How do you go about starting it. You empty the fuel tank or something and then what. Guess not started for 20 years. Not sure if worth restoring rust wise seeing if it goes first.
yz490,
Aug 8, 10:25am
I guess if its very very old fuel before this modern unleaded stuff the carburettor might not be a terrible mess. So i'd drain any fuel in the tank & carb & pump fresh fuel up to the carb either cranking it over or maybe pressurise the tank slightly to get it there without flattening battery. Then with carb full--be brave & see if it goes. Of course everything else has to fall into place like spark & timing, not that it'll alter from sitting. Now we want to know what it is Please, can you post a pic or link to a pic, Clutch might be stuck together. Radiator has water. Fire extinguisher on hand. Stand back lol. Good luck. Something about hearing a motor fire up for the first time in a very long time. Did the same with a Jag, about an "86 model & ran sweet after changing 10 year old fuel.
socram,
Aug 8, 10:48am
As above, drain fuel, then disconnect the fuel line from tank to carb. DON'T just add new fuel to the tank as it may contain all sorts of rusty crap that will only clog the fuel system.
Check the oil as if it is already black treacle, you might need a bit more work - drain it and put some cheap flushing oil in.
Disconnect the fuel line to the carb and initially, just squirt a bit of neat fuel into the carb (or a spray of Easi Start. If it coughs, chances are that it will fire, but before then:
Remove the plugs, make sure the engine turns over. Maybe a small squirt of oil down each plug hole the day before?
Turn the engine over on the starter a few times to get oil circulating, before putting the plugs back in.
Some then rig up a temporary fuel supply, but yes, fire extinguisher at the ready - always!
As above, what car or what engine?
intrade,
Aug 8, 11:01am
depends what it is and if you want to restore it or fix it up for use 2 huge differences. Restoring usually means sinking 5 times the ammount of money in to it then you ever can sell it for= your not going to sell it. if you start it thinking its going to be cheap its going to be just another abandoned restauration. like so many potentially worse off then selling it as whole if you make a mess of it and then stop because you find woops its costing a fortune.
martin11,
Aug 8, 11:17am
I have been restoring an old car and I found that most of the rubber fuel lines needed to be replaced as they were cracked on the outside . Cut one open and found small bits of rubber loose in the hose . Check hoses before you attempt to feed fuel throught them so you donot get bits into the carb or fuel pump .
intrade , what a load of rubbish your post is , That is from the experience of restoring the car I bought early this year , you have to know what you are buying and the state it is in before you buy it to know if it is economical to do up .
ash4561,
Aug 8, 12:24pm
71 HC Viva, there not worth that much done up, perhaps that's because there still a few about.
msigg,
Aug 8, 12:35pm
Yea not worth that much, they were a cheaper car in the old days, the ford were better and as you see the ford now commands a much better price. Check the price between that and the escort?. See.
countrypete,
Aug 8, 2:46pm
In 1974 a Viva 1300 was $3,733. Same price was a Steel Bros Lotus 7.
intrade,
Aug 8, 2:48pm
There is the advantage to find parts more easy then also. you always have to look at it from all angles .
apollo11,
Aug 8, 2:59pm
Congrats, you are the king of assumptions and wild generalisations.
gunhand,
Aug 8, 3:02pm
Ive been involved with more resto's than I can remember. So, unless you can do absolutely everything yourself, he isn't far wrong at all.
mrfxit,
Aug 8, 4:07pm
Agreed. Intrade is about right, just badly worded
Theres an ongoing theme of partially restored/ failed project cars up for sale that have documented massive amounts of cash spent but selling for far less then owed
apollo11,
Aug 8, 4:11pm
It would have been a better idea if he'd asked some questions first before jumping to worst case scenarios. There are so many factors involved that it's pointless assuming that the guy is going to end up with a disassembled pile of junk.
duncb,
Aug 8, 4:17pm
Having owned a Viva from that era I can't say I would having any enthusiasm in restoring one. In fact quite the opposite
gunhand,
Aug 8, 4:17pm
I still do not think he is far off the point though. Plenty go into this sort of thing with great guttso and plans of the next greatest whatever, then find out just what is actually involved and try sell because they have, to many toys, not enough time, ran out of space or such other excuse.
mrfxit,
Aug 8, 4:29pm
Yep easy enough to strip it down totally, repairing & putting it all back together is a whole different story. So many lost/ snapped bolts/screws/ clips. Little things busted / lost that mean you can't get the big bits back on till you have those little bits. Repair certs for any chassis/roof/ piller work. Lost chassis tags & on & on & on. . . >>>
Then the wife wants the carshed/ driveway back
franc123,
Aug 8, 4:34pm
Neither would I. An HC Viva LOOKS kinda cool these days lowered a bit, sitting on minilites and modern tyres and with a loudish paint colour but living with one isnt so great. They were one of the worst buckets of bolts cobbled together by GM.
apollo11,
Aug 8, 4:35pm
Fair enough. But if intrade said he wanted to smarten himself up for a date, the advice would be 'plastic surgery is too expensive and your fake pecs will explode and give you cancer' when he was thinking a haircut and a back waxing should do it. I hate to see cold water poured on someone without any facts being given.
apollo11,
Aug 8, 4:39pm
My boss in Welly had a bright orange one. I don't think they were ever a great looker, but sometimes the plain stuff becomes rare because no one kept it.
gunhand,
Aug 8, 4:41pm
I don't think he means any harm, ya just gotta read between the lines a bit.
I could do 90% of a body and paint in a resto but as far as mechanicals go filters oil and plugs are about as far as I go. Which is a pain cos re doing a motor and running gear isn't cheap.
franc123,
Aug 8, 4:43pm
First timers have got no idea of what's involved, particularly the skills and gear you need to do this stuff properly. Paying pro's to do everything painfully adds up and far surpasses the cost of buying decent welders, compressors, paint and panel gear and what general tools you will need for mechanical work. Theres no cheap or easy way of doing it for the uninitiated.
apollo11,
Aug 8, 4:49pm
Back when you were able to, I gave it all a go. Welding panels, plastic welding, spray painting, mechanical. Just Dulon and 1K clear sprayed in the garage. I had a great deal of fun doing it, although it wasn't to professional standards it was good enough for me. I'd love to get back into painting but 2k is a different animal altogether.
franc123,
Aug 8, 4:49pm
Matter of opinion as with everything, they look crap on standard wheels and tyres. Personally I thought they were a hell of a lot better looking than those LC and J Toranas with the pointy nose and slopey boot.
franc123,
Aug 8, 4:53pm
I use both 1 and 2k, I dont think theres really much difference other than you are using a hardener and less thinners with 2K. The spray technique involves a bit more patience but not much else is different.
gunhand,
Aug 8, 4:56pm
Funny old thing, when I was painting it was all single pak stuff. Then that clear over base stuff became common, swore id never like it and no where near as good as dulon etc. Well after using it for many many years i had to touch up a car id done in dulon. What a disaster lol. Couldnt handle dulon at all anymore. But in saying that Dulon can still produce a stunning paint job.
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