1973 Vauxhall Viva… untouched since ‘93 - worth it?

[vaughant]

4 minutes ago, motorpunk said:

Thanks, I think the best action is that I take a look, post some pics, and then see if someone else wants to take it on. I’m away for a few weeks now but I doubt it’s going anywhere…

That is an excellent plan. 

 

[Dobloseven]

PLEASE don't forget. I'm getting quite excited. Just down the road if anyone needs a hand or it looking at. SiL had a yellow M reg estate in the early eighties, I used to keep running for her. Replaced it with a   V reg Chevette I used to keep running as well. The 1256 engines weren't the best. Seem to remember lots of mayonnaise in the rocker cover and rattly timing chains and tappets you were supposed to adjust with the engine running. And the rust! Keep us posted and happy to try and help anyone. Might even be interested myself as a glorious reminder of miners strikes, Ted heath, Bay City Rollers.............. 

[Cavcraft]

It'll be absolutely shit, I'll give you £43.17 for it in cash.

[UltraWomble]

I like a HC (I also like a HA Bedford van).

I however, have the mechanical ability of a squashed hedgehog.

[Datsuncog]

If it looks like this, then I might* not bother...

[eddyramrod]

1 hour ago, UltraWomble said:

I like a HC (I also like a HA Bedford van).

I however, have the mechanical ability of a squashed hedgehog.

Ditto!  But if it looks viable I might have to declare an interest.  My parents had one in the 80s, and when I was in Cyprus I rescued one off a hillside and moved it on (I already had a project, my A40).

Do we know for certain it actually IS a Viva?

[MiniMinorMk3]

It might look like this

In which case it will be a damn rare thing that could be made into a Firenza Clone.

 

Here's one I saw in Warwickshire a few years ago

 

 

[artdjones]

The engines are a bit rattly but so easy to work on.

[Bradders59]

My first car(in 1978)  was an HB Viva. At the same time my Dad had a gold HC.  Just over a year later  I got a claim for a motorbike accident and bought a 6 month old Chevette HS.

We were a real Vauxhall family, and I still have one (3.2 Omega) to this day.

My bucket list project is to put a V6 Omega engine into a Chevette shell. I know its been done before, so perfectly feasible, and a much cheaper way of having a 215bhp Chevette than a highly tuned 24v HS engined version. 

[Bren]

41 minutes ago, Bradders59 said:

My first car(in 1978)  was an HB Viva. At the same time my Dad had a gold HC.  Just over a year later  I got a claim for a motorbike accident and bought a 6 month old Chevette HS.

We were a real Vauxhall family, and I still have one (3.2 Omega) to this day.

My bucket list project is to put a V6 Omega engine into a Chevette shell. I know its been done before, so perfectly feasible, and a much cheaper way of having a 215bhp Chevette than a highly tuned 24v HS engined version. 

We have had some great vauxhalls - FE Victor, royale, senator, cavalier mk2.

What happened GM?

[motorpunk]

1 hour ago, Bren said:

What happened GM?

The market changed, but they didn’t.

[Matty]

8 hours ago, Datsuncog said:

I loved my '73 Viva.

If you do go to view it, and you pull open the garage to reveal something like this inside...

...would you feel crushed with disappointment?

(Note: @vulgalour spec gold paint, black vinyl roof and pink sateen blanket present and correct)

I don't get the 'uncool' label, I think these look awesome.

I still love the rear light treatment on these; such a simple and stylish design.

Letting mine go remains one of the biggest regrets of my life. They were worthless in the mid-2000s for reasons I still can't fathom- which led to this one becoming neglected and ultimately parted out after leaving my ownership, as mentioned upthread - but that's not really the case anymore.

So you won't get an unbiased opinion from me, but I'd say it's well worth a look and posting a few pics up here - and maybe someone else will ride to its rescue?

That, it has to be said, is a very good looking car. Always loved a HC, though HBs are cooler than a polar bears nuts as well. @motorpunk, just sell one of the other cars. Who needs a Lotus anyway? 😆

[Ghosty]

12 hours ago, andyberg said:

If all else fails, Jonny Smith may be interested for a video??

This is an extremely valid point - it would easily find the car a home too. 

[motorpunk]

22 minutes ago, Matty said:

 @motorpunk, just sell one of the other cars. Who needs a Lotus anyway? 😆

Lotus is a keeper! I even washed it last week! 

[motorpunk]

12 minutes ago, Ghosty said:

This is an extremely valid point - it would easily find the car a home too. 

I CBA with making a film with him, sorry.

[Matty]

Just now, motorpunk said:

Lotus is a keeper! I even washed it last week! 

I certainly wasn't suggesting moving the Fiat on. Be like blaspheming that 😁

[Bradders59]

13 hours ago, Bren said:

We have had some great vauxhalls - FE Victor, royale, senator, cavalier mk2.

What happened GM?

Imo, around the turn of the century, they just gave up. Ialso had a Viceroy, 24v Senator, and am on my 5th ( I think) Omega.

Cant imagine them thinking of making any of those kinds of cars now, never mind Droopsnoot Firenza, Chevette HS. Lotus Carlton.....

Now they are French owned, I have zero interest whatsoever. 

[outlaw118]

ORL VOKSALZ R SHIT M9 (but the front end is a lot harder than the arse of a Hyacinth Rover)

[Muniphobia]

The first car I travelled in was my Dad's cedar green starmist Viva HC after I was born.  Somewhere I have a model of a 1959 Buick that he painted with the spray paint he had left when he changed it for a Princess 1700 HL.

Plenty of advice in this thread about going for it with the Viva but nobody's mentioned about not buying a property with no off road parking.  This is a motoring site, you need space to store your cars off road, why move somewhere with no parking keeping your chod away from the idiots on the road, not to mention road salt over the winter.

[motorpunk]

56 minutes ago, Muniphobia said:

nobody's mentioned about not buying a property with no off road parking.  This is a motoring site, you need space to store your cars off road, why move somewhere with no parking keeping your chod away from the idiots on the road, not to mention road salt over the winter.

That’s something for another thread! 😃

[Matty]

3 hours ago, motorpunk said:

That’s something for another thread! 😃

Which obviously means it's going to be some smart old house. Go on then, start a thread 😄

[Six-cylinder]

Late to the party due to little internet for a week and not spending much time on here, did somebody say Vauxhall! 

I can't wait to see what it is like and the story unfold.

[eddyramrod]

9 hours ago, Muniphobia said:

Plenty of advice in this thread about going for it with the Viva but nobody's mentioned about not buying a property with no off road parking.  This is a motoring site, you need space to store your cars off road, why move somewhere with no parking keeping your chod away from the idiots on the road, not to mention road salt over the winter.

What, like I did ten years ago?  Sometimes you have no choice, your circumstances dictate where you live.  It hasn't been easy having only on-street parking but I manage.  A couple of times I've been up to four on the fleet, which has meant parking in other streets nearby.  Less than perfect!  But that's life.

I'd love a three-bedroom bungalow with a driveway and preferably a double garage, but hey, I own this two-bedroom terrace.  I never intended to live in it!  Most of the neighbours are nice enough, and there are enough that don't own cars to make parking my two a practical proposition.

[wuvvum]

13 hours ago, outlaw118 said:

ORL VOKSALZ R SHIT M9 (but the front end is a lot harder than the arse of a Hyacinth Rover)

Although if that's a typical SD3 it presumably won't have had a boot floor which won't have helped.

[outlaw118]

5 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

Although if that's a typical SD3 it presumably won't have had a boot floor which won't have helped.

The boot floor was OK-ish IIRC, starting to go along the seams to the arches, my abiding memory of that was that it was a "Saturday night" build and there were lots of star bolts holding it together, which at that point was borderline witchcraft. Left in on the key in the end because ran out of time.

[High Jetter]

Fingers X that the pic issue will be fixed by the time this Viva gets papped, hopefully it's not too far gone to save.

[Noel Tidybeard]

4 hours ago, Six-cylinder said:

Late to the party due to little internet for a week and not spending much time on here, did somebody say Vauxhall! 

I can't wait to see what it is like and the story unfold.

it's a shame there is no-one with storage and a weakness for shonky vauxhall/opel/bedfords😁

[sierraman]

I’ve found unless you move quick and have some folding money in hand these things turn out to be a nightmare, when selling Aunt Mabel’s old Maestro, the people disposing of the Estate will let it go for £18 and a tray of Black Magic, then cousin Alan gets involved decrees that it’s old and therefore worth somewhere in the region of £11 million quid and the negotiations go absolutely nowhere. I’d suggest meeting the person in a position to sell the thing then making the offer and firm up shifting it there and then. Once it becomes a to-ing and fro-sing between everyone it becomes tantamount to trying to negotiate Brexit. 

[JimH]

^ That in spades. 

Turn up to make an offer cash in hand and the kit to move it there and then. Otherwise you find that when you return all excited like to collect your winnings someone new is there who threatens to set the dogs on you. 

[Remspoor]

On 10/23/2022 at 10:55 PM, motorpunk said:

During my weekly battering at the village pub quiz (came last but one, seems the locals are all boffins), someone mentioned having a ‘73 Vauxhall Viva that an old chap put into a garage in ‘93 and hasn’t turned a wheel since. He’s passed away and the family want rid. No other pics or info, I’ll take a look in a couple of weeks.

My first car was a Chevette, and I have a thing for stuff made in ‘72, so it sort of piqued my interest. But I have too many cars and a house move on the cards at some point.

Is this worth the bother of digging it out and getting it sorted? I imagine even a good one isn’t worth much but I’d like to help if I can get another shite-box back in the road.

Anyone? 

Cheers.

PS - Capital of New South Wales? Answer was worth £4, which doesn’t even cover the price of a good pint anymore…

This guy is having fun getting a HC back on the road.

https://www.youtube.com/c/RetroRebuild/videos