Someone looking for an Opel/Isuzu (aka Opel Kadett E?)

[GoinManta]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...&category=6144

Thought I had heard someone was looking for ones of these.

Charles

[rallye73]

Charles,
Please correct me if I am wrong, but shouldn't that be a Kadett C? The C series ran overseas from approximately late '73 to '79. And the D series took over afterward as the first front wheel drive Kadett; which we eventually got as the 80's Pontiac Lemans. Then the Astra took over before there could be an official E series.
Correct?

Darrin

[RallyBob]

Kadett C was from '74-'78, Kadett E was from '79-'83 (looked like an Omni), the Kadett E was from '84 to '88(??), this model was the basis for the Pontiac LeMans. Then the Astra came out, and I believe they're already on the third version of the Astra.

Bob

[GoinManta]

Correct.. typo on my part.

Also, the Opel/Isuzu and Imark are very very close cousins.. even dash parts swap over.

What I can tell from a casual look over my brothers old one when he had it was the front suspension on the Opel/Isuzu IS the Opel Kadett C suspension (Needed to find him inner tie rods once and got them from Germany). The inner tie rods did NOT match the 80-up I-mark.

So I would think the Opel/Isuzu minus the engine and drivtrain is the Kadett C in everyway. Unlike the I-mark which saw many modifications and stay in production longer than the Kadett C did.

Charles

[RallyBob]

More proof of the whole 'Opel is GM' scenario is my old '88 Pontiac Lemans had a ZF power steering system, complete with the blitz emblem on the filler cap. Oh, and when I bent a tie rod and ordered one from the Pontiac dealership, I got a genuine German-made Opel part with the 'Adam Opel AG' wrapper and everything.

[rallye73]

I think I asked this once before, but I can't recall even getting an "I don't know" answer. Was the suspension out of a Chevy Chevette the same as the Kadett C/Opel-Isuzu? What I was thinking of is using the Chevette (which is extremely plentiful here) suspension in the same manor that the Kadett C is used in upgrading the GT. What do you think?

Darrin

[GoinManta]

Well I don't know. I know there are similarities.. and that none of the front suspension parts on the early Chevettes fit the Opel/Isuzus (Checked when looking for tie rods for my brothers car a few yers ago)

Thats it..

Charles

[oldopelguy]

I think part of the problem with interchangability is that the Chevette resembles a 1.1 Kadett more than a 1.9 Kadett, and vice versa for the Isuzu. Too many degrees of separation?

[Hiergehts]

Some info on what each Kadett is based on the letter designation.

Kadett C : late '73-'79 - last RWD Kadett, what Isuzu I-mark, Impulse, Buick/Opel & Chevy Chevette/Pontiac Acadian/T1000 were originally based on. The Japanese & Asian market versions built in Japan were called the Isuzu Gemini. A version of that was built and sold in Austrailia by Holden using the same name as well.

Kadett D : '80-'84 - 1st FWD Opel, no related model sold in N. America.

Kadett E : '85-'91 - Last 'Kadett' model, what the US sold Pontiac LeMans from Korea was based on - replaced by Astra 'F'.

HTH
Hiergehts

[Rionart]

Charles,
It was me that was looking for an isuzu to clone to Kadett C GT/E spec...but that plan is on hold with the impending arrival of the UK Manta's and a whole container load of parts....that will be 9 Manta's at the house....I hope the neighbors can't count!!!