There can be only one, gimme the prize

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There can be only one, gimme the prize

Postby Floyd » Tue Jan 30, 2018 6:15 pm

This is a further update relating to my first post on Floyd: viewtopic.php?f=34&t=27919

Here is a post on my father's Mk 1.5 Viva GT.

He passed his test in a Vauxhall Viva HB 1159 2 door DELUXE ( his fathers car) in 1978, then purchased it off of his dad for £10.

He slowly modified it over the next 3 years until it was unfortunately written off in 1981.

IMG_9072.JPG
IMG_9072.JPG (19.63 KiB) Viewed 1865 times


He then immediately scoured the papers for a Viva GT and purchased one for £200 - from Luton. It was a Mk1.5 in Goodwood Green Starmist. The colour was changed to Sapphire Starmist Mettalic, lowered and chrome wheels added - all whilst retaining the 2 litre stage 3 big valve Bill Blydenstein modified engine with twin 45 Dellortos. He found the engine was quick but fussy in traffic.





In 1983 a 2.3 HS Chevette engine made an appearance in the papers for the princely sum of £500!
This was immediately purchased and shipped back to the UK from Ireland. It was stripped, rebuilt and slotted in place of the 2 litre.

The car was used daily for SDP, and has a photograph of it parked outside Number 10 Downing Street in 1984, this photo will be posted once it has been found!

Later that year, a valve burnt out and the engine went off for "some guy called Gerry Johnstone" to rebuild the engine for him - at a premium of course. Johnstone replaced the Dellortos with a "some guy called Gerry Marshall" cast-off, Tecalemit Jackson fuel injection system, as used by DTV on the infamous Crystal Palace Race:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cawBXWWgqCI

As good fortune would have it, Johnstone was throwing away (at cost) some progressive lowered springs.

These were then fitted to the Viva which then duly terrorised London and the South East for the next 2-3 years (those were the days [my friend]).

The car was taken off of the road in 1988 as my father had moved into a new house which swallowed all the spare cash and time - which wasn't helped by the car averaging 12 miles to the gallon (or 12 gallons per mile when... erm... provoked).
It was run every couple of months for the next 10 years until BOOM, kids happened.

Consequently it was buried in the garage, untouched, unloved and un-cherished for the next 20 years.
That was until one of those kids grew up and asked what was under all the miscellaneous detritus in March 2017.

It was indeed an archeological find - to a youngster like me.
A battery was purchased and fresh oil went in. The engine was turned by hand to make sure it wasn't seized and all other parts moving correctly.
To our surprise - GORDON'S ALIVE...

We found that the fuel had deteriorated (full of black stuff) and the TJ fuel pump suffered. Therefore a new, modern solution was sought, and an OMEX system has replaced the TJ.
This means fun ECU shenanigans.

We are now working towards getting her back on the road (where she should rightly be).

I have made an Instagram account for the car with higher quality photos and videos of it running. Feel free to check it out:
https://www.instagram.com/sapphire.1970

We will try our damnedest to make Market Harborough.
For more regular updates see www.instagram.com/floyd.1968
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Re: There can be only one, gimme the prize

Postby Colin » Tue Jan 30, 2018 11:58 pm

Excellent, Floyd. Thanks very much for sharing the pictures and the car's history with us.

Your Dad's car had long been thought lost. It's a joy to know that it survives.

Curiously enough I too bought a Goodwood green Viva GT in Luton (but a year later than your Dad - in 1982). Mine cost £250. I was nineteen at the time. Mine was in a similar condition to your Dad's at the time with a tired engine and lots of red oxide primer!

I sold it to a fellow Vauxhall engineering apprentice called Colin Robbins a couple of years later. Colin painstakingly restored it over many years and still has it to this day. Here's a film of Colin's Viva GT when it was leased back to Vauxhall a couple of years ago for their promotion of the new 2015 Viva.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwuatWlMsDg

It will be great to meet you and your Dad and to see your cars with our other HBs and Viva GTs at Market Harborough in July. I do hope you will be able to come. :D

Colin
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Re: There can be only one, gimme the prize

Postby GAV » Wed Jan 31, 2018 10:21 pm

Interestingly, at least to me in the flip up pics on the right of the GT link is my Pampas Green Viva Deluxe when vended by KGF autos.
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Re: There can be only one, gimme the prize

Postby Colin » Thu Feb 01, 2018 7:26 pm

This one Gav?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kw-7yH9tQkk&t=21s

That looks like a really nice original car - even the paintwork looks original. Bags of character and period charm. Do you own it now or was it in the past? :)
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Re: There can be only one, gimme the prize

Postby GAV » Fri Feb 02, 2018 2:05 am

Yep still own the Viva, used all year roundImage
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