Howdy....

[Opel Fan]

Hello! I already have placed an ad to save a nice solid SoCal Opel Kadett, and I didn't even introduce myself first. My name is Don from Pasadena, I am a photographer and artist (illustration and portraits), and originally came from New England where I worked as a historical architect for a State preservation office. I've loved cars since my big brother started bringing me home sales brochures (he was an advertising rep from the local paper) when I was just seven... by nine I could tell you every possible rear axle combo for a 1969 428 H.O. Grand Prix (I like the rare combos or odd cars...).

We had both an early Kadett wagon (seems like a '63 or '64 (?)--- everything was in German and KMs...), and a plum-colored Manta Luxus.

I collect mainly Toyotas now (a strange thing...) after having owned many American cars -- Pontiacs, a couple of Barracudas, a '67 Camaro convertible, etc., but am in the process of selling my current collector-car, so who knows what's next.

If anyone remembers Chevrolet's Opel GT-esque Vega sports car proposal (XP-something...) let me know -- especially if you still have a photo of it. Seems like that car -- and the GT, and the early Corvette-ish Banshee --- all were the forunners of this new Solstice hatchback coupe...

...if only the dealers hadn't been so greedy marking-up those Pontiac sports cars... ahhhh (sigh)... GM....

[Aardvaark]

Hi Don.
Welcome.

[tomking]

Welcome to the site. There was a plum colored Manta Luxus sold in SoCal recently I think. YOu probably need to get another Opel, I think you might have the bug.

[Opel Fan]

YOu probably need to get another Opel, I think you might have the bug.

Yeah, I'm afraid I may indeed have the bug, from those earliest days. They always seemed like such well-engineered cars to me. It's funny, because if anyone remembers Car & Driver's Supercoupe comparison tests in 1972 and 1973, the Opel just seemed like such a superior car, and the Celica was said to be a dog with it's severe understeer and little tires. So, I always thought I would be driving Opels, but when a friend "totaled" his '74 Celica GTand bought it back from the insurance company, I ended up buying it and driving it another 150,000 miles; then another friend totaled a '77 Celica GT and that took me 200,000 miles; and that led to the purchase of a '76 as an investment; an '75 I bought from my brother, an '81, etc. until I finally bought my '85 Supra which is pristine with 63,000 original miles.

If not for that first Toyota, they all might have all been Opels...!

[tomking]

While I have never owned a Japanese car, my son had one of those early 70's Celicas and it was a fine car.

[timemachine]

I was already a lifelong Manta Opeler in the late 70s when I remember having a lot of fun horsing around my girlfriend's orange '74 Celica GT. My sister had a similar vintage Corolla that was a very solid car that was fun to drive and lasted for decades. I remember when the Toyota E-series liftbacks were the ultimate vintage Japanese cars for what were the tuners of the day. Also had a serious soft spot for the Datsun 510.

All those cars paid a price east of the Mississippi, but more Opels seem to be alive on the east coast today than period Toyotas and Datsuns, though I don't follow those groups closely. I'd imagine more Toyotas found their way to the left coast and the opposite for Opels in those days, though the Japanese numbers became much larger overall.

But hey, welcome to the site and why not indulge your Opel jones? It's a cheap hobby and a good crowd.

Jim

[Opel Fan]

Oh, you should see the Japanese cars out here... not only have they survived, but who would have ever thought they'd have a major, actually-international, show with at least six different marques and over 400 cars... mostly stock originals...? I kind of wish though that it was just an international all-foreign show to accommodate Opels as well....

You should see Jay Leno's mid-'60s rotary Cosmo, among all the other odd Mazda models like their little bubble car...

And thanks for the welcome! I am indeed scanning the ads... but so far, the gap between serious-project cars, and survivor examples north of 5-figures, is making me a bit hesitant...