By the 76 models they came with a 5 year 60,000 mile warranty, coolant recovery system, more adequate rad, hydraulic lifters finally, but that crappy metric TH200 trans. A TH350 was offered '72 - '75 on Vegas and would be a smart & cheap replacement. If it were me buying the car new I would never have gone for an automatic, especially with a four.

 

I'm kinda torn over Vegas, I like them but they had been compromised by the bean counters after the (non-Chevrolet) engineers designed it. Chevrolet did not design or want the car, but GM told Chevrolet they were going to market them. The Lordsdown plant had been a Chevrolet plant until it became a GMAD plant & they cranked up the production rate & fired the quality inspectors. Next they loaded them up on end in rail cars, spilling battery acid on the inner fender & causing rust when new. That practice stopped after '74.

 

I think it would be o.k. to leave the car stock, as much as a Buick V6 or an old aluminum Olds or Buick V8 (or more modern Rover) would make the car more enjoyable to drive. Chevy started putting Buick V6s into them starting in '78 when they started calling them Monza.

This one has AC. Can't imagine there'd be much HP left over with that and the auto trans!