:wave: Gotta save this if HOWORLD really closes down' for good ! Neal

Little Red Chevy Vega Wagon Conversion-Before & After
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By Neal Abramson

This is another project I enjoyed doing.This started out as A Lionel Power Passer Chevy Vega Wagon. After converting it to TOMY G+ power, I removed the front bumper as it caused a clearance problem for the front wheels. I then shaped an airdam from Plastruct & glued it under the front grill to give it a neater apearance than before.
I then Cut a small section out of the rear bumper and reglued it together to fit in the rear & relocated it under the rear taillights. A window was trimmed out in the rear hatch & a piece of clear plastic was tinted with magic marker and installed.This looks a lot better than the original configuration and makes better use of the original front bumper.

The roof rack is made from a broken Magnasonic mechanism.Unlike before,this car now ROCKS!

PS, How many guys under the age of 40 remember the original Chevy Vega?It ranked with the Ford Pinto,Yugo & Fiat as some of the worst cars ever made! Hope you like my contribution.

Regards, Neal :dude:

Neal,

Great lookin' custom. Yes, Vega's were a piece of crap car back in the 70's. Buddy of mine had one, it blew up in 18 months. Loved those motors. :devil: rr

I have been trying to get my hands on one of those power passerss for 2 years now on the ebay. I am always out-bid by someone who wants it just a bit more than I do though. I should probably try harder now that I see what can actually be done with one. Outstanding ideas and exicution! I LOVE IT! :thumbsup:

I should dig out the BOX of still-packaged Lionel Power Passers I got downstairs somewhere. There may be a Vega in that group.



Bob Weichbrodt

A and H Hobbies

W-S, NC

I wonder if one of the bodywork wizards here on the board could jigger the roof off one of them onto a JLTO Vega, then cast it in resin. That'd be a killer Fray/VHORS body. Think how low you could slam it down and still have a rear window...

--rick

Another cool creation Neal.
Good thing ya got rid of that ol 4 popper,cause as RR said they "POP". Ya I had a couple of em too, and a bud put a 327 in his. Everytime he would gas it the winshield would crack. That much twist in stock chassis form. Made me decide not to 350 mine, but by '75 it was rusted away(It was a '71). Thats the kind of stuff needed to be done with em.
Later Circle Track DAC

woo hoo, check out the rims, a white lightning version, lol

That's totally outrageous - in a good way! I remember bashing together model cars kits to create monster cars like your Vega. It's a lot of fun.

Yeah, the real Vega was craparoni - all the better to breath some life into it as a custom. Late in its life cycle Chevy put a cast iron sleaved version of the motor out. It was too little too late.

The Cosworth Vega had an engine that was worth more than the rest of the car. As Vegas go the Cosworth Vega is very collectible.

For those interested in doing their own conversion they should check out "How to mount oddball bodies on TOMY chassis" on the same board. My modified cars "snap-on" like a Factory fit with no rubbing of wheelwells.

Neal

:wave:
PS, How many guys under the age of 40 remember the original Chevy Vega?It ranked with the Ford Pinto,Yugo & Fiat as some of the worst cars ever made!
Regards, Neal :dude:

Remember I could I ever forget my very first brand new car that I paid for was a Vega hatchback. Needless to say it went to Spain with me when the Navy sent me there. In the end I traded it for $100.00 and a Turntable just before I came home :)

Great looking body with a lousy engine.

Roger Corrie

Hi Rick :wave:
If you can find one, I'll try and "graft" it onto the JLTO Vega and cast it. LMK! :) I had a Vega & Pinto wagon. Put a 327 in the Vega, and sold the Pinto to a friend's dad who put (of all things) a flathead Ford V8 in it. My friend's dad still has it. The Vega.......who knows where it is now :rolleyes:

Larry

I had a two tone blue 1980 Mercury Bobcat that I had a 302 put into. This was my first car that I called my own. I got it because I liked the Pintos at the Modified races. I got the Bobcat because I liked the interior better than the Pintos. There was another guy in the area with a red 1980 Pinto with a 4 cylinder turbo. After he saw what i had done to my Bobcat he put a 302 in his Pinto also. Both of us had really cool cars.