Vauxhall/Bedford HA Viva saloon/van double test!

[@stephenwhite5057]

We drove from London to Barry Island in January with no heater in a HA van. This was 1974 and I've just stopped shivering.

[@bigdude8470]

And I bet it took you 2 weeks😂. The most underpowered van in its class of it’s time

[@GuyChapman]

Ha! For me it was St. Albans to Portsmouth in a Mini van, but same.

[@arnonmus1]

🤣

[@thesheepman220]

@@bigdude8470 nope I bet it was quicker no speed cameras or vans then 😂

[@steved3702]

Ah yes, the temperature level directly controlled a tap which either allowed the hot water to flow through the heater core or blocked it. Mine siezed in the 'hot' position fortunately so I could have hot air or no air (but opening all windows was still possible). Later heater designs did not have a tap - the hot water always flows though the core but the lever now controls how much are gets warmed by flowing though the core and how much stays cool by bypassing it. So much more reliable!

[@scottlp2323]

Back in 1982, around Easter, my dad, who was a depot manager for Unigate here in Plymouth, was charged with winding up the little depot at Perranporth. We had very little money as a family so my dad and mum used it as an opportunity to have a long family holiday by the Cornish seaside throughout the Easter school break. We travelled from Plymouth to Perranporth in a Viva van in all it's gorgeous Unigate livery. It felt like it took a week but was such an adventure as mum and dad took the front seats obviously and me and my sister in our newly acquired sleeping bags were sliding around the back in fits of laughter. Only stopping to play 'conkers' with the many lollipops we were given to keep us entertained along the way. An aroma of sour milk and cigarettes filled our nostrils but we were going on an actual holiday in a big caravan by the sea so nothing else mattered. :)

[@sim6699]

If only we could go back in time to simpler times

[@cornishhh]

LOL; that's only fifty odd miles!

[@michaelcoffey7362]

Cool 😀

[@VDPEFi]

Brilliant story, my memories are very often based around the vehicle we made them in, or with....

[@cornishhh]

@desertmandan123 They weren't that bad. I was driving on them 40 years ago. The worst bottlenecks like the Exeter Bypass were further up country. Depending on when exactly they went and which route they took the only things which might save a bit of time now are the Liskeard bypass and the new A30, but with traffic conditions the way they are 99% of the time these would only save a few minutes.

[@markmiwurdz202]

Drove a 1975 (P reg.) HA van while working for a printer's engineering company. The cab was very spartan and didn't even have a headlining. I drove from London to Norwich on a winter's morning with a layer of snow on the roof. When I arrived at my destination, a small circle of the snow had melted immediately above the driving seat from my body heat! Switches for the wipers and driving lights were side by side on the dashboard (made more difficult to reach due to the fixed strap seat belts!). One rainy night, I remember the panic that ensued when I wanted to give the screen a quick wipe and accidentally switched off the head/side lights while joining the M3 from a slip road! Another time, the gearstick came out of the transmission tunnel. I rolled to a halt in a convenient roadside parking space. I rang our office from a pee - ridden phone box and was advised to push a certain size screwdriver (from my company issued tool kit) into the "hole", and "avoid using reverse gear to get back to the yard". I did this and limped back to base for a repair. I drove the van from London to Cardiff and the body "throbbed" so much I was temporarily deaf when I arrived! The Bedford HA van was really a 9 - 5 town vehicle. Low cost, nippy but not really for journey - work. So glad when I got my Ford Escort Mk. II "45" van in 1979.

[@robbrady4649]

Ian's one of the best reviewers of old cars on KZbin.

[@sebastian0107]

THE best!

[@billb4089]

The saloon is exactly how you would draw a car when you was a kid. Love it.

[@chrisharvey2571]

I worked in a Vauxhall dealership in the 90’s and the older mechanics told me of the HA van used as a service van. The dealership was near an hill with a bus stop at the bottom.The mechanics when driving down would turn the engine off, pump the accelerator and start it again. This would result in an engine backfire at the bus stop!!

[@steveosshenanigans]

Lol….yes i can remember doing that sort of thing as well

[@piuthemagicman]

I did those backfire booms in my first car; '91 carburetted base Honda Accord in 2014! 😜 Hahaa. We joked that people should call the cops, someones shooting 😆

[@cornishhh]

The flexible screen wash bag was a good idea because you could fill them in the small sinks of public toilets. Remember when a lot of laybys had public toilets?

[@AndreiTupolev]

With water, I trust

[@kaitlyn__L]

@@AndreiTupolev well, otherwise you could refill them roadside ;)

[@nkt1]

@@AndreiTupolevFun fact: when the Class 91 locomotives were new, they went through windscreen wiper blades like nobody’s business. After a bit of investigating, it transpired that drivers were spending a penny in the washer tank , and it was rotting the blades. They had to put locks on the tanks to end the disgusting practice.

[@1gerard47]

​@@nkt1certain trucks I worked on the drivers would do that as the windscreen washer bottles were inside the cab,D series ford or Bedford 🤔

[@1gerard47]

​@@nkt1certain trucks I worked on the drivers would do that as the windscreen washer bottles were inside the cab,D series ford or Bedford 🤔

[@frglee]

I remember in the wonderful 1985 'Beiderbecke Affair' comedy drama series, Leeds woodwork teacher Trevor Chaplin (James Bolam) had a rusting old 1978 yellow Bedford HA van, BUA 594S, (ex Post Office Telecommunications or British Rail?) in which he and Jill Swinburne (Barbara Flynn) have their adventures. It seemed very apt for a woodwork teacher, somehow

[@vernonchubb8289]

Wow forgot about that thanks for reminding me

[@Nino500]

Yes, I still refer to them as 'Beiderbecke vans' to this day!

[@alexangus9966]

I had a bright yellow Ha van ( guess who owned it before), £80 from an auction and I had a choice of about a dozen. Absolutely loved it, went all over the country in it and it never let me down.

[@dutchgray86]

My Dad had one of those in the early 90's for a short while, also bought at an auction, very dodgy hand paint job, what turned out to be an hookey MOT and the rear doors had to be bungee together as they would fly open. We as kids used to sit in the back of it with no seats. I don't think you could get away with that now.

[@movesky6696]

ha van was a bt yellow

[@bentullett6068]

Either BT or British Rail

[@movesky6696]

bt van ha@@bentullett6068

[@andygj66]

1976 and our next door neighbours were having an extension built. The builders had a brand new HA van in an attractive mid blue, complete with proper sign writing. Hard to imagine a builder’s van like that now.

[@dankilby9797]

Worked at Vauxhall in the 70s and 80s. I remember during the economic woes of the early 80s they moved the production of the HA van from the van line up to the main building so they were built alongside VX 1800 and 2300. Much better quality result therefore on the last couple of years. Only kept going for the last few years because the Post Office had a long term order so they kept making them.

[@rogerdraycott3486]

Also worked for vauxhall at the spares warehouse......we had ha doors and wings stacked to the roof ! Yep post office order kept us busy.

[@jonathansouthwell8943]

You have to imagine the step up these were at the time. Dad's first new car was an HA after two Morris eights and Ford squire, going from 3 speed side valves (and the yearly de coke) to one of these must have been revelation

[@alanrobinson7866]

My dad went from an Anglia 105E to an HA (FTX 256C) and said it felt like a rocket ship in comparison!

[@thomaspridmore106]

Loved the ford squire

[@jonathansouthwell8943]

@@alanrobinson7866 the squir was a posh 100e van with windows and fake wood on the side, don't think any still exist

[@mpersad]

What an interesting comparison. It never ceases to amaze me how far car technology has come on since I passed my test in 1984. And, if I'm honest, I don't think it's all been for the best. The restricted visibility one gets in new cars, due to all the safety tech, is not necessarily an improvement. Loved this review, thank you Ian.

[@gord307]

My thoughts exactly!

[@cornishhh]

One of the few good things about modern cars is the vastly improved fuel economy. I bet you'd struggle to get more than 35mpg out of these.

[@michaelwright2986]

Compare a Triumph 2000 with a modern little car with an A-pillar that's all blind spot: I see what you mean. OTOH, if I'm going to have a crash, I know which one I'd rather be in.

[@gord307]

@@cornishhh I have, for many years, driven old skodas. I am one of those sad individuals who records their mileage and MPG. The Skoda averaged around 40-MPG with mixed driving, and usually achieved 45mpg on a run, topping out occasionally at 50mpg. I replaced the now ancient Skoda with a more modern Suzuki Ignis. A neighbour made a similar comment about now enjoying better economy. The Ignis averaged just 30mpg with mixed driving, and maxed out at 40mpg on a very steady motorway run. Granted, the Ignis was a 1.5 to the Skoda's 1.3, but needless to say, I did find the Suzuki's MPG disappointing. My present motor is a Wagon R+, which has been more comparable to the old Skoda. What is surprising, a modern car with 16-valves, VVT, fuel injection and sophisticated engine management, struggles to compete with an 8-valve, carb and points setup! Perhaps it is the extra weight of the modern vehicles, or all the extra goodies they come with, but I imagine an ancient sub 1-litre box on wheels could be very economical indeed.

[@cornishhh]

@@gord307 There's nothing sad about recording your fuel consumption! I do it quite regularly, although I'm less inclined to do it with my present car (A 1.4 Peugeot 205) because it only does low 40's mpg. I think one reason why older cars are sometimes more economical is that some tend to be lower geared. I had a 1.1 205 previously and I'd be in fifth in that when I'm in fourth in the 1.4 and considering changing down to third. That regularly did low 50's mpg and on a couple of occasions I've had over 60. That wasn't consciously economy driving either, and was tank to tank in a variety of driving conditions. As you say, weight is important, and also rolling resistance, because modern cars tend to have wider tyres. However, one of my friends gets over 40mpg cruising at 70 mph in his modern (ish) Jaguar. You'd be lucky to get much more than half of that in a 4.2 XJ6. The only two cars I'm aware of which have done over 100mpg in normal traffic under test conditions and averaging speeds of over 30mph were a Citroen AX 1.4D and a 1965 Reliant Regal.

[@philipwatson2407]

This really takes me back. When I was doing my apprenticeship, I often had to take the boss's wife's Bedford Viva van (M-reg, so 1973/4) to do deliveries, collections and service visits. It was a proper little buzz-box, rather low-geared so nippy but not so good on dual-carriageways. My most memorable delivery run was from Bristol down into south Somerset in a blizzard, driving across the top of the Blackdown Hills and down the 1:5 hill into Wellington in the snow. After a year or so, the boss's wife got an Escort estate, so I inherited the Viva as my personal run-about. My son was about two years old at the time, so I roped a big old hefty push-chair into the back, in which he could ride. One peculiarity was the exhaust pipe fixing at the manifold end: a simple flange welded around the top of the down-pipe, which was fitted with an asbestos collar and simply clamped to the manifold by a three-bolt ring. When the flimsy flange rusted through, the pipe would simply drop out of the manifold, with a huge increase in noise levels. Mine did this at around 5:30 am one morning as I was setting out from home, and the racket woke up all the pigs on the farm opposite, who made even more noise and disturbed all the neighbours: I wasn't very popular.

[@AkaWilf]

We were still driving the HA vans in the late 1980s on British Rail in their yellow livery. Upgraded to the Ital vans before moving to the Bedford Astras (which in fact were much smaller inside). The choke clothes peg was also a requirement in the Leyland Princess too! The twist lock didn’t work for long.

[@professor1972]

We (BT engineers) hated them as they were even slower than the Morris Minors they replaced. One of our guys was allocated a Marina van as a trial and we all envied him.

[@piuthemagicman]

Oh the enviable acceleration of a Marina van. 😂 Never thought I'd hear that!

[@professor1972]

@@piuthemagicman All things are relative. Our HA van was overtaken by an old lady in a Morris Minor

[@hunchanchoc8418]

@@piuthemagicman They were relatively spry, those Marina vans - 1300 A series hauling a large volume of air..

[@compostcorner5934]

I used to work for BT but joined later when they had the smiley face transit vans M reg (93) with the piper logo slow and no power steering 😁was good when they changed the fleet to the mk6 transit. Enjoyed the job though OMI ..UG D side and O/H repair and more 😁. Our level one started on the job as a telegram boy ,he's still there age about 65 now

[@johndrake2729]

​@@hunchanchoc8418I rode in a Marina van when I was a kid -- pretty dope.

[@stephenjcuk7562]

Imagine trading it in for the Bedford Astravan only a year later. It must have literally felt like time travel 'Back to the future' style.

[@Hobotraveler82]

A Viva and a van. What a treat. Love these old Vauxhall Vivas. Thst Bedford would make a decent camper van. So cool. 😊❤

[@SB-vb8ch]

My dad bought a HA van from his painter & decorator mate with a terminally ill engine. It was a mid blue '82 Y plate. My dad was a mechanic so it was bought as an earner. I would have been about 9 or 10 & was tasked with pulling the engine out, swapping the parts over to a used engine he had already got then putting it all back together. I did it over the course of a week during the school summer holidays. It seemed like a massive task at the time but I managed to get it done with some minor assistance hoisting it out & dropping it back in. In retrospect I don't remember getting a bung when he sold it!

[@johnheaney414]

The document holder in the footwell of the saloon was for the service book. It had a cut out, as did the service book so the mileage of the next service could be seen. It matched the window of the service book. When they were serviced the dealer tore out the voucher and stamped the stub and revealed the next voucher with the mileage when due. Usually 3000 6000 9000 etc

[@HowardLeVert]

That was a feature on Vauxhalls for years - I remember my father's FB Victor had exactly the same.

[@siwynjones]

I wonder which was the last Vauxhall/Opel model to feature those service book holders. I definitely had them in my Mk2 Cavaliers, but I can’t remember if my Mk3 Astra had one.

[@danielrussell446]

Well remembered John yes I remember those document holders in dad’s Astra mk2 and chevette and nova!

[@michaelspenceley7316]

My first car was an HA Viva 1964. I passed my test in it and had it from 1967 to 1972. It took my all over the country including sleeping in it at the 1972 Glastonbury Festival. It did over 100,000 miles with very few problems and I learnt so much about how cars work with this vehicle.

[@vernonchubb8289]

I used to work for South Wales Electricity Board . Most of our vans were British Leyland and a few Fords. Minis , Marinas , Itals and Sherpas with Escorts and Transits . All de tuned or low compression engines. Once the had had a service we used to advance the distributor a few degrees ad tweek the carburettor a bit to get a bit more pep out of the then turn them back just before they went in for the next service. 🤔😉😂😂😂😂😂Happy days.

[@philhyde2635]

I had a brand new HA van in 1974, my first new vehicle. £746 on the road. Bought of GreatWestern Motors in Reading. Kept it for 2 years.

[@leewot]

I absolutely love a Beagle van We had various vivas and ha vans when I was a teenager across the family My dad had two ha vans that I learned mechanics on - both were not road worthy at first and between the two we made one that was. It was a rare Danbury conversion with a rear folding seat and glass sides - with the same running gear as in the video It was a awful blue colour ( as a result of my brother walking round to the pain mixer shop and picking a colour while drunk..) It was a really lightweight workhorse that passed around the family for years. In the early 80’s it was the best vehicle to use on a Sunday ‘treasure hunt’ - a competitive drive where you collect items and answer questions to find your route ( you had no map) to a country pub- with points awarded and also a milage penalty for being over or under the actual milage for the course .. the reason it was so good was because if you reversed the odometer would wind down Also interesting was that the subframe was mounted on huge bolts that you could wind down giving you body lift Absolutely loved it P.s. the gearbox on all our vivas had awful 3rd gears - by the time I was old enough to drive it I could drop the gearbox and change the clutch in well under an hour

[@ajb08]

These two vehicles are a familiar sight on our Pembrokeshire roads and local shows, a real credit to their owner. Great video

[@CaseyJonesNumber1]

Yellow PO/BT Bedford HA vans were a regular sight on the streets in the 1970s and early 1980s. Spent much of their time parked in lines just around the corner from popular cafes, up to three times a day, with the British Gas HAs for company! (I was only a passenger apprentice...). Thrashed all the time, governed to 50mph, most were full of phones, parts, internal cable and overhead wire (the HAs weren't used by underground cabling crews - their Inspector often had one though). Funnily, many preferred them to the Morris Itals that replaced them - partly because they were smaller to get down narrow streets, and that the Itals sagged badly on their springs when fully laden.

[@normanedwards7220]

I had a HA van , it was a vauxhall motors security van , in its ellesmere port plant , my dad bought it from the company , he worked there , it was my first vehicle , all my friends had anglia's which left me standing for speed , but I lost count of the times I towed them home , but I never let them forget it , even now I regret selling it to a mate of mine , happy days ...

[@misterthegeoff9767]

My Dad's first van when he started his greengrocer business was a dark green HA Viva. By the time I was born he'd upgraded to a Mk1 transit with the V4 engine which was a massive upgrade in carrying capacity but no less susceptible to rust.

[@giulianomarco]

Viva Las Vegas! The 2023 Mullet Championship is on in the USA, Ian. 😋👍

[@PaddyWV]

Lovely colour. We had a grey Deluxe. A Welsh link for you. Whilst South East British Telecom were getting Maestro Vans in the late eighties. Mid Wales BT were still running their 1982 HA vans. They had "Dial a Smile" & "Get together with a ring" on the side in English and Welsh.

[@baggierols73]

I love the yellow BT vans when Buzzby was BT's commercial symbol 👍

[@staffordian]

Great to see the HA Viva! That really brought back some memories. My Dad bought one in Jan 66, FEH 669D, when I was ten, his only brand new car. He kept it a good while, fighting rust all the way. I learned to drive in it and passed my test in it. Main issue, apart from rust was a tendency for the carburettor jets to block, leading to the engine cutting out. Easynenough to sort out, and Dad had the kit and know how to sort it in a few minutes wherever it happened 😄. As to seat belts, the 1966 model had mounting points but no front belts. I remember him having to have them fitted a year or two later.

[@davidclinch1358]

Hi Ian. Back in the day, as a teenager, I had a nearly new 1965 Viva deluxe. In that year they didn't come with factory fitted seat belts so I ended up fitting accessory belts myself. By the way, re: your comment about Vivas and motorways, I remember doing 2 or 3 trips from the West Sussex coast (home at the time) up to the lake district and back, motorways and all. I well remember keeping the speedo needle around the 75 mark for mile after mile - that engine would take it ! I could squeeze a good 80 mph out of mine (exceptional I think) but due to a bit of 'over enthousiastic servicing' my carb had to be replaced at one point, and after that the performance was just like any other Viva. But before that it had been an Anglia beater, even rivalling the 1200 on performance !! Not after the carb change unfortunately. The brakes were extremely sharp, as you found, but careful braking could be required in wet conditions for obvious reasons. Ah ! - the memories.

[@Mopsyboy]

The SSEB still had them in 1987 when i started with them. They had rear seats and a safe for the ten bob coins from the meters. They were restricted to 55

[@oldwarrenpointforum]

One of my first jobs was as a local postman and our post office used those vans. I had the last of the "new" ones (after a few years the Ital vans started to appear) I do remember that they had the restrictor on them that we had to remove as the van just couldn't get up the steep country hills parts of my post run was on, but they kept them on all the town vans. Perfectly useable little thing apart from the fact no radio, no nothing and no passenger seat either. Basic as you could get and we chucked them about the country roads giving life to the term "express delivery" 🤣 Got it stuck in snow a few times and had to be towed out by the local farmers each time. Reliable, fairly comfortable and noisy (no sound deadening whatsoever) Ah the memories....

[@graemew7001]

You have made me do a 180 on the HA Viva, I always thought they were a dreadful looking thing but now that I've seen this roadtest I think they're awesome. I would be fitting disc brakes and better seats in the van if I had one though.

[@SloopyDog]

I have had 7 HA vans and several HA/HB cars in the 70s. I loved them as they were reliable, easy to maintain, pretty good on fuel and cheap to insure. I wish they still made the Ha van, it was such a handy little van for very little money. Vans and picks up now may look good but are often not practical and the prices a unbelievable.

[@stefand1752]

I drove one of these vans occasionally for work in 1985. Great little thing. Much better than the Marina van I drove a few years later.

[@andrewwardle-d5b]

Great video, I passed my test in November 1979. The next day my boss gave me the keys to a Red HA van just like the one in the video. It was loaded up with a days work of Blinds, ladders on the roof to be fitted in a school in North Lincolnshire. I thought I was king of the road traveling from our base in Nottingham. I travelled for miles in that van over the next few years, Carried tower box scaffolding inside and sometimes on the roof. They bought me a brand new powder blue one in 1982. The miles I did in them vans in all weathers and they never let me down. Happy days.

[@chriswill5894]

This has just bought back memories of my mates grandad who collected us from cubs from time to time in his Bedford van.. Great fun travelling around in the back.... Different times 😅

[@steved3702]

Great review, Ian! Given that Mum bought one new in 1965, the salesman had the courage to ask her out when she collected it (marriage and my arrival subsequently followed), and I drove it from L plates (1987) to 2006 (replaced by a certain copper-coloured Territory), this is the review I've been waiting for! It was also a Deluxe, built by Holden at their Dandenong plant I believe and was almost the same colour (Balmain Beige) but with a red interior. 1:57: engine bay is definitely familiar, but ours was matte black but with no brake servo for the drum-only system and no fan boost for the heater. The washer bottle is unfamiliar but ours never had a working washer in my memory - a different twist-knob device was under the dash near the wiper switch but no connected. I think the generator was a Lucas C40(?) - I still have a modern replacement that is almost used in my garage. The mechanic decided an alternator was a better choice. The car was originally positive-earthed. Single-stage bonnet latch with no security! 4:05: rear badging and boot all familiar. Fuel tank was black in mine and the wheels were body-coloured. The boot easily fitted a mower and all sorts of other loads over the years! 4:46: interior is so familiar! Door cards had a different pattern in Australia but same handles (push down to lock door from inside), arm rests and window winders. The swivel windows were fabulous in a non-airconditioned car in an Australian summer and I could reach both of them and both the rear window latches from the driver's seat. Owners manual looks the same except ours were deep green rather than red! No cigarette lighter in ours (chrome-look blanking plug present), front seatbelts were a dealer-fit accessory in 1965, no temperature gauge either - just the gear diagram. Light switches were mechanically interlocked. No carpet, just a shaped bitumenised vinyl floor. My choke knob always stayed exactly where I moved it - no peg required! No document holder in the footwell. 6:36: I remember having the same problem with the interior light and was able to fix it my bending the contacts a little. Pulling it out should turn it on while the back position should have it working off the door switches. 6:46: exterior mirrors? Luxoory! To be fair, the visibility was as good as you could wish for a sedan. 8:36: no seat latch? Ours had one on each side near the floor and it was easy to activate from outside the car to get in or with your foot from the back seat. The rest of the seat base looks familiar. There was also the tiniest lever (driver's seat only) on the side to allow fore and aft adjustment. 8:45: I remember that with three bods in the rear the suspension could occasionally bottom out. 14:20: the light steering (aided by the large wheel) was nice along with the rack-and-pinion setup. The handling was improved markedly when the cross-ply tyres were replaced with radials - suddenly the car could corner rather than wash-out when an attempt was made to change direction. Much better! 14:40: servo-assistance from the time when they wanted to make sure you knew you had servo-assistance! Drum brakes certainly encouraged cautious driving in comparison. 14:50: gear lever was indeed nice. It alledgely had synchromesh on all forward gears, but 2nd was a little weak and 1st seemed non-existent. I used to double de-clutch going down to second which was fine for anything other than a complete stop. 16:30 it certainly seems more peppy than mine. I had it up to over 70 mph and it would move along a 65 mph easily (with 100 km/h often the maximum posted limit in Australia). Wheels magazine in Australia apparently had a series of articles about improving its performance when the model was new and got something like 50% more power without touching the internals of the engine. 16:40: susceptibility to side winds: oh yes! 22:55: oh the turning circle. And to think I now spend most of my time in a Magna! Once again, great review. Brought back lots of memories and confirmed I could probably still be happy in one. I should have kept it rather than selling it on to a mate who's 'gunna' project went the way of so many gunna projects.

[@Peterraymond67]

Hello. I was a technician with PO/BT in the early 70’s. I had an Anglia van first, then it was replaced by a Morris Minor. When my Moggie went in for service and repair I had a reserve van, a bright yellow HA van. The turning circle was incredible compared to my Moggie. Very useful when your working area was a South Wales mining valley, lots of narrow & hilly roads. A year or so later I was on planning covering Newport, Chepstow, Pontypool, Abergavenny & Brecon area. Our pool van was a Viva HA van. If we had to visit an exchange as long as the van was free we had to take it. Great memories of travelling along the A470 to Brecon and all the little exchanges such as Talgarth, Merthyr Cynog, Llanfrynach, Llangorse and across the mountains to Longtown Castle and Crickhowell & Abergavenny, Nantyderry, Shirenewton, Wolvesnewton & Chepstow. Great handling and we never found any difficulties with the brakes.

[@MrAustina35]

I passed my driving test in February 1966 in my dad's 1965 HA viva. I told the tester that it had power-assisted disc brakes but he still bumped his head on the windscreen when I did the emergency stop. I passed first time then subsequently I bought a 68 HB "Coke bottle" viva estate. They were both great cars. Thanks for your great review.

[@MapleMarmite]

Really like these little vehicles, both in saloon and van. Was also a very nice camper version available, too. I only had the van version when I was in the UK - a white ex Southern Water unit on a V plate. That van made me enough money odd-jobbing to stay afloat when I was made redundant back in the early 90s. I’ve been looking out for the Envoy Epic version here in Canada but only found a couple that were too far gone to save.

[@coop_coop007]

I had a 1976 HA van in the mid 80's, great fun. Still had the same floor pans as the saloon, if you tip the seats forward you can access a couple of spaces to store the tools and spares required to keep the thing going. Mine was mint, ex-fire brigade hydrant maintenance van.

[@andrewfreeman6938]

I used to drive around Didcot Power station in an Electrified HA, lead acid batteries fired in false floor in back. Used it to drive down to river to check instruments at the water inlet/outlet on the Thames.

[@DaysLikeThese65]

Lovely review! Dad had a red HA van (HEA 619D) which was both his part-time builders wagon and family transport. If not hauling bricks, soil, slummy, radiators etc then an old sofa was tossed in the back thus making it a minivan. Said sofa totally unrestrained to the delighted of the up to 5 kids riding in the rear. Learned to drive in it. Now have an Audi Q4. Miss the van. Miss Dad.

[@davidtomlinson6138]

I use to drive that model van as a butchers delivery van - Brilliant to drive 🙂👍

[@davidtomlinson6138]

The 70s butcher van

[@chinnyvision]

We had a V reg HA when I was a kid. It only lasted until 1985, so what 5 years? Replaced with a Midi which was bigger and far more futuristic. Even as a small child the HA seemed old fashioned and slow. My grandfather constantly having to change down when we came to hills. No radio or anything. The heater was about as advanced as it got. Wasn't sad when it went. We had one of the first Midi's in the country and it seemed amazing in comparison. It even had an AM radio! And thank you for letting us hear the engine at around 19 minutes without talking. That's a noise I haven't heard since 1985!

[@petergibbs]

My father had a C reg HA Deluxe version. I first drove it around a caravan site in the lake district age 11. Pure joy until the bee flew in the open window. I have a 69 Triumph Herald now and it is ww2 (no fuse box) compared to the Viva. I fondly remember the Viva, but love my Herald. Thanks for the memory.

[@colinjones2505]

I can still replicate the exciting feeling inside from my childhood when these ( and other small cars) were first introduced. Lovely. I clearly remeber a friend of mine at the time, taking us both down in his Mums example to Black Rock Sands in Porthmadoc, and getting us stuck. Took an age to dig us out. Scary time iirc.

[@mervynprice7009]

Just been reading all those happy comments about HA Viva's. Lots of folks talking about possible SL90s. Well let me say they were very quick in their day. That little engine could really rev its heart out. I learnt to drive in a HA & passed my test in one. But I was barred from driving Dads SL90 & had a Reliant Van Pre Regal with a side valve engine & crash box. Unfortunately Dad had a lathe, so the carb got modified as did the exhaust system. Surprising how quick you can make them go. Happy memories. A great shame that HA Viva's rotted so much, I feel sure you would love to drive an SL90.

[@redditchscroller7049]

I did my mechanics apprenticeship at a vauxhall dealer in the mid 70's and remember those front transverse leaf springs, they were a nightmare to replace when they broke. We had a special spreader bar tool and clamps to do the job but if the spring broke free under tension you had to get out the way quick!!

[@andrewholland990]

The HA had other standard faults, the timing chain rattled because it was a manual adjust and I replaced it with a spring loaded replacement part. The worst was the gear box rear bearing did not get enough oil, this was remedied by adding a few washers at the rear of the gearbox to lower it a little so it got more oil. Yes, the front spring I replaced but I used a tired 2nd hand spring and a jack to compress it into place. On the other hand with the HA (LBM600G it think) I picked up a girl who is now my wife of 38 years. Her dad thought I was a sensible sort of a chap with that van !

[@jeremydrewett5657]

My first car was a base HA and as a 17 year old it was a wonderful, nippy and economical little car. I could fit sometimes four mates in it and it took us everywhere. As a first car you accepted the refinement, noise and lack of brakes. When my children were learning to drive, I would never have let them buy one 😹😹😹 I would probably buy another one now for nostalgic reasons. Fab car!

[@philip2508]

My late father bought one in 1966 £635 on the road !!! We use to go to Bournemouth on holiday most years, I sat on my late mother’s knee in the front seats as there were no seatbelts and three in the rear seat, so we were quite full to the gunnels as they would say !!! Ours was purchased from Lane End Garage in Pudsey West Yorkshire and the proprietor was Mr. Johnson, happy days.

[@bamboobat3304]

This was one of the cars I used when I was learning to drive in the early seventies, my dad had a van and he would take out every now and again. I bought a viva HA saloon which was the second car i ever owned. It was one of the best cars I ever had I used it for work traveling between Weston Super Mare and Bristol via Brockley combe woods never let me down once, wish I still had it today.

[@markalton2809]

Fantastic. My Dad had an HA van, a grey one. Many fond memories.

[@vantabulouslife5704]

My brother bought a HA van to learn to drive back in the 80's. It had holes so big in the floor you had to watch where you put your feet, narrowly avoided a flinstone moment a few time 🤣 Used to get very wet feet when it rained :)

[@SpacedOdyssey]

I had a MK1 Escort company Van, "REG VFG 468 S" in 1979 for two years. It was very basic but OK to drive with 1.3 engine. The seats were about the same as the HA Van, low and without head supports. In 1981 my Escort was replaced by a Chevette Van "GUF 161 V ", this was a real game changer as a works van , absolute style and comfort and the 1256 engine was better than the escort. The seats were nice and cloth upholstered but still just below shoulder height. My mate had an HA Van when we were 17 and we went everywhere in it, we even rolled it on to it's side on a Friday night out but quickly had it back on all 4 wheels

[@CauliflowerMcPugg]

My uncle had a HA van back in the 1970s. My cousins and I would sit in the back and off we would go, what a different place the world was. Fun times.

[@troygoodacre2718]

The pocket on the side of the footwell was for the service book, I bought a c reg viva deluxe ELA798C. who was going to scrap it because of a small bit of welding and a steering rack. I restored it in the 90s. And last I looked is still on the road.

[@vernonmatthews181]

Yes we did get the Viva HA in New Zealand 🇳🇿. I had more to do with the HB, HC & Magnum. I didn't realize that the fuel tank was positioned more like the Herald & Vitesse of the period. The HA Bedford engine had moved from 1057cc, to 1159cc and up again to 1256cc and again to that oil filler pipe hose model. Strange how they retained the single Zenith on top. We only got the 150 Stromberg on top of late HC, Chevette & Chevanne. Later Bedford Beagles never made it to New Zealand 🇳🇿 😮 The only variation as mentioned was the Chevette / Chevanne estate's and the entirely larger CF & CF2 ( rear wheel drive only )😮 Thanks Hubnut for the comparison.❤

[@randelltilley5884]

My first car was a 1964 Vauxhall Viva which I bought in 1969. I believe it was sold by General Motors of Canada. It had the steering wheel on the left side. Loved the little car and have many great memories of driving it.

[@skippy20711]

I had 3 HA`s in the mid to late 70`s loved them :)

[@hedydd2]

It’s amazing that the saloon has survived this long. They were built unbelievably cheaply. The rear wings, for instance, had seams spot welded on the outside of the body, nice the narrow and capped sort of wing. There was a time that cars had similar external seams capped by a chrome strip at the front wings also. There were no wheel arch liners back in the 1960’s and 70’s so all the road water/salt would get into the most extreme of crevices which started to rust the day after they left the factory.

[@geoffreyjones9073]

Saving up to get married we bought a new Red Bed in 1970. Excellent for its time. Cheaper than trying to keep a worn out early cortina on the road. Our first holiday with it camping in Cornwall found us buzzing along at 50mph down an early section of the M5. Once we got to the end of the section is would not come out of top gear! In the end managed to wrench it out of gear, never did it again. Kept it for a couple of years and swapped it for a Renault 16TL, what a difference.

[@stevedevlin3739]

Great video, the comparison between the two is brilliant. I remember both being a common sight on the road.

[@m37kuk]

I had one for my first car, it taught me many things one was that nothing would come unscrewed easily even though it was only 7 years old at the time.

[@mikedunn3436]

I had an HA saloon, which I loved. A joy to drive, and very unusually for small cars in those days, syncromesh on first gear.

[@bryanwhitfield7125]

Dad had a white 1964 Viva HA deluxe, which regularly buzzed its way between West London and my grandparents in Bristol. I used to be terribly carsick in the Anglia 105E which preceded it, but the HA was fortunately an improvement. By the time he moved up to an HB Viva (a rare four door version, first registered as a Vauxhall press car) I was cured. The HA Viva was heavily rear-ended by an Evening Standard delivery van but surprisingly repaired and I think Dad kept it for another year before trading it in. When I first went to college a friend's brother gave me a lift in his Bedford HA van, which I remember little about, other than the abundance of rust.

[@Bicyclehub]

My dad had one of these saloons and that engine sound really takes me back. I always liked it, jolly and light inside. The owner should swap the disc brakes on to the van.

[@colingoode3702]

My 1st car in 1972 was a '64 HA Viva handed down from my dad (FMD 820B). Already a bit of a rusty example with holes in the floor & half way up the fuel tank! I was a GM apprentice at the time & drove it from London to Cornwall & back for one of my first holidays. Had a '69 HB Viva 2.0 GT after that. Viva's were great cars in their day & cheap to run & fix, especially when the parts were at employee rates!!

[@christopherhines2718]

i had two times in my life the bedford ha van.slow but always worked and you can camp out in the back.awesome van!

[@TheStobb50]

Great memories, my dad had one of those 1965 model and when I started work for Sunderland Council, I drove many of them vans I always thought the first viva was better than the second one

[@dangerman01582]

My dad was a plumber and owned a couple of blue HA vans ❤

[@Downstairsish]

Those Bedford van’s where everywhere in the seventies. Both my uncle’s had one ( Butcher and Plumber) so glad there’s one left, as I’m sure that’s probably the best.

[@simonramsay6080]

It's funny that the HA saloon sounded a bit "busy" by the time it reached 50 mph, because an advert for the HA Viva emphasised that the car could reach 70 in 3rd and had a maximum speed in top of 80 mph! I think the acceleration was also described as "swift". It was advertising of course, the way it was written at the time. I notice the car and van in this video sound in healthy condition.

[@waynetetley584]

Nice subtle exhaust rasp too. A time when most cars had a signature sound. Two lovely examples here 😊👍

[@stevepownall6569]

In, say, 1970 my walk home from school was uphill for a mile at 1/10 which made for a good exercise identifying cars by their sound as they came up behind me. I could get several families of engines fairly reliably ...

[@stevenlavery3976]

Watching this has reminded me of 1983. In the summer i left school and went to vauxhall (Luton) on the government's YTS. If my memory serves me right in December i was put in the area were the HA van was built. Production of the van stopped over 6 months earlier but the production line was still in place but was used for storage. It was at the section called "end of line"

[@BungleBare]

For a couple of years in the early ‘80s Bedford were selling three similarly sized vans that basically came from three different decades; the HA van that was a ‘60s design, the Chevanne that was a ‘70s design, and the Mk1 Astravan that was of the ‘80s design trends (I can’t technically claim that was an ‘80s design as it was based on the Opel Kadett launched in ‘79). What a weird line-up.

[@frglee]

I don't suppose high performance or looks mattered that much to utility company fleet buyers who would buy them by the hundreds looking for a good price deal, fuel economy and cheap servicing costs. The simpler, more rugged and cheaper the better, really - which is why old van designs continued being made for long periods. They were hardly meant for luxurious long distance touring, more like puttering around towns and country areas fixing telephone wires, delivering mail, repairing water pipes or taking railwaymen to outdoor trackwork sites, probably getting a bit of a battering in the process.

[@dr.plutonus1496]

When I worked for British Rail in 1986/87 I drove an HA Bedford pool van. After a few weeks it occurred to me to check the oil. It's still the only time in my driving life I've withdrawn a dipstick without so much as a hint of oil on it! 🫣

[@Julianpms]

The first car my father had when I was a 5-year old child was a 1965 baby blue HA deluxe saloon. It served us well for family outings, but its weak point was starting from cold in winter or damp weather. My father got used to taking the plugs out and putting them in the oven while he had breakfast before going to work! He moved on to an HB SL90 in 1967, which was a much more modern-looking car.

[@timtowers7997]

Had an HA Bedford van (ex-London Transport), bought at auction for around 600 quid in late '83. Toured all over the UK in it and in 1988 we toured all around Europe in it and slept in it 90% of the time. Got within 120 miles of the Syrian border in eastern Turkey in it, and then drove back to the UK via bits of Europe we had seen on the way there. Only hassle we had was we had to clean up the alternator armature in Turkey. When we arrived back at a relatives in Essex, we had no tax or mot, 4 bald tyres (including a rear with a bulge in the wall), no spare (shrapnelled), and had driven the last 25 miles on empty as we only had 2 quid in English money when we got off the ferry in Dover. Sold it within days to a plumber, who asked, "is it reliable?" Said I; "We've just made it back from 120 miles from the Syrian border, you make your own mind up." He couldn't get the 125 quid asking price out of his pocket quick enough!!!!

[@stephenpointon]

that sound!!! give me chills reminding me of my HB 4 door that I retro-fitted with front disks from a HB SL90 and had to rebuild the engine after the previous owner hydro locked the engine and bent a rod. I bought it on my 16th birthday took a year to rebuild it and passed my test in it a month after my 17th birthday. I think there was more "david's isopon filler" tham metal. Good times!!!

[@colinnewlands743]

My first car was a 1966 HA Viva and I loved it albeit it was 9 years old when I got it. I would love to have a fully restored one now.

[@trevatkin4869]

My dad had a Viva HA. Great memories.

[@ajwalou-nack2343]

My friend had several HA vans . They were dirt cheap second hand. He paid in 1982 £80 for a 76 plate R reg and it was brilliant. It wasn't even a wreck and came with six months MOT and about a month's tax . I would buy one now if they were available and cheap . Some Bedford stuff was shit but not the little HA . Thanks for the video 👍

[@Your.Uncle.AngMoh]

We lived in New Zealand in 1976 and 1977. The Viva was all-but non-existent in Australis but they were quite common across The Ditch. As were Veloxes, Crestas, and the Anglia 105E. An optional heater for Britain!?! Crikey! The restorations are a credit to their owners.

[@johnf5817]

I'd love to see a direct comparison between the HA Viva saloon and the Nova saloon which is now a very rare beast but virtually identical dimensions to its great great grandad the Viva.

[@alunhoskins4513]

My history teacher, Mr Barlow at the Grove School, Hastings in Sussex, had a new one of these Viva's. Late 60's. Considered a very smart little car in its time. A neighbour had a Bedford Beagle.

[@markwinters1216]

I had a green 1966 HA Viva which I thoroughly enjoyed as a first car after passing my driving test in 1981. Somewhere I think I still have the original handbook for it.

[@6panel300]

I had an ex BT HA van, I can't remember what year it was built. It was bright yellow until i painted on my drive with Dulux white gloss. I paid £20 for it. I remember it used to start as soon as I turned the key every time, and it had a heater. I used it for at least a year, apart from the fan belt was slipping one night so the battery was losing charge and lights kept dimming, I never had problem with it. It was restricted which in fairness did make it reasonable on petrol. It never had any rust and was quite solid. I ended up scrapping it as I couldnt be bothered to mot it. TBH it was a good little van that I should have kept. Good review.

[@DavidBrown-lv6ox]

I drove an HA van for a local authority, definitely unfrilly but very dependable. It started first time when I was being chased by a colleague with a spade who was intent on injuring me, so thank you little HA.

[@darrenwilson8042]

learned to drive in HA vans from my dads works - Looking back I doubt I was insured etc so probs illegal and they were wrecks but taught me a lot about clutch control

[@patrickh7368]

That Steering wheel in the Bedford looks like the Chevette … Folk weren’t texting from the knees back then so tended not to plough into the back of stood traffic at full speed back then…😊

[@chasevans7171]

Glad you discovered the impressive turning circle. That means a massive drift angle to be had on wet roundabouts. Way more than capris or escorts as I demonstrated to my terrified cousin back in the days of teenage immortality. They also do perfect black circles in the dry, one wheel peeling flat out in 2nd on full lock. As many exactly overlaying laps as you want. Amazing. I had a £20 gas board blue ha van that I matt blacked before it was a thing. Unsurprisingly it didn't survive my ownership more than a couple of months. And yes the seats were horrible.

[@mighty_bunny]

I just absolutely adore those vehicles that kept being made for "way too long" and are so clearly stuck in the past compared to other vehicles on the market. I'm reminded a bit of the Ford XF/XH Falcon Ute or the Subaru Brumby.

[@johnmontgomery9149]

We had a fleet of vans in Ayrshire Constabulary. Very reliable and served us well even though the CC dictated that they ran on 2 star petrol.

[@daveb1433]

Great video Ian. I remember my boss had an Opel Kadett Estate in the same beige colour. I owned a White 1978 Chevette Estate which I loved. The steering wheel was the same as the steering wheel in the van. The Mk 3 Viva was a load of rubbish. My uncle owned one and it broke his heart.

[@whitemoor66]

You learn something new every day. I had no idea these vans were based on the Viva or that they lasted so long! I do remember when they were everywhere though. Back in the 70's my parents had two Viva saloons, first an HB and then an HC, very fond childhood memories and I definitely recognise the soundtrack!