Vauxhall Viva?

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Discussion

cheddar

4,637 posts

173 months

Saturday 16th August 2014
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Mk3Spitfire said:
cheddar said:
At the amount of money the 'good' Viva's seem to be advertised for would you consider a 2.0 E Ascona B, 2.0 Cavalier Coupe or Opel Manta GTE? They're good lookers with punchy motors and fine driving manners.
I very much like the look of those early manta's. Vey few from the re tax era though. And Ascona and Cav dont seem to have any. I dont like the 80's look, but those manta's from the 70's...just right.
Good A series Manta's are probably out of your budget so probably best to stick with a Viva - you can still get yourself into a tax exempt HC (1970 - 1979) so lots of choice but picking the right model can make all difference.

The 2300 SL sported the sexy 7 dial instrument pack and 'luxury interior', the 1800cc models got a mid 70's power increase to just under 90hp, these are more sought after and priced accordingly but I've got a feeling that they just miss the 1974 tax exempt cut off - the sweet spot would be a mid 1973 onwards 2300 SL or Magnum/Firenza (such sporty names!!) with the interior update, Rostyle wheels, 5 speed gearbox and quad headlights, that limits you to only 18 months of production to stay tax exempt so pickings might be slim, well worth the search though.

I've lost count of how many of these me and my mates owned, mucked about in and crashed, here's a couple of (crappy) pics of mine:

Ex rally HB on Minilites:



1800 Estate - photo taken an hour after a full respray and the day before it barrel rolled into a Milton Keynes petrol station:



HC sporting a 2.3 litre transplant, requisite dash mounted tacho and a driver with a suspiciously large cigarette:


Mk3Spitfire

Original Poster:

2,921 posts

127 months

Saturday 16th August 2014
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Thanks Cheddar, and love the photos!
I am in no rush at all. In fact the longer I wait, the longer I have a Missus, and the more money I can squirrel away, so I'll just keep checking for the right one. I'll know when I see it.

And as for the "cigarette"...it was the 70's. So I guess we can let you, I mean him off.

CAPP0

19,530 posts

202 months

Saturday 16th August 2014
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I passed my test in an HC Viva, and bought an HB after. I have to say, that was the car which I "took apart" most of any. I learnt a lot, but it cost me a teenage relationship, as I worked away on my apprenticeship during the week, and at the weekend I came home and spent most of it repairing the bloody car!

skeeterm5

3,328 posts

187 months

Sunday 17th August 2014
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My very first car was a HB Viva, which I hand painted with Hammerite paint in blue and silver - those were the days!

S

Mk3Spitfire

Original Poster:

2,921 posts

127 months

Sunday 17th August 2014
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skeeterm5 said:
My very first car was a HB Viva, which I hand painted with Hammerite paint in blue and silver - those were the days!

S
Pictures?! wink

droopsnoot

11,809 posts

241 months

Monday 18th August 2014
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cheddar said:
The 2300 SL sported the sexy 7 dial instrument pack and 'luxury interior', the 1800cc models got a mid 70's power increase to just under 90hp, these are more sought after and priced accordingly but I've got a feeling that they just miss the 1974 tax exempt cut off - the sweet spot would be a mid 1973 onwards 2300 SL or Magnum/Firenza (such sporty names!!) with the interior update, Rostyle wheels, 5 speed gearbox and quad headlights, that limits you to only 18 months of production to stay tax exempt so pickings might be slim, well worth the search though.
Keep in mind that only the HP Firenza (or 'droopsnoot') had a five speed box as standard - anything else will be a modification. Not necessarily a bad modification, but not standard. Popular conversion back in the day was the box with Laycock overdrive from a suitably-equipped Victor or VX, or a Getrag from one of the late VX490 models, but both are getting thin on the ground now. Conversion plates to fit a Ford type 9 to the OHC engine are available if you want to make it a little less 'busy' on the motorway, and I know someone who has fitted a Toyota box.

The tax exemption is jumping forward each year at the moment (unless something changes after the next election) so the target group gets wider.

CAPP0

19,530 posts

202 months

Monday 18th August 2014
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Reasonable choice on Car & Classic but this one looks honest enough and will get you in the seat for very little money:

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C523709

Or a droopsnoot with the requisite 7 dials wink for rather more cash:

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C521550

Don't know whether it's me but does something not look right about that car? Too high? Wheels too small?

MarkwG

4,809 posts

188 months

Monday 18th August 2014
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CAPP0 said:
Reasonable choice on Car & Classic but this one looks honest enough and will get you in the seat for very little money:

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C523709
Spoiler alert! The "E" was allegedly for "Economy" - it actually meant you got the really carpy 1159 engine...

52classic

2,441 posts

209 months

Monday 18th August 2014
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I rather like that Viva E as a good honest basis for a rolling restoration. O/S/F wing is a bit rusty but repairable without replacement and I see that the inner wing has had a reasonable looking repair.

Through the windows the interior doesn't look too promising which is probably why there are no pics of it! Smallest engine? Don't know what the fuss is about. It's a light car and that engine has a nice 'sewing machine' quality to it. You can always upgrade it later on.

droopsnoot

11,809 posts

241 months

Monday 18th August 2014
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CAPP0 said:
Or a droopsnoot with the requisite 7 dials wink for rather more cash:

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C521550

Don't know whether it's me but does something not look right about that car? Too high? Wheels too small?
Some of the photos look a bit like they've been stretched vertically to me. The wheels are correct Avon safety wheels, which would be 13" rims.

MarkwG said:
Spoiler alert! The "E" was allegedly for "Economy" - it actually meant you got the really carpy 1159 engine...
Yes, it was a response to the successful base models from others, such as the Escort Popular. They were quite late, though, so had the 1256cc. The 1159cc engine was discontinued in mid-1971. It's many years since I've driven an OHV car, but those that have them seem quite happy as long as you don't expect too much. Don't forget that engine survived quite a time in the Chevette and even longer in the HA van - if it had been that terrible, I figure they'd have shoe-horned a similar Opel unit in somehow.

cheddar

4,637 posts

173 months

Monday 18th August 2014
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CAPP0 said:
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C521550

Don't know whether it's me but does something not look right about that car? Too high? Wheels too small?
Mmm, odd, suspension looks higher one side than the other.

And the red highlighting makes it look a bit too 'A Team', easily fixed I guess.....

MarkwG

4,809 posts

188 months

Monday 18th August 2014
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Indeed, that one comes up as a 1256: I seem to remember a few Firenzas badged as E's quite late on in the 70s, with 1159s, but they could have been old dealer stock being punted out cheap or factory hacks for all I know. Growing up in Bedfordshire meant all kinds of weird & wonderful stuff would appear. A friend had a Canadian spec RHD Viva HC for a while, there was a droop in silver with minilites, I think, running an 1159 locally & another mate had a droop in canary yellow with a CF van engine & wolfies on it, definitely not ex factory!

cheddar

4,637 posts

173 months

Monday 18th August 2014
quotequote all
droopsnoot said:
Keep in mind that only the HP Firenza (or 'droopsnoot') had a five speed box as standard - anything else will be a modification.
Thanks droopsnoot, noted, I'd forgotten that smile

MarkwG said:
Indeed, that one comes up as a 1256:
I dislike that engine, in my experience rough and gutless and, in that coupe body, not in harmony.

droopsnoot

11,809 posts

241 months

Tuesday 19th August 2014
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cheddar said:
Mmm, odd, suspension looks higher one side than the other.

And the red highlighting makes it look a bit too 'A Team', easily fixed I guess.....
I see what you mean now, it does look as if the drivers side is lower. That said, it's a very recent restoration (i.e. just completed) so might be nothing more than needing to settle. But worth checking.

The red highlights are standard for that model. I've seen them without and to be honest I think it lacks a bit of impact that way. It was intended as a car to stand out in a showroom and draw attention, which in 1975/6 it probably did.

T0nup

683 posts

199 months

Wednesday 20th August 2014
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Um, some people seem to belittle the smaller engined Vivas, but it has to be said that despite being a three bearing crank as long as you don't do anything silly with them they are very robust and there are options for tuning should you want to give it some more beans.


deltashad

6,731 posts

196 months

Wednesday 20th August 2014
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Never liked the saloons, but have a soft spot for these:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MORRIS-MARINA-1-8-TC-COU...

GSE

2,339 posts

238 months

Wednesday 20th August 2014
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T0nup said:
Um, some people seem to belittle the smaller engined Vivas, but it has to be said that despite being a three bearing crank as long as you don't do anything silly with them they are very robust and there are options for tuning should you want to give it some more beans.
I had a few of these smaller engined 1159cc HB /1256cc HC vivas after passing my driving test in 1980. It always seemed to me that the 1159cc engine was way smoother and would rev better than the 1256. The 1256 seemed like a bag of nails in comparison. A friend had a 1.2 Opel Kadett with an engine that looked almost identical to the Vauxhall unit, the only visible difference was that the distributor was mounted further back along the block. Again it was way smoother than the 1256 Vauxhall unit. Did someone within Vauxhall get their harmonic balancing calculations wrong when the engine was enlarged to 1256cc?

The OHC slant 4 engines in 1600/1800/2000 & 2300cc form were a completely different kettle of fish. They were very torquey engines and easily tuneable. Used to have a lot of fun in the 80's driving my tuned 2300 Magnum (badged as a Viva 1300) around the old Romford one-way system amongst all the Ford RS's!

I think the 'coke bottle' HB looked better than the HC, with the exception of the Droop Snoot Firenza, which still looks fantastic.

MarshPhantom

9,658 posts

136 months

Wednesday 20th August 2014
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You should watch Red Riding if you haven't seen it already, this tasty Magnum was used by the main character throughout the first episode. It is brilliant.

coppice

8,561 posts

143 months

Thursday 21st August 2014
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Each to their own but I have to say that the HA Viva I drove in what seems like 1901 was truly , irredemiably awful and the HB wasn't much better- wheezy engine and ghastly trim whose only reasonable feature was a snappy little gearlever . Droop Snoot I drove and passengered in in early 70s was lovely though and had areal man's gearshift (ZF race pattern) . Looked amazing even though , actually, it wasn't anything like as quick as its looks suggested.

droopsnoot

11,809 posts

241 months

Thursday 21st August 2014
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coppice said:
Looked amazing even though , actually, it wasn't anything like as quick as its looks suggested.
Much of that was down to the standard Stromberg carbs. Talking to the project manager for the HPF programme at our Luton 40th anniversary do earlier in the year, he mentioned that a lot of the parts fitted to the car were selected because of an existing supplier relationship with Vauxhall, and just dumping the factory-fitted Strombergs and fitting Dellortos instead would add about 40bhp. They just didn't have a supply chain in place and the size of the budget wasn't enough to do stuff like that. Also the sale price had already crept up quite a lot, so adding more would just have made them even harder to sell.