73 vega hatchback

[vickyvega73]

You are so right. My prayers are with those who lost there loved ones the injured and those less fortunate than us. Things could have turned out so different for my family, but I still have my wife and baby girl. God has truly blessed us, and was with us that day. It is sad for me about my little vega, but its just a piece of metal that can be replaced. My family can't. Sorry for rambling but still a emotional wreck and just venting. I still cant believe all of our stuff is just gone. Not scattered, but gone. Man, I tell you guys it was like being inside a blender. I got beat all over my back from covering Amber and little Baylee. I found a crack in the foundation just after impactand and got a hand hold and it was all I could do to hang on. It was so forcefull that it pulled my wrist watch off. We were in the shop by a concrete retainer wall, the overhead door just was sucked out into sky, then the roof, then the whole building scattered. Finallt once it was over we were scared if it was coming back or if there was another one coming due to being sister super cells. I dont want see another one of these things unless its on discovery channel, then I think i'll just flip channels still.
Sorry for any miss spelling, phone doesnt spell check

[clyoatis]

Man... I can only imagine. We had some tornado's tear through Indiana aswell and several people lost thier lives. To see the aftermath it is amazing that anyone survived . My heart goes out to all of you. You just have to be thankful for your family being ok, even if you have to start over with your life at least you are not doing it alone. It is in times like these when you really find out how many people really do love and care for you... I wish you all best, Hang in there.....


Cly

[Brian]

Hope things get better for you soon VickyVega73. Let us know if you need any help or if there is anything we can do for you.

[vickyvega73]

Thanks guys, it means alot to us just for your thoughts and prayers. We just read about a little girl who was found in a field in Indiana that lost all her imediate family, and was in critical condition that just recently pasted. Her mom and dad was only 20 and 21. They were all just kids. So sad. Im going to atempt to post some images of the shop.

[vickyvega73]

EF3 Tornado that hit us head on.



Remains of my home





The corner of the shop we to refuge in





My 71 Longhorn pickup



My vega

[megavega]

Wow, Very sad to see this. First off let me say thank goodness your family and yourself are safe, thats by far the most important!! All that other material stuff can be replaced. Hopefully your insurance will just cut you a check and you can begin the rebuild process. As much bodywork talent as I have seen you post already, you can fix the vega up later on, just throw a car cover on it and set it aside. I hate to ask but did lucy and new pup make it?

[vickyvega73]

Yeah Lucy and Sampson rode the whole thing out right beside us. They were in their kennels and shot across the side of a car, but made it without a scratch. Kennels really saved em

[Keith k3]

Hey John, I JUST BOUGHT A 73 HATCH AN MAN IM I HAVING PROBLEMS FINDING FRAME AN MOTOR MOUNTS,I SEE THAT YOU USED THE DON HARDLY MOUNTS , WHAT MOTOR MOUNTS DO YOU USE WITH THOSE MOUNTS, AN IS THERE ANY OIL PAN ISSUES? ANY HELP YOU CAN GIVE ME I WILL GREATLY APPRECIATE, TY kEITH

[vickyvega73]

When i bought my kit the motor mounts were included so I can't really help on what you would ask for if you went to your local parts store. The oil pan has to be a monza unit or modified to not rub the center link and clear the ends of the inner tie rod ends. I was using a late model 5.3 and was about to modify that pan as well. When i was running a gen1 smallblock i cut the front off and rolled a piece of sheet metal and welded it up. I had the one piece rear main seal and couldn't locate the correct pan so i made my own. Sorry but i hope that helps. You may just do some more research on don hardy kits and maybe find a part number on the mount. I do know that it bolts thru the center from the bottom and i cant recall but it should be a common piece.

[76Vega]

Hey John, I JUST BOUGHT A 73 HATCH AN MAN IM I HAVING PROBLEMS FINDING FRAME AN MOTOR MOUNTS,I SEE THAT YOU USED THE DON HARDLY MOUNTS , WHAT MOTOR MOUNTS DO YOU USE WITH THOSE MOUNTS, AN IS THERE ANY OIL PAN ISSUES? ANY HELP YOU CAN GIVE ME I WILL GREATLY APPRECIATE, TY kEITH

Back when i had my 73 i used the don hardy kit and i used 1970 chevy pickup mounts to mount to the hardy mounts worked excellent, but i had taken out my k-member and made a new one out of heim joints ands sleeves to build a new one.

[vickyvega73]

Well since my HHR got totaled during this whole ordeal I needed a dailydriver so I didn't have a whole lot of money to play with since my car had so many miles and what not. So I got this

1967 impala wagon 327 with three on the tree. Runs good. Plan on stuffing a 5 speed in it then later a efi 5.3

[Brian]

Sweet! I love muscle wagons.

Man, I have't seen a three on the tree in ages. The last one I saw was on my friends '67 Ford Galaxy 500 and that was almost 30 years ago!

[vickyvega73]

yep, shame i've got to pull in favor of a 5 speed. But this is my new dd. I hope with overdrive and no spirited driving to knock down 18-20mpg on freeway. Probably not, but hey I can try. My old 67ss with a t400 din't do to bad with 3.08's. We will see. I guess i need to sign up to a b body forum now

[vegastre]

Wow!
Just saw the pic of the Vega. Incredible experience. I know, I lived though one also. Not a direct hit but wiped out an entire neighborhood two streets over. Six dead some twenty or so years ago. Blew out all my windows in my house. Scared me so bad when I read your account I got a little sick sitting at the computer flashing back. You never get over these deals.

So glad your family survived.

[vegastre]

NOTH TEXAS TORNADO OUTBREAK

APRIL / 3 / 2012

Irony is all I can say. Tornado's hit Dallas Ft Worth and one just a few miles from me in Lancaster with wide spread devastation. My family and home safe. I watched as Tornado formed or tried to from all around. One tried its best to form within a couple hundred yards. No final account but its more than a dozen. Sounds like a lot but not like in 1994 when we had 25 confirmed. The day all my windows were blown out of my house and sacred me to death. For some odd reason today I was more calm. Almost accepting any fate that came my way.