Prodigal Viva driver returns....

[vivavivaviva]

Hello everyone,

I bought this HC Estate last autumn from a really helpful guy in Wallasey, a bit of a Vauxhall collector! It is indeed as nice as it looks in the photograph (I'll post some new ones soon!).

Over winter she's had a full service and new coil and points and a new cylinder head gasket - she was overheating by the time I'd got to the bottom of the road . Engine now runs pretty sweet, she benefitted from a 'fanatical' first owner and was obviously the love of his life, little touches like fitting an oil-cooler (I'm assuming this wasn't a factory fitting!? Please correct me if I'm wrong), a Kenlowe electric fan, a radiator muff (adjustable from inside the car) and many other things that show she was well cared for.

She's not concourse but she certainly turns heads

I learned to drive in my first car, a Viva HC in '77 and it's only taken me nearly 40 years to come back to the fold I look forward to meeting fellow members in a field somewhere this summer!

Cheers,
Terry
HC778

[Paul Dawson]

I love the shape of the estate - looks lovely.

Whereabouts in Wales are you? North / South / somewhere inbetween?

[vivavivaviva]

Thanks, Paul. I love the shape too.

North. In fact if you're in the Chester area I'm about 8 miles from you

[Paul Dawson]

Sounds good - there must be a field somewhere to meet up in.

I took the Viva out last autumn round N Wales and stopped for tea in Llangollen. Just as we pulled into the car park there was a MGB rally on one side - everyone left the MGBs and gathered around the Viva. One of the MGB guys thought it was very funny - but as he said - you see a MGB nearly every day, you don't see a Viva so often.

[vivavivaviva]

A field, or a pub.....

That's a great story, and so true! People literally stop and stare when I drive past! And if I had a quid for everyone who stops to talk if I'm parked up or in a filling station or pub car park that either had a Viva or learnt to drive in one or had an uncle who knew someone that had one, I would truly be a millionaire by now.... It's true they are getting so rare now, I looked on howmanyleft.co.uk and was amazed at how few are left on the road or SORN'd.

I'll pm you with my contact details.

[Fred Dukes]

There is an informal gathering at Wem - advertised in CCW as Wheels Within Wem - every 3rd Sunday in the month - next one is 17th April - I usually go over and you get up to a dozen cars. Work day for you I suppose Paul?