is that possible?
Yup. Cosworth used to produce an entire kit for converting Vegas into V8 driven suicide machines. The kit included reinforcements for the frame as well as the drivetrain etc, and required the buyer to cut his own rear axle (with recommendations on what axle to use). A fella in Hooksett had one up until a few years ago (don’t know if he sold it or moved).
I saw a local (central NY) small block V8 Vega. It was made by a high school classmate’s little brother. IIRC, little brother built it before he got his learner permit and had to wait to drive it himself on the street. He did have some help from dad and older sibs.
Hey Mike, being a fellow member of the “I bought a Vega” club, I’ll expect you to post. Remember when we dreamed of converting ours?
It’s possible…not recommended…but possible.
Cosworth did offer the kit for V8’s. There was also a Cosworth 4-cylinder engine that had a lot more power then the standard 2.3l Engine. There were also some mod’s that drastically increased the power.
But that car was a POS in the first place. Probably the most unreliable car ever produced by an American company. Chevy had a great idea…loved the style and engine…If it was reliable and didn’t rust it was a decent car.
I didn’t know you could shrink a big block to 327 CID. Are you using a custom short-throw crankshaft?
If you’re referring to the optional DOHC Cosworth Vega, which I think had a progressive 2-barrel, I don’t recall the horsepower as being that much higher…but they did come with a 4-speed!
Ah, sweet memories.
327 was a small block V8. Same block as a 283 with a different bore & stroke.
Never mind. I misunderstood the post. I get the joke now.
Maybe he meant 427?
Anything is possible. I was at a car show last Summer and saw a 351 Ford in a Pinto . . . . thought that was crazy . . . then saw a V-8 crammed into a MOTORCYCLE! Go figure. I have been toying with the idea of a Chevy V-8 in a 911, there’s a company in Vegas that specializes in it (Renegade Hybrids). Ah . . time and money! Rocketman
That V8 motorcycle could have been a Boss Hoss. They come from the factory that way.
Maybe you would like the Cadillac 4.9 V8 in a Chevy Citation, eh? (no, not mine!)
Back in 84-85 I saw a For Sale ad and a picture of a Volkwagen Beetle with a 426 Hemi mounted behind the front seats. Probably had good snow traction with all that extra weight. I was driving a 67 Beetle at the time.
Ed B.
The ORIGIONAL DOHC engine had a lot more power. But it was down graded for the US market. I forget why…Not sure if it was the EPA or safety. It had more HP…but NOTHING compared to what a 327 had.
I did a some mods for that engine. When I had to rebuild the engine (every did if you kept it more then 50k miles)…I bought new pistons and rings from IECO. They have the car a 11:1 compression ratio. Had the block bored out and steel sleeved. That alone added about 30hp to the engine. Then I added duel Holly carbs (also sold by IECO). This was a nice improvement too. My mods actually gave me more hp then the Cosworth.
The car was a POS…but I did like it. I liked the styling…the size…how it handled…Just had to put a lot of money into it just ot keep it running…Not to mention the mods. If they didn’t rust out easily…I’d actually consider getting one play with. The engine, tranny and rear end can be made to be reliable. But it also just rusted out too easily.
There was a nice kit you could buy from Porsche. It included a V8…complete suspension upgrade…new trans-axle…You had to remove the rear seats and they gave you this fiberglass cutout to put over the engine to it looks like the rear seat is there, but piled with books. The kit cost MORE then the 2-3 bugs…
I don’t think that the V8 in the Pinto is that difficult. There were some cars (Mustang IIs) built on that platform that came from the factory with V8s, weren’t there?
The small blocks in a Vega were not that rare. A guy around here used to have a 350 Vega wagon (300+ horsepower) many years ago and there’s currently someone here who has a V-8 Vega 2 DR but I don’t know much about the latter.
I’m sure a 427 BB is doable. Anything is possible with enough cuttin’, weldin’, money, and aggravation.
Many years ago a friend of mine took a '60 VW Bug and put a 401 Buick (445 Ft. Lbs. of torque) and a 2-speed Powerglide transmission in it. Externally it did not look like much with faded yellow paint, primer spots, and quiet mufflers but it was a brutal beast when the accelerator pedal was even tapped lightly.
I wholeheartedly share your opinion of the Vega. The size handling, style, hatchback configuration, seating position, I really liked everything about that car…except the quality. If GM had put some quality into that vehicle they would have created a winner for sure.
You modded the bejesus out of yours. I left my engine and drivetrain stock. My mods were cosmetic…front and rear spoilers (I SWEAR they made the car go faster!), wheels & tires, stuff like that.
Was the deal breaker on the Vega the block fabrication errors, or the rust, by reading the posts it sounds like all could be dealt with but the rust, or was it a marketing,factory support issue?
I happened to like the styling also, but I was a VW mechanic. The VW’s had many,many things go wrong but people kept buying (I know the cars time periods did not exactly overlap)