If there was ever a car that is way cooler modified than stock, it’s the Chevrolet Vega. From the factory, they were fragile econoboxes from a bygone era, with leaky engines and questionable craftsmanship. But they were small, rear wheel drive, and came in a few different body styles that were surprisingly easy on the eyes. And gearheads soon learned that a cheap, broken Vega could house a honking V8 for all sorts of automotive shenanigans. But one thing that the engineers at GM probably didn’t anticipate is the backyard shadetree mechanics that thought that they would be way cooler with some ground clearance and four wheel drive.
The Vega Trar is a rare gift from redneck Valhalla, and every time we see one, we celebrate it. And we’ve found another one. This time, it’s based on the wagon version of the Vega, and has a serious 70’s vibe you have to see to believe. And yes, it’s for sale! It’s missing its drivetrain at the moment, but according to the ad, “all the hard work is done”. Let’s have a look!
This Vega started life as a 1974 Vega Wagon. These were cool little 2 door wagons that had a decent amount of space in the back. Somewhere along the way, hot rodders started stuffing V8’s under the hood and made them even cooler. This one has what appears to be a double beak going on up front instead of a bumper. Weird, but it sorta works.
This Vega is sitting high and mighty on a 70’s Jeep CJ-5 chassis. It’s always funny seeing these with fat all-terrain tires filling the wheel wells. And those rear vents? They were exclusive to the wagons. I wonder if they are callbacks to the old Corvair wagons of the early 60’s? And yes, that’s a thunderbolt on the side. There’s a lot more where that came from.
The seller mentions that it has a “custom hydraulic tilt nose”, but judging by that piece of lumber holding it up, it’s not functional.
The interior is largely gutted, but the seller does mention that it comes with some seats and door panels. The floor looks a bit rusty, but you may luck out with a quick scuff and paint job in here. It also has a roll bar, which you can see here.
WHOA… what’s going on back here? Yeah, those are hardwood floors in the cargo area! Either they were cut out of someone’s house, or they were built a long time ago. Or maybe both. Funky!
On one end of the floor, there’s room for two 6×9 speakers, and a small doorway that looks a lot like those sliding closet doors you see in houses built in the 1960’s and 1970’s. What’s behind the doors? Access to the rear end? Someone’s forgotten stash? A small gremlin or elf? Who knows.
Oh yes, there’s lots of etched glass on this thing. I believe it says,” Help Me Mr Wizard, I don’t wanna be here anymore”, with the requisite planets, shooting stars, and galaxies etched on there as well. And I believe that’s a little etched version of the Vega Trar above the license plate frame! Truly amazing.
The side glass on either side of the cargo area is also etched. While it’s hard to make out what’s going on, I think there’s some sort of cosmic battle taking place. From this angle, you can also see the ground clearance this beast has. Not bad!
Oh man, it’s A HOOD MURAL!!!! Here’s a rundown of what’s going on here: A wizard is breaking through the Earth’s crust, transforming from hot lava fire into magical, angry wizard form. He’s scaring the crap out of a turtle, and shooting lightning from his hands, presumably onto the sides of the car. This majestic work of art should be in a museum.
So, there you have it. It’s a Vega Trar, sans drivetrain, but it has etched windows and a SWEET mural of a badass wizard manipulating time and space on the hood. This work of art deserves to be saved. The seller is asking $3500, which is a small price to pay for such a majestic beast. It’s a Vega, a 4×4 Trar, and a 70’s custom all at the same time! Just toss in the drivetrain from that K10 or old CJ5 that’s rotting away in the yard, finish that interior, and blast The Wizard by Black Sabbath on repeat for the rest of eternity as you drive over every type of terrain imaginable. Mr. Wizard has saved many over the years, and now it’s his turn to be saved.
So, who’s buying it? Raise your hand in the comments section below!
Custom hydraulic tilt nose, Dana 44 in the rear, Dana 35 or 30 front, have drive shaft sterling column, nice doors seats and headliner roll bar and misc parts, no engine transmission or transfer case. Hard work is done, needs to be finished.
It’s either the hangover kicking in or I’m on the road to complete mental collapse but I actually think this thing looks quite good!
Lose the crappy mural, paint it satin black and then to set the balance right slot in a Ford 302. At least I can now get on with my day without thinking I’ve been infected with the Bow Tie virus….
as far as the graphics go,it’s referencing an old cartoon—mr. wizard and tooter turtle–every episode,tooter would beg mr. wizard to send him to some exciting place,promptly get in over his head,then beg mr. wizard to get him home—–maybe what the builder thought when the drugs wore off,and he realized what he’d done?
You beat me to it! Kinda odd that Mr. Wizard is not a lizard like he was in the cartoon.
Drizzle, drazzle, dradle, drone. Time for this one to come home.
LS it! Leave all the Disco Era details and drive it. That floor is a work of art, as is the murals….