1973 "El Vega"

[Reeves Racing]

This is a build I did last summer. It represents my very first car which my Dad and I started building when I was 13 years old and in the seventh grade. We took a 1973 Vega GT station wagon and cut the top off right behind the B pillars to make it into a mini El Camino. The rear glass and frame from the hatch was leaned against the roof and welded in then we used 18 gauge sheet metal to build up the sides of the bed and make the distinctive El Camino roof line. The rear part of the roof had ribs in it and so we used it as the floor of the bed. The color was a Dodge truck color black metal flake. We bought the side emblem stickers from GM to make it a Royal Knight. Being a family of modest means we could not afford the hood decal from GM so we masked of the knights helmet and dragons and painted it on then used trim line pin stripe tape to add accents and to do the side stripes. I mowed yards all summer before my freshman year in high school and was able to afford a set of Western custom wheels and some new radial tires. The engine was the 140 four cylinder but it had a Crower racing cam, an Offenhauser dual plane four barrel intake manifold with a carter four barrel with the smallest jets available. I also had a Clifford exhaust header and a glass pack muffler. It wasnt much faster but it was fun to talk about. It was a great experience and I wish to this day I still had that little car. I wish I had some pictures of the actual car but all I have are some WIP Polaroids that are very dark.

The model was modified much the same way the real car was starting with a resin station wagon and a 78 Monzega donor kit. The sides are built up with sheet styrene and the wheels from a Revell GTO kit are cut down to fit the smaller tires and look just like the old Westerns I had on the real car. I fabbed up a header and if you look close under the chrome air cleaner you can see a four barrel carb. Thanks for looking.

[von Zipper]

That's cool ! I like what you've done. Maybe GM should have made one like that.......could'nt have hurt.

Cecil

[Space Cowboy]

Wow a Vega ElCamino looks cool thanks for sharing.

[charlzrocks]

Dude! That is a pretty sweet looking "Monzamino"! Came out really nice!

You stayed pretty true to both of the original cars looks and stance wise, good job!

[Bernard Kron]

Great story, great idea and very successful build. Now you own a super-nice replica, maybe not like owning the original, but it still must be very satisfying... Awful nice modeling skills you got there!

[Nick Winter]

I remember watching you build this on the "OTHER" forum.

[Joe Nunes]

That's a pretty cool concept! Ya know...you either loved the Vega or hated it...I had a '74 1:1 (dark green with white stripes and black interior) 4-speed/posi-track and other little "add-ons" and I actually really liked that car. Had a lot of fun driving it around and it was real good in the snow. Had to unload it though when we couldn't get one of the spark plugs out during a tune-up....

Yours looks "dressed-up" in that black and gold. Nice project.

Joe

[Harold]

That just looks so 'right' its a wonder GM didn't think of it. I like it.

[Reeves Racing]

I found the one an only build photo of the real car and thought I would post it to this oldie but goodie

[Greg Wann]

WOW!  That's really cool.

[crazyjim]

Terrific concept.

[mhadman]

That works very nicely. Great vision on this! 

Reminds me of the later dodge rampage, but this Vega is much cooler..