The Guv'nor, a Magnum opus

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Re: GVO 147N a Magnum opus

Postby lord13 » Mon Aug 13, 2018 7:55 am

What a palaver . . . probably all my fault though as i can make a decision almost as well as I can sell a car ...i.e. very very badly :(
I have been in many many talks with Mr. Craig who posted above, and although I did decide to take his offer, I then, after much thought ( and an ultimatum from the wife that would've have left me without car and her some new shoes) I have decided to keep the old girl for now, the car not the wife.........hold on, that reads wrong, I am also keeping the wife :D

So, what next? Well I don't know, but I would have been a fool to sell for such a low price what is basically a solid, virtually rot free viva that runs pretty much spot on and looks the part for what amounts to the same money that knackered old rust bucket vivas seem to go for.

I don't get it, to be honest, is the Magnum a hated vehicle or is it the lowly 1800 engine? Or is it just my inability to sell anything? I just don't know...

Either way, Mavis/Maggie-may/The Guv'nor is here to stay, balefully glaring at me through the front window, daring me to get behind the wheel and suffer the pain and agonies he/she wants to inflict upon my soul . . . :|
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Re: GVO 147N a Magnum opus

Postby 1972nail » Mon Aug 13, 2018 9:31 am

I think you're right the 1800 Magnum seems to be the model fewer people go for. The OHV Vivas are wanted by the 'RedTop and V8 boys', the 2300 engined ones are for the 'Retro speed lovers' and the 1600, 1800 and 2000 HCs are the forgotten middle sisters and get passed over.

Also the Magnum model's trim is not to everyone's liking, the side strips and nylon/velour seats are all a bit garish for some but if it has a 7 dial then it's OK and the twin dial is a NO NO.... Sadly the 1800 Magnum doesn't have the 7 dial as standard.
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Re: GVO 147N a Magnum opus

Postby Colin » Mon Aug 13, 2018 6:07 pm

It's very frustrating for you Mitch when this more door Viva 2300 got snapped up in a matter of hours yesterday (that is if fleabay can be believed of course) -

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/-/1233069012 ... 675.l10137

I'm sure your car is in better condition than this now slightly down at heel 2300. If you decide to have another go at selling I think it might be best not to bother with the auction side of ebay and just leave it out there on a classified ad at a reasonable value. It's a good car. Someone will want it. :)
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Re: GVO 147N a Magnum opus

Postby lord13 » Tue Aug 14, 2018 7:40 am

1972nail wrote: if it has a 7 dial then it's OK and the twin dial is a NO NO.... Sadly the 1800 Magnum doesn't have the 7 dial as standard.


I think you're right there mate, everyone wants a 7 dial, I cant stand them myself, I think they look tacky and cheap (no offence to anyone who has one), and the three vivas I have owned in the past with them fitted in they never worked properly anyway :( I much prefer the twin dial set up, and even the strip speedo looks tonnes better in my opinion :)
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Re: GVO 147N a Magnum opus

Postby lord13 » Tue Aug 14, 2018 8:03 am

Colin wrote:It's very frustrating for you Mitch when this more door Viva 2300 got snapped up in a matter of hours yesterday (that is if fleabay can be believed of course) -

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/-/1233069012 ... 675.l10137

I'm sure your car is in better condition than this now slightly down at heel 2300. If you decide to have another go at selling I think it might be best not to bother with the auction side of ebay and just leave it out there on a classified ad at a reasonable value. It's a good car. Someone will want it. :)


Exactly what i'm talking about mate, although if it was completely rot free like the ad said then it was a good buy for someone, I pointed it out to the guy who was haggling for mine, maybe he got it, because it was off ebay within hours of me telling him about it :)

If I do decide to sell then I think I'll give ebay a miss, it certainly brought out the crazies and the chancers...
One offer I got was for a swap with a XJ40 + some cash, they wanted to drive down from manchester, do the swap, then drive back in the magnum. I told her that the mag was ok for driving short journeys but for something like that length of trip I couldn't guarantee something wouldn't go wrong as the old girl has been off the road for a fair few years, she just airily said that it was fine because she was in the AA . . . :shock: I envisioned the magnum halfway up the motorway stuffed into the crash barriers because a brake line or balljoint decided that it was time for it to go or something . . . I couldn't honestly let her buy and drive the mag all that way with a clear conscience :( (i've had the old girl up to 70+ ish and she drives very well and smooth...but all the same, that's not 70mph constant for a couple of hours straight :|

Then I had those who asked if a v8 or red top would fit in it...of course it would...but if you want to do that buy a 1256 snotter to mess up ok?

Then of course the obvious dealers wanting to know every tiny minutiae about the car and offering next to nothing, I had it on an unrealistic reserve just for the chance to choose where it went, all too many times I see a car snapped up for very little money, only to pop back up on the bay of 'e' with a bit of a polish and an exorbitant price hike :( That was not going to happen if I could help it.

So The Guv'nor ( the wife's name for it, chosen not too fondly by her, It is apparently a political figure from American history....and not a very nice one at that, she said it fitted the cars temperament ??? ) is going to stay for now, who knows it may stay for a while . . .
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Re: The Guv'nor, a Magnum opus

Postby craig12 » Tue Aug 14, 2018 11:14 am

i find the problem with e bay is not winning the bid its actually paying , in a recession as bad as this , im not suprised at the number of items relisted , anyone can bid , not everyone can pay
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Re: The Guv'nor, a Magnum opus

Postby Kraken » Tue Aug 14, 2018 12:59 pm

I like the strip speedo myself, even if I'm not quite certain how fast I'm going.


I know you love the car but are losing enjoyment because of the clutch, have you thought about a hydraulic clutch?
You seem more than capable of something like that and personally I don't think it detracts from the originality although others may disagree.
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Re: The Guv'nor, a Magnum opus

Postby 1972nail » Tue Aug 14, 2018 1:07 pm

Kraken wrote:I like the strip speedo myself, even if I'm not quite certain how fast I'm going.


I know you love the car but are losing enjoyment because of the clutch, have you thought about a hydraulic clutch?
You seem more than capable of something like that and personally I don't think it detracts from the originality although others may disagree.


That's an interesting thought. A simple cheap master cylinder like the Landrover clutch cylinder and one of those internal slave cylinders that act directly on the bearing should do the job. Getting the cylinder size ratios correct might be the most difficult.
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