Opel Common Problems

[Mitchka]

I just purchased my first Opel GT, based on my Grandfather's suggestion. He owned one "back in the day," rambling on about it. I am based out of Fargo, ND, and will be going to Oregon to pick it up in two weeks. I will be driving it back O_o.


Let's start with a quick background
It has no rust at all, runs well once started. It has a weber carb on it, I'm calling later today (timezones) when he's awake, to find out which model carb it has. The interior is decent, but worn. The car has been sitting for a while. It has trouble starting, and the rear exhaust is hanging askewed. Headlights work, but have not been rewired. I also have an Otto start ordered, by that wonderful gentleman here.

Odds are that something WILL break down on the 1,147 mile trip back. What are the weak points on the car, and what other suggestions do you have for it. And where the heck can I get a tranny pan gasket?

Update: I have a water pump, fuel pump, and timing cover seal ordered.

Thanks for any help you can give,
Mitchka

[Mitchka]

Here are some pictures so you can see the shape of the car. What do you think?

[StephenM]

Looks fairly solid, a few observations:

1) There does seem to be some rust along the left rear fender opening.

2) The carb looks like a weber 32/36 DGAV

3) The fan shroud appears to be held on with a zip tie. Keep an eye on it.

4) That air horn is aftermarket, as you might have guessed

5) Not sure what the line draped across the valve cover is...maybe vacuum line for aforementioned air horn?

It's hard to say what spares to bring with you, since you won't really know what's sound and what's not until you have a few miles under it. For a car that's been sitting, I'd make sure you have a good spare tire, and I'd bring a new battery along too. Spare bulbs, fluids, and a belt couldn't hurt either. Stop after the first 100 miles and check all fluids, and keep an eye on the gauges. Now that I think about it, an oil change at the start of the trip home might not be a bad idea either.

Most importantly, charge up the cell phone and have fun!

-StephenM

[Opelkurt]

Change, or at least top off, the transmission and differential gear lube.

-Kurt

[timemachine]

Besides what you have and what others have suggested, I'd bring some radiator and heater hose, points, rotor and cap, worth checking that before your trip.

[Mitchka]

Yeah, I figured I'd change all the fluids I could, oil, tranny, brake, and coolant, for sure. I don't own a book yet, but how much tranny fluid and oil do one of these hold?

What oil filter does it use? That's something I haven't found yet either.

[David McCollam]

Filter is a Fram PH 966B or PH 2870, AC PF41 or STP S010. Have a case of PF-41 and STP-010 for sale if you need that many.

Dave

[timemachine]

A very common oil filter, (Pep Boys, Western Auto etc.) is a Purolator 10028. Fill the filter with oil before you screw it on. Should take 3.8 quarts in all. I'd use 10w-30 or 10w-40 non-synthetic.

If it's a manual, the gearbox holds 2.5 pints, I'd suggest Redline MTL. The rear holds about the same amount, Redline 75-80 is good or you can use 80-90 hypoid gear oil.

Jim

[madhatterpdc]

Please do a thorough brake inspection!

While the brakes aren't prone to failure or anything, any time a car has been sitting for that long, I would make braking a HIGH priority

[SpringGT]

The only thing that I have ever had fail on a long trip were the rubber exhaust hangers on the resonator (rear muffler). The resonator moves up and down on the hangers a lot at highway speed and steady, extended highway driving causes the entire exhaust to get warm enough to help the rubber donut hangers to fail if they have a little age on them.

If both rear hangers fail, your resonator tips will be dragging on the pavement. So carry some spare hangers or some bailing wire to tie up things in case this happens.

I'd also carry a spare water pump, fan belt, radiator hoses and points.

Also, make sure that the transmission and differential oil levels are checked, as you wouldn't want to ruin a tranny or pinion bearing on the way home.
Good Luck!

[opelwasp]

Also let us know the route you plan to take back. Someone may be able to put you up for the night, or save your a$$ in a pinch if something does go wrong.

[gr_diver]

By looking at the engine bay picture, I noticed that the factory metal fuel hose (the one going from driver's to passenger's side, right below the OPEL logo on the valve cover) is not supported in any way. I would do something about it, because since the soft fuel hoses at it's ends could be somewhat old and dried-out, they might break under the vibration of the engine (been there_done that- I was actually so dried-out that the fuel pump's inlet broke with the car parked, and drained 25lt of fuel on the ground ...).

On the front of the cylinder head, right behind and slightly below the top radiator hose, there is a small triangular cover. There should be a retainer for the metal fuel hose on one of the bolts (top left usually). See if you can slip it back in, but do not loosen/remove the bolts, as this cover controls camshaft's endplay, and you wouldn't like to mess with this before a 1000+miles journey...

P.S. I added some pictures to help you understand how it should be supported. In the pictures, the solid line is inside the black plastic loom, but the routing is clear...

[Mitchka]

Starting in Klamath Falls, Oregon. This is the path I plan on taking when I pick up the car. I just mapquested the route. The only people I know along the way are in Western North Dakota, only 300 miles from home. Anyone who is along the way, I'd gladly change the route if you want to see the car. And if anyone lives along the way, and would be willing to help out in case I broke down, a phone number would really make my wife less worried


Turn LEFT onto KIT CARSON WAY / OR-39 N / US-97 BR N. Continue to follow OR-39 N / US-97 BR N. Becomes US-97 N. 179.0 miles

Turn RIGHT onto US-97 / NE 5TH ST. Continue to follow US-97. 93.0 miles

Merge onto I-84 E / US-30 E toward RUFUS / PENDLETON. 74.3 miles

Merge onto I-82 W via EXIT 179 toward HERMISTON / UMATILLA (Into WA.) 30.7 miles

Merge onto US-395 N via EXIT 113 toward I-182 / KENNEWICK / PASCO. 5.4 miles

Merge onto I-182 E / US-12 E / US-395 N toward SPOKANE / WALLA WALLA. 1.8 miles

Merge onto US-395 N via EXIT 14B on the LEFT toward SPOKANE. 134 miles

US-395 N becomes I-90 E (Passing through ID- then into MT, into 94 in ND). 1,147 miles

Ending in Fargo, North Dakota

[Mitchka]

Hey, thanks for the fuel line support! I wouldn't of seen that at all! I'll see if I can find the metal clip, and if not, I'll invent one with a piece of bent tin or something.

The brakes are going to get one heck of an inspection before I leave, and I sure am NOT going through mountains before that and the steering is given a good through over.

Does anyone have a good picture of what the other side of the motor is supposed to look like? That side I haven't seen on any pictures...

[Mitchka]

I just received notice that the deposit I put on the car was returned to my account.

Turns out the retard sold the car to someone else for supposidly over twice what I was going to pay. That leaves me out an Opel, and rather steamed. Thank you everyone for your help, I'll keep it in mind when I do find another!

Mitchka

[Jerry C]

I guess you was going to buy it off E bay. Who was the seller?

[jvandyke]

Originally Posted by Mitchka I just received notice that the deposit I put on the car was returned to my account. Turns out the retard sold the car to someone else for supposidly over twice what I was going to pay. That leaves me out an Opel, and rather steamed. Thank you everyone for your help, I'll keep it in mind when I do find another! Mitchka

use the time to store up more fundage, look at it as an investment, the money you save now to buy a better GT up front will return 3X because it will cost you 3 times more to fix stuff up, then to buy it fixed already.
"it cost much less to buy "nice" than to make "nice""


you need this pair http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...4373115&rd=1,1