vauxhallviva.com

All

Not been near my HC for months but starting now to plan to get it finished off and back on the road. I found some filler below the front windscreen scuttle panel and again below the heater box, a quick poke with the trusty red handled screw driver and the tin snips revealed this!

Suspect I know the answer to this and wanted to avaoid taking out the dash pad (it will probably split) and the heater box but is it likely this has been leaking years ago and it rotten under the heater box as well?

Does anyone do repair panel for this area seem to remember a guy used to advertise panels for this area on the back of the club mag years ago.

Cheers

Steff
HC496

The trouble is, water stands on these areas and causes corrosion. You'll need to get the heater out to repair, but the dash pad can stay in place as long as the wiring and so on is protected while grinding and welding. Dave Wheatley used to make repair sections but I haven't seen an advert for years. I made those bits myself - the flat bit is just flat with the right shaped edge on it, and the vertical bit's a little more difficult but not terrible. Mine was quite a bit worse than that once I got the grinder on it.

Thanks

Heading to the garage today will remove the heater and get the grinder out. Will see how it goes!

Steff

Got the heater matrix and box out

Matrix rusty the sponge padding on the heater flaps and matrix was just powder. Need to try and get the matrix refurb end or did someone on here say another matrix would fit ?

Funny thing was the sticker on the side of the heater box shows the vauxhall calendar must have been a bit off in1971 it shows date of manufacture as 31 April!

Steff

I found someone that will refurbish them, but I am checking out another one that is very similar in layout. I'll need to mess with the pipes a bit but looking good. My foam is similarly dust-like.

ICI Propathene, I used to work on one of the plants that made that in the early 80's.

Peter

I got my heater matrix and radiator recored at a local old school radiator place. Cost something like £60 each.

Well, this is a heater matrix out of a modern Land Rover Freelander, as you can see other than the pipes it's a very close fit.



There's a small amount of modification required to the heater box itself because the pipes come out in a different place, and the polystyrene filler pieces will need some adjustment.



I intend to cut the upper pipe off close to the matrix itself and fit the hose directly to the valve from there. The lower one I will know more once I've test fitted it.

Steff, I think the fact that your number looked like it might have been a date was confusing, mine is clearly not one.

Yeah your probably right about the date thing being a number I know VX would not be that bad

That landy ones looks a good fit although not sure about cutting that old polystyrene I only looked at mine on Sunday and it fell apart

Had been looking at other matrix on flesbay and spotted the VW polo and golf ones look similar (hard to know what actual size is) and polo one also has a rubber grommet very like my perished bulkhead cover one!

But have found what seems to be an "old skool" radiator shop about 5 miles from me so will pop over with the old HC matrix next week and see what the quote is

Will keep you all posted

Steff