Giving the "roadworth" badge to my car...

[gr_diver]

I have been driving my Opel as a daily driver for about 5 years now. Before that, my dad used to drive it as a daily driver since 1978 that he bought it new. The fact that since about 1992 my dad started neglecting the car, thinking that he would soon replace it, has always left me with a feeling of unreliability about it.

I have done MUCH repair on it, most of it DIY, less at repair shops, but still I don't feel totally confident about it. This is the main reason that I only use it around town, and have made few short trips . This is silly, because I mainly don't feel secure driving on roads I am not familiar with, when at the same time during summer every weekend I drive in it to the closest seashores that I like, about 100km away.

I think I am not fair with my car. It has never failed me with anything serious. Once it was just misfiring because of a broken condensor's attaching plate, once because of dirty spark plug, and once the dash voltage regulator went bad and showed about 100*C, when it was running properly. And the worst ever was that the gear-lever retaining pin lost the e-clip and fell off. No real failure.

Below I am listing the major repairs I have done or carried out during these years:

1) replaced shocks and springs
2) replaced ball joints and steering gear
3) new brake's M/C, new pads & rotors, new rear shoes/drums/cylinders
4) new engine/gearbox mounts
5) new coolant pump / thermostat / radiator / hoses
6) rebuilted distributor, all ignition parts new (including car's wiring and key switch)
7) new battery / rebuilt BMW 120amps alternator, and new starting/charging wiring
8) new clutch components
9) "new" rebuilt carb
10) Otto-start type modification
11) headlight relays
12) all sensors new (coolant, oil pressure)

The engine's compression tests good, though it consumes a little oil but nothing major (about 1lt every 2000km). I have 4,5 bars max oil pressure at above 2500rpms, and never below 2 bars even in the hottest summer day city idling. I change the oil (I use 15w40 mineral all year) and filter every 3000km, I perform a tune-up with new parts every 10000km and re-tune it every 5000km. I adjust valves (solids) every 6 months, and change all fluids at the recommended intervals to be short.

The chassis has very little rust, but nothing serious. A few rust bubbles below the paint, and a rusted trunk floor.

What checks would you guys recommend to do, in order to overcome my "fears" so to start really enjoying my car? I frequently turn down weekend trips with friends because of my car. I don't know why, it just gives me the feeling that it will be stressed and broken, like a new toy that you lock up so as not to brake it, and then you have grown up and do not want to play with it anymore... It is more of a psycological thing, rather than an actuall condition.

Now if you will excuse me, I have to call my therapist for an appointment, looks like I got the Opelitis... ARRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGG!!!

[baz]

with that done to it i would say go drive it like you stoll it

it is now a more reliable car than when it came of the line from opel

[soybean]

I agree with Baz. You have done everything that needs to be done. You know the car, carry the usual assortment of tools and let her rip.
Jarrell

[GTJIM]

You ain't gonna die if it breaks down just a little bit one day!
Go for it - drive it till you trust it...... take it on your next long trip.
Besides which you seem to know how to fix most of the usual Opel problems.........

[gr_diver]

I am not gonna die, that's for sure!

Thanks guys, I already feel better knowing that Experienced (thats with a capital E!!!) fellas like you encourage me!!! I will start changing my attitude from "pitty the poor thing" to "give her the road that she deserves". After all it's a car, it was made to eat down it's tires. People get bored staying indoors and going only to work, why shouldn't she get bored...

Summer has started to give us it's first hot breaths, so it's time to pack bags and travel around. How can it be any better than being in an Opel?

I will start listening more often to that 50 Cent song that says "Hit the clutch, hit the gear, hit the gas and I'm gone..." to make me think different about my car!

Thanks guys!!! You have all been part of my 5 years journey in restoring this car. When I started reading these pages, I could only open caps and check fluid levels, since then I have advanced to knowing how all things work, and can carry out many repairs by myself.

I wish I could come to one of your meetings, driving my Opel, to show you what I've done, and learn even more!!! It must be like an Opel encyclopedia there!!!

Cheers!

[2 Fast 4 U]

Just drive the car and the oil changes ? change oil every 5000 km and oilfilter every 10000 km any earlyer is a waist of good oil and filter or if you don't reach that in a year change oil and filter every year

[gr_diver]

2 Fast 4 U: Thank you for your tips. I mainly judge oil condition by it's colour. So far, when it started to darken I assumed that it has started to "deteriorate", and usually at 4000km it gets as dark as it will. So I change it every 3000, to avoid reaching the "bad oil" condition. Also for the filter, I don't like the idea of keeping 500ml of dirty oil mixing with the new, and 2 times I attempted to just empty it and re-use their gaskets were leaking afterwards.

This is why I do it so often. Is it an overkill? When can one say that oil needs replacing appart from the odometer?