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

[lisbon_road]

1 minute ago, Datsuncog said:

I seem to remember Jalopy magazine's banger buyer guide summary of the HB Viva being something along the lines of "Vauxhall really tried to rustproof this one - perhaps we should be grateful they didn't succeed."

Seemed a bit harsh, even by their standards.

But they did like to rust, I understand...

I don't really agree, I reckoned certainly most HBs were weighed in after people went insane trying to get them to run properly where so many Fords and cars like 1100/1300s were much more rust prone.  That's not to say they didn't rust, just they didn't rust as much. 

 

 

[sierraman]

I wonder if it’s rusted away in the time this thread has been going without a picture of the sodding thing. 🤣

[Datsuncog]

There was a dark green HB Viva GT knocking around my way in the late '90s - the rumour was it'd been fitted with a Rover V8, as it could certainly shift with indecent haste and sounded far from stock. With blacked out windows and slammed suspension it wasn't necessarily one for classic purists, but it certainly looked the part.

I seem to recall reading something about Vauxhall filling the sill cavities on the HB with foam in an effort to deter rust, but - rather like VW and their saltwater-trapping sponges in the wings of 2000s Golfs and Passats - all it did was retain water and speed up the rotting process.

This HB I found in a scrapyard a few years back seems to have suffered a terminal lack of rigidity to the floor - but it wasn't so very different from many other of the yard's inmates.

[sierraman]

3 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

There was a dark green HB Viva GT knocking around my way in the late '90s - the rumour was it'd been fitted with a Rover V8, as it could certainly shift with indecent haste and sounded far from stock. With blacked out windows and slammed suspension it wasn't necessarily one for classic purists, but it certainly looked the part.

I seem to recall reading something about Vauxhall filling the sill cavities on the HB with foam in an effort to deter rust, but - rather like VW and their saltwater-trapping sponges in the wings of 2000s Golfs and Passats - all it did was retain water and speed up the rotting process.

This HB I found in a scrapyard a few years back seems to have suffered a terminal lack of rigidity to the floor - but it wasn't so very different from many other of the yard's inmates.

Have you got the V5 and tags m8?

[eddyramrod]

Never mind that: get that Standard Vanguard Estate over here, stat!

[Datsuncog]

That Vanguard estate had accident damage to the front end, sadly... it was looking a bit chewed around the edges, but not entirely beyond saving.

I think I may have had a look at this car around 1996 or so, when it was up for sale in Autotrader for £800 - there were no plates visible here so I can't be certain, but there couldn't be many grey Mk3 Vanguard estates in NI.

Crumpled bonnet just visible behind the Isopon Special 2000

There was a saloon in there too.

Plenty of patina!

[Matty]

10 hours ago, warren t claim said:

 

So the Victor/Ventora/VX1800/VX2300/VX2300GLS were replaced with two different cars, the Mk1 Cav and Carlton?

I reckon so. On the other hand I wasn't even born till 81 😁

[artdjones]

13 hours ago, warren t claim said:

And recirculating ball steering is hardly the done thing on sporty coupes as well!

Oh, yeah?

[horriblemercedes]

1 hour ago, artdjones said:

Oh, yeah?

[artdjones]

 

16 hours ago, wuvvum said:

Wasn't the 3.3 a Ventora rather than a Victor

The estate could be bought as a Victor 3300SL

[eddyramrod]

Yes it could; both FD and FE.

[motorpunk]

5 hours ago, sierraman said:

I wonder if it’s rusted away in the time this thread has been going without a picture of the sodding thing. 🤣

I did say...

On 24/10/2022 at 10:57, motorpunk said:

 I’m away for a few weeks now but I doubt it’s going anywhere…

[motorpunk]

Anyway... I'm just back from the US and it looks like I've lost track of this - I only know the owner/keeper from the pub quiz, and the quiz has just been canned and the pub is now up for sale. I could go door-knocking (small village) to track it down but, honestly, it's not one for me. If it resurfaces and one of you sick bastards Vauxhall Viva fans wants to pick up the baton then I'll put you in touch.  

[lisbon_road]

Well it gave us a great excuse to chat about which went more rusty and some awesome scrap yard pictures. 

[bunglebus]

Schrodinger's Viva

[Dobloseven]

2 hours ago, motorpunk said:

Anyway... I'm just back from the US and it looks like I've lost track of this - I only know the owner/keeper from the pub quiz, and the quiz has just been canned and the pub is now up for sale. I could go door-knocking (small village) to track it down but, honestly, it's not one for me. If it resurfaces and one of you sick bastards Vauxhall Viva fans wants to pick up the baton then I'll put you in touch.  

Could it be a case for Magnum, sorry I mean Viva P.I?

[mk2_craig]

Shame it's only an old Viva. If it had been a Lonsdale estate the search party would already have been formed and opened up every garage door within a fifty mile radius.

[warren t claim]

Here's a Viva HB quirk that's been bothering me.

Some HBs seem to have the seat belts mounted in the normal way, halfway up the B pillar, but some HBs have the top belt mounting at the top of the B pillar where it joins the roof. 

Can anyone tell me why?

[lisbon_road]

They did change it and I think the earliest were even lower so three positions. Dunno why but probably comfort or convenience. Conceivably safety but I'm guessing 

[eddyramrod]

7 hours ago, warren t claim said:

Here's a Viva HB quirk that's been bothering me.

Some HBs seem to have the seat belts mounted in the normal way, halfway up the B pillar, but some HBs have the top belt mounting at the top of the B pillar where it joins the roof. 

Can anyone tell me why?

At a guess: would it be the four-doors that had the mounting halfway up the pillar?  And the two-doors that mounted to a bit lower down, and later, to the roof?  It's possible people complained about the low-mounted belt pulling on their shoulders so the mounting was raised.  It's also possible it was done for rear-seat access reasons.

[lisbon_road]

4 minutes ago, eddyramrod said:

At a guess: would it be the four-doors that had the mounting halfway up the pillar?  And the two-doors that mounted to a bit lower down, and later, to the roof?  It's possible people complained about the low-mounted belt pulling on their shoulders so the mounting was raised.  It's also possible it was done for rear-seat access reasons.

I think the two doors had all three positions at different times, and certainly two.  I've no idea about four door cars, there weren't very many and I've never had one. 

[barefoot]

On 11/3/2022 at 7:58 AM, lisbon_road said:

I threw away a set of those 'beauty rings' / wheel trim things about a fortnight before I found this site. 

[Dobloseven]

6 hours ago, lisbon_road said:

They did change it and I think the earliest were even lower so three positions. Dunno why but probably comfort or convenience. Conceivably safety but I'm guessing 

Might be dreaming this but I believe back in the day when B posts were covered with fabric, there'd be several threaded holes that could be used to suit. 

[lisbon_road]

1 minute ago, Dobloseven said:

Might be dreaming this but I believe back in the day when B posts were covered with fabric, there'd be several threaded holes that could be used to suit. 

I'll go and look at mine later.  Won't be for a while for those of you sitting waiting in anticipation. 

[barefoot]

Can anyone else remember Bob Ferris climbing back in through the back door of his (normally 2 door) HB after being stopped for drink driving?

[High Jetter]

53 minutes ago, Dobloseven said:

Might be dreaming this but I believe back in the day when B posts were covered with fabric, there'd be several threaded holes that could be used to suit. 

I was thinking that but can't recall on what. 

[wuvvum]

On 11/2/2022 at 11:47 PM, eddyramrod said:

And yes, the Hunter was a surprisingly effective racing saloon.

I'm not surprised.  When I had my first Hunter (the Topaz that sadly lost its life in the scrappage scheme), driving at some pace along an unfamiliar country road in Suffolk, I unexpectedly found myself approaching a 90 degree bend with no time to slow down.  Visions of ploughing off the road into the ditch, but I turned the steering wheel and the Hunter just heeled over onto its door handles and went round - no understeer, no tyre squeal, nothing.  I was impressed.

[ETCHY]

20 hours ago, warren t claim said:

Here's a Viva HB quirk that's been bothering me.

Some HBs seem to have the seat belts mounted in the normal way, halfway up the B pillar, but some HBs have the top belt mounting at the top of the B pillar where it joins the roof. 

Can anyone tell me why?

If i had to guess i bet they changed to a higher mounting on 2 door cars later. A lot of 2 door cars in the '60's had upper mountings often beneath the back side window ( my Anglia did) & the belt was forever slipping off the shoulder. Maybe they changed it later so it worked better?