1969 Viva HB Patina wagon. Now with matching retro caravan..

This is an area for discussion about Restoration issues.

Re: HB rustwagon. Getting carried away...

Postby yoeddynz » Fri Apr 29, 2016 10:01 pm

OK yeah.. so I have ended up getting a touch carried away with this little wagon and sort of going against my original mission statement of 'keeping it all manky looking and just scrape it through a wof'. The reason for the slight change of heart is because when I started cleaning out the engine bay and really noticed how deep and yucky the surface rust and crusty bits were I soon knew I would have to paint it. Then I pulled the last of the wiring out so I could clean it out and I thought to myself as I was feeding the wires through the bulkhead 'well that's an ugly bit of cable routing..I don’t really want to see that again’. Before I knew it I had Hannah inside watching for fires while I welded discs of steel into all the bulkhead holes from the outside.

Rewinding back a couple of weeks, because this project has become glacial in its progress. First thing.. those wheels. I fitted them and rolled the car out the back while I used the hoist for a customers car. It looks great on the Turbos. They certainly do suit this car better than on Viva one. I had also noted that the Viva wagon is exactly the same colour as the water tank...

Image

I had been umming and erring about removing the battery tray from the engine bay. I knew if I did that I would have to fabricate a box down the back under the floor due to the wagon needing to be clear floored for max usefulness in earning its keep. I also knew the tray was hiding things. Bad things possibly.

I removed it. Not easily either. It seem that the fella who spot welded it in place was either drunk, had too much coffee or was suffering from MS. There was no order to the spots and I couldn’t find them. I couldn’t just chisel it off because doing so would dent and wreak the inner wing. Took ages.

Image

Off with it and look at that. Yuck. Glad it was gone because no way would that stuff had rested from its metal eating duty. With it gone I looked over the general mankyness of the whole bay and realised it needed to be done properly. I removed the heart. It was only being held in place by two exhaust nuts and the two mounts. So tiny. With it out I whipped up a simple engine cradle/wheelie tray thingee to put it on so it can be moved about the workshop easily.

Image

Hannah is going to get paid in kind words, cups of tea and biscuits to clean the engine for me. I noticed that the frost plug on the back of the head looks very dodgy indeed so lucky it was out anyway. It could have spoiled the party later on…

Image

I filled up holes, cut our more rusty patches and generally cleared it all out for a nice clean bay look. I cut off all brackets to do with the ugly factory throttle linkage. I have instead been given a later Viva HC throttle pedal like I have fitted to Viva one. Big thanks to Andre yet again for having one in his stash of bits. Hannah laughs at my idea that if I have the same pedals then when jumping from car to car for daily driving they will feel the same to drive. I don’t think she realises the power of the mighty 1159cc Viva.

I also dealt to the rust that was in the drivers side A pillar…

Image

Welded up the cut in the hinge bracket that had refused to let go of the pin ages ago at the very beginning.

Image

After welding up all the holes in the bulkhead leaving only the clutch cable and speedo cable holes I ground them all smooth.

Image

I then removed the now very scratched and sad looking screen. I think it might be the original. With it gone I was pleasantly surprised at the lack of rot in the well. Only one corner had succumbed and it was not bad at all. I cut it out, welded it up and moved around to the back where it was rotten in the pillar.

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

With the screen out one can easily marvel at the beauty of such a mint dash top..

Image



Now fixed and strong again I stepped back into the engine bay and continued grinding, sanding and smoothing the bay. To earn this episodes title of ‘getting carried away’ I even removed the fuse box and welded up the hole. I might have to do this mod to Viva one some day.

Image

Image

Finally I applied some Brunox epoxy rust neutraliser. This is now where I am at with the bay…

Image

I had popped into Nelson last week for welding gas etc so while there I went to an automotive paint shop and bought some epoxy primer plus three cans of colour matched spray paint. Well they were colour matched at the time. I had forgotten to take in my little bit of steel which had un-faded paint on it. So instead me and the fella behind the till tried to match the colour off a internet photo of a Cactus green Viva off the nerdnet on my phone. Never easy. Once home I sprayed some on the car. Whoops. It’s a bit brighter. But its still nice and looks 60s so it’ll do. Anyway- any engine bay painted in one neat clean colour always looks better.

So that is where I am at now. I have heaps of paid work on right now so Hannah having finished her current work in one days time will get some cleaning and painting jobs. This way she shall earn the privilege to hold up traffic in the mighty Viva wagon (hatch..) on the hills around us. I have been having many thoughts about engine swaps or sneaky turbos and simple injection systems don’t you worry. But really I have strayed far enough already. I will however be re-wiring the bay so to allow for really easy engine swap/changes in management etc for the future. Keeping all the lights/horn/starter/alternator etc separate to the engine loom.

Ha..the current engine loom. All of 3 wires? Temp, oil, ignition feed. Old cars eh? Giggle :-)
yoeddynz
Brabham Viva
Brabham Viva
 
Posts: 707
Joined: Fri Oct 12, 2007 2:47 pm
Location: South Island, New Zealand

Re: HB rustwagon. Getting a bit carried away...

Postby rizzo » Sun May 01, 2016 11:10 am

Nice to see your still on with the old girl, i'm in a similar position in that i only took mine off the road to renew the chassis rails and just kept going with the welding, :) gotta love these Vivas, makes me wonder whos going to get to the finish line first. :shock:
Whats the future plan under the bonnet, are you planning a transplant, or putting the anchor back in?

Bill
HB 1159 1968 10K White
HB 4000 1968 Green
User avatar
rizzo
Brabham Viva
Brabham Viva
 
Posts: 909
Joined: Sun Nov 09, 2008 10:43 pm
Location: North Yorks

Re: HB rustwagon. Getting a bit carried away...

Postby yoeddynz » Mon May 02, 2016 9:38 am

ha- If you had asked me last winter I would have said I'll be finished soon. But its just dragging on. I dont want to feel pressured into working on it and start feeling like its a chore so I like to just do a bit here and there. However Im getting into it again now because its the more fun jobs of cleaning things and piecing it back together. I do need to get it off the hoist asap so I can use the hoist for the customers Firenza which actuallt earns me money though!

I plan to just get it running on the stock engine for now but I really want to make the bay as tidy as possible. What appeals to me is the teeny tiny size of the 1159 and how absurd it will look with the bay all cleaned out :D

If I did an engine swap Id want to avoid going through the cert process. So I would have to pick very carefully. The little cg13 micra engine appeals to me.

However for now I shall see what the standard engine is like and see what sort of power/smoothness/ economy I can get from it.
yoeddynz
Brabham Viva
Brabham Viva
 
Posts: 707
Joined: Fri Oct 12, 2007 2:47 pm
Location: South Island, New Zealand

Re: HB rustwagon. Getting a bit carried away...

Postby 1972nail » Mon May 02, 2016 10:15 am

Looking at the photo of the wagon with the water tank I thought you had fitted an auxiliary fuel tank for a mega big engine swap! :D
Editor of the VVOC Magazine ReVival

"When you have a Firenza like mine, who needs any Minis?" copyright David Maxwell 1979.
User avatar
1972nail
Old Nail
Old Nail
 
Posts: 3185
Joined: Sun Aug 07, 2011 4:16 pm
Location: Ballymoney Co Antrim - some say....the World's best place to live!

Re: HB rustwagon. Getting a bit carried away...

Postby yoeddynz » Tue May 03, 2016 12:24 pm

Oh I'd so love to properly v12 a viva :D . But money. :(
yoeddynz
Brabham Viva
Brabham Viva
 
Posts: 707
Joined: Fri Oct 12, 2007 2:47 pm
Location: South Island, New Zealand

Re: HB rustwagon. Getting a bit carried away...

Postby yoeddynz » Sat Jun 25, 2016 10:32 am

Not a lot to talk about but I have taken some pretty pictures of neatness caused by previously manky areas being covered in one uniform colour.

Painting I believe.

I have continued to avoid painting anything outside of the engine bay in order to keep the ‘pulled from a field’ look. However Hannah has painted the floor. This I approve of as it keeps it from getting worse plus when the time comes to tidy up and modify the wiring I have a nice tidy place to do it from.

Some photos for proof…

The floor surface rust was first neutralised..

Image

The following day with the car wheeled out into the sunshine we both set to work.

Image

Image

Hannah painted the floor with an epoxy primer while I covered the engine bay surfaces in a high build spray putty. I was expecting it to be yellow but instead it turned out to be almost exactly the same colour that I had painted my Rx3 in. Oh the memories…

Image

When the sun disappeared the car was rolled back inside and I sanded back the spray putty. Its come up pretty smooth. Way nicer than I had ever planned for this car so that will do then. Next dry sunny day it will get a topcoat.

Image

Image

Hannah wire brushed a load of other engine bay bits and Ive now readied them for some paint. Then reassembly can start.

The only rust work left to do is the hatch/tailgate and I also need to make and fit a battery box under the boot floor. We are both keen on getting this car on the road but its still only getting little bits here and there around paying jobs.
Evening work has not really happened as much as planned. The shed is too cold/truck too warm to stay out late. Its just too enticing not to go inside and have cups of tea with a fluffy cat in front of the fire.

I shall try to improve my efforts….
yoeddynz
Brabham Viva
Brabham Viva
 
Posts: 707
Joined: Fri Oct 12, 2007 2:47 pm
Location: South Island, New Zealand

Re: HB rustwagon. Getting a bit carried away...

Postby rizzo » Sat Jun 25, 2016 5:31 pm

Nice work its coming on well, yeh its all too easy to take a seat and a brew :D i wish i had a workshop that size :?
HB 1159 1968 10K White
HB 4000 1968 Green
User avatar
rizzo
Brabham Viva
Brabham Viva
 
Posts: 909
Joined: Sun Nov 09, 2008 10:43 pm
Location: North Yorks

Re: HB rustwagon. Getting a bit carried away...

Postby yoeddynz » Mon Jun 27, 2016 9:57 pm

Yeah far too easy- especially as a clear winters day in our area can be 18-20 degrees in the sun which is very tempting to sit in and drink coffee. 8)

Yep the shed size- ive wanted for years to have a decent workshop and its lush to have it. Must install wood burner though as it does get cold at night.
yoeddynz
Brabham Viva
Brabham Viva
 
Posts: 707
Joined: Fri Oct 12, 2007 2:47 pm
Location: South Island, New Zealand

Re: HB rustwagon. Getting a bit carried away...

Postby yoeddynz » Mon Jul 04, 2016 11:14 am

Just a quick little update. After having completed a fair bit of rust repairs to Sams latest Datsun acquisition I moved the Viva back onto the hoist. It was nice to see an emptier workshop with plenty of room to swing a fluffy cat. Not that I would. But I could. If I had to. Spot Hannah’s triumph waiting for attention…

Image

While I had a bit of time to spare that evening and was in a cutty, weldy sort of mood I decided to sort out the new battery position. Having removed the ugly old tray from the inner wing in the engine bay. Into the boot we go just like in Viva one. But this time I want to have it mounted below the floor level to maximise the amount of luggage/bike/bails of hay space in the back of this little wagon. Luckily there is a nice area of nothing just to the left of the fuel tank. I decided to take that nothing and turn it into something. Like a battery box.

This area here…

Image

..had this box here…

Image

..slotted through the newly cut hole in the floor like so…

Image

..creating a tucked away place to hide the battery…

Image

With that done I filled in a couple of tiny holes and stood back happily admiring my Viva wagon that is now pretty much rot free. Yay. I celebrated by hoovering out all the grinding dust and neutralising the surface rust. The following day Hannah pushed the car out into the sun and painted it with epoxy primer. It looks much neater but I forgot to take a photo. You’ll see it soon.

Back to engine bay. I finished sanding back the filler primer to a level I was happy with. Its turned out pretty good and should be a good enough base now for the top coat finish.

Image

I’ll leave the car out in the sun to warm it up before expertly applying my spray bombs for a professional orange peel finsh.

Next job was to fix the tailgate (hatch..) and its turned out to be more solid than I first thought. I’m still not sure why the car came with a far rustier black one fitted. I figure it was purely because they original one might have suffered a broken window so someone just swapped in another tailgate rather than swap the window. Luckily the this original coloured one is the more solid one so I’ll just swap out the window and refit it once fixed. To start with Hannah spent some time sanding and scraping off all the flakey crusty bits so I knew what needed fixing.

Image

This was the worst bit here..

Image

..which I cut out and repaired the inner skin..

Image

Then I folded up a new outer. It was cold in the shed tonight so I have been wearing my best hobo fingerless mits. I forgot the fingerless bit when I pressed against the repair panel and preceded to tack it in place along with welding my finger. I smelt the burning flesh before my cold brain registered the pain from my now not so cold finger…

Image

I finished welding it in and that was it for tonight.

Image

The warm housetruck beckoned. I few more little thing rusty bits remain on the tailgate and then I’ll fix the frilly bits on both door. I’ve also been investigating the engine and I’ve removed the inlet manifold to but and weld so I can tidy up the ugly breather hose routing etc. But for now its back to the fireplace and cup of tea.
yoeddynz
Brabham Viva
Brabham Viva
 
Posts: 707
Joined: Fri Oct 12, 2007 2:47 pm
Location: South Island, New Zealand

Re: HB rustwagon. Getting a bit carried away...

Postby rizzo » Mon Jul 04, 2016 7:18 pm

I like the idea with the battery box, ive done the same in removing the mounting at the front in favour of hiding it some where else, first thoughts were to drop it into a mount in the spare wheel well as it wont be used on mine, ie wheel wont fit, can the battery box be seen from the rear,?
Did you say rot free :D this is a HB your talking about, i dont think they are ever rot free, although your definitely heading in the right direction.
Nice job on the tailgate, it looks like you have managed to keep the panel pretty straight aswel with minimal amount of doggy needed.
HB 1159 1968 10K White
HB 4000 1968 Green
User avatar
rizzo
Brabham Viva
Brabham Viva
 
Posts: 909
Joined: Sun Nov 09, 2008 10:43 pm
Location: North Yorks

PreviousNext

Return to Restoration

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 5 guests

cron