Home
About
Gallery
Events
Links
Viva GT Register
Brabham Vivas
Crayford Vivas
Email
  The Crayford Viva HB  
  SL90 convertible at a motor show
Brabham convertible with woman in drivers seat

Looking at the remaining cars, OPF was obviously the flagship so didn’t go through Wallace Arnold. I have only ever known one owner of this car and he still has it today, lurking in his garage. The only time it was ever on the road to my knowledge was back in '86. It was in red oxide, sporting an Essex V6 engine and Jag IRS with a Viva GT bonnet.
Pictures of this car
here

PDG has a history as demonstrator and before becoming a convertible did an endurance rally from Bristol to Geneva with 4 journalists on board. After this the car was dispatched from Parkway Motors in Bristol for conversion, it then returned for re-sale as a GT Convertible at the garage. A picture outside the garage at this time shows a new gloss black bonnet.
Pictures of this car
here

RUA was probably from Wallace Arnold and again it was their flagship for a GT convertible. RUA featured in an article against a MKII Cortina in ‘Car’ magazine dated July 69. The reviewer was in favor of the Viva GT over the Cortina, in most aspects, especially in looks, scuttle shake and available leg room. From this article we can see the removal of the matt black bonnet in toto, hence the whole car had been re-sprayed.
Pictures of this car
here

TVB was definitely from Wallace Arnold. This is the only Crayford car with the special Wallace Arnold plate on the inner wing. This denotes its conversion date. When I first heard of this car it was up in Crewe. Darren the then owner, had prized it from his mate who’d got fed up with the restoration and together they brought it back to life. Originally a white SL90 1159cc, but now an ex-army 2.3 lump residing in the engine bay with running gear from a 1600 HB. Rolls Royce friends put the new hood together for the finishing touch. This car has since changed hands a few times, but is still on the show circuits.
Pictures of this car
here

AMC was first seen in 86 after an extensive restoration and with the coming together of parts from a scrap Viva GT. It ran a 2.3 engine along with GT running gear. The interior was a mix of GT and Deluxe panels. The most striking feature was the twin headlamp set up and its brilliant red coat of paint. The car was then involved in a serious accident, and was again rebuilt, but re-sprayed white and with a Cologne V6 shoe horned under the bonnet. The car was sold on a few times and disappeared. It finally re-appeared in a very sorry state, but is again under going a full restoration. The owner has the only genuine set of Cosmic wheels as featured on OPF in all the adverts.
Pictures of this car
here

URR came from an old lady in Folkestone, Kent I believe, before beginning sold on a couple of times. Originally registered in Nottingham, the car travelled a long way to its first owner. An M.O.T. from 1995 puts the mileage at 61,000. When sold in 1999 it had a 1256cc engine fitted. From the 1999 pictures, it had been well kept up to this point so restoration would have been simple. It also proves the mileage to be correct. Once sold it was laid up in storage for many years and re-surfaced in 2009. All easily removable panels and all its' front end panels had been changed, although the cutting of the new doors isn't correct as per Crayford's specification. The interior light has been moved to the centre rather than being screwed to the passenger's side of the lower dash. The wheels are similar, but not the same as those originally seen on OPF.
Pictures of this car
here

Last page
1 2 3 4 5 Crayford Gallery Homegrown Gallery
Next page