Viva Gls Estate, 13K Miles, £1000, S Wales

[spiney_norman]

Hi all, I'm afraid the time's come to move my Viva on, thought I'd put it up here in case there was any interest. Some of you probably saw the thread I posted over on Retro Rides giving the story of how I came to own it, but if you didn't then here it is: http://retrorides.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=readersrides&thread=136317&page=1

Anyway, it's come a long way since I dragged it out of there. First thing I did was strip the whole interior out, excluding the dashboard, to make sure all the broken glass was out. While it was bare, I thought I'd get some pictures to show how rust free it is.











There were a couple of minor patches of surface rust near the driver's seat area where the soundproofing under the carpet had got damp, but I didn't bother getting any pictures, just wire brushed the rust off and chucked some orange paint on! The only bits of rust I've found on this car are a little patch on the back of the OS sill where it's covered by the stainless trim on the wheelarch, and a small hole just behind the NS front wheel on the bottom of the wing. I had a good look around underneath while fitting the replacement steering column, and it's unbelievable.

So anyway, a quick summary of what I've done to the car:
- Sourced and fitted the missing glass, including rear screen rubber which took months to track down
- 4 nearly new 165/80/13 tyres
- Replacement steering column and wiper/indicator stalks
- Replacement set of locks and keys, nothing wrong with the old locks but I didn't have keys for them!
- Brand new starter solenoid
- Interior thoroughly cleaned

The good bits:
- Speedo shows 13k miles, which I firmly believe is genuine
- Interior is virtually immaculate, really has to be seen to be believed
- Rare optional GLS wheels, complete with full set of chrome trim rings and plastic centre caps
- Original front spotlights intact and complete with Vauxhall badged plastic covers

The bad bits:
- Rust on sill and front wing as mentioned above
- Currently not running, haven't tried starting yet but hopefully will do next week
- Brakes will obviously want attention, I haven't dared press the brake pedal but the car does roll freely
- No tax, no MOT and no V5 but I do have the form to apply for it
- Vandalised before I got it, so has some scratches and dents from being attacked with a hammer
- Could really do with a respray, paint has just flaked off in places and has surface rust underneath
- If I'm being really fussy, the carpet's not perfect
- Rear screen rubber's not great, but was the best I could find
- Will need at least the first exhaust box, possibly more
- Wiring under dash needs finishing

So basically, it's as you'd expect for a car that spent 17 years sat untouched in an overgrown garage, it does still need work to get on the road but it's a really good car. It's 100% complete and original, and it's got to be one of the lowest mileage Vivas left unless anyone knows different?

If you're seriously interested, give me a call on 07866 126592 (I work nights, so I probably won't answer in the mornings!) and I'll be more than happy to have a long chat about the car.

I'm asking £1000 for it, I can't really afford to take much less at the moment and I really don't want the hassle of getting messed about on ebay.











And lots more pictures here!