Viva GT - resto thread - recap and restart

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Re: Viva GT - resto thread - recap and restart

Postby WAYNECOLVILLE » Sun Feb 17, 2019 10:41 am

HI,

1 The epics had left hand drive.
2 Side indicators.
3 HC indicators lenses.
4 Reversing lamps vertical
5 Only came out in 1970.
6 Had a black bonnet.
7 Had headrests
8 Twin master cyclinders.
9 Had a extra bar below bumper that bolted back to the cross member. Safety maybe.
10 Gt badge on the front and rear. Viva Gt at on the side at the back above indicators.
11 SL interior
12 Plastic covers on the inside front pillars.
13 Twin headlights, some had bar and some had no bar.
14 No centre bar on tailights.

I have just sent mine away for panel beating and painting. Motor is done and rims have new paint job and tyres.
Upholstery is at the shop getting done. My car will be in Le Mans blue with a orange stripe as original. Its good as alot of new parts are available at Rare Spares. The Torana has the same parts as the Viva. Beacause originaly it was a viva. For everyones info They supply rust panels for the boot, floor and sills etc. All the rubbers for the doors and winscreens. They also have alot of hardware for this car.
Windscreens front and rear available new. Look up hb, lc, lj Torana parts.

Cheers Wayne
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Re: Viva GT - resto thread - recap and restart

Postby jpsmit » Mon Jan 04, 2021 3:17 am

Well it is 2021 and there is momentous change afoot - yes I am working on the car again. :roll:

I am determined to get this thing on the road (famous last words) - it is funny how things can build up in your mind - in this case brakes. I have been waiting and waiting assuming that it would be a massive job. I still have a few questions about routing but figured I could at least get started with putting in things that I can put in - Master Cylinder/ Servos etc. Of course that brings me to another mental block - in this case drilling into fresh paint. (remember it has been re- shelled so all the holes that are GT unique don't exist. Fortunately I had some good pictures from jdc1 (thanks Jeff!) and with some careful measuring I managed to get the servos installed. The braces aren't yet in place but, emotionally it was a much bigger step than the actual job. Now to try to build some momentum.

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Re: Viva GT - resto thread - recap and restart

Postby droopsnoot » Mon Jan 04, 2021 10:17 am

jpsmit wrote:Of course that brings me to another mental block - in this case drilling into fresh paint.


I know the feeling - the main reason my Firenza doesn't have door mirrors is because I still think the paint is a bit too new to be drilling into it (it was done in 1997) and I might slip with the drill (I have drilled holes before without doing this).

No use now, but you already know it would have been better to drill the holes before you had it painted. As you have to do it in this order, make sure you do something with the bare panel edge once you have drilled it - paint, rust prevention, that kind of thing.
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Re: Viva GT - resto thread - recap and restart

Postby jpsmit » Mon Jan 04, 2021 2:35 pm

droopsnoot wrote:
jpsmit wrote:Of course that brings me to another mental block - in this case drilling into fresh paint.


I know the feeling - the main reason my Firenza doesn't have door mirrors is because I still think the paint is a bit too new to be drilling into it (it was done in 1997) and I might slip with the drill (I have drilled holes before without doing this).

No use now, but you already know it would have been better to drill the holes before you had it painted. As you have to do it in this order, make sure you do something with the bare panel edge once you have drilled it - paint, rust prevention, that kind of thing.


Absolutely agree about drilling before - unfortunately (or fortunately due to the cost savings :) the car came painted.

And yes, I keep an old bottle of SWMBO's clear nail polish - perfect for touching up holes.
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Re: Viva GT - resto thread - recap and restart

Postby jpsmit » Wed Jan 06, 2021 3:56 am

eventual carpet question.

I am about to install the pedal box (clutch and brake) - Is it just installed against the metal or would there have been carpet in between or a gasket or anything?

thanks all!
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Re: Viva GT - resto thread - recap and restart

Postby jpsmit » Thu Jan 07, 2021 4:18 am

still interested in the question above RE: carpets - but, still interiors question.

Tonight I was sorting the Master Cylinder and noticed there are two square holes in the floorboards - one on each side behind the wheels.

I presume those two openings were because of the construction process in the factory. I have two decent plates to cover them. So, 2 questions.

1. It looks as though it was originally riveted on - is this correct? Presumably there was some sealant around the edges too?

2. My plates have a small hole in them - I presume this was because of a set of mudguards or some such thing were once installed

any thoughts?



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Re: Viva GT - resto thread - recap and restart

Postby droopsnoot » Thu Jan 07, 2021 10:22 am

I believe those are known as "paint drain holes", to allow the primer to run out when the shell has been dipped. The plates look identical to the one I have here from a HC, but without that hole in the middle. I believe they would have been rivetted, I think mine are held in with either self-tappers or screws / rivnuts, on the Firenza that's probably because I didn't have a rivet gun, and also to make them easier to remove / replace. I have made a gasket to go around mine.

ETA, from the HC manual:

PANEL, paint access cover, 7213662
SEAL, cover panel, 7214998
RIVET, special, cover panel to dash lower, 6346402.

So on HC at least, yes there's a seal, and yes it should be riveted.

Next question - plate on the inside of the bulkhead, or the outside? I fitted them on the inside of the Firenza, which is a real pain unless you can get someone else to hold them in place while you stick the fasteners through the hole, or have really long arms. I suspect they should go on the outside, and that's what I did on the hatch.
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Re: Viva GT - resto thread - recap and restart

Postby jpsmit » Thu Jan 07, 2021 3:10 pm

thanks for this - didn't even think of the inside/outside decision.
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Re: Viva GT - resto thread - recap and restart

Postby 1972nail » Thu Jan 07, 2021 9:58 pm

jpsmit wrote:thanks for this - didn't even think of the inside/outside decision.


The plates go on the outside.
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"When you have a Firenza like mine, who needs any Minis?" copyright David Maxwell 1979.
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Re: Viva GT - resto thread - recap and restart

Postby jpsmit » Fri Jan 08, 2021 4:11 am

1972nail wrote:
jpsmit wrote:thanks for this - didn't even think of the inside/outside decision.


The plates go on the outside.


good to know - thanks! I am fairly certain the pair I took off the parts care were on the inside - but I removed them with screws so they had probably been removed and replaced
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