Thinking about buying a GT

[fuegoman]

I am thinking about trying to track down a GT to buy, but was wanting to find out a little more about the Opel GTs first. I was wondering how reliable the 1.9 motor and transmission are in the Opel GTs. Is it hard to get parts for them? What kind of gas mileage can I expect from one? Thanks!

[namba209]

The Opel 1.9 engines are pretty much bullet proof on the lower end, they are a 5 main bearing engine. The later engine heads have a 4 bearing cam. The tranny is also a fairly strong 4-speed. As with any car over 30 years old, there will be things that wear out or die of old age. Parts are available from multiple sources that are listed in the web links of this site. The expected gas mileage will be according to the application of throttle, but normally 25 plus miles per gallon is not uncommon. This website has a fantastic search engine that will get all of these questions and more answered, including modifications, upgrades, and help in maintaining the Opel. The members here are more than helpful in answering any questions and if you are close by, they will often assist in person. If you do purchase a GT, welcome to the fraternity of the Opel GT, it may not be the fastest, but it sure is the neatest. at least IMHO.

Ron

[fuegoman]

Thank you for the info Ron!

[houserc]

Opels are definantly a one of a kind car. You can read through all the information on the Web to see just how unique the car is.

Any GT you get will be over 30 years old. That means that there are a lot of variables involved in how "reliable" the GT you buy will be. It's like any car that old or older, mechanics, body, etc.

My father-in-law just restored his 71 Mercury Cougar and he went through the same things I did with my Opel. He still has some rubber bushings underneath to replace, but it's the same process. Only difference with his car is he can buy parts from the Ford dealership still. We have to order on-line.

Check out this site's classifieds. Check out eBay. Search the web for various other suppliers. Parts are a LOT easier to come by now then back in the early 80's when I owned my last GT. (Thank Gore for the Internet. )

Good luck with your search.

[ConreroGT]

Originally posted by fuegoman I am thinking about trying to track down a GT to buy, but was wanting to find out a little more about the Opel GTs first. I was wondering how reliable the 1.9 motor and transmission are in the Opel GTs. Is it hard to get parts for them? What kind of gas mileage can I expect from one? Thanks!

Like the others mentioned above, the engine and tranny are pretty strong for everyday driving. There are many people who find GT's that have sat for many years w/o starting only to discover it was just a bad starter or the timeing was way off. Most of them will not only start but actually idle smooth. You can get 4-speed gearboxs for less the $100 nowadays. Even whole 1.9 motors for around $200 give or take.

If your interested in upgrades, the 4-speed transmission can be upgraded to a Getrag 5-Speed by virtually just bolting it in (with a kit from Opel GT Source in California) The engine blocks can be upgraded as well. 2.2l and 2.4l blocks can still be bought new as far as I know. And these too are just bolt on for the most part.

The GT's are a lot of fun.

www.opelgtmotorsport.com