350 Vega project

[blackZ]

This might sound like a weird story so I'll give a little back ground first. I just finished putting my camaro back together, well good enough to take it for a ride since taking it apart in September of last year. I took the engine out to freshen it up and clean the engine bay and it turned into new floor pans, new redesigned rear suspension and some updates so I could take a few laps at our local track. In my mind i was just going to tinker around with it in the garage this winter while I put togather my new engine. a 11.5:1, 4.04 X 3,875 350 with AFR 227 heads, and a 6.26 lift solid roller cam. So to make a long story short, my wife sent me a add while I was at work 2 weeks ago for a 1976 Vega wagon and now I have another project in my garage.

I ordered a few things over the last couple of weeks and they have been showing up so yesterday I took the engine back out of the camaro to start on the Vega project. I kind of hated to do it because the weather has been so nice here in North Dakota that I could be out taking it for a ride, but I just made up my mind and did it.

My plans are to try and do it in 2 phases, first get it running with a the 350, then tackle the rear end situation.....which I'm still undecided about. It has the 6.5, 2.92 open rear. One thing that keeps crossing my mind is that I'm about a 16 hour drive from Bonniville, but I've got some time to think about that, lol.

I have some pictures on my phone to give you guys a better idea of what I'm talking about, so I'm going to try and see if I can post them in a few minutes.

[blackZ]

[blackZ]

Here is the parts car, lol.
I have more pictures on my phone but the only way I can figure out how to post a pic right now is to use the upload option and take them right from the camera. I'll keep trying.

[blackZ]

[blackZ]

[DanStokes]

Welcome aboard!

I did a V8 Vega years ago - with a 215 aluminum Buick. Fun little car. Not sure what's on your 350 but I'd recommend that you add as much aluminum as possible before it slides itself into the Vega. SBC's in Vegas tend to be nose heavy and handle weird because of it so the more weight you can get off the nose the better. My buddy who has drag raced a SBC/Vega for years runs a 9" Ford rear with great success. I don't recall the maker of the rear (maybe Strange?) but he bought it ready to bolt in and it's held up for years to extreme drag-only action. Worth a look.

I'm a Land Speed Racer and I'll have to tell you that a Vega wagon is not the best body style in LSR where aero is everything. However, you CAN have a ton of fun with it. It'll likely run in "C" engine class but I'd have to look in the book to sort out a probable body class. Most "C" engine classes have a pretty high record because folks have been developing and running SBCs for decades and they're pretty tuned in. Remember that all we care about in LSR is engine displacement, gasoline or fuel, and N/A or blown so CR, cam specs, number or size of carbs, etc. have no bearing on engine class. But if you go with the idea of learning and having fun you'll have a blast.

BTW - there's a sticky in General on posting pics which you'll probably find helpful. Worth reading.

Neat project - please keep us posted.

Dan

[blackZ]

[blackZ]

Thanks Dan,
I don't know if people around here remember me but I used to post under the screen name of A/Fuel, I've since changed my email address and couldn't figure out how to access that account anymore.
Anyway, I don't know how i did it, but here is a pic of me trying to figure out what it would take to put a 9" tire on a Vega, as you can see there isn't much room.

[SuperBuickGuy]

yum, a vega wagon!

[DanStokes]

Mr. A/Fuel! Welcome back and sorry you got lost in the transition.

I'm thinking "short axle and tubs" (to fit the 9" tires) especially if you're replacing the axle anyway. Vegas are pretty narrow so I doubt an 8.8 Ford with 2 short side axles/tubes would do the trick but I've been wrong before.

That pic came out great so whatever you did, do more of it! Did you find the sticky helpful? Works perfectly for me.

Dan

[blackZ]

I think the sticky was somewhat helpful, I can't remember exactly how I did it but I'll play around with it some more later, thanks.
Im still working on my little dolly project right now and hopefully I'll have some time to play with the Vega later.

[blackZ]

[fatguyzinc]

do it. do it now. DO IT...
this is going to be an awesome project for you.
heed the advice above about nose heavy weight-
dunno if you can tell by this engine bay shot, but
the #5 & #6 sparkplugs end up at the centerline of
the front wheels.... makes for a super squirrely car.
the engine bay brace really helped, and weld in
subframe connectors are an absolute MUST.
the car still does a donut if you even look at the
loud pedal though....



we stripped a real cosworth vega ( it was so rusted
even boyd coddington himself couldnt have saved it.)
and put in the 7.5 posi 3.73 rear--not the greatest but
"should" live as long as it runs street tires and never
gets traction....



forget which bolt--either center or top driver side- at engine
to trans connection wont go in. they even left them out of
the factory 307 monzas... and the only way i could get the motor
in was drop it in from top and then bolt up trans from bottom.
trying to do together hit oilpan ( you do have correct oilpan?
its another MUST, cant clear centerlink otherwise...) on
crossmember, and valvecovers on firewall, and trans on tunnel,
and.... yep its a tight one.



a 245/60 on a 15x7 fits great with STOCK length housing
and stock wheeltubs.





we still have this car in the garage, any questions
i can go take a look... good luck, its a gnarly swap
but the end results are killer. this "stinky pinky" astre
has a 10-1, 327 with a 280/.495/106 isky, 2.05
fuelie vette camelback heads, a 2400/2600 stall, 3.73
rear gear, etc.. maybe 400hp. weighs 2380 with the V8 in it....
its SUPER squirrely and a total blast, scary fast too.

moving the rear upper control arm up 1-5/8 at the rear mount
eliminated the wheelhop completely (works like a stophop bar,
or southside machine bars-- spreading rear pickup points
farther apart changes instant center.....).

cooling is always an issue, even 4 core radiator and this
guy gets a bit hot under the collar in traffic. maybe an aluminum
radiator might help....

oh, and hang the driver side header on the steering shaft before
you swing the new motor in if possible. passenger side went down
from top after motor was in, but i used "sanderson" shortys....

[blackZ]

Thats a nice car, I like the way it sits.
No, I don't have an oil pan yet, the kit i have has instructions on modifying a regular pan and If I screw that up I'll just get one. Did you use the Monza engine mounts? The reason I went with the kit I did was from the little research I've done it appears to move the engine back a tad, how much I don't really know yet.

[fatguyzinc]

Thats a nice car, I like the way it sits.
No, I don't have an oil pan yet, the kit i have has instructions on modifying a regular pan and If I screw that up I'll just get one. Did you use the Monza engine mounts? The reason I went with the kit I did was from the little research I've done it appears to move the engine back a tad, how much I don't really know yet.

we used the same style mounts you have-- yes, push that motor
back as far as you can. every little bit helps! if i remember right
the factory V8 mounts have header clearance issues. i even have a set
of the super unobtainable factory V8 exhaust manifolds and headpipes
in the closet somewhere...

i may also have other pieces--the "sugarscoop" cast headlight
buckets, spare astre grills, factory front bumper rubber over riders,
2 sets of 13" wheels-4 of the cosworth magnesium and 4 of the
monza spyder "alcoa" aluminum ones, spare cosworth dash, a
steering column with key, a factory tinted windshield N.O.S.
in the box, etc... holler back if you need anything.

the stance on the stinky pinky is factory V8 monza front coils, a 1.5 spacer
from ebay under the stock vega coils in rear, and rear airshocks to stiffen it up a bit.

i think the correct moroso pan is here---

https://www.amazon.com/Moroso-20230-Chevy-Small-Block-Engines/dp/B000COS46G

and isnt too bad price wise considering....

all in all, this is the classic hotrodder swap--big motor in a small car--
and although it is a handfull to drive, as long as you know its that way
and respect it you'll be fine. the heavy nose/short wheelbase makes it
really spin prone, like a 454 vette,440 cuda or a 460 mustang--once it goes
past maybe 15-20 degrees sideways, its GONE--dont try to drive out of it
as you will only wreck the car. instead, backpedal it like john force and you
will come through it ok and look fricken AWESOME doing it.....

pretty sure even at the 400hp level these cars will run low 11/high 10's--
its a power to weight thing-- but thats only *** IF *** you can keep em straight!