I recall hearing this about the Chevy Vega. Was this ever true? Had to crane the engine to access 1 or more plugs? Does anyone actually know the actual reality? And was it the Vega? Any other horror story engineering designs that were true?

It’s not just an urban legend. However, I don’t think that it related to the Vega. The identical badge-engineed Buick Skyhawk, Chevy Monza, Pontiac Sunbird, and Olds Starfire of the '75-'80 model years were equipped with a 3.8 liter V-6 that was very large for the size of the engine compartment on…

For 25 years I drove a 1970 Cougar XR7 351 Cleveland with A/C. There was a lot of motor in a small space and changing the plugs was a knucle busting experience. The recommendation from the dealer was to lift the engine as much as possible with a chain or strap wrapped around the engine without loo…

That’s right, I meant the Monza ! So, this was true? Nice!

It is not urban legend, but it wasn’t true of the Vega. I had one of those. The engine was the size of a Singer Sewing Machine and the engine compartment was large enough to house a smallblock V8. There was even talk when the car came out that GM had considered offering a version with the smallblock…

I replace the spark plugs on a 262 CID V8 Monza years ago as a favor for a friend. I did the work in a parking lot lifting the engine with a floor jack, it took a few hours. Afterwards I drove the car, the performance was rather disappointing. The car had very tall gearing.

I owned one of the few Monza Spyders with a 350 V8 in 1979. The plugs were almost impossible to change without great difficulty. It did take hours like Nevada_545 referenced. I sold the car a few days later to a brand new “butter bar” (Second Lieutenant) in the Air Force. I was his former supervisor…

I think the old air-cooled Porsche 911s had to have the engine craned to get at the plugs. I don’t know about the newer 911s. The thought of a Vega with a V-8 is scary. After the structure weakens from the A pillars rusting out the dang engine would probably twist the thing in a knot!

Remove the engine?? No…But on a few models like the V-8 Monzas, you had to move it around a little… Sunbeam Tigers with the Ford 260/289 were equally difficult, but they provided a little access door behind the glove box so you could go through the firewall and reach the back two plugs on the righ…

Doubleclutch, V8 Vegas actually became quite common. Cosworth for one used to sell an entire conversion kit that included subframes, suspension components, the differential, pretty much everything needed but the engine and tranny.

1970s Urban Legends: Cars that required engine removal to replace spark plugs?

General Discussion

JosephEMeehan April 20, 2012, 5:25pm 2

I don’t know about the Vega, but over the years there have been more than one make/model that needed some real effort including lifting the engine a little (not necessarily removing it).

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1970s Urban Legends: Cars that required engine removal to replace spark plugs?

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