1975 Cosworth Vega ONLY 2900 miles!

IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A PIECE OF CHEVROLET HISTORY, OR THE PERFECT ADDITION TO A CAR MUSEUM, THIS IS IT! DOCUMENTED 1975 COSWORTH VEGA WITH ONLY 2948 MILES! THIS IS A RARE VEHICLE & IS 100% ORIGINAL, EXCEPT FOR THE BATTERY AND OIL FILTER, WITH TONS OF DOCUMENTATION! MOST OF THE OTHER LOW MILEAGE COSWORTHS YOU SEE HERE FOR SALE HAVE DIFFERENT EXHAUST, PAINT, TUNE UP PARTS, OR OTHER SMALL MODIFICATIONS DONE TO THEM. NOT THIS ONE! IT IS TOTALLY ORIGINAL. (YES I HAVE THE ORIGINAL WHEELS & TIRES WITH ONLY 1800 MILES ON THEM!) HERE IS THE HISTORY OF THIS COSWORTH VEGA.
THIS COSWORTH WAS OBTAINED BY DON KAHAN CHEVROLET IN LEE'S SUMMIT MISSOURI SOMETIME IN 1975. THERE WERE ONLY 2061 COSWORTH VEGAS PRODUCED IN 1975, (ONLY 1447 IN 1976 - TOTAL = 3508) SO GETTING ONE OF THESE CARS WAS A BIG DEAL IN THE CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP WORLD. UPON ARRIVAL, DON IMMEDIATELY DECIDED TO PROUDLY DISPLAY THIS UNIQUE FACTORY RACING VEHICLE IN THE MIDDLE OF HIS SHOWROOM FLOOR. HE CLEANED IT UP, PLACED IT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SHOWROOM, & HAD HIS MECHANICS REMOVE THE HOOD SO EVERYONE COULD SEE THE COSWORTH ENGINEERING OF ENGLAND'S 16 VALVE, DUAL OVERHEAD CAMSHAFT, STAINLESS STEEL HEADER ENGINE. HE HAD A SIGN MADE UP & PLACED IN ON THE WINDSHIELD. IT READ "WHAT HAS 4 CYLINDERS, DUAL OVERHEAD CAMSHAFTS, & FLIES? THE COS-VEGA, THAT'S WHAT!" (HOW DO I KNOW ALL THIS? BECAUSE I HAVE THAT VERY SIGN STILL TO THIS DAY!)
NOW EVERYONE AT THE DEALERSHIP WAS IMPRESSED WITH THE COSWORTH VEGA. NOT ONLY DID IT HAVE THE HIGH WINDING COSWORTH ENGINEERING ENGINE, IT ALSO HAD A 4 SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION & A 4:11 POSITRACTION REAR AXLE! THE DOWN SIDE? IT ONLY COST AROUND $500 LESS THAN A CORVETTE! $6183.40 WAS ON THE WINDOW STICKER! YIKES! SO, NEEDLESS TO SAY, THIS COSWORTH LANGUISHED ON THE SHOWROOM FLOOR FOR ALMOST 2 YEARS! IT WAS USED AS A DEMO CAR & A FEW MILES WERE PUT ON IT. THEN ONE DAY ALMOST 2 YEARS LATER, A GENTLEMAN BY THE NAME OF WR MCDONALD WALKED INTO THE DEALERSHIP. HE HAD HEARD ABOUT THE COSWORTH VEGA & WANTED TO SEE IT FOR HIMSELF. HE LOOKED IT OVER, DROVE IT (WITHOUT THE HOOD!) AND AFTER SOME HAGGLING, PURCHASED IT ON FEBRUARY21ST, 1977 FOR A MERE $4000!
NOW, MR WR MCDONALD FELT LIKE HE HAD SOMETHING SPECIAL HERE. THESE CARS WERE AS RARE AS HENS TEETH & HE HAD ONE! RIGHT AWAY HE DECIDED THAT THIS CAR WAS GOING TO BE TREATED LIKE THE RARE BIRD IT WAS. HE TOOK IT HOME, PUT IT IN HIS GARAGE, & FOR OVER 20 YEARS KEPT IT STORED THERE, COVERED UP BY OLD SHEETS, & SITTING ON BRICKS SO AS NOT TO DAMAGE THE ORIGINAL TIRES. ONCE OR TWICE A YEAR, ON SUNNY DAYS, HE WOULD TAKE IT DOWN OFF THE BRICKS, CLEAN IT UP, & DRIVE IT TO LOCAL CAR SHOWS & CRUISE NIGHTS. NOT ONLY DID HE METICULOUSLY PRESERVE THIS CAR, HE SAFELY LOCKED AWAY EVERY SINGLE DOCUMENT THAT HE RECEIVED WITH THE CAR, RIGHT DOWN TO THE CARBON PAPER PLACED IN BETWEEN THE SALES DOCUMENTS WHEN HE WAS SIGNING THE PAPERWORK AT THE DEALERSHIP! AMAZING!
MR MCDONALD HAD MANY YEARS OF PLEASURE WITH HIS COSWORTH. OH YES, HE HEARD THE STORIES OF VEGA ENGINES BLOWING UP & OVERHEATING. HE HEARD ABOUT HOW BADLY THE VEGAS WOULD RUST OUT & FALL APART. WE ALL DID. BUT, NOT HIS COSWORTH! OTHER THAN A FEW IMPERFECTIONS PUT ON THE CAR BEFORE HE OBTAINED IT, ( LIKE THE MECHANICS PUTTING A SMALL SCRATCH ON THE DRIVERS FENDER WHEN THEY REINSTALLED THE HOOD, OR THE SMALL AREA OF PAINT IMPERFECTIONS ON THE PASSENGER QUARTER PANEL FROM THE FACTORY) HIS CAR WAS PERFECT. AHHH, THAT WAS JUST PATINA! PART OF THE STORY OF THIS TRULY UNIQUE CAR. HE PROUDLY DISPLAYED IT AT EVERY EVENT HE WENT TO, & ANSWERED A MILLION QUESTIONS, BECAUSE MOST OF THE WORLD DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT A COSWORTH VEGA WAS! INCLUDING ME!
WELL, RIGHT AROUND THE TURN OF THE CENTURY, BACK WHEN PEOPLE ACTUALLY USED NEWSPAPERS TO ADVERTISE CARS FOR SALE, (YES, WHEN DINOSAURS ROAMED THE EARTH!) I WAS WORKING AT THE NOW DEFUNCT HARLEY DAVIDSON PLANT. IT WAS A SATURDAY, & AS I ATE LUNCH, I PERUSED THE SATURDAY AUTOMOTIVE WANT ADS. THERE WAS AN AD FOR A COSWORTH VEGA. A COSWORTH VEGA? WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?, I ASKED MYSELF. NO IDEA. SO I DECIDED TO CALL THE NUMBER AFTER WORK & FIND OUT. THAT EVENING AS I HAD DINNER WITH MY WIFE, I CALLED THE NUMBER. "HELLO?" "HI, MY NAME IS DAVE & I WAS CALLING ABOUT YOUR AD FOR A COSWORTH VEGA." "OH YES, I STILL HAVE IT." CAME THE REPLY. "OK, WELL I HAVE A QUESTION. WHAT EXACTLY IS A COSWORTH VEGA?" AFTER A CHUCKLE, MR MCDONALD SPENT THE NEXT 2 HOURS EXPLAINING TO ME WHAT IT WAS & THE STORY OF HIS OWNING IT. "ITS SITTING IN MY GARAGE, ON BRICKS RIGHT NOW" HE TOLD ME. "AND IT ONLY HAS 1800 MILES ON THE ODOMETER! STILL HAS THE STICKER IN THE WINDOW!" WOW! I WAS AMAZED! AFTER MUCH PLEADING WITH MY WIFE, THE NEXT DAY WE DROVE TO SUNRISE BEACH, MISSOURI, ABOUT 2 HOURS AWAY TO LOOK AT IT. SURE ENOUGH, THERE IN THE CORNER OF HIS GARAGE, SITTING ON BRICKS, WAS THIS MOST UNUSUAL OF CARS, THE COSWORTH VEGA. I EXCITEDLY CRAWLED ALL OVER IT, ABSOLUTELY STUNNED BY ITS PERFECTION. " THE ONLY PART THAT ISN'T ORIGINAL IS THE BATTERY." HE TOLD ME. "THREW THAT THING AWAY, STUPID THING TO DO," HE MUTTERED. INDEED IT WAS. WELL, WE DICKERED BACK & FORTH, & FINALLY AGREED ON A PRICE. "I DIDN'T BRING THAT MUCH MONEY WITH ME", I TOLD HIM. "AS A MATTER OF FACT, I HAVE TO TALK TO MY BANK TO SEE IF THEY WILL LOAN ME THAT MUCH MONEY." " NO PROBLEM." HE SAID. "JUST GIVE ME A $100 DEPOSIT & I'LL HOLD IT WHILE YOU TALK TO THE BANK." COOL! SO, THE NEXT DAY I WAS AT THE BANK, TRYING TO CONVINCE THEM TO GIVE ME THE MONEY TO BUY A 25 YEAR OLD CAR FOR WAY MORE THAN THEY CONSIDERED IT TO BE WORTH. BUT I WAS SUCCESSFUL, & A WEEK LATER, THE CAR WAS IN MY GARAGE!
I WAS FAMILIAR WITH EBAY, A NEW ONLINE SELLING VENUE, SO I BEGAN LOOKING FOR PARTS FOR MY COSWORTH. IT DIDN'T NEED ANY, MIND YOU, JUST SOME OF THOSE "JUST IN CASE" PARTS. THEN ONE DAY I WAS SEARCHING FOR PARTS & CAME ACROSS A MAN IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK. "RARE CACHE OF NOS COSWORTH PARTS," THE LISTING SAID. I DON'T EVEN REMEMBER WHAT HE WAS SELLING BECAUSE I WAS LOOKING FOR AN IMPOSSIBLE PART. I SENT A QUESTION & ASKED IF I COULD CALL HIM. HE GAVE ME HIS NUMBER & I CALLED. I ASKED HIM WHAT PARTS HE HAD. "WELL, I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED WITH COSWORTHS FOR YEARS NOW, & I ALSO WORKED AT A CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP," HE SAID. "I HAVE BEEN BUYING NOS COSWORTH PARTS FOR YEARS AS THEY BECOME OBSOLETE. I HAVE OVER 3000 PARTS, SO WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?" HE ALSO MENTIONED THAT HE WAS HEAVILY INVOLVED IN THE CVOA, OR COSWORTH VEGA OWNERS ASSOCIATION. "I'M LOOKING FOR ONE PART," I SAID. "I'M LOOKING FOR A BATTERY FOR A COSWORTH." I TOLD HIM. "WELL, YOU ARE IN LUCK! I HAVE AN NOS BATTERY THAT HAS NEVER BEEN FILLED, STILL IN THE BOX!" HOLY CRAP! "YES, BUT IT AIN'T GONNA BE CHEAP!" HE SAID. WELL, HE WAS RIGHT. AFTER SENDING HIM $400, THE BATTERY WAS MINE. I ALSO OBTAINED A FEW OTHER PARTS, INCLUDING AN EXTRA ECM, SEVERAL NOS STRIPE KITS, AN NOS WHEEL, & SOME OTHER PARTS I CAN'T REMEMBER I HAVE. I ALSO BOUGHT 4 BRAND NEW IN-THE-BOX MAG WHEELS FROM THE 70'S & PUT WHITE LETTER TIRES ON THEM & IMMEDIATELY REMOVED THE ORIGINAL WHEELS & TIRES & PUT THEM UNDER THE BENCH IN MY GARAGE. I KNEW THEY WOULD BE WORTH KEEPING.
WHEN I PURCHASED THIS CAR, I ASKED MR MCDONALD TO DO ME ONE FAVOR. I ASKED HIM TO APPLY FOR A LOST TITLE WITH THE STATE, & GIVE THAT TO ME WHEN I PAID FOR THE CAR. HE DID, & THATS THE ONE I GAVE TO THE STATE. I PUT THE ORIGINAL AWAY FOR SAFE KEEPING. SMART MOVE! THEN I TOOK THE ORIGINAL DOCUMENTATION THAT I HAD RECEIVED FROM HIM & LAMINATED ALL OF THEM SO AS TO PROTECT THEM FROM DAMAGE. (YES EVEN THE CARBON PAPER!)
I DROVE THIS CAR FOR ABOUT A YEAR TO SHOWS & CRUISE NIGHTS BEFORE I TOO DECIDED TO STOP DRIVING IT & PRESERVE IT. AFTER THAT WHEN IT WENT TO SHOWS, IT WENT ON A TRAILER. IT SAT IN MY GARAGE, COVERED UP FOR MOST OF ITS LIFE. I PUT ANOTHER 1000 MILES OR SO ON IT OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS. THEN, I STOPPED DRIVING IT FOR A FEW YEARS. THE GAS TURNED SOUR, SO I PULLED THE GAS TANK THIS SPRING & HAD IT BLASTED ON THE INSIDE. I SENT THE SENDING UNIT TO TRISTAR RADIATOR & HAD IT RECONDITIONED. (200 BUCKS!) I PUT A NEW FUEL PUMP IN THE TANK (THE FRAME MOUNTED ONE IS STILL INTACT) & NEW RUBBER FUEL LINES. I PUT FRESH GAS IN IT & A NEW BATTERY, & IT STARTED RIGHT UP & RUNS GREAT!
SO, AS YOU CAN SEE, YOU ARE NOT JUST BUYING A CAR. YOU ARE BUYING A PIECE OF HISTORY. IF THIS CAR WAS A CHEVELLE, OR A CAMARO, OR A CORVETTE, YOU'D PROBABLY BE PAYING WELL OVER 100 GRAND FOR IT. BUT, IT'S A VEGA. NOT JUST ANY VEGA THOUGH, A COSWORTH VEGA. A COSWORTH VEGA THAT HAS AN AMAZING STORY TO TELL, & SHOULD BE PUT IN A PLACE OF HONOR TO HELP REMEMBER THE MUSCLE CAR ERA IN ITS WANING YEARS. AND, UNLIKE THOSE "OTHER" CARS, THERE ARE ONLY A FEW LEFT. THIS CAR DESERVES TO BE IN A MUSEUM. PLEASE DON'T CALL ME & TELL ME HOW YOU WANT TO "THROW A V-8 IN IT", OR "TURN IT INTO A DRAG CAR." HAVE SOME RESPECT. JUST LIKE MR WR MCDONALD DID 41 YEARS AGO. AND THE RESPECT I HAVE GIVEN IT FOR OVER 20 YEARS.

BUY IT NOW INCLUDES ALL THE EXTRA PARTS I HAVE FOR IT, PLUS THE BATTERY & NOS OIL FILTER TO MAKE IT 100% ORIGINAL. I HAVE MANY MORE PICTURES OF IT, & THE ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS & THE SIGN THAT WAS IN THE WINDSHIELD. ASK & I CAN EMAIL THEM TO YOU. CALL WITH QUESTIONS 816-520-4108. THANKS FOR READING THIS FAR!

On Dec-07-19 at 08:31:52 PST, seller added the following information:

I COULD POSSIBLY DELIVER THIS COSWORTH TO THE WINNING BIDDER, DEPENDING ON YOUR LOCATION. I WOULD BE WILLING TO DO IT FOR LESS MONEY THAN THE SHIPPING COMPANIES WOULD CHARGE, & I'D TAKE BETTER CARE OF IT THAN THEY WOULD! IF YOU WANT TO DISCUSS THIS POSSIBILITY WITH ME, PLEASE CONTACT ME BEFORE THE AUCTION ENDS. THANK YOU!