'74 Vauxhall Viva - Twink > SBC V8 - Shockingly slow - pg32

[Steve]

MONSTER UPDATE!!

Right then...where we're we!



Got the car chucked together and booked it in for MOT, I got to admit I expected an epic fail but was sumwat surprised





To say I was a tad chuffed would be an understatement! I had to do a little bit of tidying up underneath due to its time stood outside which had made the inner sills look a little crusty(they aint but didn't want any excuse for a beating from the hammer) but aside from an a gentle reminder to get the slight play in the rack sorted it was all good

Since I felt the need to sort it, that weekend I pulled the rack out and got its replacement ready



Got it fitted in only to find that it had more play than the old one bit hard to tell as with no load on the opposing end it was very difficult to feel any play at all! Since I'd gone to all the trouble of cleaning up & replacing it along with new TR-ends I popped the inspection covers off and re-shimmed it and have now cleared up all the play steering is real noice I took the car to work the following week where me & Simon sorted the tracking and got it driving straight again in readiness for its first big trip in years.....but not before this





Paint went on real good with the roller, needs a flat back and another coat but on the whole pretty darn good for a DiY job

From the depths of Simon's garage came a roofrack which was promptly installed(to be used properly) for our upcoming trip to this years Retro Show followed by some tat collecting...but the car was being plagued by a noisy high-pressure fuel pump which prompted me to try and relocate underneath the car along with replacing some perished fuel hoses.....but that didn't exactly go to plan when the feed pipe off the tank was taken off....




Ooops! So we spent the evening removing the pick-up pipe out of the tank and modifying it so it had some hope of being reused....here is Si's "quick fix"



A bolt drilled down the centre and some flats ground onto the very end so a spanner can hold it still outside of the tank it works very well but due to a lack of suitable washers at the time it leaks but that's soon to be fixed

Insert generic Viva-based shot



Then came Retro-Show day...an early start



Car performed faultlessly all the way up including catching a couple of rep-types on the motorway a little off guard, I totally failed to take any pics whilst up there as it was billed as the hottest day of the year and it took its toll on me was hanging most of the day but following the show we headed down towards London to collect some rear quarter repair panels for my Duster project then headed on home all be it at a reduced pace due to the flimsy load on top of the car

Here's Si cooking up some curbside grub on route to our tat collecting destination(cracking roads as well!)



I so very nearly had to pack it in after that as I was suffering from severe de-hydration and was struggling but after a stop at fleet services(with much water consumed) we cracked on and got back in pretty good time. Car covered around just under 400miles without a single problem Although quite how I didn't get a tug by the law is anyones guess.....


*It flapped&moved around quite a bit*

More in a bit....need a drink

Steve

[Steve]

Following on from that little trip the car has been used here & there and this has highlighted a few things that need attention::

Fuel pump is still damn noisy and will be getting replaced soon
Engine & gearbox mounts are shot - again will be getting replaced
Rear axle change as standard one makes long distance travelling a little bit hard on the ears
Find this damn water leak inside the car so the sound deadening & carpet can go in
Caster control bushes are shot and will be replaced with recently acquired polybushes
Gaz shocks and cut Magnum springs going on the front, need to source some Cavalier lowering springs for rear
ARB on the front if the Magnum springs aint enough

Started getting the bodywork up to some sort of standard to be able to paint it, starting with Simon demonstrating how to beat out some nasty dents on the OSR quarter



A big improvement on how it was before! That weekend I removed the rear lamps, bumper and number plate and keyed up the existing paint along with treating any little rust spots



Then went wild and put a load of paint on



It didn't go as smoothly as the bonnet, quite patchy and rough so will need rubbing back quite a bit before another attempt will be made.

After that it sat all this week until today when I finally got on fitting the recaro's






One side is done, just need to find time in the week to get the other side finished

Still not sure this will be coming to the Gathering this year as doubt it will be all in one colour in time....but we shall see

Steve

[Steve]

For all you Facebook users......have a giggle at this
www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151696470879573&set=pb.122198159572.-2207520000.1375047434.&type=3&theater

A show of the closed-mindedness the Vauxhall scene seems to have

[The Doctor]

some people.....


in the picture from the rear, with the stuff on the roof, the car looks AWESOME!

[craig1010cc]

Jul 28, 2013 21:39:27 GMT Steve said:

For all you Facebook users......have a giggle at this
www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151696470879573&set=pb.122198159572.-2207520000.1375047434.&type=3&theater

A show of the closed-mindedness the Vauxhall scene seems to have

its no good Steve, the experts have spoken and your just going to have to scrap it to save your soul

[Rich]

Jul 28, 2013 21:39:27 GMT Steve said:

For all you Facebook users......have a giggle at this
www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151696470879573&set=pb.122198159572.-2207520000.1375047434.&type=3&theater

A show of the closed-mindedness the Vauxhall scene seems to have

I think if anything Steve it shows you were right to stick the twin cam in there judging by that.

[carltonx]

i know everyone is entitled to ther own opinion but they should all appreciate the hard work that went into this car i hate purists

[darrenh]

Jul 29, 2013 9:24:17 GMT carltonx said:

I know everyone is entitled to ther own opinion but they should all appreciate the hard work that went into this car I hate purists

the real embarrassing thing with the whole discussion is that none of them are purists. its just cringe-worthy badge prejudice because they think saying something controversial will give them some "edge"

[ben711200]

Ha, fanboyism at its finest/worst! No wonder I see Jamie despairing at times on FB.

Really glad to see progress on this. It's one of those cars that the gradual evolution and dedication from its owner just shows through and is all the better for it.

[steve]

Nice update mate, glad to hear it got through the mot ok, mine was so close to failing on the rear brakes, the handbrake on mine was terrible! as for the leak, have you investigated the windscreen seal? That's quite common for a viva, or possibly somewhere in the arch/ wheel well.

[tigran]

Yes Steve! So happy this is alive and bitching!

















You selling it yet?

[Robinxr4i]

I'm not sure Ford made a more reviled engine, odd really because it really isn't that bad. Great to see this car go from strength to strength!

[meltdown]

I hate your wheels, please sell them to me :-)

Nowt wrong with putting a foreign motor in your car if it keeps a classic going.

[Colonelk]

Looking good dude. Gathering in this yes?

[yoeddynz]

Loving this car. Glad its all back on the road and providing much joy. I also like the fact you have upset the purists. I have added my Japanese engined Viva to that FB thread just to fuel the fire.

I'll be interested to see how your new bushes go and whether they add much road noise. Also interested to see how you find the ARB adds to the handling.

[madwelshman]

Jul 28, 2013 21:39:27 GMT Steve said:

For all you Facebook users......have a giggle at this
www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151696470879573&set=pb.122198159572.-2207520000.1375047434.&type=3&theater

A show of the closed-mindedness the Vauxhall scene seems to have

B011ock5 to what others think about it mate!! As long as you're happy with the conversion and how well the engine performs then who gives a 5hi7 what others think. I'm pretty sure that a majority of people on here take their hat of to you with all the work you have done and what a tidy job you have done.
The end of the day, you've kept another great classic on the road in regular/daily use. Far to many of these petty minded people are happy to leave their cars in their heated garage, too afraid to use it in case it rains.

Personally, I say good on ya and keep up the good work!!!!

[Anglia68]

I would be very happy to have a car as nice as that to tool around in. #thumbsup

[Steve]

Thanks guys nice to know that there is more than one person than actually likes the car!

Aint had a chance to do anymore this week but will cram some hours in over the weekend with a bit more painting and finishing off the seat frames....will be ordering up a replacement fuel pump tomorrow and find out if my replacement shock absorber top bolts have turned up at the hardware place up the road from work....only been waiting a week! If they turn up then can get the gaz shocks on along with the thicker Magnum springs AND the poly caster control bushes then I might actually have a chance to keep the car going where I want it to and to stop the tyres catching on the lower valance due to the wheels moving forward when reversing(yea...they are that bad)

More soon chaps
Steve

[sarkie83]

how have I missed this?! bookmarked.

[Steve]

Seem to be a bit behind updating this time to remedy that

SO then.....run up to the Gathering this happened





Got on with turning the whole car one colour....the blackest of all the blacks









As with the rear end it looked good on the first coat but there was always bits of red showing through in places so hit it with another coat but due to time constraints I couldn't flat it back before hand so the second coat came up a bit gack its never gonna be a permanent thing so will put up with it until I feel brave enough to spray it properly. Anyhoo....got on with putting it back together along with some small changes....




There is an explanation for the badge and will get to it in a minute, so reconstruction continued....quite quickly as we were a week away from the Gathering and we were working most nights on both our wrecks(when I say "we" I of course mean with Simon B8D) basically cramming a years worth of tinkering into multiple hours after work!

Among the jobs to be done was to replace my castor control bushes which were.....well.....shagged!



To be replaced with nice fresh polybushes



Made a real nice difference as well! No tyres catching when reversing, much tighter in the bends and just generally made the feedback through the wheel all the better So much so that having driven Simons estate I will be going though with changing all the bushes in the front suspension to poly and have begun prepping some lower & upper arms for when I'm rich enough to buy them, already have a set of balljoints to go in so just a matter of time

Final assembly done and both cars ready for the weekend



RRG 2013 was once again a great show and excellent weekend! Aside from having to suffer the whole weekend with something stuck in my eye which made 3D vision a problem it was great Loved the positive reactions from everyone about the car but mostly just sucked in as much awesomeness as possible to keep me going though the dark winter months to come....here are two pics from a couple of residents of this here forum





And here is the only proper pic I took all weekend...



Two cars.....a lot of history connecting them!

Aaaaaaaaand then nothing....after the Gathering the car just stood outside the house looking pretty but I was too burnt out to really do anything with it I got bored, thought about pulling the twink and putting a 1.5TD Isuzu motor in for max economy(with a slight punch) then though about something more V8-shaped and started selling stuff in the hope of getting enough dough up together to buy a working 70's US vehicle but the Viva had other ideas and has developed an annoying running fault that I cant figure out so has kinda made it clear it doesn't want to be sold!

SO that brings me to the badge.....it was always my goal to eventually end up with a V8 Viva so that may actually happen...and I just happen to have the motor in mind just sat at the back of the garage

More soon(translation: when I remember)

Steve