I changed 600 timing belts in that same POS car.
The clutches were junk too.
They really should put it back in the ground.
Pinto’s and Maverick’s were just as bad but they sold millions of them.
Frankly, there were not that many 1975 model year American cars worth preserving . There is a reason the Japanese ate our lunch making cars
I am totally unimpressed. We have cars this old that have been preserved and are driving around on the road without having to be put underneath a pyramid for 50 years. In fact restored cars from the ‘60s or more of a thing.
I had a 2 door wagon. It was horrible. Fortunately for me there were plenty of them in the junkyards to rob parts off of.
CC

Cars today, yuck.
Over priced proprietary parts, the $1,000+ headlight.
Proprietary parts that won’t be available 6 years after the last one runs from the assembly line.
Over complex and difficult to trouble shoot.
Over sensitive because of all the over engineered and complex systems, electronics, that make the vehicle unreliable especially as it ages.
Super small, tight and light, the modern car drags your rear on the road, rides hard, doesn’t allow you to spread out or swing the legs up and take a nap in it (the Euro seating and more stiff suspension - no more bench seating, no leg room, hard sporty ride, poor sound proofing.)
Saving the world the modern car, though significant advancement in safety have been made, is generally lighter and small, and that works against safety (more violent acceleration in an impact, less space to trade.)
My assessment: the modern car is a plastic POS. A near disposable product with a practical useful life of 12-14 years before it’s ready for salvage. And then we talk about the “environment.” Durability / reliability / maintainability have gone backwards, but we have more USB ports!
They should have done this with a VW beetle. It would have started right up. At least with a clutch pop with a roll down the hill
My very 1st car was a Vega. Dark green with beige top.
Does the cigarette lighter work?
Does the cigarette lighter work?
A buddy of mine had a Vega wagon. He dropped a SBC 350 into it. I blew him away at the 1/4 mile track,, but going home he would get on the highway and I wouldn’t see him for the next 20 miles - when we stopped at the McDonalds near home.
The Vega was the worse car I’ve ever seen.
In 1972 at the dealer I got into one with the salesman to do a test drive, I didn’t even put the key in before I said this car is pure junk and told the salesman I don’t need to drive it, just getting in showed me this was junk, we both got out and I left.
I bought a Toyota Corolla instead.