Cosworth Vega

Anyone have one? Poking online at somewhat oddball performance cars and came across a few. Are they related to the Opel Kadett?

Seems like kind of a little cool car.

They are neat but I hear a few of the crucial fuel injection parts are NLA and sell for absurd prices, plus the blocks flex when you try making more power than stock. No relation to Opel, AFAIK.

Shares suspension with Monza. Much NLA. Bodies rust like an Italian.

The owners are strokes because in 1993 at the Elkhart Lake Vintage Races in July the Cosworth club complained that Road America had marked out a spot near the fence and road for their precious Vegas when the Dairyland Datsun Roadster Club clearly had this spot marked out and they got mean and made us move and leave corner 14.

But I'm over it.

I suspect the mechanical fuel injection can be converted to MegaSquirt with some adapting efforts.

It would be an interesting drivetrain to run in a Lotus Seven clone or a LBC, etc. I know the Clown ran one in a Midget at the very first GRM Challenge.

I don't think the rust prone Monza is worth the effort, but there is a butt for every seat.

So awesome

When the post came up the other day about Cosworth Vegas I did a little Googling. They made some pretty impressive HP in race versions. Unfortunately by the time they got the engine in a car on the road, it was pretty much weaksauce. This was pretty much the low point in pollution control.

What about uncorking one a bit? I keep watching videos of its Opel cousin kill'in it in Euro hillclimbs and the gears are whirling....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxbMkv5oxZc

Kadett C is related to the Chevette, not the Vega.

Junkyard_Dog wrote: Kadett C is related to the Chevette, not the Vega.

Really....

That is interesting.

I always thought the Vega (at least the early ones) were a few tweaks away from being a nice Italian design firm's creation.

http://chicago.craigslist.org/nch/cto/5494620508.html

A Cossie: http://chicago.craigslist.org/nch/cto/5510960590.html

Another Cossie: http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/cto/5511841707.html

http://chicago.craigslist.org/nch/cto/5439427845.html

Has Cosworth and GM collaborated on a more modern 4 cylinder since then?

In reply to Stefan (Not Bruce):

Wasn't mechanical but electronic FI.

In reply to dbgrubbs:

Even easier then. MegaSquirt, FTW!

Cool webpage with some good info on them

http://www.banovsky.com/archive/chevrolet-cosworth-vega

RossD wrote: Has Cosworth and GM collaborated on a more modern 4 cylinder since then?

No, but Chrysler did (sorta) via the Chrysler TC by Maserati which had an optional DOHC 2.2 with a cylinder designed by Maserati and built by Cosworth.

This is not the same head as used on the Spirit R/T which was designed by Lotus and was more widely produced but had some reliability issues.

The 2.2 can be mated to a Toyota R154 5-speed using a 1st Gen Dakota 2.5L bellhousing.

pointofdeparture wrote: They are neat but I hear a few of the crucial fuel injection parts are NLA and sell for absurd prices, plus the blocks flex when you try making more power than stock. No relation to Opel, AFAIK.

the block flex? that seems crazy as they were used in racing lol

So I now realize that these are not related to the Vega, but what motor are these guys running in the wild Opel Kadatt C hillclimb cars? They sound absolutely mental...

In reply to Storz:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opel_Kadett_C

This makes me tingly

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=731hSQ7BiIw

Well if we're bench racing non-GM cossie engines, the answer is an 2.0 Ford Ecoboost and a Cosworth valve cover. Assuming that the Duratec one still works with the Ecoboost components.

kanaric wrote:

pointofdeparture wrote: They are neat but I hear a few of the crucial fuel injection parts are NLA and sell for absurd prices, plus the blocks flex when you try making more power than stock. No relation to Opel, AFAIK.

the block flex? that seems crazy as they were used in racing lol

GM apparently sold a motorsport-spec block for them back in the day that was much stronger. Keep in mind these were from the early days of mass-produced all-aluminum engines. Read about it here: http://www.apexspeed.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28410

RossD wrote: I always thought the Vega (at least the early ones) were a few tweaks away from being a nice Italian design firm's creation.

Hmm. Cosworth Vega vs. Alfa GTV.

Both have DOHC engines- one 4V, one 2V
Both have fuel injection- one electronic, one mechanical.
Both have dual a-arm front suspensions
both have live axles in the back.
Both seat 4 with 2 doors.

So they are basically the same car.

Although the tweaks to make them actually run the same are considerable.

I used to see one in South Jersey SCCA when I autocrossed with occasionally maybe 10 years ago. Neat cars..