In 1975, They Sealed a Brand-New Car as a Time Capsule—50 Years Later, It Resurfaces, and the Problems Did Too

Daily Galaxy ^ | December 01, 2025 | Arezki Amiri

[Paal Gulli]

Before the 1973 Oil Embargo, compared to the Japanese cars, American cars were crap. They got gas mileage in the teens (13-19mpg) and if it lasted 100,000 miles, you counted it “a good one.”

At the same time, Japanese cars got 30+ mpg and would run like a Swiss watch for 200,000 miles (in no small part thanks to American engineer W. Edwards Deming). But Americans just wouldn’t buy them because they were tiny in comparison to big American land yachts, and we still hadn’t got over that whole “Pearl Harbor” thing.

That changed when the price of gasoline went up 40% almost overnight because the Arabs cut off oil imports to the US on account of Dick Nixon supporting the Jews in the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

Everntually Detroit made up much of the lost ground but in 1975 most everything coming from Detroit, particularly the econoboxes, was crap.

[Vaduz]

The Vega engine’s innovative design was intended to save weight and production costs by eliminating traditional cast-iron cylinder liners. However, the manufacturing process to properly expose the silicon particles in the cylinder bores was difficult to repeat consistently in high-volume production, leading to issues with premature cylinder wear and scuffing.
The pistons were specially plated with a four-layer electro-plating process to provide a hard iron skirt surface to run against the silicon-aluminum bore

[equaviator]

“American engineer W. Edwards Deming”

He was the the original Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing “guru”.

[1Old Pro]

When the Chevrolet Vega was released, it was meant to signal a bold new era for General Motors

That statement is sad beyond belief.

[USS Alaska]

Frankly, there were not that many 1975 model year American cars worth preserving.

I had a 1975 Gold Pontiac Grand Prix and it was a beauty. I'd love to have that baby today.

[P8riot]

The 1975 Mustang or Corvette were nothing to brag about either. Granted the Vette looked better, but they were both pretty anemic offerings.

[Big Red Badger]

Gremlin !
Little Sis had one...
Straight Six hauled Butt !
Still Junk.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

Was it as bad as the VW “THING”? I bought one, in 1975, right off the show room floor. Within weeks it began to fall apart. And I DO mean fall apart. Got rid of it a few months later and got a Jeep.

[Big Red Badger]

Kawasaki triple Two strokes were Dangerous and I have first hand experience!
I was Rideing a ‘69 CB750 daily at the time-—a Lot.
It had it’s issues as well But also a trend setting Machine!
That Four cylinder was like a Ferrari.

[dwg2]

I had a 75 Monte Carlo. It was a great car for me. Eventually it went to my sister, and then to one of my brothers. He later got rid of it to buy a new car. I miss that car.

[If You Want It Fixed - Fix It]

I have a car in a driveway time capsule. Much like the great leader’s saved nose in woody allen’s old movie...sleeper?...

I will attach a new engine to it some day.

[Albion Wilde]

Ping!

[al_c]

Why on earth would they put a Vega in a time capsule?!

[farm_kid]

I had a 1974 Pinto. $2500 new.

One winter day on the interstate, the snow plows hadn't been through yet. Every few seconds there was another hard-packed drift to bounce over. After a few miles of this, one of the rear wheels decided to leave the car. The lug nuts were still in place. It was like the Incredible Hulk had grabbed the wheel and just pulled it off.

Reminds me of the chorus of an an old country song... "You picked a fine time to leave me, loose wheel".

And finally, the coupe de grace: I didn't learn much and two years later bought a Pinto wagon. No air conditioning.

[delchiante]

LOL

[xp38]

At least the Maverick had a bit of style compared to the Pinto and Vega.

[yuleeyahoo]

I went through three vegas and an astre (the pontiac version) while I high school. They could be had for $100 or less.

[pfflier]

Pinto’s and Maverick’s were just as bad but they sold millions of them.

My wife had a '72 Maverick when we first met. That thing was bulletproof.

It lasted through three generations of family members as a hand-me-down first car. It had an inline 200 6 and I guarantee you it handled all of the abuse offered and kept on chugging along.

I would buy another one.

[stevio]

My family had 3 of them. Yea, gluttons for punishment. But you’re right. Was like a cheap Camaro.

[Yardstick]

Yep, that’s a big beautiful machine right there. American midsize and full size cars of the mid 1970’s were great although down on horsepower due to the emissions regs. It was the small cars that were the problem.