Doing the unthinkable buying an Unmentionable. Gen me up.

[Squire_Dawson]

As some of you know the old Aggy needs its engine pulling thanks to a little-end rattle and it's also losing water thanks to a leaky core plug, I believe. It also needs various other things doing to the body which I've neglected to do. At the moment I actually have no use for a car, but will in a few months' time, so am keeping an eye on prices etc. I don't think I'll be able to repair the Allegro engine in that time, so will need some new wheels. My criteria is shite, old and simple, so I have narrowed it down to a Morris Marina (which I'm fairly clued up on seeing as they're just a combination of BL parts), or - and get this - a VAUXHALL VIVA - one of those 1970's cack manglers, which I know nothing about. I asked grandad if they were any good; he said no, but they were very stylish. Over to you, shiters.

[eddyramrod]

Viva HC?  Do it!  They are about as simple as a Marina but with a load more style (I've had both).  All this assumes you can find one, of course.  Sure you don't want a £500 Princess?

[warren t claim]

The 1159/1256 lump was shit but the 18/2300 slant four was a great stump puller back in the day.

 

Any car where you need to push a hidden button under the column to release the ignition key has to be good news.

[HH-R]

They're probably on a pretty even Shite rating, even taking into account that all Vauxhalls are shit.

[xtriple]

I love HB/HC Vivas, something special about the stuby little gearlever and the noises they make.

[warren t claim]

Can I just confirm that you're talking about the HA HB and HC Viva and not the new thing Vauxhall are about to flog to nostalgia fuelled grannies?

[Cavcraft]

I've had Marinas, bloody hateful things.

[Squire_Dawson]

It seems the only ones available without paying ridiculous VOXAL scene tax are the 12/1300 models, which would suit me fine. I can't bring myself to buy a Princess just yet, I'm afraid. I've an urge for some simple chod.

[spike60]

Back in the day my Pa was quite an HC fan, I remember rusty front wings and gearboxes made of cheese. Dunno if any worse than comparable stuff from the day mind.

[r.welfare]

Any car where you need to push a hidden button under the column to release the ignition key has to be good news.

I had an old Senator where you needed to push a button or lever to release the key. The seller didn't tell me this and I spent about 5 minutes pulling my hair out at the petrol station...

 

Another Viva vote if only for that gimmick.

[Lord Sterling]

If you buy a Viva, you will win Autoshite. Simple.

[madwelshman]

HB/HC Viva, drop in an OHC lump from a CHAVALIER/ASHTRAY onto a MANTA box. Pokey reliable engine, simple ignition and injection systems to wire/plumb and pretty good mpg if not ragged within an inch of it's life all the time.

[Squire_Dawson]

I think it's a HC the one I have in mind. Any specific points to look out for other than the general old car nonsense, i.e. rust and odd noises?

[MarvinsMom]

the viva is a lovely little thing. 

 

i've got an urge to own a 70's DAF variomatic, but i think they are almost as rare as a Viva.

 

another car that i have the hots for are the hillman hunter and avenger, sadly these too are getting to be daft money now that the escorts have gone into orbit. sad.....

 

another issue might be that vauxhall vivas are now made up almost completely of unobtainium, and you might have to join a club. i understand  that they are several to choose from?

 

not to mention of course that all vouzhalls r shite??

[doobietoo]

Yep all VXalls are shite but the HC is quite fun and feel sporty compared to a marina had a couple of both back in the day. The 11/1256 engines have the added advantage of being light enough to lift out of the engine bay on your own by standing on the inner wings...

[lisbon_road]

I actually own a '67 HB Viva. Have owned it since 1984. They have good points and bad.

 

The ignition system and distrbutors were awful. Really awful. The smaller engines are not really long lived and distributor drives can fail. But you can fit electronic ignition easily enough and it isn't too hard to get engine parts. The quality of some stuff like door mechanisms was dire too though this probably applies to other cars. Headlights are hard to find now.

 

You get coil springs all round and rack and pinion steering and a light gearbox. HBs and to less extent HCs didn't rust too bad and rarely get structurally awful. But there were bad ones for sure and they are so old now that it is academic.

 

Panels are hard to get. You won't find trim. Suspension parts not so bad perhaps partly as usec in hot rods kit cars and Jenson Healeys.

 

Good luck. Here to help!

[RayMK]

I drove a Marina 1800 all round Cornwall, obtained from a hire company called 'Rent a Wreck.'  This was in the early 1980's and the Marina was charmingly shite even then.  Rusty exterior, shabby interior, ignition switch hated letting go of the key, but lovely torquey engine and it didn't miss a beat.  I owned an FC Viva (1256cc) for about 6 months, during which time we motored up to the Isle of Skye.  It was never the same afterwards - the head gasket had failed between 2 cylinders. I remember seeing the pressed steel rockers and thinking CHEAP. I sold it and bought a Triumph Herald 1200 estate.  That was nice.

 

All old cars rust, but Marinas are so good at it that I think I'd also go for the Viva HC now.  They are pleasant enough.

[Jikovron]

I like the shape of marinas, to my eye they are quite well proportioned however its all relative because marinas look roughly like cortinas,which look like hunters ,,which look like fiat 124s ,which look like vivas which look like mazda 1800's,,,

 

coming to think of it I seem to gravitate towards and want to own is nice square boxy three box saloons that have a decent rear overhang whilst the front overhang being much less  and the front archs having a decent area of panelling behind them and the door as per Jensen interceptors for no tangible reason, like how its known gravity exists but is unknown why it happens.

 

back in the early 90's the old dadio had an orangey red Y reg Ital 1.7hls estate of which I recall as an 8 year old could; top a ton on the flat, required a kettle of boiling water over the leads to get it going ,and on 2 occasions the front trunnions popped off in alarming quick succession after new replacements, ever since that is the only reason I havent bought anything with ancient grecian screw thread suspension swivels

[HillmanImp]

My mate had an 1100 Viva and crashed it into 3 other cars in separate occasions writing them all off with the Viva surviving. Ot eventually succumbed to him somehow hetting it into reverse whilst heading down the A27.

 

Thats 100% of my knowledge on them.

[blguy1975]

Hi Good Squire ,

Surely good chod would be a 214  ,my mate Craig is selling 2  and a 1987 UNO ,

 

what about The Hough's Vitesse?

There is also Robbos Metro and S3 Aggro up soon too and Nathens Equipe,

 

How about a 25 /45 /75 Rover would be good for a pipe smoker

 

Do not forget The Charade that is for sale on here now .

 

Or fall off the radar and buy a Dacia Logon

 

Maybe I should sell you my VP1500

 

Happy Chodding

 

Matt

[Junkman]

Spare parts availability for old foxholes is too scary for my taste.

For this reason, and because all of them are shit, I'd buy a Dolomite instead.

[Lacquer Peel]

aneres nassin

[Dippy]

Owning a Victor is a great experiance for me as 70s Vauxhalls ooze style but as has been mentioned the parts supply for old Vauxhalls is dire, luckily I've only needed service parts so far but even this can be hard work.

 

The good news is if you find the parts they are usually very cheap, and you overlook this problem when you get behind the wheel and it puts a big grin on your face.

[New POD]

On a trip to Billing Aquadrome about 8 years back to the Vauxhall Bedford Opel Association yearly show, I happened upon a viva owners club stand, and was saddened that some had survived. What I did like at that show was the 4 door chevette, with XE, and Manta gearbox, and 14 inch period alloys.

[406V6]

When you wrote buying an unmentionable I thought you were considering a BMW or Benz. A Vauxhall is surely spot on for this forum. Back in the day, the car mags usually rated the Vauxhall as a better car than its Ford equivalent but the public bought the Ford anyway. My father had an FE VX4/90 from new which was stylish and sporty although the engine was a bit rough and the gearboxes of many models had a distinctive whine.  If you're looking to buy a Viva I say well done for avoiding the Ford product but look out for rust everywhere.

[theorganist]

I had an old Senator where you needed to push a button or lever to release the key. The seller didn't tell me this and I spent about 5 minutes pulling my hair out at the petrol station...

 

Another Viva vote if only for that gimmick.

My second Maxi had that, it was sitting on my drive as it had been delivered by trailer. After getting a battery for it I tried to start it (it did eventually) however as my first Maxi hadn't had a button, which was only a year older I thought the key had stuck in the ignition (as I wasn't expecting there to be a button).

 

I felt a bit sheepish and hour later after I had gone and bothered the AA man round the corner and he came and removed it straight away with a grin on his face!

 

I hadn't seen a Viva in years till one showed up at a classic car show earlier in the year now I have seen three around my area! They do have a charm about them. 

[NorfolkNWeigh]

In 1974 I went on a school trip to Ross-on-Wye and Tintern Abbey, I threw up about 4 times on the way there. On the return journey I went in the deputy head's brand new Viva, it was yellow with a beige vinyl roof and seats.

Not only was it the first car I'd been in with a working radio,it was also the first time I'd worn a seatbelt ( in the front !) I can confirm its much faster than a Commer minibus full of 10 year olds driven by a hippy art teacher.

 

Much later I ended up with a 2300 2 door,in a p/ex deal, which I thought was going to be a cut price RS2000- it wasn't . From memory it got my brother to work for 6 months saving his Vitesse (SD1) from muddy sites and a boot full of trowels.

[Station]

Can I just confirm that you're talking about the HA HB and HC Viva and not the new thing Vauxhall are about to flog to nostalgia fuelled grannies?

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/vauxhall/viva/89634/new-vauxhall-viva-to-grow-vauxhall-city-car-range-in-2015

 

You'd just buy a five year old corsa for half the price surely? The interior looks very cheap.

 

It’s the first time in more than 20 years that Vauxhall and Opel will use different names for a car in this country and on the Continent

Apart from the VX220/Speedster about six years ago.

[Asimo]

Followed a smart red HC Viva 2 door just a few days ago. First one I've seen on the roads for years; there is at least one left!

 

Good how many classics come out for Christmas, however salty/shitty the roads are.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

I weighed a tidy '76 Viva E Coupe for scrap in 1989, got 30 quid for it and drove the poor thing there. 

 

The 1256 engine was/is a boat anchor really and moist suffered from Viva Disease, a condition where the distributor drive was so shagged the distributor couldn't fire on one cylinder. The Escort was a neater car that drove better and the Chevette was better than either - the chassis was superb on these. My $$$ would go on a tidy Chevette hatchback, a cracking little motor.