This is my first Viva so any advice or suggestions are welcome please.
The car was owned by the same person from 1st January 1972 until 2002. The second owner then used it as a daily driver and had it MOT'd locally, but don't think had much servicing or maintenance done on it. The mileage is showing 55k, so I am assuming that is at least 155k.
The MOT expired in November 2011 and the car had been driven until October, but in my opinion wasn't really roadworthy (see below re. lack of brakes.)
Here's how it looks
Bodywork:
I know that the rear end of both sills and the inner wings have gone (when I washed all the mud out quite a lot of the inner wing came out as well!) I think it's had replacement front wings at some time and done reasonably well judging by the panel lines and paint match. I think the floor is reaonably solid, and the rear wheelarches seem OK. The o/s/r arch is crusty, but not holed. There is a hole behind the rear arch. I am sure there is more corrosion to be discovered.
So it needs some welding, which I am hopeless at
Mechanical/Electrics
It needs a good service, the engine (1256) runs but not well, so oil, filters, plugs, points, HT leads, valve clearances, grease points etc won't go amiss. The brakes are useless, none at all at the rear, no handbrake, fronts pull to the left. The indicators flash very slowly both directions. The starter is slow. (Battery has been tested and is good. With engine running it shows 13v across the battery so the alternator seems to be OK.)
My initial plan of action is:
A. To give it a thorough service
B. To fix the obvious problems - indicators (I suspect the flasher unit), brakes, passenger seat is loose, battery is loose (wrong one so the bracket doesn't reach), steering rack gaiters, strip out or replace some dodgy additional wiring added over the years, starter motor
C. Then the bodywork - I spoke to a local bodyshop, he suggested I got it MOT'd to highlight the areas which he'd need to focus on and then bring it to him. What I think I shall do is to scrape off as much crusty bits as I can and lay bare any problems - treat any surface rust with Dinitrol, then send it to the bodyshop with everything on show.
I have sent off my membership for the Club, so hopefully before too long I shall know where to buy spares from. In the meantime I'm trawling ebay for the basics.
Haynes manual is on the way, to join the ones for my '72 Triumph which was my first car, and my '72 Escort which is how I found out my welding skills are not very good. (Both cars long since gone. I've been messing with modern stuff recently - but got fed up of needing to use a computer to fix cars.)
Any thoughts, suggestions or advice gratefully received. It always pays to listen to people who know a car inside out.