The "green" GT has arived.

[opelwasp]

Well I was bad, bad, bad. I just picked up a 73 green GT. Sickening isn't it. I lust can't help myself. I was sitting there while my father and I was towing it with the silliest grin on my face and the giddy feeling we all get when we get another one.

What the heck am I going to get another for? Well, first I am going clean it up and get the body operational.
Next I will be putting in a 1.0L Geo Metro engine in it. I have the engine but now I need to get the Suzuki Samurai 5 speed tranny. Since it is smog exempt in CA I will be installing a reground cam and port/polished head.
I will be using the whole 94 Geo Metro braking system, but 2000 Metro rotors and not sure about the rear setup.
At first the interior will be stripped and just a basic bulk marine grade carpet will be put in. Probably just use the Metro seats too.
I do need to figure out the front spring issue though, the 1.0L weighs lots less than the 1.9L. It's gonna look and ride real funny with the stock spring.
I may just try a light duty coil over setup by cutting away the inner lip on the stock A-arm to make more room and close off the bottom to add strength.

The goal for this car is to have a neat looking commuter car. I drive 50 mile to and from work each day, and I like my money in my pocket not the gas company's.

Talk about recycling. How many people recycle cars? Screw aluminum cans.

[RallyBob]

Originally Posted by opelwasp I do need to figure out the front spring issue though, the 1.0L weighs lots less than the 1.9L. It's gonna look and ride real funny with the stock spring.

You can try removing one spring from the spring 'bundle', if the engine is truly that light. Otherwise you can start trimming the spring lengths (not the lowermost spring of course). IIRC, I lowered a Kadett once by removing 4" from each end of the center leaf, and 7" from each end of the top leaf. When I re-assembled the spring bundle, I added 1/16" thick HDPE liners between each leaf. Huge difference in ride quality!

HTH,
Bob

[opelwasp]

Thanks for the tip, I might just do the trim job for the Wasp. Removing the top spring sounds like a good start for the GT Metro though.

[newman27]

Congratulations - sounds like a fun project and keeps another Opel on the road!

Matt

[opelwasp]

The great part about it is I don't have to modify the chassis to accommodate the 1.0L. I can go back to Opel any time I want to.

[ungermm]

Originally Posted by opelwasp Well I was bad, bad, bad. I lust can't help myself. .... I was towing it with the silliest grin on my face and the giddy feeling we all get when we get another one.

Cool, I know the feeling well. Congratulations to you and the addition to your family. Where and how did you find "green"?

[opelwasp]

It was up in Williams, CA. My bank tellers father in law had it. They just gave it to me.

[West Coast GT]

Are you keeping the original engine, or looking at getting rid of it?

[opelwasp]

Originally Posted by West Coast GT Are you keeping the original engine, or looking at getting rid of it?

It actually came without an engine or gas tank. I have access to many spare engines. Why do you need one?

[neuropel]

I think this is a great project and I'm looking forward to seeing your progress! Be sure to detail how the engine/tranny fits in there. I wish I had the time/initiative to do something similar.

Todd

[RallyBob]

Originally Posted by neuropel I wish I had the time/initiative to do something similar. Todd

Todd, just get your 2.5 litre together and in your Manta. Chris may get more miles per gallon, but you'll have more smiles-per-gallon.

Duane is gonna get his 2.5 done before you at this rate...I finished his cylinder head up Friday night.

[neuropel]

Ha! Duane will have his together YEARS before me at this rate. My stuff is packed in bins as I await selling my house and moving. That's ok, though...Duane can work out all the bugs with his first .

I haven't seen the CAR for my 2.5L since December 2000 - only pictures, but it's getting closer!

I'm commuting over 500 miles per week currently, hence my interest in this green GT. I commute 275 miles one way on Sunday or Monday, then back on Friday - living in a hotel through the week!

Thank God Spring is nearly here...

Todd

[opelwasp]

Originally Posted by RallyBob Todd, just get your 2.5 litre together and in your Manta. Chris may get more miles per gallon, but you'll have more smiles-per-gallon. Duane is gonna get his 2.5 done before you at this rate...I finished his cylinder head up Friday night.

Ah, ha Bob. Not so fast. I have a 2.4L too, I get plenty of smiles-per-gallon. I just can afford them easier with the high miles-per-gallon.

[RallyBob]

Originally Posted by neuropel Ha! Duane will have his together YEARS before me at this rate. My stuff is packed in bins as I await selling my house and moving. That's ok, though...Duane can work out all the bugs with his first . I haven't seen the CAR for my 2.5L since December 2000 - only pictures, but it's getting closer!

Yea, but I want to hear those throttle bodies of yours!

I'm commuting over 500 miles per week currently, hence my interest in this green GT. I commute 275 miles one way on Sunday or Monday, then back on Friday - living in a hotel through the week! Thank God Spring is nearly here... Todd

I hear ya, it's still cool up here (45 degree days), but I've started riding my motorcycle again since Friday. $13 for gas over 4 days, vs. $25 every two days with my car. I can deal with a little bit of wind chill....

Bob

[RallyBob]

Originally Posted by opelwasp Ah, ha Bob. Not so fast. I have a 2.4L too, I get plenty of smiles-per-gallon. I just can afford them easier with the high miles-per-gallon.

I know what you mean, gas is just stupid these days.

I'm looking forward to hearing Duane's 2.5 Manta w/ 45 DCOE's, Todd's 2.5 Manta with 45 mm TB's and EFI, and Gregg's roller-cam 2.5 with the 3.0 intake and EFI. Three different ways of getting there, but all three cars should be knocking on the 175-185 whp threshhold. We need a Carlisle 2.5 litre dyno shootout day!

[neuropel]

Originally Posted by RallyBob We need a Carlisle 2.5 litre dyno shootout day!

I agree! We should make this our goal for next year. How close is Gregg with his? I wonder if Duane will have his ready by Carlisle?

Originally Posted by RallyBob Yea, but I want to hear those throttle bodies of yours!

Trust me, I want to hear them too!

[bigben]

Originally Posted by opelwasp I do need to figure out the front spring issue though, the 1.0L weighs lots less than the 1.9L. It's gonna look and ride real funny with the stock spring. I may just try a light duty coil over setup by cutting away the inner lip on the stock A-arm to make more room and close off the bottom to add strength. The goal for this car is to have a neat looking commuter car. I drive 50 mile to and from work each day, and I like my money in my pocket not the gas company's. Talk about recycling. How many people recycle cars? Screw aluminum cans.

I hope I'm not too late to chime in with a couple of thoughts. On lowering front end so it doesn't sit too high with the lighter engine, the easieast and cheapest way is to make a pair of lowering shackles out of some flat bar stock and a couple of extra grade 8 bolts.(similar to what might be used on the leaf springs of a small pickup) All you have to do is jack up the car remove the bolts from the spring eyes, bolt in your homemade shackles and hwala. . . your car is lowered. I did this on my first GT, very simple.

On the mpg note. My dad back in Ohio drives a lot of miles too (150+ per day commute). So he picked up a 93' metro. He was getting around 45mpg with the little three cylinder, but he didn't think that was good enough. Since the center cylinder wasn't running very efficiently,(burnt valve, happens frequently on geo 3 cylinders) he decided to dis-able the cylinder all together and decrease his fuel consumption by a third. He monkeyed with the valvetrain to dis-able the center cylinder and did some rewiring of the throttle body with some added resistors in order to trick the car into supplying less fuel since it would only be feeding two cylinders instead of three. The result: A gutless wonder that gets 60mpg at 65mph and 65mpg at 55mph. Yeah, my dad's probably the only person that would drive 55 on the highway in order to get better fuel mileage. I wonder what a two cylinder GT would get?

[opelwasp]

Originally Posted by bigben I wonder what a two cylinder GT would get?

Run over, here in CA going slow on the Highway could get you killed.