A manual trans didn't help the Vega much.
Cosumer Reports tested a '74 and got these figures:
'74 Chevy Vega
Engine/hp................ 140-cu-in/75
Axle ratio................. 2.92:1
Transmission............. 4-speed manual
Curb weight............. 2,542 lbs
Wheelbase............... 97"
Overall length........... 175"
0-60 mph................. 17 seconds
Speed at end of 1/4 mile.. 67 mph
Passing: 35-55 mph.... 9 seconds
-------- 45-65 mph.... 10.5
Fuel mileage (ave.)..... 25 mpg
'76 Cadillac Fleetwood Seventy-Five Limousine, '95 Lincoln Town Car.
I reckon burning all the remaining Vega's would be a great thing for the American car industry history.
Reginald *IB4R* says:
it was a beautiful 35 seconds.
David says:
that's what she said
Well they sold well, were great on gas, and cheap - a good runabout car if you ask me.
You don't have to like it (I don't) but they did their job rather well actually.
They wouldn't have been so bad if they were reliable.
They probably would not make the "10 worst cars" list if they were reliable.
'76 Cadillac Fleetwood Seventy-Five Limousine, '95 Lincoln Town Car.
I dunno, in the 70s at one point the 5.7 L 350 in the Corvette made 165 hp, and the 7.4 L 454 made 270.
Keeping in mind, these are meant to be performance engines.
So that's 33 hp/L for the Vega, a stunning 29 hp/L in the 350, and 36 hp/L in the supposedly epic 454. So essentially, you had a Corvette with a heavy paperweight in the front of it.
Now that's real power, eh Fleet?
EDIT: I can't get over it. 29 hp per litre is absolutely atrocious. Sure they switched to NET, unleaded fuel, and had more emissions controls, but that is utterly pathetic for a performance engine. 165 hp? Miserable, a joke really for an engine of that size. The benefit of revving high becomes apparent at this time.
Last edited by Kitdy; 06-21-2008 at 03:05 AM.
'76 Cadillac Fleetwood Seventy-Five Limousine, '95 Lincoln Town Car.
I hope you're not trying to compare the 'Vettes performance to the Vegas!
Even at their slowest (probably around 1977-1980), 'Vettes could easily outrun a Vega. A '77 'Vette could run 1/4 miles in the 16-second bracket. Nowhere near like the 13s and 14s they used to run, but far better than the Vega's 18-20 seconds!
And the '72 and '73s, with their big drop in power, did better than expected.
From Motor Trend, Jan., 1973
Corvette
-------------------- '72 454---- '73 454----- '72 350---- '73 350
Engine/hp----------- 454/270--- 454/275---- 350/255--- 350/250
Torque-------------- 390------- 395--------- 280-------- 285
Transmission-------- 3-spd auto- 3-spd auto-- 4-spd man- 4-spd man
Axle ratio----------- 3.08:1----- 3.08:1------- 3.70:1---- 3.70:1
Curb weight--------- 3,725 lbs-- 3,725-------- 3,356----- 3,356
0-30 mph----------- 3.8 secs--- 2.7---------- 2.9------- 2.9
0-60 mph----------- 6.8-------- 6.8---------- 6.9------- 7.3
0-75 mph----------- 10.1------- 9.7---------- 10.2------ 10.2
1/4 mile------------ 14.1@93--- 14.1@93----- 14.3@92-- 14.3@92
Passing:40-60 mph-- 2.8-------- 2.8---------- 2.8------- 2.8
------- 50-70 mph-- 3.3-------- 3.3---------- 3.6------- 3.6
'76 Cadillac Fleetwood Seventy-Five Limousine, '95 Lincoln Town Car.
0-60 mph in just short of 7 seconds in the 70s with a 7.4L engine is still unacceptable in my books - it took the Corvette and American manufactures in general till the 90s to start getting some big figures again.
EDIT: They really shoulda considered DOHC and revving higher to eek more power out of the engines at th is point and just designing them better in general.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)