Descripción
A prettier Vauxhall Viva HC estate, you would be hard pushed to find. Still in its original livery of light yellow, it is a 1976 1300L with the later style dashboard, reclining seats etc. In a nutshell, this delightful old girl is now living with me in North Yorkshire and this is the first time she has resided outside her home town (city) of Sunderland since leaving the dealership at new. Until three months ago, she was a one-owner car. Note the Sunderland registration. She had spent her first 19 years on the road covering 70, 000 miles and was then dry stored for the next 25! She was rescued this year, re-commissioned and this is what you see now.
Zeibarted (rust proofed) from new, this has undoubtedly played a major part in her structural survival as she is as solid and un-molested as you are likely to find anywhere. I see no filler or repairs to arches, door bottoms, wings etc. She looks to be excellent underneath. All Viva rot spots such as the inner wings and the underside are in top order. Interior-wise, she is quite remarkable for an estate car. Seats are probably a nine out of ten and would be the full ten were it not for a tiny nick to the driver's base. An easy repair. Even the headlining has survived intact. The HC estate is such a versatile classic with an excellent load bay once the rear seat is folded down. The engine bay was also treated with Zeibart at new - a common thing in the seventies - and you can still feel it's kind of rubberised finish. You can see lots of original yellow body colour beneath the rust proofing product and when you scratch at it, it comes off. I have come across this many times with cars from the 70s and - when I was younger and fitter - I've removed plenty of it with white spirit and petrol.
She is a lovely performer on the road and yesterday I completed a 15-mile tour in her. This I did cautiously bearing in mind she has only just re-appeared after 25 years of hibernation. There is a bit of a glitch moving between 3rd and 4th gear although I have now adopted the knack of double declutching quickly on the way through and she drops in perfectly at any speed. She performed admirably.
She has just been treated to a new clutch, a complete brake rebuild, new core plug behind the flywheel and a repaired manifold. She is on the button, sounds great and drives with a great willingness. She would not look out of place on a showground.
This is just the kind of classic I love to have around the place and, in the event that she does not find a new owner, I will be happy to keep her - probably for the rest of the year at least - as an occasional "gofer" and everyday user. She has such classic 70s looks and will undoubtedly attract a great deal of attention, thus acting as a promotional tool for me. Funny how you can end up being really fond of such a simple vehicle.
All my classic cars are treated as the equivalent of motoring antiques. This one, for example, is 44-years-old. They cannot be compared to the wife's six-month-old Chelsea tractor and they are bound to come with imperfections, quirks and bits and pieces that will need attention even if it is some time in the future. They do however come with oodles of charm, appeal and are there to be loved like a family pet. If you are new to the classic car scene, then please bear all this in mind. Most examples have clearly had work over the decades and I cannot predict how much or how little they will need in the future. That, I am afraid, is the nature of the beast in the world of classic cars. Motoring antiques is what they are. I love my Georgian dining table, but I can see all the scars and signs of previous woodworm. Had I wanted a brand new table, I would have gone to Oak Furniture Land. Well perhaps. Demand is outstripping supply these days and they don't make the old girls any more. So, make some allowances and drive away with a smile on your face. It goes with the territory, and therefore must be accepted, that they are always going to need on-going care, attention and repair. Don't tell me some way down the line that the full beam doesn't work or that you have discovered something I knew nothing about. They are bloody old. It happens. They come in and they go out. It seems as though I have become a "re-homer" of classic cars.
I accept all major debit cards and a ten per cent deposit is required at the point of sale with the balance due within three days. I can also assist with delivery and so please ask for a quote. Thanks for reading, Martin. the details below).
