1964 Vauxhall Viva HA review from Australia and New Zealand

Rear leaf springs needed urgent attention third month of ownership.

Clutch replacement forth month.

Rear main leaked oil.

Differential leak.

Very rusty sub-frame.

The little Vauxhall was my first car and despite its ware and age by the time I purchased it in 1987, I will have very fond memories of my Viva. A Melbourne car dealer advertised it in the Age Newspaper on a Saturday for a mere $200 and as I was an unemployed uni student, I considered the possibility of a purchase. Later that week I had a look at the Vauxhall. It was soft green in colour with a turquosie roof. The viva appeared to be in very good condition; who would complain with a $200 negotiable prise tag?

Initial months with the little Viva was arduous however she soon became a reliable if not a little eccentric Melbourne run about for the next 2 years. My Vauxhall developed major oil leaks and stained the uni car park and home driveway as well as all my other regular haunts around town. The cabin was often filled with books and paper and leaky pens and was more of an untidy bachelor's dorm than a car interior.

The Vauxhall died in 1989 after a car T-boned it at a round-a-bout in an outer suburb of Melbourne. I drove around in my Vauxhall Viva for 2 months after the accident with the passenger side doors roped up, but water soon drenched the cabin and the car became unusable. I drove it to a wrecking Yard called Pick-a-Part. There it stayed in the yard until most of it was cannibalise. The yard gave me $200 for her.

My Little 6 year old daughter loves to hear stories about the Viva she never saw. I have only a couple of photos of it and my daughter sees some magic in it which I sought of understand.