BUYING TIPS

1 RUST RISKS

Rust is your biggest worry. Vauxhall Heritage’s Andrew Boddy advises checking the inner and outer wings, the base of the A-pillars, inner and outer sills, behind the rear shock absorbers, the front chassis legs’ swan necks, the boot floor and spare wheel well.

2 PARTS PROBLEMS

Buying a complete car is a huge boon. There are numerous pieces of interior trim that are specific to the GT, a problem compounded by the fact that that there are MkI and MkII versions – each with subtle differences. The MkI½, meanwhile, uses parts from both generations!

3 REAL DEAL?

It’s easy to make a standard car look like a GT, but low values mean that this isn’t common. If you’re a stickler for originality, the chassis number should contain ‘HBR’ on early cars and ‘93711’ on later ones.

4 IMPROVE IT!

An FD VX 4/90 overdrive gearbox would make a huge difference to a standard Viva GT’s cruising abilities, while a pair of Weber carburettors and a four-branch manifold usefully boosts power.