Secret spy pictures of the historic Chevy/Cosworth alliance!!!

[TrackGoddess]

Originally posted by sweaty
A few midgets ran the Cosworth. Anyone besides me remember seeing them?
Turned unbelievable RPMs for the time. Broke often too.

I saw a roadster-style midget with a Cosworth-Vega engine with Ken Schrader at the wheel!!! At Winchester yet!!

[Belanger99]

Yes sweaty, it seems to me that long time midget car owner Dan Pool had one of these motors in his midget for a while.

And I'm pretty sure one of his drivers was co-rookie of the year at the 500 in 78, one Larry Rice.

[sweaty]

A few midgets ran the Cosworth. Anyone besides me remember seeing them?
Turned unbelievable RPMs for the time. Broke often too.

[Hardscrabble]

Interesting that the Cosworth unit was based on a GM design.

Even more interesting that it was regarded as having "less than expected performance".

Must be something with GM, eh?

[slinger]

Atlantics used a spec Cosworth engine. Cosworth and Hart both built F2 engines and like the Atlantics, they were Ford based.

[Doc Austin]

Mackie is right. Ford didn't buy Cosworth until recently. The whole deal was part of Jaguar taking over Stewart. It all happend at roughtly the same time.

Now, ford did have a strong connection to Cosworth through the cosworth DFV formula one motor.

They also used to have something to do with the formula atlantic motors too, but I think Brian Hart was also involved. The Atlantic part I'm a little scketchy about, but I remember they were based on 2-liter ford Cortina engines.

[Mackie]

Someone please correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that both Chevy/GM and Ford were Cosworth customers at the time. I don't think it was until later that Ford bought Cosworth.

[indyracefan]

Originally posted by Ganassifan
Hey...if you are old enough to remember that car, then you are old enough to, ahh....I forgot what I was saying

...I remember those car too!

In fact, I also had a friend with one, in fact it looked exactly like the one RW posted.

Now what where we talking about again??

[Indy Red]

Originally posted by Racewriter



Heck, I'm just surprised that I was the first one to post something like this...

WHAT No Vega?
2004 Chevy Cosworth Vega Promo
"Drive What They Race At Indy"



http://www.trackforum.com/forums/sho...threadid=30247
I posted this on 07-18-2003 10:11 PM

[bever911]

COSWORTH TWIN CAM STORY
In 1970, Chevrolet engineers began working closely with a now famous engine development company in England, Cosworth Engineering Ltd., to design a new European Formula 2 engine based on GM's innovative aluminum silicon alloy four cylinder block.

In 1971, when it was apparent that the four valve per cylinder head design was a viable product, word was given by the then General Manager of Chevrolet, Mr. John Z. Delorean, to develop a Vega "image" model. This new model would utilize a detuned version of the engine as well as other high performance/sport options such as 3.73 posi-traction rear axle, aluminum sport wheels, and full instrumentation.

In later press releases Chevrolet would state; "The Cosworth Vega is a highly sophisticated sports concept designed to generate excitement and bolster interest in the GM domestic small car market" It also added "another marketing objective is to establish the design superiority and engineering excellence of (this) Vega option in the minds of knowledgeable enthusiasts".

Chevrolet, after a three year development program and a one year delay associated with a failure to achieve EPA certification in 1974, began building the first of approximately 2,061 1975 1/2 Cosworth Twin Cam Vegas (RPO Z09) in March, 1975.

The unique engines were hand assembled in a special area at the Tonawanda Engine Plant in New York, tested, and shipped to the Lordstown, Ohio vehicle assembly facility were Vegas were being built at rates approaching 100 units per hour.

The Cosworths were assembled on the same line as other Vegas. All 1975 Cosworths were black with gold striping and gold painted aluminum wheels, each of the vehicles carried a serial numbered plaque on a gold tinted engine turned dash bezel. The 1975 Cosworth model also utilized the new Monza torque arm rear suspension (not used on the standard Vega till 1976), special tachometer, and exclusive transmission and final drive gear ratios. The interior was the same as the GT model custom interior.

In 1976, a five speed transmission with a 4.10 final drive ratio was added to the option list. A mid model year revision (January 1976) added a sunroof, 8 track tape, and eight additional colors to the option list.

Unfortunately, even these changes did not help the sagging sales of the Cosworth Vega and 1976 production ended in July, 1976 with approximately 1446 produced.

Why didn't the Cosworth sell? Most knowledgeable people feel it was a combination of many factors; high unit costs, (over $6000 dollars in 1976, nearly the cost of a new Corvette!) less than expected performance, and a general disinterest in the Vega due to it's previous bad reputation which by 1975 was greatly undeserved.

Now, most surviving Cosworths are owned by people who understand how unique an automobile it was. The Cosworth Vega included many firsts: the first double overhead cam sixteen valve engine to be domestically produced and sold by General Motors; the first use of electronic fuel injection by Chevrolet; the first use of a factory installed stainless steel exhaust header; the first use of pressure cast aluminum road wheels.

As many of you know, these items are commonplace on today's vehicles! It was these firsts that led Car & Driver magazine to name the Cosworth Twin Cam Vega one of worlds ten best collector cars built since 1974 in their January, 1986 issue. The well respected magazine Automobile Quarterly completed a significant color photograph story on the Cosworth Vega in Volume 27-3 issued in September 1989. It appears that this milestone car is finally getting the respect it rightfully deserves

[Doc Austin]

OMG!!! Sam is running a Vega engine?

[Brickman]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=6755&item=2425000165

Timely sale.

[Ganassifan]

Originally posted by Racewriter


The biggest problem with the blocks was with the early ones that didn't have sleeves - the bores and head gasket surfaces would corrode away. The Cozzies all had sleeves, and were decent enough engines.

Heck, I'm just surprised that I was the first one to post something like this...

Hey...if you are old enough to remember that car, then you are old enough to, ahh....I forgot what I was saying

[Racewriter]

Originally posted by Ganassifan
I remember that car!!! I actually had a friend that owned one. And admitted it.

Did they fix the aluminum block on this one?? As I recall, if you sat in one place too long, the block became aluminum foil.

The biggest problem with the blocks was with the early ones that didn't have sleeves - the bores and head gasket surfaces would corrode away. The Cozzies all had sleeves, and were decent enough engines.

Heck, I'm just surprised that I was the first one to post something like this...

[KnockOff]

OMG! You've revealed classified information!

But since the cat's out of the bag, I'm reporting that Toyota secretly sabotaged the deal by supplying the headgaskets.