Vega 140 ARP head stud torque

[rpoz-29]

Did your engine still have the alignment dowels? I've never had any trouble setting a Vega head on the block, although the studs would make it easier to install.

[kgroombr]

Yes, but since the pins stick up maybe 1/4" they are hard to see when the head is hovering above the block. It always seamed I had to slide the head around a bit before it popped into place on those pins. With the studs it is a non-issue.

Ken

[kre25]

kre25,

Where do you race? You must have one of the rarest cars running.

Dick

Had been racing at Anderson Motor Speedway in Anderon, South Carolina.
The Tec Man has now decided that the windage tray that holds up the oil pickup screen, is an unfair advantage for our car.
He has made our Vega stock from the factory, illegal for the 4 cyl division.

Have been building a new Vega Dirt Car for 2014, to be run at Laurens Speedway in Laurens South Carolina.

This is my #25, my Brother Jack is my Driver.
http://andersonmotorspeedway.com/galler ... ure&id=111

We will put my Brothers #225 on the New Dirt Car!

I know some on here would like to crucify us for racing the Vega but someone has to outrun those Ford Mustangs!

[hammerdown7]

kre25,

Where do you race? You must have one of the rarest cars running.

Dick

Had been racing at Anderson Motor Speedway in Anderon, South Carolina.
The Tec Man has now decided that the windage tray that holds up the oil pickup screen, is an unfair advantage for our car.
He has made our Vega stock from the factory, illegal for the 4 cyl division.

Have been building a new Vega Dirt Car for 2014, to be run at Laurens Speedway in Laurens South Carolina.

This is my #25, my Brother Jack is my Driver.
http://andersonmotorspeedway.com/galler ... ure&id=111

We will put my Brothers #225 on the New Dirt Car!

I know some on here would like to crucify us for racing the Vega but someone has to outrun those Ford Mustangs!

I don't know of one person here who would have any problem with you racing your Vega, I think it's terrific! I'm assuming you have to run a pretty much stock engine or can you make mods? What if you cut away most of the windage tray just leaving the perimeter and the area that mounts the pickup?

There are a lot of racers here, mostly drag racing but a few autocross and road racers. I don't know of any other circle track guys though. If you have more pictures, send them to my email, hammerdown@wowway.com and I'll post them here. We like pictures! Sometimes they are difficult to post if you haven't done it before.

Dick

[kre25]

kre25,
I don't know of one person here who would have any problem with you racing your Vega, I think it's terrific! I'm assuming you have to run a pretty much stock engine or can you make mods? What if you cut away most of the windage tray just leaving the perimeter and the area that mounts the pickup?

There are a lot of racers here, mostly drag racing but a few autocross and road racers. I don't know of any other circle track guys though. If you have more pictures, send them to my email, hammerdown@wowway.com and I'll post them here. We like pictures! Sometimes they are difficult to post if you haven't done it before.

Dick

The Division that we ran was called C-Mini Stock, everything had to be stock from the factory.

1. The 72 Vega and the 4 cyl Mustangs came stock with 110 hp from the factory. 2 .The 72 Vega came with a .438 solid lift camshaft in the head, so the Ford guys that had to run hydraulic lift was given an increase from .390 to .410 lift.
3. The Tec man then came to us because we were still winning, and wanted us to have our camshaft cut down from .438 to .410. We said NO! Redoing a Vega head is at least $600 if not more. New Cam, all 8 new valves, 8 new valve springs to get proper open and closed pressures to make the Vega run. They only paid $125 to win.

I had already taken 1 windage tray and drilled 30- 1/2'' holes in the bottom to make him happy. The oil pan gasket sets are obsolete, so it is a VERY big deal to go into the bottom end.

They have now done away with the C-mini class after a multitude of rules changes that cost money.
I was already working on the dirt car when thy killed our division.
2014 will be the beginning of our reintroduction back to dirt.
We won on asphalt, now we want to try to run top 5 on dirt by mid season

[hammerdown7]

Gee, I wonder when stock is stock! Sounds like the Tec Man leaned a little to the Ford side! Don't forget if you have some other pictures, pass them along and I'll post them here. keep us posted on the 2014 season. Will you be running mostly against Mustangs again?

Dick

[rpoz-29]

I'm with Hammerdown7. I autocrossed a '73 Vega from 1975 until 2002. It sounds like the tech guy was sympathetic to the Ford folks. Or it could be, (as in my case), they simply couldn't believe a Vega could run that hard. Most people's memories of Vegas are a 1bbl, powerglide with AC. And those were slugs. I was protested a number of times because, " A stock Vega can not run or handle that well"! I held my own with the '90's Honda Civic's, but when the Mini's were sent to H/Stock, (SCCA classing), I just couldn't compete. Keep racing it, and send more pictures!

[kre25]

The Tec Man told my Brother that he was tired of getting phone calls(at his mechanic shop) during the week complaining about our Vega.

He made a rule change against a Toyota, adding 100 lbs to their car because it won 5 out of 18 races during the 2010 season.

The Ford Mustangs won 13 out of 18 and no rules changes were made against them.

In 2011 when the Toyota could run no better than 4th with the added weight, he refused to amend the 100 lb added rule.

The top local car builders in Anderson and top local race engine builder run 1 kind of car, you guessed it, the Ford Mustang.

[cosvega76]

Sounds similar to NHRA Pro Stock Bike. When the Harleys first entered competition, they were no match for the Suzukis and Kawasakis. So NHRA let them double their engine size. Now that their engine program has progressed there's almost no competition from the Jap bikes anymore, even with the few concessions provided them.

Chuck

[kre25]

Sounds similar to NHRA Pro Stock Bike. When the Harleys first entered competition, they were no match for the Suzukis and Kawasakis. So NHRA let them double their engine size. Now that their engine program has progressed there's almost no competition from the Jap bikes anymore, even with the few concessions provided them.

Chuck

I have been racing since 1986, I found out a long time ago that rules and rule changes are always political.

When they make calls constantly against my car, it tells me they do not want us there.

That is why midway through 2011 we left that track and have not been back.

We decided late in 2011 to build a new dirt car after taking the backup(2009 Championship Car) to run a dirt race.

Big difference in having a stock bodied car and an all fabricated bodied car. 250 lbs worth.

My Brother has a Family(Wife and 2 Children) it is a Great responsibility to build a car to keep him safe.
I have been able to add many more roll bars in this cage, I have told him from day 1 that this car is being built to withstand being on its Top, since that seems to happen on a regular basis on dirt because of the angles that the cars are at when contact is made.

Cars flipping on Asphalt was very rare.