Buckskin 65
History for Cosworth Vega #
Date
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Unrestored, only updates are the battery and tires
Odometer reads 3,100 miles
1 of 3,508 built during the 18 month Vega production run
1 of 1,447 built for 1976
Finished in factory Firethorn Metallic with Firethorn vinyl interior
Aluminum 122 CI inline 4-cylinder engine, hand built at GM Tonawanda plant
Going up for Auction at Mecum Auction Dallas, TX. Sept. 2022
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I don't know about you, but what would be cooler than going to a weekend long car cruise up a five to
ten mile stretch, and seeing car #0001, just sitting on the side of the road in a parking spot, next to a
tricked out Monte Carlo, and a 67' Camaro Indy Pace Car? Sounds cool to me, and hey, I saw it today.
What a thrill. GM brought out an estimated 142 cars to park in various displays along the Route. P.S.,
here's a trick question, what color is #0001’s hood? John J. Cowall
It probably has been answered, but 0001’s hood is clear, transparent, see through, no color. Actually it
is Plexiglas. Art
I'll guess they took the clear hood off to keep it protected. So I would expect a stock black hood for
Woodward. Steve
Steve, you are correct. GM bought a regular Vega hood, painted it, and had a stripe put on it. The hood
stripe is good, but not great. This was all done in two days. They bought the hood Wednesday, prepped
and painted and striped it on Thursday, and had it in the hauler for Woodward at about 7 a.m. Friday.
Once again thanks goes to GM for their work in getting the car ready for show, and to Paul Wicker for
acquiring a hood for GM. Thanks also goes to John F. Cowall, for being close in proximity to GM to
realistically provide a hood on such short notice. John J. Cowall
There was some concern at the Green Bay Roundup about the possibility of exhaust header temps
distorting the display Plexiglas hood. This may be the reason for the purchase of the steel hood for the
Dream Cruise. bob chin
The VIN is 1V77E5U161331.
EFI # 0051, added from Region 8 Registry info 12/03/2014
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8/18/18 I am currently working on PRESERVING this car. It has such a good history that I do not intend on doing a full restoration. I want to preserve this car as it was built. Obviously some things will need to be replaced or updated, but I want to show this car as it WAS!!
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Bob Maloy recreated it, and the recreation was offered for sale in September of 1985, according to a Maurice Schecter
newsletter: “1975 CV #0002 recreation – formerly Bob Maloy’s as in October 86 CV Magazine. $12,000 firm.
Can Deliver.” Offered by Tony Hansen who then lived in San Clemente, CA. - JDS
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Anyone interested in a ground up restoration project? I have located CV#0005 and it is for sale. The car
will need a donor car for parts since the body of CV#0005 is completely gutted and there is not much
left, other than the shell, front suspension, and motor. Also, the engine VIN numbers are matching to
the body VIN numbers. For more information, e‐mail me. CV #0005 is in very rough shape. For starters,
the car has been stripped inside for all most everything but the wiring. The fuel injection unit is off but
through research I have located the correct computer and injection parts. When the car was put in the
junkyard (yes, it is in a junk yard) it did run but it has been sitting there for at least the past six years.
There is no rear end or transmission. You would need a flatbed to carry this thing out. There are no side
windows and the windshield is cracked. The hatch is in good shape but there is a lot of surface rust. The
body itself has dents but nothing too serious; however, the rust is getting bad. It is only surface rust and
has not rotted out any major points on the car. The unibody would have to be professionally prepped
and acid dipped to prevent rust outbreaks again. The junkyard is asking $400 for the whole car. Also,
the block numbers and body numbers are matching. The owner says the car was not supposed to be
released to the public, but due to shipping problems and knowing the right people, he was able to
obtain this car. I would send pictures, but I do not have a scanner. The car will obviously need a donor
for most of the parts. It is definitely a major project. John J. Cowall
More on this car from a Cowall newsletter: Dick Baumhauer alerted JJC of a Cosworth in a junk yard. It
was inspected and Paul Wicker confirmed that it was #0005 (the car was completely gutted and badly
dented). John Cowall, the father, contacted John Pohl, whose brother had owned the car. He said that
he put the car in the yard 10 years earlier! Later John J. wrote: “This car was owned by Mark David
Pohl. He had ordered a Cosworth Vega in 1974 when they were supposed to be released from Roger
Penske Chevrolet in Southfield, MI. Well, of course, he waited for over a year and when the car came in
at Penske, it was #0999. Mark informed the salesman that he should have a much earlier car number,
since he was one of the first people to put a deposit on the Cosworth. He also advised his father of the
situation, who worked for GM at the time. After some “digging”, Mark was delivered #0005! All good
stories do not have a happy ending. The car became “used” and was sold to his brother Jon, who
delivered most of it to a junkyard in Livonia about ten years ago.” In late 99 it was available for $500, or
just the engine for the same price! Jon said it ran before he took off the fuel‐injection and had it towed
away. There is no glass or bodywork worth saving, other than the rear hatch ($200). Jon is keeping the
old dashboard and bezel as a memento.
VIN – 1V77E5U184539 Black/ Black vinyl
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According to a September 1985 Maurice Schechter newsletter, Bill Duncan offered this car for sale long
ago: “1975 Cosworth Vega #0006 – All rebuilt motor, Weber carbs, this was the first Cosworth sold to
the public and therefore makes this car one of the most valuable Cosworths in private hands – for
additional info. Call Bill Duncan (201) 432‐1836 or 770‐3938.”
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This car was once owned by Bill Howell of Chevrolet Product Promotion Engineering (aka Chevrolet
Racing). According to Chris, the car was sold to somebody from Pennsylvania and he has lost track of it.
The VIN is 1V77E5U185172, and the car had Webers and power brakes.
According to an ad in Clark Kirby’s October of 1980 Regional Newsletter, this car was offered for sale by
an owner in Hudson, NH.
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Vega Review #106
Car and Driver December 1976 on the CD Rally Cosworth—Professional Puddle-Jumping takes a racer that's anvil tough and razor sharp—"Picking the single best machine from Detroit for this chore wasn't so tough. We wanted the lightest possible ride through the woods. "Really, there's but one car ideal for rallying: Chevrolet's Cosworth Twin-Cam Vega. When we key the double-overhead-cam, four-valve engine to life, you can hear the eager beat of 216 horsepower under the hood. But the car is also muffled, smooth-riding and fully street-legal. By definition, rally cars have to be the most versatile racers going." "This one's light on its feet and eager to spray gravel. We not only doubled the horsepower but also left 650 pounds of sound-deadening, door beams, and energy-absorbing bumpers back at the shop. This is the chance to deliver on its performance promise that the Cosworth Vega never got in production trim." "It has very polite manners, sealing up quickly with its iron rings sliding against the Reynolds 390 silicon/aluminum bore surface and never blowing out or leaking a drop of oil. Our little screamer loved to pump out horsepower while twisting his tachometer well off the big-motor scale." "The valve train is worth 10,000 rpm, the moving parts are all as bullet-proof as we know how to make them and the output should make the driver feel more powerful than Dr. No. There is enough torque in the little sucker to rotate the earth." "Borg-Warner's relatively new T-50 five-speed is totally unproven in racing endeavors...it's lighter by 30 pounds, all the shift linkage is internal and the overdrive top gear is great for relaxing the engine and for saving fuel on transit stages." "Bilstein's competition experience is invaluable..they had the right shock for the job...we added nearly an inch of travel in front and almost two inches in back." "The Cosworth Vega engine at last has its well-deserved day in the sun, and 216 horsepower with a flat torque curve through mufflers is no mean accomplishment for two liters and 286 pounds of alloy."
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According to Dan McNally in late July of 2009: This [the londontosydney car #21] is the Car and Driver
car. When Peterson publications took over C & D the new management came in and said "We are in the
business of selling magazines. Not racing cars." They ordered that all the cars be sold off. Formula
supper V Champion Dick Scott bought it. They made many modifications for the rally such as changing to
stock bumpers and front clip and adding a roo bar (kangaroo). He and his co driver drove it to the port.
Ran the entire rally. Had it shipped to California then drove it back to Summit Point WV where it was put
in a shed at the track for many years. Dick has never sat in the car since he parked it in 1977. Too many
bad memories. Staff at the track tells me it is now in New Jersey. They had many problems such as
stones getting between the Aluminum skid plate and the oil pan. They would ware through the pan
creating a leak. A front spring broke in the outback. Springs were acquired from an abandoned truck and
installed in the C.V. using basic hand tools. These springs are still in place. I am friends with Corky
Dubious who was the co driver for team tits with her sister. When their 3 cylinder Saab blew the engine
she became the chief head light washer for the C & D team. She tells me they had no idea what they
were doing. Contrary to what the magazine said C & D was the team which got stuck in the mud and
caused the time disqualifications. The Corvette was briefly stuck but managed to continue. My friends
Dave Thompson who was the director of pro rally and Cal Landau who was a driver confirm this. Rumor
has been going around the last week that Summit Point is being sold to a developer. Someone should try
to get in touch with Dick Scott while he still owns the track. He was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer
about seven years ago but made it through.
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The famous Car and Driver Rally Cosworth was #0008. The VIN is 1V77E5U187104.
It had been returned from Australia where it last rallied and still had the 'Roo bar across the front of it,
circa early '90's. I have a customer who knows the driver of the Car and Driver rally car. His name is Don
Sherman for those of you who didn't know. Jake.
Car and Driver sold it to a well‐to‐do enthusiast who rallied it in the London (England) to Sidney
(Australia) Rallye many years ago. It was then rallied in China, Singapore, and Malaysia. Upon being
shipped across the Pacific, it was sent (driven?) back to a shop in New Jersey owned by the co‐driver
where it remains today.
I have located and am negotiating the purchase of CV #0008. The car is in "as raced" form, and still runs
as it sits. It is still covered with the red dust of the Australian desert where it was last raced. Britt
The Car and Driver rally car engine power curve was published by the magazine. It had short track cams,
10.5 CR , 45mm Webers, and a massaged head. As you can see, it has no torque at low revs; then it
comes on like a turbocharged engine. A non‐linear power curve like that can be tough for the driver to
manage‐‐especially on dirt roads and snow!!! They griped about the lousy torque bandwidth and did a
lot of work trying to improve it, but never made much progress before they wrecked the car. It turns
out they should have used the production cams, maybe re‐indexed, and the EFI. They would have made
nearly the same peak power, but had some useable and manageable torque bandwidth. Unfortunately,
they didn't have a "desk top dyno" type program to help them out back then. There are some
comments/analysis about this in my "DeskTop Dynoing" article in the CV Mag, and maybe some more in
the TCT portfolio. Duke
John J. Cowall says that this car is still around but the owner is not friendly and does not want to be
bothered with inquiries about the car.
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Owned by Donald L. Hawbaker of FandEReparerIa@aol.com. He lives in central Iowa. In February of
2004 Don posted this history of his car:
Britt, in regard to your question about whether #0009 was ever owned by Lloyd Reuss (chief engineer of
the XP‐887, which became the Vega), I have had several interesting questions asked about previous
owners of the #0009 car, yours included. Have heard that it was a re‐number and all sorts of other crazy
things, but Paul Wicker did verify it to be the true #0009 car when I bought it. I do have a copy of all the
titles that this car has ever had in Iowa. A well spent $3.00 total for the photocopies of the titles from
the state DOT. From what I know from these titles, here are the past owners.
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Yahoo 2/2004 post: Just waiting for the body shop to say bring her over and #0009 will get a new coat
of paint. Been picking up parts all winter and should be able to make her look fair to middling by the
time summer gets here. As of now, have the wheels done (Wheel Medic), the exhaust replaced (2 1/4"
custom bent pipe from the converter back to a Flowmaster stainless dual outlet muffler with two 2"
polished stainless outlet pipes) and new tires ( Dunlop raised white letter )on it and a new stripe kit
(Chris W. had made for me with the black background behind the letters). Will be MOSTLY stock, or
about as stock as I can get it without buying NEW old stock parts. Don
VIN – 187758 Black/ Black vinyl
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On 11‐25‐85 it was sold to the guy I bought it from. At
that time he lived in Perry, IA, but had moved to Des Moines by the time he sold it to me. The title
doesn't say how many miles it had when he bought it, but had 44,000 and change when I bought it from
him. I have owned the car for over 10 years and it hasn't moved from my yard till 2001 when I got re‐
interested in getting it running. Now has right at 48,000 miles on it. I have no idea if there was an
owner of the car before Huber Chevy sold it back in 77, and seems that that company has closed as well.
Just haven't taken the time to research it more than what I have. I just assumed that the Omaha Chevy
dealer had used it as a demonstrator and that's where it got the 8189 miles on it. Don
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The car was purchased from Huber Chevy Co., 111 Dodge Rd., Omaha, Neb. on 4‐11‐77. GMAC financed the $4328.64 purchase price, and the car had 8189 miles on it at that time. The owner lived in Denison Iowa, so that's how it came to Iowa and had an Iowa title. On 10‐11‐78 the car was sold to an auto trim shop in Carroll, IA
with 11,228 miles on it.
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Listed for Sale on Bring a Trailer 6-9-2021
This 1975 Chevrolet Cosworth Vega is #12 of approximately 2,600 examples built for the model year and was acquired by the seller in 2000. A subsequent refurbishment included installing a 5.7-liter LS1 V8 and four-speed manual transmission, repainting the body in black, overhauling the brakes and suspension, and more as detailed below. Features include gold pinstriping, Hurst badging, 15″ alloy wheels, and a Hurst shifter. This Cosworth Vega is now offered with a clean Colorado title in the seller’s name.
The car is said to have been refinished in black circa 2005. Rust repair reportedly included replacing the battery box and spare tire well. Features include gold pinstriping, Hurst badging, and bright trim and bumpers. A later-model hood has been installed and the seller states that the windshield and weatherstripping have been replaced. Noted flaws include scuffs on the door and hatch moldings and scratches in the door glass.
Five-spoke 15″ wheels feature Hurst center caps and are wrapped in 205/55 Cooper Zeon 2XS tires. Four-wheel disc brakes were reportedly sourced from an S-10 pickup, and the seller states that the shocks were recently replaced and that the front end was recently overhauled.
The cabin is upholstered in black and features cloth seating surfaces and an engine-turned instrument bezel. Equipment includes a Hurst shifter, a heater, and an AM/FM radio. The transmission tunnel was cut to accommodate the shifter, and the seller notes that the replacement carpets are not installed properly and that the reverse lock-out on the shifter needs adjustment. A plaque affixed to the dashboard identifies the car as Cosworth Vega #12.
The four-spoke steering wheel features a Hurst horn button and frames a 120-mph speedometer, an 8k-rpm tachometer, and auxiliary gauges. The five-digit odometer shows 45k miles, approximately 30 of which have been added during current ownership. Total mileage is unknown.
The factory twin-cam inline-four was reportedly damaged during a theft in the 1980s. The currently installed 5.7-liter LS1 V8 is said to have been sourced from a 2000 Camaro and equipped with a Comp Cams camshaft. Custom valve covers have been fitted, and the transmission mounts were relocated to accommodate the larger engine. Additional service performed during the swap reportedly included seam welding the engine bay, installing an aftermarket exhaust system, and replacing the timing chain and oil pump. Dyno test results can be viewed in the gallery and show a maximum output of 324 horsepower and 345 lb-ft of torque.
Power is sent to the rear wheels through a four-speed manual transmission, and the seller states that a 3.73:1 Positraction rear end has been installed.
Seller is Lee Needham from Colorado