dash plaque listed for sale on Facebook MArketplace. Mangled. Car is presumed RIP

#2010 This is a very complete Cosworth Vega Project. The Cosworth Vega was a limited edition and each car was numbered on a dash plate. This car is #2010. The body is in fair condition. There are no dents and everything is straight. There is some rust in the hood and rear deck. The trunk pan also has rust. Otherwise, it is pretty clean. The interior is rough but complete. Photos tell the story. Everything appears to be intact except for the horn button and the radio. The dash plate is intact. The engine is free and appears to be complete. The former owner stated the following "It was running, but the cam tower was leaking. I replaced the gasket on the cam tower with silicone when I put it back together the cam wouldn't turn". We don't know anything else on the condition of the engine, other than it will turn by hand. The correct Cosworth wheels are in place but will need to be restored. If you are a Cosworth fan, or you are looking for a limited production project car, this is a good place to start. Don't let it get away! Black/ Black Vinyl VIN- 273388

Now owned by Barth Heimbach in PA

was owned by Brian Betz in PA.

#2011 According to a November, 2012 membership application, this car belongs to Michael Dennison of San Jose, CA. The VIN is 1V77E5U2763415. Incredibly fun Vega. LS1 V8 engine with 4 speed transmission. Originally a Cosworth Vega that has now been upgraded to a V8 engine.

Older paint that still shows good with a few flaws. Does not appear to have been a rusty car as the floorpans and spare tire well are in great shape with original sheetmetal with only minor bubbling at the base of the rear window. All exterior lights work. Wipers work. Fiberglass cowl hood used to clear air cleaner. Using a drop base air cleaner would probably allow a cowl hood with half of the height of the current one or use original style LS1 fuel injection or custom air intake and use a stock hood.

The interior is stock and very nice. Has the original Cosworth turned aluminum gauge surround that has had the gold color fade a bit. Original Cosworth serial number on the dash. Original AM/FM/8-track stereo is in the dash but is not hooked up. AM/FM/CD stereo has been mounted in the glovebox and works great. Heater works. Emergency brake works. All gauges work except clock and tachometer. Tachometer does work but needs to be modified and calibrated for the V8 engine. There is a gentleman on the H-Body Forum that does this.

The engine is all stock, except the cam, which is a Comp Thumpr. The valve springs have been changed to GM LS6 springs, and the pushrods are Comp Magnums. The oil pan is a Holley swap pan, which was modified for ground clearance. The water pump is from a LS7 Corvette. The flywheel is for a 4.8/6.0 truck. Clutch is a stock replacement 11" for a big-block Chevelle. The MSD ignition box had a curve setup using a laptop, as the plug in pills have less than desirable curves. This engine likes ALOT of initial timing! Approx. 12k miles on the engine.

The suspension contains many heavier duty Monza parts including the front disc and rear drum brakes. Manual brakes and steering. 15" gold Panasport style wheels with new radial tires. Rear has 3:08 gears for freeway driving.

Runs and drives great. Having owned a 1975 Cosworth Vega and being a fan of the cars I wasn't sure what to expect when this car came in. I can say I definitely thought my Cosworth was a good performance car with its Hutton dual Weber kit and some other upgrades but wow, this car, though not technically a Cosworth anymore with the LS1, is incredible. Not only does the engine look like it came from the factory in this car it also drives and handles like it was engineered this way from GM. The torque is something my 4 cylinder Cosworth was definitely missing and this is with 3:08 gears. Not a perfect car but draws a crowd wherever you park it. Very fun to drive and sounds awesome. You could not build this car for the asking price. Vehicle Summary Car model year: 1975 Exterior color: Black Interior color: Black vinyl Engine: LS1 V8 Transmission: 4 speed manual Rear axle: 3:08 Steering: Manual Brakes: Front Disc Brakes Tire size: 15" Odometer reading: 62500 Asking Price: $21,950

#2012 Part of Chris Wheaton’s Registry Black/ Black Vinyl VIN- 273440

I am the third owner of this car, purchased from Walt. Just had it shipped from Phalen, CA to Teaneck, NJ. Car has been painted and is in overall very good condition. Working on making road worthy over next couple of months.

#2013 Listed on the Orange County CA Craig’s List: 1975 Cosworth Vega #2013 bought new by my brother. He drove it for years, then parked it in his garage in Huntington Beach in about 1983 and it hasn't moved since. It has not been registered since about 1985. It is not drivable now. But the tires hold air and it can be pushed or winched onto a trailer. My brother died last August and his house is to be sold soon. I need to sell the car. It is complete and restorable. Or it could be a parts car. The body has scratches and small dents, nothing major. The car has about 95,000 miles.

Thank you Mark for your help almost 2 weeks ago. I had contacted you about how to get the word out to Cosworth Vega Owners Club members about #2013 being for sale (my late brother's 1975, parked since about 1983, car). Thank you for the listing on the Yahoo! Cosworth Vega group message board. I'd appreciate your taking it off now. The car left this morning with its new owner. I had 8 responses to the notice I put on Craig's List Orange County site. It was my first use of Craig's List. Several of the people who answered the ad had Cosworth Vega's in their past in one way or another. We sold it to a man whose grandfather had one years ago. He had lost out on inheriting it at the time of his grandfather's death. We sold it for $1000. I told the new owner about your website. Maybe someday you'll be hearing from him.

Offered on eBay in November of 2009 by “Wally” who lives in Phelan, CA. He reports that the VIN is 1V77E5U273469. His listing says, “1975 Cosworth Vega twin overhead cam, aluminum engine, fuel injected, factory headers, 4-speed and posi rear end. Original Car bought in California. Original paint, interior and motor. Car was last registered in 1983 and stored. I got the car a couple of years ago. I am the second owner. The only rust is in the battery tray and a little around front windshield on the lower driver’s side. The radiator core has been replaced but kept original tanks. Car has a few dents and scratches; tires are new. Registration is current. Mileage is listed as 90k.” Looking at the photos reveals that the cowl is rusted through below the windshield. There are at least three rust-throughs.

#2014 According to Robert Bowen’s January, 1978 Registry, this car then belonged to William (Bill) Wilson of 401 S. Ave H, Olney, TX 76374. He and Steve Wilson still owned it in April of 1981 according to Clark Kirby’s newsletter that month. This car was spotted in an ad in Auto Trader in Ft. Worth, TX in February of 2004.

Posted on Yahoo by #2711 was the following: Good Afternoon! I finally called the owner of this car to get the scoop! It's been in Auto Trader here for about 3 weeks running as 1975 Chevrolet Vega, no mention of Cosworth. It is truly a Cosworth, and the owner, Ron Gibson, thought they had mentioned that in the ad. It's a black on black, no pop out windows, 4-speed (obviously). It's in nice shape overall with a recent rebuild and tweaking from our fellow club member in TN, the Cosworth Engineer? Sorry, can't think of the name right now. The only problem with the car is that the computer is acting up. He sent it to our Club guy, (again no name, sorry) and he repaired and returned it to Ron. When Ron re-installed it the fuel pump wouldn't come on. Just to be sure it wasn't the fuel pump going out, he jumpered the pump and it was engaging as it's supposed to. Out of frustration with the car he's simply ready to get rid of it to a home with someone more "Cosworth Friendly". The body has 85k on it, and it was always garage kept, and the engine is practically new and built to run HARD!! If you are interested, call Ron @ (817) 346- 9466. He's ASKING $3,500.00 Black/ Black Vinyl VIN- 273501

According to CVOA Membership Records
Owned by Robert Ryan in Sparks, MD

Installing V-8 LS engine, 9" Ford Rear end, 6 speed transmission

Previous owner

Bill Danner in California

#2015 This car appeared on eBay in January of 2011. The VIN is 1V77E5U273532. It has 53,448 miles. It also has a dealer installed Landau top! The ad reads: "This is an all original 1975 Cosworth Vega #2015 that I bought from the original owner in 1995. It has been in dry storage since the last time it was driven in 1996. It started right up after I got the bad gas drained out of it and everything appears to still work okay. I can't remember anything major being wrong with it when we drove it in 1996. The original owners had the engine rebuilt around 20,000 miles and installed steel cylinder sleeves to correct the Vega aluminum cylinder problem. The engine runs fine now. It came with a dealer installed landau top, louvered rear window cover and has special side glass rear windows. The top will have to be replaced but that shouldn't be a big deal. The car has no rust and the interior is fair. The only dent is in back of the passenger rear tire where a tire blew out and slapped the very bottom of the panel. This is an opportunity to buy one of these cars at a reduced price. If you're clever and work with your hands you can get this fixed up without spending a lot of money on it. I think the landau top adds a custom look and this is the only one that I have seen that has one. I'm selling this car as/is with no warranty so bid accordingly. The buyer will have to arrange transportation. It has a non/op on the registration but if you get a permit I suppose you could drive it home."
According to the answer to a question, the lister wrote: "This is just an old man trying to tell you what I know and if you want to take out the "all original" that's fine. Ok, the top and rear louvered cover were installed by the dealer and not the factory. The original owner took it back to the dealer who installed the sleeves because it started using oil. At least now you don't have steel rings rubbing against aluminum cylinder walls. You're right it will require money to make it "all original" again. I was thinking the new buyer may only want to make it a driver which would be far less expensive. It would look pretty cool with just a new landau top. The car is stored in central California and it passed smog when I last licensed it in 1996. I bought the car for my son and due to circumstances he stopped driving it in 1996. The car was running fine when we parked it. I didn't plan on storing it but before you know it, it's 15 years later. I'm just trying to be honest in my statements and I'm sure yourself and others know a lot more about these cars than what I know. I hope I answered your questions and thanks for correcting me. Wood"
According to Chris Wheaton, "The landau top was a dealer installed option. I have a Cosworth with the same option and I had the top redone years ago. I have heard of 3 and maybe even 4 of them that were done this way total. Supposedly Baher Chevrolet in CA did 2 of them in an effort to move the black cars that they had on the lot. They also did 2 cars in a 2-tone silver and black combo, 1 of those I have and the other was the one that Bob Maloy had and put in the Hemmings article and photoshoot. They also painted another one what is called cocoa brown that is owned by a member in Southern Cal." According to Tom Hohmann, "When I saw that CV, I thought about the dealerships I worked at in those years and one did the same to the Chevelles (Malibu) and Impalas (Caprice Classic) to the back window. I guess some thought that window was detrimental to selling, I thought it looked horrible myself. Possible some dealer, in an attempt to move the CV's, tried the Landau look. Sales in that time period sucked for all models, and I really didn't blame the customers, some of the models were gutless smogged out vehicles, even design suffered (i.e. the 5 mph bumpers - some models they really looked bad. But if the top suffered the troubles of most of those tops on other cars, the top was just another place for rust to attack. Tom" Black/ Black Vinyl

#2016 Part of Chris Wheaton’s Registry Black/ ? VIN- 273557

#2017 The dash bezel and dash plaque appeared on eBay in November of 2005. Auction was from Hemet, CA. No word on what happened to the car. Black/ Black Vinyl VIN- 273613

#2018 According to Robert Bowen’s January, 1978 Registry, this car then belonged to Larry Leftovitz, 210 Old Hickory Blvd., Belle Forrest Apt 29, and Nashville, TN 37221.

Offered for sale out of Bristol, Virginia in February of 2004. According to the seller: “This is a 1975 original Chevy Cosworth, number on dash is 2018.

These cars a very rare, and would make someone a good investment. I believe they built 2071 Cosworths in 1975. You might want to do a little research on these cars, if you’re not sure what they are. I took this car in on a trade, and really need to sell or would consider a trade on a Mopar muscle car. This car has what I believe is the actual miles, which is 59500. The interior is near perfect, paint is very good, few small nicks, car runs, drives, and looks very good and could be driven to its new home. All of it original except for the wheels, but does have the original for spare. The car has been in storage for a while and could use a good cleaning and tune up and its ready for the street. If you have any questions feel free to contact me Charlie at (276) 466-4058. I will help you out any way that I can.”
Offered for sale on eBay in April of 2004. “This Vega is in great original condition. This car is #2018. The car is fuel injected 4 cylinder 4-speed. Car has been painted one time. Interior is perfect and original; Black Vinyl everything works on the car but the radio. Car still has factory jack & spare. This car is super straight down the sides (as you can see in the pictures). Has never had any damage. This car needs nothing. Still has factory exhaust. This car is a great addition to anyone’s collection. These cars are hard to find in this condition. Low reserve!! Know gravel kickers do not bid unless you intend to buy!!!” The VIN is 1V77O6U247108, and the mileage is 59,540. From the photo it does not have the Cosworth wheels. It has aftermarket wheels with gold paint. Not bad looking, just not original. Ed. NOTE: The VIN listed is wrong for the dash number. The VIN corresponds to a dash number in the range of 3507. Also, the actual #2018 appears to be owned by Member Lonnie Haynes with 75 VIN 1V77E5U273648. There is a suspicion that the car with this VIN is either a re-badged car or a “conversion”.

#2019 You have found a 1975 Vega Cosworth #2019, all original. I was told this car has 27342 miles, this car has been sitting for 22 years, I did here the motor run and it’s good. It’s a 4 speed and has factory rims. All the glass is in good condition as well as the int. the body is very solid. This is an original California car. If you have been looking for a nice classic car this is it.
If you need more info or you would like to buy it now call (480) 203-7557. Please no emails due to slow response. I’m listing this car for a friend. This car has been sitting for 22 years. For more info call 480-203-7557. Motor sounds good. Black/ Black Vinyl VIN – 273???

#2020 I enjoyed finding this web site and checking out the different parts of the site. I really enjoyed the video download of the dyno runs of the 180-horse Cosworth. I am working on # 2020 at this time; hope to have it ready for Rhinebeck N.Y. show in May 2003, but my son’s 82 Indy pace car restoration keeps me fairly busy. Still there is hope. I will record the VIN and engine number as soon as I get the cover off 2020 again.
I saw #2073 last summer in Westfield, Mass., close to my home in Torrington, CT. Hope to meet the owner at a show in the area this year. I have also met another Cosworth owner who works at a salvage yard in the southern part of the state. He has a 75 and a 76, don't now the dash plate numbers but will pass on your web address to him. I'm sure if he hasn’t found it yet he will enjoy the site too. Thanks again. Ed Thomas thomasautoet@netscape.com March 1, 2003 Black/ Black Vinyl VIN- 273711

RIP- Barry Connally has the dash plaque

i have purchased #2021 from Bryan Pridmore. The car was hit in the left front unfortunately. The front section is bent. The drivetrain is coming out and being installed in my 1974 Spirit of America.
After that it will be parted out.
I just wanted to let you know for the registry.

From Michael Young in CA

#2023 My dad told me if I got straight "A’s" he'd buy me a car. I did and he drug home a totaled Cosworth Vega. It had been rolled and then shot. We worked on it for a year, when it was done it was perfect, although I was unable to locate wheels or a stripe kit for it. I think my # 2023 it had a 5-speed Borg-Warner trans and would always grab rubber in second gear. That was 18 years ago [written 10/22/99] and I was 18. I sure liked that car. Now I’m restoring a 1956 Chevy pick up. It should be as much fun to drive. Todd, Anchorage, Alaska. gonzo@mtaonline.net Black/ Black Vinyl VIN- 273837

#2024 Part of Chris Wheaton’s Registry Black/ ? VIN- 273863

CVOA Membership Record
Owner - Lloyd Pearce

Black/ Black Vinyl 49,250 mileage

5 speed added, 4.10 rear gear

#2025 According to Robert Bowen’s January, 1978 Registry, this car then belonged to Greg Baxter of 5406 Larkstone Circle, Orange, CA 92669.

According to an August 2010 post: “This is Lloyd Pearce from San Jose, CA. Totally new to the whole web thing. I need the swing out window weather stripping for #2025. If there is enough interest can we get some made?” Black/ Black Vinyl VIN- 273888

Owned by an Edgar Rosada Fallbrook in CA. currently listed for sale.

Owned by Bill Macoubrie in Nebraska. Has 844 actual mileage. I purchased it new in 1977 from the dealer that ordered it.
It was delivered to the dealer in September of 1975 and set in their shop for two years unsold. It had 561 miles on it when I purchased it.

I purchased my car in 1977 new from the dealer that ordered it. It had setting in their shop for two years unsold. It had 561 miles on it. It has been garaged all its life and still has the original tires on it and the new car smell in it. I had it rustproofed which maybe was not the best idea. Not using it much has caused constant fuel pump problems. I have not spent the time I should have on it as I have been building a 1955 Chevy Nomad. I belonged to the CVOA in the early days but it kind of went dormant for a while and I didn’t stay. I would love to stop by in Phoenix in November.

Thanks

Bill Macoubrie

email received on 5/25/2022