1975 Chevy Cosworth Vega front 3/4 - CraigslistWhile undeniably cool, the Cosworth Vega was a spectacular failure when it was new. Today's Nice Price or No Dice restoration looks like a spectacular win for bringing back that cool. Let's see how cool we are with its price.For the past month or so, meteorologists have been warning of an impending "Super El Niño" weather pattern that will impact the U.S. for the remainder of the year. That means wetter weather west of the Rockies, and, potentially, cooler, drier conditions to the east, or so they say.That forecast bodes well for the 1992 BMW 318i convertible we saw here on Wednesday, as it is located in Laramie, Wyoming, putting it east of the Rockies. Naturally, that means more time for the next owner to enjoy top-down driving without getting soaked. Unfortunately for that next owner, a whole lot of you felt that paying the seller's $8,950 asking price for the E30 would result in a soaking of another form: financially. When it was all said and done, that opinion manifested in a 64% 'No Dice' loss.AdvertisementAdvertisementRead more: What Are The Rarest Cars Featured On Jay Leno's Garage?A noble vision1975 Chevy Cosworth Vega driver's side profile - CraigslistYesterday's Bimmer, it could be argued, is well on its way to becoming a coveted classic. In contrast, today's 1975 Chevrolet Cosworth Vega is, in the view of many, already there.The Vega's sordid legacy is a well-trodden path. Its long-standing foibles, along with those of the competing Ford Pinto (boom! crackle, crackle), have been pointed to as partial reasons why U.S. car buyers in the 1970s gravitated towards more small, reliable, and feature-rich Japanese cars of the era.With the Cosworth Vega, Chevy proved it was at least trying to bring some excitement to the compact-car party, even if it didn't quite pan out. Only offered for the 1975 and 1976 model years, the hotted-up edition was available exclusively on the Vega's three-door hatchback and featured significant upgrades over the more plebeian models. None of those updates made it a hit, however.AdvertisementAdvertisementOf course, the Cosworth's party piece is that all-alloy DOHC 16-valve 2.0-liter mill under the hood. This engine is notable for several firsts for GM. It's the company's first production engine with four valves per cylinder, the first with electronic port fuel injection, and represents the first time the company partnered with England's Cosworth Engineering. That pairing produced a Vega with 110 horsepower and 107 pound-feet of torque, a significant increase in ponies over the SOHC Vega's 84 horses, although with 122 pound-feet of torque, the base engine did more heavy lifting at lower revs.Black and gold1975 Chevy Cosworth Vega engine - CraigslistFor 1975, the Cosworth Vega was available in only one color combo: single-stage black with gold striping and wheels. This look was popularized by British tobacconist John Player & Sons, whose sponsorship of Lotus' Formula One team around this time translated the iconic cigarette packaging into the racer's livery. On the Vega, a black vinyl interior complements the look, accented by a gold engine-turned instrument panel and "Cosworth Vega" plaque with each car's production number proudly displayed. This one is number 1,780 out of the year's total production run of a mere 2,061 cars sold for 1975.Aesthetically, this Cosworth appears to be in excellent Cars & Coffee condition, but it's not quite Concours-car quality. Notably, the engine's iconic air injection crossover tubes that traversed the valve cover have been omitted, with their ports in the exhaust header having been capped off. That's probably great for reliability, but not for historical accuracy. There's also a Hurst T-handle for the four-speed, but that at least maintains the two horns below for reverse engagement.Parting in1975 Chevy Cosworth Vega interior - CraigslistAccording to the ad, the seller is a retired auto mechanic who has been fiddling with and updating the Vega over the past four years of ownership. Over that time, the car has been equipped with a lot of new and carefully maintained parts. That includes the expected stuff like hatch struts and a set of brand-new BF Goodrich tires, and some less expected work like re-shimmed valves and new cam sprockets that the seller says give more grunt at the low end. The complete list of work is offered in the ad.AdvertisementAdvertisementAll told, the car has done a modest 76,000 miles and has been garage-kept in between amassing those meager miles. Prior to its current owner, the car belonged to a member of the Cosworth Vega Owners' Club, so one might expect it to have been well cared for. It will come with a clean title and, the seller says, its original build sheet, which is kind of cool.Cosworth it?1975 Chevy Cosworth Vega back end - CraigslistWhen trying to sell a car, it's always helpful to explain the motive behind the effort. In this car's case, that's apparently because the current owner is seeking to free up some garage space. Perhaps they need the room to set up a folding patio chair in the garage's cool confines so as to sit and judge the panoply of people passing by on the sidewalk outside. I know that's one of my life goals.Regardless of the vision, in the here and now, the asking price to help free up that space is $8,900, and we now need to decide how helpful that just might be.What's your take on this Cosworth Vega at that $8,900 asking price? Does that feel like a screamin' deal to get into the classic car scene? Or is that price tag a 'Cos' you can't get behind?AdvertisementAdvertisementYou decide!Grand Rapids, Michigan, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.Hat tip to Joe S. for the hookup!Help me out with Nice Price or No Dice. Hit me up at robemslie@gmail.com and send a fixed-price tip. Remember to include your commenter handle.Want more like this? 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