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1971 Vega Panel Express

After eight years of exposure to daily morning moisture, rain and eight northeast winters on Long Island, my 1971 Vega has no rust...not even a spot, anywhere! I had decided after paying storage the first year, it would have to be parked outside (covered) - a huge savings that has amounted to $14k (200. per mo) over a seven-year period.

The Vega had been warehouse stored in Alabama nearly thirty years through 2002 by the previous owner. I don't possess that luxury, only a 1-car garage. Now granted, I did not expose it to salt and mud, and it is undercoated, but I've come to the conclusion if these cars are not exposed to the worst conditions, they will not rust any faster than any other car. My theory explains why only thousands of sets of fenders were replaced by Chevrolet (under warranty) instead of a million, or more. (Vega 1971-1977 production totaled over 2 million).

...and this early 1971 model built within the first 6 months of production has no fender liners (added '74-up models) and no galvanized fenders and rocker panels (added on '76-'77 models), but no rust anywhere on the original sheet metal and chassis of this forty year-old Vega.

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