added it after I got the car and have included a photo showing it in place. I've converted from the original fuel injection to dual 45mm Weber carbs using the Hutton conversion kit, spent $350 for a professional rebuild and sync on the carbs, put on new front brakes (500 miles ago) and brand new Cooper 195-70 tires (100 miles ago), and a really nice 3" exhaust system from the header to the new Flowmaster muffler. It sounds like a little Indy car. It also has a reproduction two-piece dash bezel from Hutton in perfect condition. I drove this car daily for two full years without so much as a hiccup. It starts in 20-degree weather and 100-degree weather every time without a problem. Nothing leaks, everything works, and the clock even keeps time. The body is straight with a few door dings. There is rust under the battery and surface rust on the lower passenger door. No rust on exterior of car. The paint shines up nicely, but is crazed consistent with original paint of the day. There is minor cracking to the driver's seat, and the carpet is gone in the front floorboards, otherwise the interior is very nice. Actual mileage on the car is just over 50,000. I'm not claiming this is a show car by any means. All I ever wanted it for was driving, and it was perfect for that purpose. If you wanted to invest in paint, carpet and new striping it would look like a jewel. But wait, there's more! Included in the sale is a custom tilt trailer painted back and gold to match the car, with large COSWORTH decals on each fender and gold pin striping. It is a converted boat trailer. I've put new 6-ply tires and wheel bearings on and completely rewired it with new taillights. Everything works great. This trailer was modified specifically to hold a Vega-sized car, and won’t hold anything bigger. Eric Chapman, Seattle

Powered by a modified (IECO Stage IV) Vega engine!!!!! Yahoo post 12872.

Offered for sale on eBay in July of 2003. 1975 Cosworth Vega dash #1881. This is a 4-speed car with rear swing-out windows, Electro-Clear rear window defrost, aux lighting, two-speaker AM radio, a Pontiac Astre Formula rear 3-piece spoiler, and a 3.73:1 open rear end.  Note that the spoiler isn't present in two of the photos; I added it after I got the car and have included a photo showing it in place.  I've converted from the original fuel injection to dual 45mm Weber carbs using the Hutton conversion kit, spent $350 for a professional rebuild and sync on the carbs, put on new front brakes (500 miles ago) and brand new Cooper 195-70 tires (100 miles ago), and a really nice 3" exhaust system from the header to the new Flowmaster muffler.  It sounds like a little Indy car.   It also has a reproduction two-piece dash bezel from Hutton in perfect condition. I drove this car daily for two full years without so much as a hiccup. It starts in 20-degree weather and 100-degree weather every time without a problem. Nothing leaks, everything works, and the clock even keeps time. The body is straight with a few door dings. There is rust under the battery and surface rust on the lower passenger door. No rust on exterior of car. The paint shines up nicely, but is crazed consistent with original paint of the day. There is minor cracking to the driver's seat, and the carpet is gone in the front floorboards, otherwise the interior is very nice. Actual mileage on the car is just over 50,000. I'm not claiming this is a show car by any means. All I ever wanted it for was driving, and it was perfect for that purpose. If you wanted to invest in paint, carpet and new striping it would look like a jewel. But wait, there's more! Included in the sale is a custom tilt trailer painted back and gold to match the car, with large COSWORTH decals on each fender and gold pin striping. It is a converted boat trailer. I've put new 6-ply tires and wheel bearings on and completely rewired it with new taillights. Everything works great. This trailer was modified specifically to hold a Vega-sized car, and won’t hold anything bigger. Eric Chapman, Seattle

I just had a complete new 2 1/2-inch, crimp-bent exhaust system installed on my '75 CV #1881.  Complete meaning from the header all the way out over the axle in the stock location.  He used a Flow Master muffler.  He even fixed me up with a stainless steel, two-outlet tip off some Cadillac SST application.  Not stock, but looks like those tips the Honda guys use.  Traditionalists may cringe at that, but I like the look, and he threw it in gratis.  Total cost for the system was $550.  The car is stock except for the Hutton dual Weber set-up. The only unintended effect of my new exhaust system is that it forced me to have the big dent in the roof fixed, the one I put there by dropping a headlight bucket on it THE DAY I BROUGHT THE CAR HOME!  This after my wife had offered to help me stow parts, and I told her to bugger off and let me enjoy my new toys in peace.  Stuffing parts in your rafters over your new car with no help after four beers should probably not be part of the Tech Tips. Anyway, I couldn't have a car that sounded so cool showing that huge dent. Eric

Eric, Eric, Eric, don't you know... never ever give up even the slightest chance to involve your wife in the hobby, in a useful way or not.  The dent was wifedom's way of punishing you for keeping your toys & hobby too much to yourself.  ;) Kevin

The daily driver of Eric C of Seattle: It has pretty much every option available.”

Posted on CVOA Facebook group by Adam Nelson.
CV 1883 just left Oregon been sitting in a trailer for a few years, exterior is a bit ruff but it’s headed to Idaho.
First step will be to see if we can get the DOHC running.

Unknown date. According to a “story” attached to Chris Wheaton’s Q2 Regional Newsletter, this car was rescued by Bill from a junk yard. Alan was its original owner. He installed a dual oil filtering system and oil cooler, wide mag wheels, and went SCCA racing. In 1980 it received a valve job, and finally accumulated over 101,000 miles before it refused to start and it was junked. It made the rounds of several junk yards, always kept behind locks and chains. Bill, Jim’s brother rescued it and began working on it. The radiator sprayed water, the timing belt broke, and the in-tank pump failed and the high pressure pump wore out.

Posted on Facebook. Barry Greathead from Portland, Oregon. Purchased this southern California car. Solid, no rust, but has been stored a long time. Wood grained Vega GT dash but the dash plaque has been added.

According to an expired membership record car was owned by William Somsak in Westmister, CA

According to a “story” attached to Chris Wheaton’s Q2 Regional Newsletter, this car was rescued by Bill from a junk yard. Alan was its original owner. He installed a dual oil filtering system and oil cooler, wide mag wheels, and went SCCA racing. In 1980 it received a valve job, and finally accumulated over 101,000 miles before it refused to start and it was junked. It made the rounds of several junk yards, always kept behind locks and chains. Bill, Jim’s brother rescued it and began working on it. The radiator sprayed water, the timing belt broke, and the in-tank pump failed and the high pressure pump wore out.
Black/ Black Vinyl VIN- 269660

#1884
Part of Chris Wheaton’s Registry
Black/ Black Vinyl VIN- 269690
Low miles car, listed on Facebook for sale 5/26/15

I’m a new member of the CVOA, I own car # 1885. I purchased from Jeff Freedman "jeff.freedman@comcast.net" jeff.freedman@comcast.net this past March. The car needs some mechanical attention, I need right and left tie rods and bushings, can I get the parts thru the club? The car is now located in Dartmouth MA, I have already had the car go thru extreme detailing and PPF wrapped, I’m close to Newport R.I and plan on showing the car at cars and coffee and other events held by the Audrain Auto Museum. They already have a Cosworth. Plus, I will bring it to Gillette / Bass Pro crush night. I have been going to Gillette for years now and never seen a Cosworth there. I did own a Cosworth back in 1981-84 when I was much younger.



Thank you, Joe Valante

#1885

This car came up for sale on eBay in February of 2007. The ad read, “Cosworth Vega's are Sporty Little Cars that are Comfortable and Fun to Drive. The Limited Edition 1975 to 1976 Cosworth Vega is today, the Vega, Most Sought after by Collectors. Only 2,069 Cosworth Vegas were produced in 1975. Are you among the many Automotive Enthusiasts who think that performance in the American Automotive Market was a dead-horse by the mid-seventies?
Well, one look at this 1975 Cosworth Vega may very well change your perspective of that period.
Comfort and Convenience Options:
Black Exterior, Black Interior, Vinyl Bucket Seats, Front Armrests, Front Storage Pouch.
Mechanical Options:
Numbers Matching 122cid Twin Cam Electronic Fuel Injection L-4 Engine, Torque Arm Rear Suspension, Heavy Duty Front Suspension, 7 1/2 " Ring Gear Axle, 3.73:1 Ratio, Four Speed Muncie Manual Transmission, Heavy Duty Radiator, Front and Rear Stabilizers, Dual Overhead Cam, 16 Valves, Cast Aluminum Block and Head, 3.5" x 3.16" Bore and Stroke, 8.5:1 Compression Ratio, Five Main Bearings, Solid Lifters, Front Disc Brakes.
Exterior Options:
Black Exterior, Gold Pin Striping, "Cosworth Twin Cam" Body Side and Rear End Decals, Clear Lens Parking Lamp with Amber Bulbs, Dual Sport Mirrors, 6" Wide Cast Aluminum Gold Color Wheels, Hood Bulge, Black Outside Door Handle Inserts.
Interior Original Options:
Black Interior, Vinyl Bucket Seats, Special Instrument Cluster Including 7000 RPM Tach, Clock, Temperature Gauge, Voltmeter, Fuel Gauge, Gold Cluster Instrument Trim, Sport Steering Wheel with Cosworth Insert, Front Armrests, Front Storage Pouch, Rear Armrests with Ashtray, Color Coded Seat Belts, L/H Remote Mirror, Fold Down Rear Seat, AM Pushbutton Radio, Original Vega Paperwork on Sun visor, Horn, Dome Light, Inside Hood Release.

This is an unrestored, 15,000 mile, ONE Owner Vega. Also, the purchaser will receive the Original Maintenance Schedule, Original Vega Consumer Information Booklet, Original Owner's Manual, Original Warranty Card and the Original New Vehicle Inspection Form, with this Purchase. This car was originally purchased from Honeycutt Chevrolet Co., in Cabool, MO. If you need additional pictures, details, or information on this Cosworth, please call Rick at 972-658-5561 or Rachael at 214-783-8573.

This car is now (August of 09) owned by Jeff Freedman of Gig Harbor, Washington. He has had it for about 3 years.

Owned by William Pahl
500 Ridge Dr.
Naples, FL 34108
239-273-1150

Black/ Black Vinyl VIN 5U269766

#1886
According to Robert Bowen’s January, 1978 Registry, this car then belonged to Xenti Hurst, 3502 N Knoxville, Peoria, IL 61603.

A black, black vinyl 28k car with Webers, ported head, aluminized exhaust, Koni shocks, new paint, and stored 8 years, offered for sale in Stallwitz’ regional newsletter in May of 1989.

#1887
Part of Chris Wheaton’s Registry
Black/ ? VIN- 268719
Offered is a beautiful, one owner family from new, 1975 Cosworth Vega. Originally delivered to Messick Chevrolet in Ephrata, PA, the Cosworth was the dealer owner’s daughter’s car and remained in the Messick family until now. It has been entered and won many local classic auto shows including the Super Chevy event. With just 37,000 miles from new, this may well be the finest documented from new, Cosworth Vega anywhere. This is a great chance to own the “Anglo-American” classic that is being offered for the very first time in 40 years. • 1 Family Owned Since New • All Original Except for One Repaint •Originally Delivered to Messick Chevrolet, Ephrata PA • Extremely Rare • Cosworth Race Engine

1975 #1888 Woodland, CA High performance running garaged new paint F.A.S.T. fuel injection     S. Kerr +1-530-383-0897

#1888
According to Robert Bowen’s January, 1978 Registry, this car then belonged to Kerry Lowe, 4742 Seven Hills Rd., Castro Valley, CA 94546.

According to Yahoo Post #23300 by Bryan Pidmore, this car is “stripped” and without a title in the “mid-northern west coast”, which I interpret to mean Sacramento area.

Black/ Black Vinyl VIN- ?

#1889
According to Robert Bowen’s January, 1978 Registry, this car then belonged to John Rice, 590 Merritt Ave Apt. 23, Oakland, CA 94610.
Black/ Black Vinyl VIN- 269836

#1890
Belongs to Steven Seale in Atlanta, GA as of October, 2006. He is restoring it.
He sold it in 2008. No word on the new owner.

#1891
Belongs to Dave Bloch of Ankeny, IA. daveb@electricpump.com
Black/Black Vinyl VIN- 269884
46,000 miles.

#1892
According to Robert Bowen’s January, 1978 Registry, this car then belonged to Bud Mahaffly, 508 St. Annes, Laguna Beach, CA.

#1893
Appears to be owned by John Gregory of Patterson, CA, according to his Yahoo! profile.

This car appeared on eBay in June of 2005: Up for action is this 75 Cosworth Vega. This car was sold brand new from Friendly Chevrolet in Escalon, California in 1975. Now it has returned to that same dealership 30 years later. I don’t have a lot of time so I will keep this simple--if you win this car you must want it so the payment can be worked out then. If for some reason you decide that you do not want it based on the condition not being what you expected, then you are only responsible for the cost of this listing. I have been burned on eBay and I did not like it, so I refuse to do it to another. I want you to feel comfortable in you bidding and not feel like you have to bid on something that may be thousands of miles away and you have to take a chance in order to get it. It's simple, I want this car to go to the person that wants it, and I want you to be happy with it. I may end this action early because I have the car for sale at the dealership. If I can help you in any way please feel free to call me at 209-216-7176 or at my 24 hrs service at 209-632-1773 and ask for Micah. I will entertain offers on this car so feel free to talk to me. I will talk back. I want to thank you for you time and interest in this car.” The VIN is 1V77E5U269941, the mileage is 63,750, and the interior is black.

According to a September 21, 2005 posting on Yahoo, this car is now owned by Michael who is stationed in Afghanistan. He wrote: Hi everyone and greetings from Afghanistan!! I bought #1893 and had it shipped from Calif. to where my wife is at in NH. When it finally got there (which is another long story), it was noted the car does not run very well. I had it towed to a Chevy dealer in hopes they would be able to fix problem. They don’t even have the '75 Cosworth Supplement. I would imagine they don’t have the analyzer either. Anyway, does anyone know a way that I can get a '75 supplement and or locate a dealer which may have these items so the dealer who has mine can get pointed in the right direction? I have the supplement myself (eBay is great), but unfortunately it is much harder for me to mail something than it is to receive mail. So it will be a while to send mine. Luckily I have internet, even in the pretty remote area of Afghanistan that I am in, but getting mail out is tough. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Posted October, 2005: on Yahoo: Well, CV 1893 is at the Chevy Garage and the service guy tells me that the #1 cylinder is not firing. Other than that, the car runs poorly, but runs. Anyway, I have sent the guy the 1975 Service Supplement on CD and also bought the fuel injection manual from CVOA which I will send to him also (good to have my wife in the states!). I do have some pretty good working knowledge of engines, cars, etc. I can think of a couple of problems that would cause this misfire/no-fire. The plug, plug wire, distributor, injector. It seems this should not be too big of a problem, right? I would think it wouldn’t be too difficult. The car has an unknown service history and I have ordered a full service to include fluid changes, tune-up, etc. I also bought a new timing belt and that will get installed as well. The shocks have to be replaced. I guess that about covers it. What else do I need to look at getting checked or serviced on this car? Any "Quirky" CV specific things that need to be looked at? I see it has solid lifters, what is the thing to look for to see if it needs to have adjustments done to the lifters? Also, where can I find clutch and brake pedal pads for this car?

April, 2008: Hi all....it is with a heavy heart that I am going to put up my 1975 CV (#1893) for sale. I have decided it would be best to sell it to someone who will use it as it should be. I am going to be stationed in Europe for several more years and I don't want the car to languish in storage any longer. I am returning to the states from 16 - 30 MAY and the car can be seen then. It is in storage in Benton, Maine. Selling price is $5,000.00 USD. Michael Levesque
May 10, 2011: 1893 Back on the road!!! Hi all, I know all of you will appreciate an old Cosworth back on the road after an extended period of slumber. I purchased 1893 back in late 2005 while serving in Afghanistan. I had the CV shipped from California to NH where the ex was. I had it gone through by a Chevy dealer in Claremont, NH. I spent just over $2,500 in repairs to get her roadworthy again, including a gas tank rehab. I came home on leave and put 1893 in storage in Maine. I took her out a couple of times while on leave and had other repairs done including new clutch, pressure plate, throwout bearing, and clutch cable. Being in Europe for such a long time prevented me from really appreciating her.

Total miles from 05 - 11: about 500 or so. Last time I saw the car before this weekend was spring of 2008. So I was finally stationed back in the US. Life prevented me from getting her for a bit, but I got to her this past weekend. She was idle for three long years. Never started during that time. I was more than apprehensive that she would start after such a long period. All I did to it when I stored her was put in a full tank of gas with a bottle of Stabil and disconnected the battery. So when I got to her this time, she was very dusty and it had a mouse (or two?) try to make a home in the interior of the car. The interior also had a pretty substantial amount of mold, but it will clean up. Other than that, she still looks good. I connected the battery and she fired right up!!! It only took about ten to fifteen seconds of cranking and away she went! I was really impressed to say the least. It went through its high idle period and settled in to its idle speed of about 1700 - 1800 RPM. So I loaded her up on the car carrier and towed her home to Massachusetts and put it away in her new home in my garage.

Today, I started her up and drove her to the car wash for a much needed bath. I cleaned up the interior a little and took her for an approximately 100 mile run around the area. She sounds great and is completely road worthy. All the work I had done in NH paid off. She drives and stops as a car should. And the sound!!!! It is awesome to hear her rev up again!!! The weather is going to be great the next few days, so I expect to take her out and show her off some more. I have had some pretty cool cars in my time, but none ever drew the looks or strike up conversations like this one does. Gonna be fun to enjoy her on a full time basis now. I thought you all would like my little reunion story. Hope you all are enjoying yours as well. Mike

According to an October 2011 membership application, this car now

CVOA Membership Info
Owner - Bruce Jahnke
New Berlin, WI 53146

#1894
As of December of 2009, this car belongs to Bruce Jahnke, of New Berlin, Wisconsin. He is trying to get it back on the road for 2010 so he can show and enjoy it.
Black/ ? VIN- 269973

#1895
Part of Chris Wheaton’s Registry
Black/ Black Vinyl VIN- 269861