Any older Vauxhall fans? 1966 Viva HA appraisal...

[ruffgeezer]

I've been asked to find a new home for this lovely old motor.

Only 2 previous owners, very well stored since 1984,  It is on its 3rd engine, now fitted with a reconditioned 1159cc HB engine & gearbox by Locum.  Shell has 101k on it, but was Zibarted underneath during the present owner's tenure.  What I can see of the body and interior is tidy, but careworn.  I believe the fuel tank is fairly new too.

It hasn't been run in several years, so it will be a recommission job and it will need some fresh tyres.

I've done a few hours of research into a valuation but would be interested to see if it is on par with the forum consensus. 

Sorry the pictures are shite, there's barely the room for a rizla down the side of the csr as it stands.

[reb]

Hnnnnng

I had a thing for Vivas as a teenager. I don't know how much it's worth, but it's more than I can afford.

[eddyramrod]

I agree.  I've had two vans and a HC saloon, and MrsR's first car was a HB saloon.  Not that any of that means anything, because whatever this car fetches will be way beyond anything I can afford.

[wuvvum]

I had one of these as a daily for a while in about 2006.  I paid £250 for it.  HTH.

[tooSavvy]

RR has a lad with an ex-plant HA van.....

https://forum.retro-rides.org/thread/219137/1970-bedford-ha-turbo

SAAB, of course 😵

🚙💨

[junkyarddog]

I don't think these are particularly desirable or sought after.

Hard to value really,£1,000 ish,maybe? 

[sierraman]

I’m just going on gut reaction here but assuming it’s fairly solid, £1,500-£2k. I sometimes think though cars like this aren’t always that easy to sell, it’s not in that band of vehicle where Craptical Plastics are doing fucking pie charts showing how much it’ll be worth in 5 years time so Geraint can decide if it’ll grow faster than his money in HL. Equally though someone out there will want and appreciate it but finding them might take time as they don’t have that seventies kitsch that the later ones have. 

[lisbon_road]

38 minutes ago, ruffgeezer said:

I've been asked to find a new home for this lovely old motor.

Only 2 previous owners, very well stored since 1984,  It is on its 3rd engine, now fitted with a reconditioned 1159cc HB engine & gearbox by Locum.  Shell has 101k on it, but was Zibarted underneath during the present owner's tenure.  What I can see of the body and interior is tidy, but careworn.  I believe the fuel tank is fairly new too.

It hasn't been run in several years, so it will be a recommission job and it will need some fresh tyres.

I've done a few hours of research into a valuation but would be interested to see if it is on par with the forum consensus. 

Sorry the pictures are shite, there's barely the room for a rizla down the side of the csr as it stands.

 

 

I own a 1967 HB.  There's a Facebook group for an owners club and other groups, I could put it on there for you if you want?

Sierraman's assessment is spot on really.  Get it up and running and you could do better for price.  They are surprisingly good for rust, as Vauxhall had a terrible reputation in the 50s and made a real effort in the 60s but they can be awkward to get running well - the ignition system is dreadful. 

Not exactly spoilt for choice in 12" tyres unfortunately but you can get them.

GLWS

[24vdiamond]

Id have said about £1500, unfortunately they are not one of the more desirable Vivas so never seem to sell that well, is the car in Lincolnshire as I might be able to have a look to give you more of an idea if you want

[Matty]

More if it were a HB. Shame really but there it is. What it will do is sell well. Might not make a fortune but an honest unrestored old car like that will make someone very happy.

[Cavcraft]

Surely to God there's £2,000-£2,500 in that, assuming it doesn't need extensive welding etc? I'd absolutely love it, but can't afford it.

[Asimo]

https://classiccars.brightwells.com/viewdetails.php?id=5367

Not sure when this auction took place but it made £2500.

[ruffgeezer]

Well I scoured various auction sites results pages etc and came up with a table.

 

Which puts it just over £2k, it'd would probably do a bit more if we get it moved out and some pictures, but time spent with the owner is very costly and not particularly useful.

He also has (not for sale): Hyundai Amica 2000 with 42k, the I10 that replaced it 102 miles, A Rover 400 1998, A Nissan Sunny N13 1990 and a 2003 Nissan Almera that replaced the sunny with a knackered clutch or gearbox or both, plus A 107, 206 and a 207.

Lovely bloke but my concern is it all becoming a time vacuum.

That being said if anyone is seriously interested, please drop me a pm and we can have a conversation. 

[Matty]

@ruffgeezer if all else fails why not contact someone like Martin Howey? This is very much his kind of stock (honest usable survivors). @Rocket88 will be able to give more of the gen on Mr Howey.

[Matty]

4 hours ago, Cavcraft said:

Surely to God there's £2,000-£2,500 in that, assuming it doesn't need extensive welding etc? I'd absolutely love it, but can't afford it.

Just sell a bike or ten 🫡

[bangernomics]

If it is as straight and clean as it looks I would drop around £1500 into that. Where is it?

[ruffgeezer]

It's not far from Boston or Skegness, depending on which shithole town you dislike least.

[High Jetter]

My Uncle had a white one, C reg, when I were yng. Mechanically simple, if the metal is ok then it's a winner. I could see it nearing £4k at Matthewsons

[5speedracer]

In the great scheme of things £2k or so for an inflation proof* toy to take out on sunny afternoons seems good value. The only issue is you need proper storage which most of us probably don't have. Let's hope it goes to a good home.

[artdjones]

I'd agree £1500-2000. They look charming, but they weren't a very good car. The HB was a big improvement.

[sierraman]

Prices on really dour stuff like this from the 50’s/60’s have really took a nosedive. I figure it’s the prospective owners dying off maybe. 

[lisbon_road]

18 minutes ago, sierraman said:

Prices on really dour stuff like this from the 50’s/60’s have really took a nosedive. I figure it’s the prospective owners dying off maybe. 

Charming.  Thanks.  You're right though!
🙂
 

[RayMK]

1 hour ago, sierraman said:

Prices on really dour stuff like this from the 50’s/60’s have really took a nosedive. I figure it’s the prospective owners dying off maybe. 

Nail on the head 😀.  I like some old Vauxhalls and would consider something like this Viva because it is a bit more usable than my '61 Reliant Regal.  However, at 75 and living on borrowed time with health problems, the practicalities of buying any car which needs occasional* attention prevent me from doing anything except dreaming.  These simple, low powered, compact vehicles are mainly bought for nostalgic reasons rather than excitement.  They are an excellent choice for someone who likes tartan rugs, marmite sandwiches, flasks of tea and can still remember parents and relatives who lived through WW2.   

[tooSavvy]

14 minutes ago, RayMK said:

Nail on the head 😀.  I like some old Vauxhalls and would consider something like this Viva because it is a bit more usable than my '61 Reliant Regal.  However, at 75 and living on borrowed time with health problems, the practicalities of buying any car which needs occasional* attention prevent me from doing anything except dreaming.  These simple, low powered, compact vehicles are mainly bought for nostalgic reasons rather than excitement.  They are an excellent choice for someone who likes tartan rugs, marmite sandwiches, flasks of tea and can still remember parents and relatives who lived through WW2.   

Yupp..... Millennials will have 'no muscle memory' of ICE/Cog swappage.

ICE has *no future 😶‍🌫️

🚙💨

[Dj_efk]

I’m just about a millennial and I’m 44 😂

You need to update your concept of what term describes young people.

 

Also - I had about 7 or 8 Viva HCs in the early - mid 2000s when I was in my late teens and 20s. Mind you I used to get excited about Hillman Hunters and Avengers and had a Riley Elf as my first car on the road - so I’m probably on the weirder end of the scale and hence in great company here!

[wuvvum]

36 minutes ago, RayMK said:

They are an excellent choice for someone who likes tartan rugs, marmite sandwiches, flasks of tea and can still remember parents and relatives who lived through WW2.   

That sounds like an eBay AI description...

[artdjones]

1 hour ago, RayMK said:

Nail on the head 😀.  I like some old Vauxhalls and would consider something like this Viva because it is a bit more usable than my '61 Reliant Regal.  However, at 75 and living on borrowed time with health problems, the practicalities of buying any car which needs occasional* attention prevent me from doing anything except dreaming.  These simple, low powered, compact vehicles are mainly bought for nostalgic reasons rather than excitement.  They are an excellent choice for someone who likes tartan rugs, marmite sandwiches, flasks of tea and can still remember parents and relatives who lived through WW2.   

I can remember relatives who lived through WW1, and I still never liked the HA Viva.

[RayMK]

6 minutes ago, artdjones said:

I can remember relatives who lived through WW1, and I still never liked the HA Viva.

So can I, and for ages the Viva HA did not attract my interest because the van version was around forever and common as muck.  Now, the HA is a rarity. I owned an HC Viva in the 1970s but would prefer an HA  these days.  I hope it finds a good home as it looks to be in a remarkably well preserved state.   

[Dobloseven]

That it's survived for so long and obviously had a life as well(3 engines!) would indicate an interesting back story.No doubt if it was up and running,perhaps even Motd, it'd attract a lot more interest and probably money.Would be a lovely little thing to take to shows,though.More likely to be folk asking what it is, though,than saying"oh,I used to have one of them"!

[ruffgeezer]

From memory, it was a Kodak rep's car before the present owner's brother bought it from a big dealer down south, the shell has done a little over 100k.