I recently purchased a '73 Vega GT wagon

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Re: I recently purchased a '73 Vega GT wagon

Postby garysol1 » Wed Jan 15, 2014 10:15 pm

^^^^^^ Sweet!
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Re: I recently purchased a '73 Vega GT wagon

Postby Panic Button » Mon Jan 20, 2014 7:19 pm

BadBowtie wrote:A lot of stuff going on in that engine compartment, wow! The car looks awesome, black is sinister! Did you use a factory style power steering setup or aftermarket?



I used both stock and aftermarket parts. When I put PS into my ’72 40 years ago, I recall I went to the local wrecking yard, bought what I needed no problem. I don’t recall what car I got everything from, but I recall it was easy. I think my ’72 had a long water pump and it did had all stock front accessories. This ’73 has a short pump and all aftermarket accessories making it harder.

I used a stock GM 800 series box for a Vega/Monza from Cardone, but there are other aftermarket choices out there. My thinking was stuck back 40 years ago and now that it’s done, I should have stepped up and spend the few extra dollars for the aftermarket kit. The aftermarket kit would have been a direct fit replacement where the GM 800 series box wasn’t. I had to deal with the bigger input and output shafts and making that work. I should have researched this project a little more that’s for sure.

I used a u-joint and a short piece of 3/4" DD shaft to make the connection at the column. My fabricator friend machined my original pitman arm to fit the bigger shaft of the GM 800 series box. It was extra work and time but not too big a deal.

I used a Moroso bracket to relocate the alternator to the passenger side in front of the head closer to the center of the engine. Used a Saginaw P series pump with a Tuff Stuff bracket which had to be modified so it would bolt to the head rather than down low where it was intended because the box was in the way.

The pulleys were a nightmare. It needed a three groove pulley for both the water pump and crank so they both would line up with the alternator pulley since it was so far forward. It's mounted in front of the head not further back and partly behind the valve cover as it was on my ’72. I really like the alternator being mounted in front of the head, looks much better and it uses a shorter belt.

The three groove pulley for the water pump hit the pump casting when bolted up so I had to cut the back third groove off. Fortunately the back third groove wasn’t being used so it didn’t matter. I turned it on a friends lathe and polished it up and it looks like it was never messed with.

I had to use shims, not washers, on both the water pump and crank pulleys to get them space properly. I used a two groove pulley for the power steering pump because a single groove pulley wanted to share the same groove as the alternator and I needed it to ride on the next groove back towards the engine.

I used Monza PS hoses and they worked fine. I might have to do some minor fine tuning for the belt alignment, but I will wait and see what happens after I’ve had a chance to drive it more. For the short drive I took, I haven’t seen any problems with the edges of the belts scuffing so it might okay as is.
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Current toys:
1973 Chevy Vega GT wagon, Chevy 355, 550+HP, Chevy turbo-350 manual shift trans, narrowed Chevy 12 bolt rear end.

1992 Mazda Miata, LS1, 350 HP, Chevy 4L65E trans, Ford 7.5 IRS rear end.

Long ago (40 years) but not forgotten toys:
1972 Chevy Vega GT wagon (bought it when it was six months old!) Chevy 350, Chevy turbo-400, narrowed Chevy 10 bolt rear end. It was the second v8 Vega in Washington.

1967 VW bug, mid engine Chevy 327, Corvair four speed manual transaxle.

https://picasaweb.google.com/1016908821 ... redirect=1
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Re: I recently purchased a '73 Vega GT wagon

Postby BadBowtie » Mon Jan 20, 2014 7:52 pm

Wow! thanks for the in depth response, i'm currently piecing together a power steering system for my car and I'll take note. I'm sure it will all work out!
James

1975 Vega GT sbc, Microsquirt w/Edelbrock MPFI, M21 4-speed and Ford 9"
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1975 Chevrolet Vega GT

Re: I recently purchased a '73 Vega GT wagon

Postby Panic Button » Mon Jan 20, 2014 8:14 pm

BadBowtie wrote:Wow! thanks for the in depth response, i'm currently piecing together a power steering system for my car and I'll take note. I'm sure it will all work out!


Good luck and I certainly didn't research this project enough that's for sure, so be sure you research it well. If I were to do it over again, I don't think I would go with the GM 800 series box and I would go with an aftermarket box that was a directly replacement for the manual box. A lot depends on if you are using stock or aftermarket accessories. This '73 doesn't have any stock accessories on the engine, it's all aftermarket parts, polished aluminum, and chrome so I stuck with that theme somewhat.
Current toys:
1973 Chevy Vega GT wagon, Chevy 355, 550+HP, Chevy turbo-350 manual shift trans, narrowed Chevy 12 bolt rear end.

1992 Mazda Miata, LS1, 350 HP, Chevy 4L65E trans, Ford 7.5 IRS rear end.

Long ago (40 years) but not forgotten toys:
1972 Chevy Vega GT wagon (bought it when it was six months old!) Chevy 350, Chevy turbo-400, narrowed Chevy 10 bolt rear end. It was the second v8 Vega in Washington.

1967 VW bug, mid engine Chevy 327, Corvair four speed manual transaxle.

https://picasaweb.google.com/1016908821 ... redirect=1
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Panic Button
 
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Joined: Sat Jan 11, 2014 12:08 pm
Location: Brier, Washington

Re: I recently purchased a '73 Vega GT wagon

Postby Panic Button » Mon Jan 20, 2014 8:28 pm

megavega wrote:whoa, thats a serious nitrous system and ign system. :shock:

I assume someone was running this car at the drag strip before and your converting it to street use? did the previous owner tell you what the differnt stages of nitrous were?, looks like a 2 stage set up.

very nice car, nice paint, love the wheels on it, your gonna have a awesome ride there.................... :th:


Yes this car was setup for drag racing by the previous owner. I don't know the exact times he ran, but somewhere in the low to mid 10's. I am trying to make it more street friendly so it's easier to drive as I don't plan on racing this car.

The addition of power steering is the major change I plan on making at this time, which I've already completed. I'm in the process of leveling up the back of the body, switching out the very old B&M Quicksilver ratchet shifter for a newer Quicksilver for one handed operation.

As for the nitrous, I was told it was a fogger with two stages. I know nothing about nitrous, so I have a lot to learn. For the time being, both bottles are OFF! This car is very fast without them and there's not many places around to run it wide open without the risk of jail time.
Current toys:
1973 Chevy Vega GT wagon, Chevy 355, 550+HP, Chevy turbo-350 manual shift trans, narrowed Chevy 12 bolt rear end.

1992 Mazda Miata, LS1, 350 HP, Chevy 4L65E trans, Ford 7.5 IRS rear end.

Long ago (40 years) but not forgotten toys:
1972 Chevy Vega GT wagon (bought it when it was six months old!) Chevy 350, Chevy turbo-400, narrowed Chevy 10 bolt rear end. It was the second v8 Vega in Washington.

1967 VW bug, mid engine Chevy 327, Corvair four speed manual transaxle.

https://picasaweb.google.com/1016908821 ... redirect=1
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Panic Button
 
Posts: 15
Joined: Sat Jan 11, 2014 12:08 pm
Location: Brier, Washington

Re: I recently purchased a '73 Vega GT wagon

Postby waybad » Mon Jan 20, 2014 9:09 pm

is the Vega mini-tubbed? are those 235x60x15's on the rear?
this wagon rocks,, can you get some picts of how they put the exhaust on and what you are running?
with that much hp you should at least have 3" exhaust even without the nos.. just read up on the nos,, it a gas!! :dance:
sorry had to say that,, does it still have the 4 link rear set-up? love this wagon!! :th:
Tinker
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Re: I recently purchased a '73 Vega GT wagon

Postby Panic Button » Mon Jan 20, 2014 10:13 pm

waybad wrote:is the Vega mini-tubbed? are those 235x60x15's on the rear?
this wagon rocks,, can you get some picts of how they put the exhaust on and what you are running?
with that much hp you should at least have 3" exhaust even without the nos.. just read up on the nos,, it a gas!! :dance:
sorry had to say that,, does it still have the 4 link rear set-up? love this wagon!! :th:

No on tubbed.

Yes on 235x60x15, Mickey Thompson ET Street Radial.

Headers are Hooker Super Competition long tube 2-1/2", H pipe, electric dumps, Hooker Maximum Flow mufflers.

From what I can tell, it has the stock lower control arms that are beefed up with a traction bar setup. The upper control arms are Spohn, they are adjustable with poly bushings on each end with grease fittings.

I will try to remember to take some photos once I get back under it to put the rear springs back in.
Current toys:
1973 Chevy Vega GT wagon, Chevy 355, 550+HP, Chevy turbo-350 manual shift trans, narrowed Chevy 12 bolt rear end.

1992 Mazda Miata, LS1, 350 HP, Chevy 4L65E trans, Ford 7.5 IRS rear end.

Long ago (40 years) but not forgotten toys:
1972 Chevy Vega GT wagon (bought it when it was six months old!) Chevy 350, Chevy turbo-400, narrowed Chevy 10 bolt rear end. It was the second v8 Vega in Washington.

1967 VW bug, mid engine Chevy 327, Corvair four speed manual transaxle.

https://picasaweb.google.com/1016908821 ... redirect=1
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Panic Button
 
Posts: 15
Joined: Sat Jan 11, 2014 12:08 pm
Location: Brier, Washington

Re: I recently purchased a '73 Vega GT wagon

Postby Monza Harry » Tue Jan 21, 2014 7:32 pm

Panic Button wrote:



This car is very fast without them and there's not many places around to run it wide open without the risk of jail time.

T.F.S. (True F :censored: n' Story) :th: :burn: :burnout: Harry
I'm not a hoarder I'm a preservationist 78 Monza Spyder (~Soon(ish +/- I guess) To Be 2+2 with Spoilers)
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