Time Capsule

FEATURE

InTheGarageMedia.com

This Big-Block Vega Street Machine is the Ultimate Day Two Restoration

BY Tommy Lee Byrd

Images by the Author

W

hen Chevrolet introduced the Vega at the end of 1970, it was another attempt at a compact and economical car. The Corvair had fizzled out and the Nova had graduated to a more civilized offering, leaving a void in the compact space. The Vega was not originally destined for performance, although options like the GT package and eventually the Cosworth Twin Cam Vega gave it some much needed pep in its step. While Chevrolet toyed with various ways to increase sales on the rather boring compact car, the dragstrips buzzed with excitement around this lightweight combination. It was an instant hit when Bill “Grumpy” Jenkins hit the track in his Pro Stock–prepared Vega, which inspired thousands of high-performance Vega street cars and drag cars throughout the ’70s and ’80s.

3/4 front view of an orange '72 Vega station wagon

Although Grumpy was the ultimate inspiration for all Chevy guys, the ’72 Vega station wagon on these pages is a culmination of memories of local hot rods and street machines. Tracy Hicks, from Jonesborough, Tennessee, spent his youth drooling over the fast cars in the Northeastern corner of the state. The car that really made an impact was a radical street machine called “Duffy’s Toy,” a Vega station wagon with all of the ’70s tricks. At the age of 14, he decided that a V-8 Vega would be in his future. Nearly 30 years later, Tracy scored a rust-free Vega wagon and it was time to make this street machine a reality.

The car was in excellent shape as it spent its first 20 years as a daily driver for a schoolteacher in Southern California, so the restoration aspect wasn’t all that challenging. However, making the big-block fit into the tiny engine bay proved to be a difficult proposition. He had plenty of help from Kyker Rod and Custom and Greg Raleigh, as well as the ongoing help and support from his wife, Vickie, and children, Miranda and Chandler.

closeup of engine of '72 Vega station wagon

While the big-block is certainly the “wow” factor inside the hoodless engine bay, it’s the supporting cast of components that inspire the most interest from onlookers. Vintage ignition parts include a Mallory YC-310 distributor, fed by a Mallory box coil and Jacobs/Motion Performance Phase III CD ignition box. There is also a Mallory Engine Safety Control box, which is a rev limiter that’s controlled by a knob that hangs below the dash. Atop the Weiand tunnel ram is a pair of Holley 450-cfm carburetors with gold breathers. You’ll also find some cool fuel system pieces from the ’70s, including a Fram fuel filter, Moroso Cool Can, Holley fuel pressure regulators, anodized fittings, and dual Purolator fuel filters. A Moroso remote oil filter system with a vintage Fram filter is a necessary component for the big-block engine swap, as is the vintage Moroso oil pan. The JR headers are a tight fit.

Behind the big-block is another special piece of the puzzle: A Chevy Monza bellhousing hides a Zoom clutch, which applies power to the Tex Racing four-speed transmission, built by Bob Treadway. The T-101 transmission features a magnesium case packed with straight-cut gears with no synchronizers for slick shifting. A Hurst Ram Rod vertical gate shifter eliminates the H-pattern. You may notice another Hurst shift knob used for the Hone overdrive unit; another vintage piece that required research and fabrication to adapt to the wild combination. A custom Bowman driveshaft features 1350 U-joints for a super-strong connection to the narrowed 12-bolt rearend. The 4.56:1 gears make the lightweight wagon lively, while the overdrive helps with highway manners.

The list of vintage components continues out back, with a finned ET rearend cover, ET traction bars, and Delco Jac Pac air shocks, which feature an onboard air compressor and a dash-mounted button and air pressure gauge for easy ride height adjustments. One of the only modern components on the car is a pair of Viking coilovers, which were necessary to achieve the desired front ride height. The wheels are Cragar S/S, sized at 15×4.5 and 15×7 inches, wrapped in period-correct Pro Trac rubber from Coker Tire.

With such an extensive grouping of components, it was only fitting to finish off the car’s appearance with an ultra-slick paintjob. Kyker Rod & Custom handled the body and paintwork, laying down a beautiful orange hue that works perfectly with the chrome wheels and anodized aluminum throughout. A truly tasteful combination of textures and colors is complemented by a simple and clean black vinyl interior. Suzy and Hal’s Interiors stitched up the diamond-pleated seats and brought the rest of the interior back to life.

Since completion, the car has been to a few shows, but Tracy is looking forward to getting the big-block lined out and ready for action on the street. With 600 hp on tap, it’s sure to be a wild ride, but for now, it’s an unforgettable time capsule that’s way nicer and more thought out than the street machines that were on the road back in the day. Eleven years in the making, Tracy’s big-block Vega is an example of Day Two excellence and it turns back the clock for car guys young and old.

TECH

Owner: Tracy Hicks, Jonesborough, Tennessee
Vehicle: ’72 Chevy Vega

Engine

Type: Big-block
Displacement: 454 ci
Compression Ratio: 12.5:1
Bore: 4.250 inches
Stroke: 4 inches
Rotating Assembly: GM crank and rods, TRW dome pistons
Cylinder Heads: LS6 stock rebuilt by Performance Automotive (Greeneville, TN)
Valvetrain: Ferrea valves, Comp Cams pushrods, Crane Cams rocker arms
Camshaft: Comp Cams hydraulic roller
Ignition: Mallory YC-310 distributor with Jacobs/Motion Performance CD box
Intake: Weiand three-piece tunnel ram
Carburetor: Dual Holley 450-cfm four-barrels
Assembly: Tracy Hicks
Exhaust: JR headers, 2.5-inch exhaust, Hush Thrush mufflers
Ancillaries: Moroso valve covers, Moroso cool can, Marine breathers
Output: Estimated 600 hp

Drivetrain

Transmission: Tex Racing magnesium T-101 four-speed, Hone overdrive unit
Clutch: Zoom
Rear Axle: Narrowed ’65 12-bolt, 4.56:1 gears, GM posi unit, Strange axles

Chassis

Front Suspension: Viking coilovers, custom steering linkage
Rear Suspension: Stock springs with Jac Pac air shocks
Brakes: S-10 disc front and Ford drums rear
Master Cylinder: Speedway Motors aluminum

Wheels & Tires

Wheels: Cragar S/S 15×4.5 and 15×7
Tires: Coker Pro Trac 560-15 and 235/60-15

Interior

Seats: Stock bucket seats with diamond-pleated black vinyl by Suzy and Hal’s Upholstery (Mosheim, TN)
Steering: Stock GT steering wheel
Shifter: Hurst Ram Rod

Exterior

Paint: Crush Orange DeBeer basecoat with House of Kolor clear by Kyker Rod and Custom (Telford, TN)

3/4 view of orange '72 Vega station wagon

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