Drew & Paul Buy A Vauxhall Beaver With A REAL Blydenstein Motor | Salvage Hunters: Classic Cars

Paul and Drew fall in love with a classic Vauxhall Beaver in great condition, but they are not sure if the Blydenstein Motor is real so they ask a professional for help.
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[@garethjudd5840]

Mechanic, " Morning madam,would you like me to service your Beaver?

[@rlaw22]

Love this! a Vauxhall Beaver really? released at the same time as the Vauxhall Water Vole and the Vauxhall Otter. Its a Vauxhall VIVA you muppets.

[@Dirt-Diggler]

Don't forget GMs most famous car, the Bedford Biff 🤣🤣 Or thier most famous rally car, the twin cam clunge 😏 Seriously who writes these titles 🙄

[@annegrey-blackman5934]

@@Dirt-Diggler You forgot to mention the Morris Muff!

[@wordsmith52]

There was a Vauxhall Beagle based on the HA, (but not Beaver, as has been pointed out). Just goes to show that some people don't have a clue!

[@freddysquirenaranjo4859]

@@annegrey-blackman5934 or the Mini Minge or the Austin Twat 🤣🤣🤣

[@christophernewman5027]

@@annegrey-blackman5934 Of course the Italians tried to get in on the act with the Lancia Labia. There was even a kit-car version. The Gilbern G-Spot.

[@neilharrison7555]

A beaver is a furry beastie that chews wood and builds dams. This is a bloody VIVA. Please get it right, Quest TV.

[@TheMentalblockrock]

No,they meant "Vale of Belvoir", #Pure_Blood

[@thomascatford2627]

Vauxhall beaver 😂😂😂😂 must have been alexa composing the story, viva beaver

[@MrTench8]

That is one beautiful little car! My first car a shuvit had a Blydenstein 1256 motor, side draft twin choke weber, cage, kevlar body panels, HSR suspention, BMW alloys etc. Went like stink with an 8000rpm redline! Was faster than all my friends 1600 escorts. The previous owner won a tarmac rally championship with it. If i only had the sense to keep all those things from then but we had no idea back then that they would be so desirable today. I do have a few pictures of it still.

[@PeterSmith-ls7ut]

Sounds good!

[@theoriginalbuttonbasher2601]

Heard drew likes the beaver

[@chrisretro9380]

Hahaha beat me to it 😂

[@johnreece9978]

Yeah just not his ex wife's lmao 😂

[@rogerking7258]

Bill was a lovely bloke. I once asked him tell fibs about my income to the building society so I could buy a house. He refused, because he wasn't prepared to be dishonest and instead solved the problem by giving me a pay rise on the spot.

[@virgoan1959]

The weasel buys a beaver.

[@chasevans7171]

I had an ha viva van back in the day, paid £20 for it, I gave it a roller paint job with a tin of hardware store blackboard paint to detract away from the pale blue gas board van with a yellow telecom van door and brand new matt black primer front wings. My lasting memory is of scaring the life out of my cousin as I demonstrated the incredible amount of lock and drift angle possible, throwing it into a wet roundabout with all the invincibility of a teenage driver.

[@malcolmdyer6090]

I started work at Vauxhall when the HA had ended and the HC was imminant. The van sides caused a problem. Because a van was a work vehicle it came with a different tax tariff than the side windowed version.I remember a battle with the tax man who reckoned you could buy the van cheaper then convert it to a windowed van. The side pressings were the same, some just lacking a hole.

[@christophernewman5027]

Ah, the Vauxhall Beaver. I remember my brother had one back in the day. Had a hell of a job starting it during the drought of '76. We realised eventually that it would only run properly if it was wet. Bonus fact: the Beaver was sold in the States as the Chrysler Clitoris.

[@kevdimo6459]

It was very hard for men to start it!

[@colingoode3702]

My first car was an HA Viva. A hand me down from my father. Problem was it was rotten. Fred Flintstone floor which you could see the road through, hole in the fuel tank & rust in most of the panels. I spent ages repairing panels & rust, I put alloys & spacers on it, a new head, a twin choke carb, fog lights, servo assisted brakes, new stereo etc etc. I had it for a year or two before moving up to a 2 Litre Viva GT. Wish I had kept that one cos they are so rare & valuable now. I have a book by Bill Blydenstein - Tuning Vivas & Firenzas.

[@georgechecker4941]

What a gorgeous little car with delightful story...well done boys.

[@typashley8438]

When the HA first came out in 1963 it had a 1057 cc engine, some of the Vauxhall service department reps ran some with Brabham conversations. The rep that called on us ran one of the first that had a blueprinted engine from Brabham, it was a lovely car to drive , he got pulled for speeding but supplied Vauxhall broucher details that said it would not do that kind of speed , he got off. One of the biggest let down was the transverse front spring when it came to change it later in life.

[@billbrowning50]

In 1976 stationed in England, a friend and I went to the junk yard and pulled out a vauxaul viva. Found an engine and we got it running.

[@waynegoode1]

Thats Viva not a Beaver! surely?

[@adamsfamilydottwo]

I never thought I would here Drew say a Viva HA was his favourite purchase or am I hearing things?I had an HA my dad bought it for me at 16 and it was my first car.I turned it into a rally car guided by a school teacher Mr Harrison a good rally driver who used a well sorted Morris1000 to compete against people like Pat Moss, he latter bought an HB Viva My Viva competed in the ASEMC London Counties and Motoring News Rally. Championship , it can be seen on KZbin Gremlin rally 1973 . One of these championships saw the end of many a good car let alone being subject to all three. I don't remember another HA doing any.A tuned engine meant it was reasonable performance wise but did struggle to keep up with a Cooper S or 998 Imp even though it revved to about 7500rpm Later I bought a Chevette and managed to get the internals of HRO855N the Vauxhall development car driven by Will Sparrow and Gerry Marshall pre HS days I was told the pistons were Ford however to quote MrTench8 it revved to 8000rpm and mated to Quaiffe straight cut gearbox it did about 70mph in second gear I should have lowered the final drive but didn't know how to.It also won a rally championship against bigger engined more powerful cars,I think it was also the first Chevette to do a Motoring News Rally ah great memories or not as in some cases! I still have both cars. the HA has been fully restored, very little rust but not yet complete.

[@nectafarious8842]

John Travolta had one. Saturday Night Beaver...

[@rsole65]

I heard the handing was a little hairy😂

[@colingoode3702]

If I'm not mistaken the HA Viva was UK version of Hammond's beloved Opel Kadett - Oliver.

[@patterdale4332]

I remember the Vauxhall Beaver and it's partner in crime the Ford Knob

[@chris-vn6sw]

Nice touch

[@lrcb40]

hahahaha "Beaver"!

[@charliejohnson4037]

Lovely Beaver. Sorry, I mean Viva.

[@keithogden1770]

Nice beaver...(thank you Leslie Nielsen)But, what the hell is a Vauxhall beaver?? I worked for Vauxhall for many years and never encountered a car called a 'beaver' in all those years, albeit maybe I saw a few beavers inside my Vauxhall's.

[@davidsnyder2000]

Hiw beautiful. I had no idea the meaningfullness of this built. How wonderful ❤️🙏😊

[@steveh5005]

Beaver! the car you always promised yourself . Except its called a Viva

[@natashabegley1346]

Beaver*

[@baabaabaa2293]

@@natashabegley1346 in Australia it was a VIVA...a Beaver is sumthin else altogether...mind you they were C***S of things!

[@PhilUKNet]

This Viva had hairy performance. The other one I remember was the Ford Corsair. This somehow became the Ford Coarse Hair and then the Ford Pubic.

[@baabaabaa2293]

@@PhilUKNet Ur anti Vauxhall Vulva bias had been noted mate.. We all know the value of a Viva is lack of backseat stains.. regardless of yr... I'll give ya £200 & a pack of No6s... anyone wanna better my offer!?! I'm nyet txtn from Russia, so it's a local call, unless Ur French.x

[@PhilUKNet]

@@baabaabaa2293 Not at all! My Dad drove a Victor for many years before buying a Chevette and I owned a Magnum (an HC Viva with an 1800cc engine). Loved Vauxhalls!

[@jamesguffogg7119]

Brilliant 1👍

[@mohammedalli4374]

Hats off to u

[@ciaranburke3243]

Cool little thing 😎

[@barrysleafer8347]

All credit to the original owner What an Amazing car

[@elvingtonred]

Nice Beaver...

[@MrMauroIPG]

I recently came across a barn find one owner Vauxhall Viva HA Brabham GT. This is only the second known survivor of an alledged total of 20 cars. It has been restored over the last 12 months, including an engine rebuild by the same Adrian (Miller) who restored Drew's. The Brabham mods, carried out at 'Jack Brabham Conversions Ltd, Woking, Surrey' include twin SUs, anti-roll bar, lowered suspension, extra instruments and a wooden steering wheel. I'm looking forward to driving it. Let me know if you want further details. :)

[@ukaypete]

I had a HA Van and fitted it with a crude electric supercharger and Nikki carb... and a Viva HB GT, engine changed from 2.0 litre to 3.5 Rover V8 then current Chevy 5.7 Supercharged V8... 0 to 60 in about 3 seconds...remember not getting many thumbs up from drivers of slower leased supercars .....or M3's...or Met Police at Chelsea Cruise..

[@dougowt]

The stromberg carburettor is a giveaway that it’s not a stock HA motor. I had quite a few parts from Bill Bydenstein and probably the best was the 2.6 in my Magnum (posh Viva). He was a top engineer

[@thomascatford2627]

There was a model with a stromberg, think it was an SL90 i was apprentice in 1966 they were new, then the HB Brabham was introduced.

[@levelcrossing150]

@@thomascatford2627 I was an apprentice in 1968, great memories. The SL90 did have a single Stromberg carb, I had the later HB version. There was also the Brabham conversion which just had a new manifold and an extra Stromberg fitted.

[@thomascatford2627]

@@levelcrossing150 i was 15 yrs not long started in the motor trade of to luton for a week for a course on ha vivas , and a factory tour , first gearboxes i ever worked on “ happy days” 🥃

[@levelcrossing150]

@@thomascatford2627 I'm nearly 69 so we can't be far off from each other. The Viva had quite a small gearbox and I remember replacing mine for a reconditioned unit which cost me around £30 if I remember right. It did not seem worth repairing the old one.

[@thomascatford2627]

@@levelcrossing150 im 72 , always remember the shaft that went up the middle of the laygear was 2 or 3 thou thicker at one end and was designed to be fitted one way , push fit ,many mechanics did not know this and just skelped it in with a big hammer😂😂

[@984francis]

Sweet car.

[@johnday4941]

My Dad had a yellow 1976 VX/4-90 which he had sent to have modified by Blydenstein! I was 8 years old still remember the great times we had in that car? Stage 3 head, twin down draft carbs! Some of the engine if I remember correctly was based on Big Bertha? There saloon racing car. When my Dad picked the car up the head mechanic said wot out you have a very fast car there? Wasn't wrong! It could beat almost everything on the road in those days! You could only tell it wasn't standard because it had twin exhaust pips and two small stickers either side of the boot saying Blydenstein power?

[@bjkemp4295]

Way back in the sands of time, I worked for BT known then as Post Office Telephones. One fateful day my trusty Anglia van was replaced with a HA Viva van. These vehicles bore no relation to the standard Viva van as they had been Post Office-ised!! In that a smaller carb had been fitted and a camshaft with barely discernible lobes, developing a staggering 22 AND A HALF bhp!! This resulted in a performance envelope slightly better than that of an asthmatic snail and were not a joy to drive. Interior luxuries extended to a drivers seat which had evidently been modelled on a medieval ducking stool. I could go on

[@raychambers3646]

Post office notorious for detuning there vehicles, restricted plates under the carbs etc , they don't seem to do that now, that's why you rarely see an undamaged van !

[@davidganning8699]

Me and me mates bought a viva hd for twenty quid in the early eighties and scrambled it to death on the pit heaps much to my regret lovely little motor

[@davehitchman5171]

at least a 90 inlet and carb, yet no servo for front discs. The high performance had servo discs on the front. There was also a twin carb after market

[@nickb5391]

Viva not Beaver!

[@shaggydayshorseshow9567]

From the title, I expected to see a transplant of a coal-dust-fueled Spagthorpe Indomitable engine into the experimental amphibious vehicle that Vauxhall developed to complement the larger DUKW. But this turned out to be just as interesting as that would have.

[@Potatooooooooooooooooo6]

I had an HB viva which I modified with alloy wheels,Blydenstein head and exhaust.It would pull 7000 revs in top gear easily.Unfortunately,the gear box couldn't take it and I lost 2nd and 3rd! Change of company solved that problem!

[@ruongluesteve]

I used to work as an engine builder for the company that reconditioned engines and gearboxes for Vauxhall. I built myself a really hot 1256 engine for my HB that would see off Cortina GTs One day I was doing the traffic light grand prix with one , dropped the clutch and it ripped the middle out of the clutch plate leaving me stranded.and seriously embarrassed.

[@ruairiobradaigh9810]

Was brought to school in a ha viva, not quite like that one though, eventually it died and ended up in the back garden 😔

[@johnwood3980]

The HA the car I passed my test in in 1967.

[@freddibb8039]

Same here ! In 1968.

[@Shane_Marsh]

Wasn't the camper version actually called Beaver ?

[@thomascatford2627]

Beagle

[@stevenlawrence278]

Yeah, Beagle. Beaver was what you tried to get in the back of your Beagle!

[@druidstone9423]

Watched whole programme, fantastic find and no rot or rust. Fantastic rare car. Always sell on too cheap in my opinion.

[@H4rleyBoy]

They don't need the money, they get paid for the TV show, same on Wheeler Dealers, wish I knew where they advertised them though.

[@druidstone9423]

Show goes out months after they are sold , but been lucky enough to see 1 or 2 advertised from people who bought them. Managed to get golf gti mk1 restored on Channel 4 “ For the love of cars “ show last year. Since sold it on

[@Ken_Dodds_Tickling_Stick]

A BEAVER......🤣🤣🤣🤣 My next car is gonna be A Vauxhall FANNY or a Ford CLITORIS

[@grahamhaynes7658]

Ford clitoris,yes good fun polishing those🤣

[@ThePorridgeGobbler]

Would have been nice if on confirmation of the engine provenance Drew had upped his offer.

[@siegfriedladnorg8994]

Drew, I do enjoy your program. If you should ever read my comment: I admire your caps. Can you tell me where you buy them???

[@chrispenn715]

They were horrible when new and didn't get any better with age sorry.... They weren't even much cop as Bedford vans...... I understand its special to the family - totally get it!

[@keithmarshall7715]

Oliver's distant cousin. Oliver is a plucky little thing

[@levelcrossing150]

You have to go back to what they compared with at that time and you would appreciate them a little more. Simple to work on and cheap to fix, so unlike modern cars where everything has been done to stop a home mechanic from working on them.

[@NedKelly1967]

We had a Viva Dad bought it new lol

[@LIEGELEAF1]

Prefer the mesh grill. Father had several HAs and HBs and the sportier ones were good cars.

[@dbrien7101]

It's not a beaver it's a VIVA

[@ThomasDoubting5]

Sounds similar

[@dbrien7101]

@@ThomasDoubting5 a beaver is an animal and it sounds nothing like VIVA

[@noclu4u384]

No way I would go into an engine and not replace every part .

[@colinmunro7337]

Yeah service the head on an otherwise good running engine and you would replace everything?makes perfect sense!

[@noclu4u384]

@@colinmunro7337 Sure does because then its a brand new engine . Then your dont have to tear it down again until much later . Its called foresight . You must not know much about auto tech. For example when you take out a transmission you ALWAYS replace the rear main seal on the engine while your in there . Thats like changing a clutch plate without changing the pressure plate and bearing while your in there . Unless of course you like taking something apart twice for the sheer joy of turning wrenches .Just because an engine is perfectly running doesn't mean it doesn't have wear and tear . This is basic automotive tech .

[@colinmunro7337]

What ever mate enjoy working hard or being broke!

[@noclu4u384]

@@colinmunro7337 Happy Holidays my friend .

[@russellsharpley7926]

Wasn’t the van version called the Bedford Beagle?

[@roberthex9340]

there never was a vauxhall beaver there was a leyland beaver truck in that time

[@paulbicker5728]

Vauxhall made a 'Beagle' which was essentially a Viva HA but was an estate.....close but no cigar.... Great looking car though....great engine too.....

[@christophernewman5027]

Vauxhall Beaver? Was that around the same time as the Austin Tacious?

[@jameskearney4100]

Is that a rear window defroster or an antenna on the back window? And was it added?

[@substandardabuse6028]

Defroster probably made by Smiths the same company who made gauges. It wasn’t a standard feature but more than likely a dealer aftermarket option at the time.

[@malcolmdyer6090]

@@substandardabuse6028 You could buy them at Halfords, peel off and stick on.Problem was they flopped about and stuck crooked or folded. They also sucked the life out of the battery, the heating elements were way too thick. I had one on a 1963 Riley 1.5.

[@levelcrossing150]

@@malcolmdyer6090 Yes they were a little bit thick, but they were the closest you could get to a factory fitted heated rear window on your older car. I fitted many of them and they worked very well, but you had to take a lot of care by making sure that the glass was perfectly clean first and you got it on straight or else there was no repositioning of it once it was stuck down. They were finished off with a silver Smiths sticker that covered over the connection were the wires joined on to the element.

[@malcolmdyer6090]

@@levelcrossing150 Made the ammeter flop...

[@druidstone9423]

heated window, we all fitted them

[@timinman9578]

❤️

[@jrc58526]

My first car back in 1977. Ten years old then and not the most reliable I have to admit

[@marks.c4753]

American kids back then got real muscle cars our cousins got this.😂😂🙈🙊🙉

[@paulnutter1713]

not to be confused with the opel pussy or GM Quim

[@madsteve9]

Caught a bit of this episode tonight. A F*cking Vauxhall Viva (HA) !!!! Why ? The Coke Bottle, Viva (HB) GT. Or the Crayford Convertible conversion. The rare Viva (HB) Brabham. Vauxhall-Lotus Carlton. Chevette HS 2300, or Firenza HP Droopsnoot Coupe. Or the even rarer Sports Hatch Droopsnoot (Firenza HC). Maybe even the Vauxhall Royale Coupe or Cresta (PA/PB). **** But never ever, the Vauxhall Viva (HA), Victor (FB/FC/FD/FE), Ventora (FD), Viscount, or Magnum,

[@H4rleyBoy]

A Vauxhall Beaver, what kind of muppets do you have doing the proofreading FFS

[@IfInDoubt..]

Vauxhall VIVA.... ffs 😂

[@Dirt-Diggler]

That's what happens when you employ people so fecking lazy they can't even be bothered to proof read thier own work before hitting the return key 🙄

[@IfInDoubt..]

@@Dirt-Diggler Or those who don't know a thing about cars!

[@lakegirl3664]

❤❤❤

[@electriccosmology1269]

Actually its a Vauxhall Viva, not beaver

[@Jonpilen]

4 grand!? Bollocks!

[@astonmartin4360]

Viva not Beaver.

[@KnowPorcelain1]

Profit smofit, that would have been a keeper.

[@paulbradford8240]

Shame it was all about the money. It would be good in a working museum.

[@glenbetton3146]

VIVA ffs !!!!

[@landiepete]

A Vauxhall Beaver? Seriously ???

[@nectafarious8842]

Similar to the Austin Allegover...

[@ramalama9650]

If McDonalds drive throughs existed when this car was made/bodged you would have some bell end wheel spinning around the car park in it. Sad.

[@sarto7bellys]

I suspect that he'll tart it up, artificially age it, like the Karmann beetle, and try to sell it for a fortune on ebay

[@druidstone9423]

nope, it was sold on as it was

[@unanonymousperson2555]

Veaver

[@tesytesy9531]

Nob

[@julesviolin]

And still no response from this channel re the incorrect title ???????????

[@freddibb8039]

I thought the "Beaver" was a tongue in cheek joke. If they actually got it wrong that's even funnier!

[@julesviolin]

@@freddibb8039 probably for clickbait reasons !

[@sarah20025]

Viva , not Beaver !

[@Chunkychucky]

Awesome car, shame it ended up in the neckless wonder Prickchard’s hands

[@druidstone9423]

it was sold to a collector

[@Renny1953]

How the hell can you get excited about a Viva! FFS! You guys need to get out more.

[@amnril]

Do you not understand that we all like different things, usually spurred on by nostalgia and memories.

[@druidstone9423]

think it was more about how the history of it and owner who had it from 1966 until he died in 2019

[@johnallright6847]

Grew up in the viva era and never saw one like this FAKE

[@druidstone9423]

modified by owner of over 52 years, so not exactly a FAKE,

[@malcolmdyer6090]

Rot boxes.

[@levelcrossing150]

As they all were at that time!

[@stevepoulton8826]

Ywnnnnnnnnnn

[@mercomania]

Poor copy of Wheeler Dealers with a cheap piece of Chasing Classic Cars thrown in.

[@grahambull5802]

Wheels are totally wrong . Ro-style or nothing

[@druidstone9423]

period orignal 1970 Dunlop alloys fitted all that time ago, so they got left on. Watch whole programme

[@garrywitcomb2334]

Nice Beaver . . . Yes,I just had it stuffed !! Stick to country houses Drew, sadly another presenter wim programme . . . True😤

[@markfox4970]

Dreadful--

[@loranv3435]

JUST A JOKE.

[@patterdale4332]

It's viva assbags not beaver