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Those Carbs take me back to when I was 19, I rebuilt a 2.3 Firenza engine from scratch, stage three head, 48 delortos, it was a beautiful sound just like yours. You really have a fantastic looking car there mate, look after it, you won’t get another like that one. Cheers.

Amazing car. We used to have Vauxhalls brought into Australia a LONG TIME AGO. I had / borrowed several! PA Velox 1959, FB-Y Victor Super 1962, FB30 1963 Victor Super 1600, FB31 VX-4/90 1964. We got HB's and FC's after that. The closest we had to your car was an evolution of the HB Viva that became our LC and LJ Toranas - and in particular, the ultimate performance version: the Torana XU-1 3300 with factory triple single-barrel carbs and cam lift you couldn't jump over:). It did 16-flat quarter miles and topped out at 120mph. And that was on a platform still based on the tiny HB Viva!

Right there with ya buddy on age issues. Good hanging out with you. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for all the Corvette videos. I'll be using your experiences to hopefully make my Corvette fixes go quicker/smoother.

It's jobs like this that make you really want an inspection pit or a vehicle lift. I used to do this a lot in my younger years but I'm well past the age of being able to clamber about under a car on axle stands so well done to you, even if you did get a few aches & pains for your trouble.

I also received my 78 Pace Car as a gift from dad and shipped to Germany where it gets a lot of attention! I now have C3 Corvette FEVER! Thank you for the great 78 Pace Car content!

Thank you so much for posting this process, I need to complete the replacement of my body mount bushings on my 78 Pace Car too but was not sure how to get started, now I have the know-how to complete the job - Thanks again!

Remember these back in the 70s when the Firenza 2300cc Magnum was about always wanted one but could not afford one, had to put up with my HB Viva GT

I had a 78 pace car in Germany. It was a blast to drive around. I was in Nuremberg. In the Army in the 80's, and had a blast.

I wish I lived in Australia!!! I'd fix those carbs for you...

no power sterring 😁

Scary car...

two Webber carbs with "horns" possibly 40's, unlikely to be 45's, but possible...

beautiful car, great sound. In the 1970s my father, brother and my husband also drove various Vauxhall models. unfortunately sales in Belgium later stopped.

It's amazing the difference you feel in the ride after replacing the body mount bushings. Wouldn't think that much difference, but there is.

What did you use to remove the rust?

Hey M8. Enjoying the content. Like you I used to race a Viva GT (2300 on twin 48's replica) and now also trying to get a C3 on the road (1981) for compliance. Just a heads up re undercoating, I have been told that this is sometimes frowned upon by the some inspectors. You should check it out in your area. Alternatively CRC Rust convertor, wire brush it then spray, it changes the rust structure and finishes as a matt black primer. This is what I have used and once complied I will then go through it and repaint the chassis and suspension components to make it pretty again. Keep up the great work and enjoy the experience. I don't know about you but after working on English and JDM cars, I cant believe this car with so much real estate, is so cramped to work on. Also some of the questionable engineering design(?) also makes you think the "Moon landing" conspiracy might have some merit! LOL Looking forward to more content. Also You tuber C376 is a great source of knowledge and reference. G

Lovely car, I had a 1972 in red but with the 1256 engine. The motor must have been a different spec to the viva as it had a 10.75 to 1 compression and a different carb. I fitted the 7 dial magnum dash like your car has. When i was 20 i sold the car when i was having a bad time unfortunately, in 1986.

You did a great job. I want to do this to my seats. I’m going to search on Amazon. Do you know the size of the rubber u channel that you used. I know you said it was hanging around…. Thanks

He would be thrilled. It wouldn’t stay clean for 5 minutes. Lol. Great video brother. Thank you for sharing the experience. Early in the video you said wind screen. I think you meant wind shield. I see it written down and it was much funnier in my head.

Mad Max.

Ah, that sound. Must be 30 + years ago I sold my Chevette HSR. Not a rally car, only for fun road use, just180 bhp. Hope the Firenza is sorted now inc some air filters, just to quieten the bark a little.

I can't put into words how much I want this car. This video really shows off just how pretty the Firenza is. The teardrop side window with slim c-pillar.

Sounds way better than before. Pops loved the car just hated to work on it 😂. Good job bro, you’re doing a great job

Those seats look great. They don’t give you a lot of room to work in 😂

Looking good bro, little by little. 👍

That’s a pretty cool project! Looks a bit like a shrunk Superbird, I love it! Is it gonna stay silver?

I have to say it does sound a bit agricultural on tickover with that dodgy exhaust. Are those rear pipes stock? They don't look it. I seem to remember some Corvettes had Thrush type side pipes. Oh for a home lift / hoist or an inspection pit. I remember many a weekend under my old cars chocked up on blocks of wood. And your right, there is always one bolt that doesn't want to play ball.

Thats my incredible nephew/broinlaw andre'.😊

Great work. Love the battery terminal knob idea.

Where was this built ?

Looking good brother. It’s the details that make the difference. Great work 👍

Great car, I love the droopsnoot firenzas, I'd definitely put some filters on those carbs, you'd be amazed how much crap is in the air that's been sucked into your engine, I use either a K&N or ITG filter for the weber 45 on my classic mini.

Hi I am a newbie to your channel I have just found it I once owned one that belonged to the infamous Stuart Hall it was a great car that I sold and regretted selling it to this day

Wow! That Viva GT is mighty pretty! Do you take them to some good shows?

If you have a locked brake just quickly feel the temperature of each one immediately after your test drive. That should tell you which one it is (or might be) maybe a seized calliper piston…

My Dad bought a new Victor Estate back in ‘72 same colour as your Firenza. (Just a 2.0 so not fast but beautifully smooth and quiet). I was just 18 but he let me drive it occasionally. He was nice.

Could you fit an electric power steering rack if you wanted to?

Takes me back to circa 1973 when I put Blydenstein neg camber wishbones, springs & Spax adjustable dampers all round on my old Viva GT. The front end was a mare with seized bolts etc. Like you I was working on the ground with the car on stands. Not sure my joints now could handle the kneeling down & acrobatics you are having to do there & I can assure you I was cursing & swearing just as much at 17 years old so it's not a grumpy old man syndrome although I do know where you are coming from. She made you work to get her started but once going she sounds sweet & free revving. A bit of summer bare foot🦶 driving as well. I hope you avoid the ticket. You'd think they would have better things to do.

She’s alive, sounds great bruddah. She seems to be zippy.

What did you spray down the engine compartment with? I'm assuming it wasn't just brake clean? And sorry about your loss.

A clean car always seems to run better than a dirty one but in this case that exhaust does not sound so good. Looking forward to more vids on the Corvette.

Really like both cars as I worked for Vauxhall ( luton parts warehouse) for 44 years! My first car was a 1969 laurel green viva hb sl ( VXD119H) which u never forget ! We had parts stacked to the roof! Hard to believe we sold thousands. Great video and thanks for sharing.

I had a standard 2.3 Firenza coupe that I also modded a fair bit back in the 80s and early 90s - genuine nosecone and some Capri Zakspeed arches with a big valve head (8 x 13s all round with 225s on the back and 205s on the front - 225s on the front were a tad too large as I recall), Kent VF2 cam and twin 48s. I did have an original snoot ZF box (and linkage that was made by a guy for the UK DSG), but later changed it for a Lotus ZF which had different ratios - I found them far better for street use. I think the first gear gave a bit more acceleration but was a little further spaced from 2nd so not as close ratio overall. I also had a 3.1 LSD back axle that was from a 3ltr Capri - it had been rejigged to fit the Vauxhall. I had a great time with that car. I bought the lower rear springs from a company here (last century), but the fronts just had a coil removed from the existing springs, and reheated the top cut coil to flatten it out (while it was in a bucket of cold water so it didn't effect the rest of the spring). That seemed to work well. There's currently a guy here fixing up a standard 1.3 HC viva and is going through some alternative springs so might be of some use maybe: czcams.com/video/IxiYTlNTgyU/video.html

I was never a fan of the Viva HC back in its day but what you guys are doing with them these days is very tasteful and has made them very stylish. dropping the Lotus engine in is the perfect logical move because that generation of Lotus engine was a development of the Vauxhall slant-4. superb

Wow what two incredible cars , if I had all the money in the world I would not buy a super car,I would try and buy yours, what am I saying they are super cars, my doctor said he thought I needed to up my medication ! however I am not a huge fan of the slant four engine having had a few, one was in a VX490 with a Blydenstien stage three head and other mods also had the reg LVX490X plus later I had a 2600cc single cam HS Chevette one DTV had taken the twin cam engine from and put a 2.6 back as a replacement, both beautiful cars but lacked something, not sure what it was, but they both had a good appetite for petrol! incidentally Colin my dad worked for Frigidaire for years, small world!

What a shame,I hoped it was gonna be another old Vauxhall.

I don't know how much has been achieved in 7 months, being new to your channel. Scraping underseal off must only be like scrapping barnacles off a yacht or boat hull. Get plenty of pictures 📸 📷, hope it all goes well. The Firenza looks good, much like the ones in the 🇬🇧 UK. A V8 version was assembled locally in South Africa using the Camaro engine and Muncie gearbox both from the US. Look forward to spotting your Firenza & GT in the near future, take care & happy new year 2023.

Hello, are you struggling to get a coil spring still? I needed new ones for the rear of my 1998 A6 Avant with super sport suspension but they area obsolete. I found a place in Sheffield UK SpringCoil, I sent them the good coil and they made me 2 new ones for about the same price as off the aftermarket cheap shelf. Didn't realise that it is pretty easy to get a clone, you may be able to get some in NZ, but given how long you have waited you could have pushed it to Sheffield by now.. Best of luck..

Nice car, what gearbox is used?