Another one saved, and a new recruit

[eddyramrod]

Last Friday I was unexpectedly offered this Viva...

...which had been left to die on a rocky hillside near Paphos. I had it picked up by recovery truck on Saturday and yesterday (Monday) agreed a deal with a young expat. He's looking for a project car as his first, and learner, car; it needs to be old, simple, cheap, stylish, with four doors. Jackpot!

 

So, if anyone has any serious practical tips on the restoration of an 1159cc Viva, please share! I've already given him a Haynes and told him to find the owners' club forum, which is sure to be around the web somewhere... I've also suggested he joins our local classic-car club, but I think Dave might be a bit of a shock for the retired Majors with their pristine Jags and stuff...

[RedSparrow]

Nice save!

Looks solid enough. Anything else of interest left near it?

[vivapower]

YAY! another viva saved!!

I love vivas and wish someone randomly offered me another. if the body is alright thats half the battle engine parts are easy to get hold of.

www.vauxhallviva.com is the owners club over here (there is nothing they dont know). good luck to the person taking it on (lucky sod )

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Last Friday I was unexpectedly offered this Viva...

 

 

So, if anyone has any serious practical tips on the restoration of an 1159cc Viva, please share!

 

Should be a 1256 big block in an HC Pedro.

 

Looks sweet enough though. They were quite good rust wise (way, waaaaaay better than the Mark 1 Scrote) and the only real mechanical issue was wear in the oil pump/distributor drive - this would affect the way the distributor shaft rotated and led them to idle on 3 cylinders. Viva Disease as me dear old Pa used to say.

[Guest EccentricRichard]

Hmm. Carlton straight-six/Rover V8 swap, anyone?

[vivapower]

Hmm. Carlton straight-six/Rover V8 swap, anyone?

V8 would be amazing!. It has been done many times but it always seems right at home in them.

[eddyramrod]

Should be a 1256 big block in an HC Pedro.

 

As I recall there was a year or so of overlap between the introduction of the new body and the engine enlargement; my mother's was 1256 but it was a 72. As for transplanting, well no, not for use in Cyprus anyway! There is a whole raft of bureaucracy involved just to transplant a replacement engine of original spec, never mind going for horsepower. Also, Dave is 22 and it's his first car, so low-powered is best.

 

Thanks for all the tips so far, keep 'em coming; meanwhile I'll be passing him the club address, if he hasn't found it already.

[eddyramrod]

Anyone remember seeing this in PC recently, in RIP? It was someone else's pic, not mine...

Today we had it picked up by transporter and dropped in Dave's garden, he's bought it as a stripper for his green one. Once we had the blue car parked up, we went and rescued the green one from Andreas's garage where it's been languishing (also featured in RIP in the dim-and-distant). It was interesting towing it on a bar behind my pickup, with our mate Ian steering it; when we arrived we had to back it down a ramp (still on the bar as it has no brakes) with a rightangle bend at the top. Oh, and it was dark by then too.

 

The blue car is extremely rusty, but has a complete 1256 which may possibly be a runner. It also has a lot of other parts Dave will be able to use. Death for this one is imminent, which is sad, but it will help another to continue, so it won't be wasted.